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'December 2, 1009. 



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ThcWeckly Florists' Review. 





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Canopy of Flowers Over the Bier of a Wealthy Pittsburger. 



law describes practically every detail, 

 leaving little except the question of 

 wages to be settled between employer 

 and employee. The hours of work are 

 fixed by law, and so are the periods of 

 "in and out" employment Avhich may 

 be required. By in and out employment 

 is meant the sending out of shop em- 

 ployees, as in the case of those who go 

 from florists' shops to put up decorations 

 at the houses of customers. One section 

 of the law has prohibited sending out 

 an employee except during the regular 

 hours of employment, which were them- 

 selves limited. This was so burdensome 

 that the retailers took the matter to 

 court. A report states: 



"Much stress was laid on the fact 

 that it was necessary, especially in the 

 London season, to carry out decorations 

 at customers' houses up to the hour of 

 10 p. m. It was stated by the principal 

 florists that many London hostesses re- 

 quire that the flowers used in decora- 

 tions shall be absolutely fresh and ar- 

 ranged as recently as possible before the 

 entertainments commence. The em- 

 ployers contended that this work is not 

 arduous and that it is enjoyed by the 

 assistants. 



" ' I fear, ' said the court in his deci- 

 sion, 'there is no reasonable chance of 

 entertainments in London beginning at 

 any earlier hour in the evening. The 

 tendency seems to be to begin them 

 later. The conclusion to which I am 

 driven, I admit reluctantly, is that these 

 decorations will be demanded in future 

 as heretofore, and the maater florists 

 will be required by their 'tnstoraers to 

 prepare an(T arrange them as late in 

 the evening as heretofore. The skilled 

 assistants who do this work are gen- 

 erally ladies of artistic taste, and with 



an experience usually acquired by an 

 apprenticeship of training of some years' 

 duration.' " 



The Court then went on to recommend 

 modifications of the law permitting "in 

 and out" employment for two hours a 

 day, but for 100 days in the year only. 

 Where the outside employment occurs 

 after the regular hours the permitted two 

 hours should, in every case, be given 

 back to the assistant on the morning of 

 the day after the time has been taken, 

 and a period of at least twelve hours 

 should elapse between the ending of tho 

 work out of the workshop and the re- 

 sumption of work either in or out of 

 the workshop on the next day. All out- 

 side work, except during regular hours, 

 should be paid for as overtime, and no 

 deductions should be made for wages 

 in respect of the hours returned to the 

 assistant. The weekly half -holiday should 

 be allowed at the option of the occupier 

 of a florist's workshop either on Sat- 

 urday or any other day. Power to grant 

 the weekly half-holiday to assistants in 

 florists' shops and workshops on dif- 

 ferent days should be included in any 

 future legislation dealing with work- 

 shops. 



SPIRAEA JAPONICA. 



The roots of the herbaceous spirseas or 

 astilbes generally arrive from November 

 10 to 30. After unpacking, soak the 

 clumps well in water and heel them in 

 closely, either outdoors or in a cold- 

 frame. Wherever they are placed, it is 

 best to let them have one or two good 

 freezings before potting or starting them. 

 The old variety, Japonica, is now largely 

 superseded by the improved varieties, 

 such as grandiflora compacta, Gladstone 



and astilboides, all of which are now in- 

 expensive. Do not overlook the new pink 

 varieties. Peach Blossom and Queen Alex- 

 andra. These do not force so well aa 

 the white flowered varieties, but for 

 spring decorations are superb. Queen 

 Alexandra comes in beautifully at Me- 

 morial day, the smallest clumps making 

 surprisingly fine plants. 



AZALEA MOLLIS. 



While less grown than the Indian aza- 

 leas, there can be no gainsaying the fact 

 that the mollis azaleas, even while al- 

 most leafless, as they are when in flower, 

 are the more beautiful of the two sec- 

 tions. The beautiful yel>ow, orange, old 

 gold, pink and other shades are charm- 

 ing, and as there is no diflSculty in grow- 

 ing and blooming them, it is not sur- 

 prising to see them largely used each 

 winter in all the up-to-date stores. 



The new stock is now to hand and 

 extra well budded. In potting we en- 

 deavor to squeeze the balls into as small 

 pots as possible, and place the plants in 

 a frame where the pots are protected and 

 the plants allowed to get several good 

 freezings. Of course, it may be an ex- 

 ploded theory about frost being neces- 

 sary for any plants prior to their being 

 forced, but a long experience shows a de- 

 cided benefit from these freezings. For 

 late use, where the plants have had a 

 tolerably long rest since the fall of the 

 leaf, freezings are not required. The 

 freezings are supposed to put the plants 

 to sleep, and when lulled into that condi- 

 tion they respond quickly to , heat and 

 moisture. At) a general rule, it does not 

 pay to start forcing the mollis azaleas 

 until after Christmas. 



