8 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



JlLV I, 



1910. 



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BESIDE THE 



POTTING BENCH 



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THE MEN AND THE BOSS. 



There Are Two Points of View. 



While working in the potting shod I 

 heard some one say, "I can pot 10,000 

 plants a day. ' ' The statement created 

 an hour's discussion. It always seemed 

 to me that sometimes it is quite imma- 

 terial whether one plants fast or slow; 

 the point is that it be well done. But 

 the Boss doesn 't always agree. He thinks 

 we have to hurry up if our work is to 

 bring him any profit. 



We young fellows always believe we 

 are getting the small end of the deal. 

 We have all the rough work to do, 

 cleaning up the houses each evening, 

 washing old pots, mixing one or two of 

 the standard ingredients together and 

 naming it "liquid fertilizer," or some 

 other such work. It's mighty healthy 

 work, though, because most florists live 

 to be 80 — more or less. 



And so it goes. We are seldom satis- 

 fied. We can all aspire to be a Burbank, 

 a Peter Henderson, or a Bailey, but of 

 what good is it when we haven 't the 

 money to show what we can do? It 

 used to be that a man could start a 

 business on $.500 and get rich in a few 

 years, but now, so we think, the man 

 who succeeds is the man who works, 

 and works hard. There is a whole lot 

 in that word work, fellows. 



Ever stop to think that your employ- 

 er has just a little to look after, and 

 that he has just a little responsibility 

 resting on his shoulders? Ever stop to 

 think, Mr. Employer, that your men 

 might appreciate a little more considera- 

 tion than you were giving them? I 

 tell you, fellows, I haven't much use 

 for the man, the employee, who doesn 't 

 do his best; neither have I much use 

 for the employer who thinks only of 

 his men as a slave-driver would his 

 slaves. I worked for a man one time. 

 Tired the boilers for his twelve houses 

 when the temperature would descend 

 to 30 degrees below zero. He appre- 



ciated it — not, it seemed to me. ile 

 gave me $I..jO a day, board myself and 

 pay my own car fare. Did 1 jjet rich 

 on the remainder? However, hitor he 

 asked me to become a partner in tlic 

 bnsiness. 



I have read most of the articles on 

 "The Relation Between the Man and 

 His Boss," or something to that effect. 

 There's a whole lot in this question, 

 or it wouldn't create so much discus 

 sion. But I have reached the conclu- 

 sion that if we practice the golden rule 

 all will be well. 



The Employer's View. 



Looking at the question from the em- 

 ployer's point of view, wo find tiiat 

 his ideas are vastly different from those 

 of the man below. He is the Head, 

 and must have full control of all situ- 

 ations. Like a general, he must com- 

 mand. He may be occasionally wrong, 

 but who is not? Most of us are only 

 human. Of course, some few have ar- 

 rived at the point wherein they fancy 

 (it's only fancy) they are "It. with a 

 big I." We should be thankful that 

 they are few and far between. They 

 are not the employer we shall discuss. 



.\s I said before, the golden rule 

 must be given an opportunity to get in 

 its work whenever possible. Give the 

 employer his due, for he is the Boss of 

 his own place. The man who sometimes 

 is wrong is not always so. Give him 

 what credit he deserves. Did you ever 

 stop to think that maybe your employer 

 had made plans to boost you as you 

 made good? An ideal employer is one 

 who knows not only his own position in 

 the business, but his men's position as 

 well. Once in a while we find that the 

 Boss has planned to increase our salary. 

 He doesn 't run to us with gladsome 

 news, but bides his time and gives it 

 when it is least expected. 



The employer occasionally has bills 

 to meet. Seems strange, doesn't it? 

 The "hired help" doesn't have to 

 worrv. Not he! The Boss does that. 



without saying much about it. And 

 did you ever stop to think, Mr. Employee, 

 that the Good-natured Foreman is the 

 man who holds your future m the hol- 

 low of his hand? He talks for the 

 Head. He reflects the Head's ideas to 

 such an extent that you can understand 

 them. There is quite a moral to this. 

 It consists principally of a half dozen 

 words, "Don't try to bulldoze the tore- 

 man." It seldom pays. 



Don't Be a Knocker, 



Once in a long while the employee 

 may reflect on the way the business is 

 lici'ng run, and proceeds to convey 

 his thoughts to his fellows. That is a 

 delightful method to instill harmony 

 into the rest of the "bunch." You 

 have such a delightful time telling the 

 fellows how you love the Boss, how you 

 would run the business if you had it, 

 and a lot of other interesting things. 

 There is nothing like a good camp-meet- 

 ing at noon time. The fellows perch on 

 chairs, tables, or what not, and pro- 

 ceed to open the discussion by taking 

 a shot at the Bosss. He isn't there, but 

 what's the odds? You'd tell him just 

 the same. Don't do it, fellows; 'twill 

 do no good. Why can't you cheer up the 

 "Old Slan" occasionally? Make your 

 department the best in the place. Don 't 

 be envious if someone else gets the 

 raise when you were expecting it. I've 

 been there. I know. 



Give the Men a Chance. 



The knowing ones say that the em- 

 ployer must not think his men are mere' 

 machines. The florists' business is the 

 one business that requires some little 

 intelligence to succeed. An intelligent 

 emploj-ee is a valuable asset in the busi- 

 ness. Encourage, not discourage your 

 men. Give them to understand that 

 there is some incentive for them to do 

 their best. Don't cuss every time 

 something goes wrong. You may be at 

 fault yourself. Don't send a man to 

 repair a broken glass in the plant house 

 with the temperature 30 below and 

 then cuss because he is slow. It doesn't 

 improve your standing with him. You 

 need not be too intimate with your 

 men. It doesn't pay. It pavs, how- 

 ever, to give every man the courteous 

 treatment to which he is entitled 



Another thing: If you have occasion 

 to reprimand a fellow, call him to one 

 side— to your office when no one is 

 around— and have it out with him Of 

 course you might, as some still do ball 

 him out before his fellows, but it h'ardlv 

 pays in the end. It gives the bunch 



\5i^^>^ri'' 







Establishment of the Herms Floral Co., Portsmouth, Ohio. 



