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October 26, 1905. 



The Weekly Rorists' Review. 



J273 



the spring." The only thing to do is 

 to go over the whole plant carefully 

 and thoroughly, looking at every 

 joint, repacking all valve stems, look- 

 ing at all piers, wall hooks or other 

 supports to see that they are not loos- 

 ened or otherwise out of place. Also 

 gee that there are no sags in the lines 

 of pipe, as there is always the liability 

 that the house, or bench, or something 

 has settled and so made a pocket in 

 your pipes where you will collect either 

 condensation if you use steam, or air if 

 you heat with water, either being dis- 

 astrous to successful heating. 



After looking everything over and 

 getting the plant in shape, draw off 

 all the water in the system, washing 

 out the boiler, and fill full of fresh 

 water. Then go over the plant care- 

 fully again and see that everything is 

 in the perfect shape that you thought 

 it to be. If you have no leaks with 

 cold water pressure, you are safe in 

 calling it all right. 



Ventilating. 



We have been having very bright, 

 sunny, hot days so far this month and 

 care must be used to keep the houses 

 as cool as possible. Be sure to have 

 all your ventilators wide open, doors, 

 etc. This does not mean that you 

 want to let a heavy shower drive in 

 upon the plants, for you want to keep 

 the soil in a good, healthy condition, 

 which you can never do if you have 

 ventilators which, when wide open, 

 throw the water on the borders; but 

 be sure to open them again as soon 

 as the shower is over. 



Holding Trade, 



As was mentioned in a recent num- 

 ber of the Eeview, competition is be- 

 coming so keen on violets that you will 

 probably have to be more liberal in 

 count this season than ever, keeping 

 the bunches up to standard in size as 

 well as in neat and artistic arrange- 

 ment. 



If you live in a comparatively small 

 place, do not fail to use the latest ac- 

 cessories that your nearest city com- 

 petitor uses to acquire your trade, be it 

 bows, tassels, lace or what-not, includ- 

 ing the proper violet box for packing 

 them in. Slackness in any of these 

 seemingly minor details is often the 

 turning point in influencing your trade 

 and frequently it is when you least 

 expect it. You want to make a repu- 

 tation, and once made do not rely on 

 that, but keep on trying to improve it. 



Again, with all your care dissatisfac- 

 tion will occasionally arise from some 

 cause or other, frequently through no 

 fault of your own; yet, however it 

 comes, if it comes to your knowledge, 

 make it good, even to the point of los- 

 ing the price of the whole order, un- 

 less you are dead sure it is a "fake 

 kick." Even then time will generally 

 cause such a customer to feel remorse. 

 E. E. Shuphelt. 



Chanute, Kan. — Jas. Truitt & Son 

 are adding to their range of houses, 

 nsing glass made in the new local glass 

 factory. They do a large nursery busi- 

 ness. 



PiTTSBTjRG, Pa. — P. J. Demas, of the 

 Pittsburg Florists' Exchange, asks to 

 bave it stated that he is not connected 

 with the firm of Demas & Gregoris, 

 which he states is composed of Mrs. 

 V. Demas and James Gregoris. 



Charles A. Shaeffer. 



A KANSAS CITY PROJECT. 



We are ever mindful of Horace Gree- 

 ley's advice to young men, but to George 

 E. Plumbe, grizzled veteran of many 

 years' experience in the compilation of 

 that greatest of encyclopedias of pres- 

 ent-day industrial, commercial and polit- 

 ical history, the Chicago Daily News Al- 

 manac, we must give credit for an 

 equally wise direction with the added 

 merit of definiteness. Few men in Chi- 

 cago have for an equal period been so 

 well qualified as Mr. Plumbe to advise 

 as to the trend in the developments of 

 Greeley 's ' ' west. ' ' The west embraces 

 a very considerable part of our country 

 and there are places in it where no one 

 could be advised to go — except away 

 from. 



But George E. Plumbe localized his 

 advice: He said, "Young man, go to 

 Kansas City. ' ' More than a dozen years 

 ago he told a youth, who sought to profit 

 by his opportunity for wide observation, 

 that Kansas City offered better business 

 prospects than any other city in the 

 country; not better chances for any in- 

 dividual to become wealthy, but the 

 surest indication of prosperity for all its 

 people. And a few short years have 

 served to show the accuracy of the 

 statement. 



Located at the gateway to the great 

 southwest, Kansas City is one of the bus- 

 iest cities in the country. From a florists ' 

 standpoint Kansas City is one of the big- 

 gest towns on the map. Floriculturally 

 Kansas City is different from Chicago: 

 Chicago consumes but a small part of 

 the flowers it produces, while Kansas 



City produces but a small part of the 

 flowers it consumes. Pity 'tis, Chicago 

 thinks, that it is certain to some day be 

 otherwise as far as Kansas City is con- 

 cerned. 



Charles A. Shaeffer was a stockman. 

 He had a cattle ranch of 7,000 acres 

 and it made him independent. He re- 

 moved to Kansas City. Being of the 

 temperament which leads to restlessness 

 in inactivity he was soon open to any 

 legitimate business proposition. It did 

 not take long to convince him that the 

 retail florists' business was prospering 

 I at least in proportion to the general pros- 

 I perity of the community, and perhaps a 

 little better, because of several local 

 influences making for the wider use of 

 flowers. He decided to back the Kansas 

 City Floral Co., a retail venture. Soon 

 he gave to it his personal attention and 

 as the business grew he became more than 

 ever satisfied that the pursuit of flori- 

 culture leads to a pleasant and profitable 

 business. A new store soon became a 

 necessity and the advantages afforded 

 by a greenhouse adjunct were shortly 

 apparent. Early in the past season land 

 was bought for a range of houses to 

 grow palms, bedding stock, lilies and all 

 the miscellaneous plants so necessary to 

 a large business. The plans prepared 

 at that time called for 23,000 feet of 

 glass. 



Mr. Shaeffer is prosecuting his plans 

 for becoming a factor in the legitimate 

 retail flower trade of Kansas City, but he 

 has grasped another point of far greater 

 importance to the business. He has seen 

 that Kansas City is, perhaps more than 



