JCNi 18. 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



18 



Window of Bedding Plants by George T. Boucher, Rochester, N. Y. 



and cease to envy the men who are 

 wasting their energies and nerves and 

 talents in your behalf. 



The path of the auctioneer is not 

 strewn with roses. More likely dead 

 rose bushes with their thorns pierce his 

 weary feet. 



His season is limited. 



If he makes any money he must 

 crowd into weeks the labor that should 

 be spread over months of ordinary toil. 

 He must win and hold his growers 

 against falsehoods and unreasonable- 

 ness and misrepresentation — he must be 

 ready to give minutest details of every 

 transaction; he must create confidence 

 in foreign exporters whom he has never 

 seen, and he must be financially strong 

 enough to meet promptly every demand 

 of his shippers. 



All these clouds must have silver 

 linings, or shadowy indeed is the out- 

 look otherwise. 



He must have a deep knowledge of 

 human nature, a memory so keen that 

 he never forgets a face or name, and 

 tact and patience that preserve a smil- 

 ing countenance when his heart is 

 bursting with cuss words and justifia- 

 ble indignation. 



All these shadows must be seen and 

 blown away before success is even pos- 

 sible. 



The auctioneer must keep his tem- 

 per, and, in a word, become all things 

 to all men, if he would win them. His 

 mind must be clear, his physical 

 strength unimpaired, his constitution of 

 iron. He must avoid artificial stimu- 

 lants, never descend to offensive repar- 

 tee, always give the retort courteous 

 no matter how his dignity may be im- 

 posed upon. 



Now you know some of the shadows 



that hover over the auction business, 

 and' there are many others. 



There is the late season, with spring 

 lingering long in the lap of winter; 

 the long drought, the late or early 

 Easters, the raissent shipments, the 

 express overcharges, the tinwatered 

 plants, the careless handling by rail- 

 road ignoramuses. Then come the long 

 office hours, the burning of the mid- 

 night oil, the innumerable details, the 

 unavoidable mistakes, the impatient 

 shippers, the slow collections, the be- 

 trayal of confidences, the carelessness 

 of employees, 



Weill Now you have both sides of 

 the burning subject. Aren't you glad 

 you are not a horticultural auctioneer? 



FEATUBma THE BEDDmO. 



With bedding out a large item in 

 the spring work of many florists who 

 run retail stores, it is strange that so 

 few push this department of the busi- 

 ness — the average florist waits for the 

 orders to seek him out. George Bouch- 

 er, however, has found it worth while 

 to feature his facilities for doing bed- 

 ding; Kochester people spend a lot of 

 money for the planting of flower beds 

 and they quickly respond to any rea- 

 sonable effort to secure their orders. 

 Mr. Boucher has a big window in his 

 downtown store and in the bedding sea- 

 son has found it a means of selling 

 bedding stock, just as at other times 

 he finds it a means of interesting the 

 people who pass in the flowers of the 

 day. The accompanying illustration is 

 prepared from a photograph made in 

 May, showing one of Mr. Boucher's 

 bedding stock window displays. The 

 floor of the window is covered with 

 green moss, making an admirable rep- 

 resentation of a lawn, with miniature 



flower beds. 

 Werdein. 



The work was by J. H. 



PLANTS rOE WINDOW BOX. 



Will you name some winter-bloom- 

 ing plants that I can use in a window 

 boxt C. A. W. 



If you want plants which will flower 

 for a considerable time, the begonias 

 are unexcelled. Fibrous varieties of 

 the Vernon and Erfordii type will 

 flower all winter. The popular Gloire 

 de Lorraine will also bloom a long time. 

 These and, in fact, nearly all winter- 

 flowering plants will do better kept in 

 pots, rather than planted directly in 

 the boxes. Among other satisfactory 

 plants are Primula obconica, and P. 

 Sinensis. These are better if kept 

 moderately cool, and if carefully tend- 

 ed they will flower the greater part 

 of the winter. Bulbous plants, such as 

 tulips, narcissi, etc., may be used, but 

 of course they require more frequent 

 changing. Zonal geraniums are beau- 

 tiful and flower persistently in the cold 

 months, if not subjected to a higher 

 night temperature than 55 degrees. 

 Cyclamens are charming plants, whose 

 flowers can be depended on for two 

 months if they are not kept too warm. 

 With good light, careful ventilation and 

 watering and a night temperature not 

 too high, any of the foregoing plants 

 should prove satisfactory. C. W. 



Des Moines, la. — Plans are being 

 considered by Councilman J. W. Ash, 

 head of the department of parks and 

 public property, for the construction 

 of a new greenhouse at Union park. 

 He will ask the council to appropriate 

 $4,000 for the purpose. 



