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32 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



April 1, 1909. 



Perennial Phlox. 



Perennial phlox is one of the most use- 

 ful of all perennials and hardy in any 

 location. To increase stock of the best 

 varieties, lift a clump of these now and 

 plant in a bench in a cool house. The 

 young shoots now starting will root reg,d- 

 ily in a bench where carnations and mums 

 root, and potted off into 2 V^ -inch or 

 3-inch pots, placed in . a frame and 

 planted outdoors early in May, will make 

 fine spikes which will also come in season 

 when the older clumps are on the wane. 



KEEP UP TO DATE. . 



Did you ever send an order to a man 

 and get no acknowledgment of it? In 

 such a case, did you ever wait ten days 

 and write inquiring about the order? If 

 you did, how did you feel a week later, 

 when you received a postal card stating 

 laconically: "Can't fill your order"? 

 There are two essentials to doing a mail- 

 order business by advertising that fre- 

 quently are overlooked. If one cares to 

 achieve a reputation as a good person to 

 deal with, it is necessary to do one ot 

 two things every time an order is re- 

 ceived: Either the goods must be shipped 

 at once, or an acknowledgment sent, stat- 

 ing when shipment will be made. In the 

 event the order calls for something which 

 cannot be supplied, it is no more than 

 common business courtesy to write at 

 once, that very day, stating that the 

 order cannot be filled. It is the height of 

 discourtesy to neglect to make such a 

 reply if an order cannot be filled, and it 

 is the means of driving away many who 

 might become regular customers. 



If you get your orders by advertising, 

 keep the advertisement up to date. Don't 

 let the advertisement contain items you 

 are sold out of. Cut out the items as 

 fast as you are sold out of stock, and 

 when you are all cleaned up discontinue 

 the advertisement promptly. 



Watch these details and they will go a 

 long way toward establishing your repu- 

 tation as a prompt, reliable and satisfac- 

 tory person to deal with. Such a reputa- 

 tion will help your advertisement bring 

 returns, and a reputation to the contrary 

 is a handicap on any advertising you 

 may do. 



THE NEW SECRETARY. 



Each year the new oflScers of the 

 American Carnation Society, an organi- 

 zation that has enjoyed a reputation for 

 special activity, take up their duties 

 about April 1. Albert M. Herr, in pass- 

 ing to the presidency, hands over the sec- 

 retarial duties to A. F. J. Baur. The 

 secretary is the working oflScer in each 

 of the trade organizations, and the new 

 keeper of the records brings to the work 

 the energy and enthusiasm of youth. He 

 was born January 9, 1876, at Bloomfield, 

 Pa. His father was a clergyman, but the 

 lad did not do as ministers' sons are 

 often said to do, and begin his horticul- 

 tural career by sowing a crop of wild 

 oats, for at 13 years of age he was sent 

 to F. Herat's Sons, at Louisville, Ky., 

 where he worked in the greenhouses for 

 two years. After this he went to work 

 for the E. G. Hill Co., Eichmond, Ind., 

 January 21, 1891. He remained with 

 this firm five years, having charge, at 

 different times, of the carnations and ex- 

 hibition mums. It was while at this place 

 that Mr. Baur became interested in plant 

 breeding and in carnations; and here un- 

 der his hand originated Triumph, Arma- 

 zindy and Flora Hill. December 11, 1895, 

 he went to Stuart & Haugh, at Anderson, 



Ind., to grow roses, and January 1, 1897, 

 before he had reached his twenty-first 

 birthday, he became foreman of H. A. 

 Niemeyer's place, at Erie, P&,. He re- 

 mained with this firm two years, and 

 then took a similar position with Charles 

 Siebert, of Pittsburg, but remained there 

 only five months. 



Mr. Baur formed the partnership with 

 F. S. Smith, who was also a graduate 

 from the Hill establishment. May 20, 

 1899, and together they leased the Ber- 

 nie Fohl place, at Indianapolis. The firm 

 has been steadily successful, and in 1905 

 started a new place that has since been 

 added to each season. Seeing the possibil- 

 ities in the carnation, they soon made this 

 a specialty, growing blooms for the Indian- 

 apolis market and cuttings for the trade. 

 Hybridization naturally was taken up. 



A. F. J. Baur. 



and in 1905 a pink seedling named In- 

 dianapolis was sent out. This was fol- 

 lowed in 1907 by a flesh pink called May. 

 Next year they expect to disseminate a 

 white, Shasta, which is easily the best 

 sort they have yet raised. It was a cen- 

 ter of attraction at the recent convention 

 and exhibition of the A. C. S., and has 

 since been shown in good shape before 

 many of the florists' clubs. 



Mr. Baur's name is well known to the 

 trade as that of the author of "Carna- 

 tion Notes — West," in the Eeview. He 

 has been writing carnation notes for the 

 Eeview since 1900, and has answered 

 many hundreds of inquiries in regard to 

 the culture of this flower. He married 

 April 10, 1901, Miss Elma Steinkamp, of 

 Eichmond, Ind., and their first-born, a 

 daughter, is now 2 years of age. 



In 1907 Mr. Baur was elected secretary 

 of the State Florists' Association of 

 Indiana. He is now serving his third 

 term. The association has been exceed- 

 ingly active and successful during this 



period. Of its work Mr. Baur says: "I 

 have gone on the principle that activity 

 in any body of men, as well as in an in- 

 dividual, makes for development, and the 

 soundness of this principle is borne out 

 by the condition of our association." 

 Mr. Baur was vice-president of the Car- 

 nation Society last year, and took the 

 leading part in preparing for the Indian- 

 apolis convention. He is a member of 

 the S. A. F. 



HOW OLD IS ANN? 



Orland P. Bassett, president of the 

 Pictorial Printing Co. and a resident of 

 Hinsdale, 111., where the greenhouses of 

 Bassett & Washburn, Chicago, are lo- 

 cated, is 73. Born March 31. His 

 hobby is his four automobiles. 



J. A. Valentine, president of the S. 

 A. F., was born in Iowa half a hundred 

 years ago. With a sheepskin from Iowa 

 University, he went into the flower busi- 

 ness at Denver to pull out an investment 

 that had gone in before he did. 



E. Allan Peirce, who is given much 

 credit for the great success of the recent 

 Park Street Market's show in Boston, 

 is 40, born at Arlington. Peirce Bros., 

 at Waltham, are said to be the largest 

 growers of Easter lilies in this country. 

 They come out of the greenhouses on a 

 miniature railroad and are delivered for 

 fifty miles around by a big automobile 

 van. 



J. E. Northrup, of Northrup, King & 

 Co., is 51. Born at Saline, Mich., at 

 an early age he sought fresh pastures and 

 now is president of the Board of Park 

 Commissioners at Minneapolis. 



Peter Eeinberg, democratic alderman 

 from one of Chicago's strongest repub- 

 lican wards, was 51 March 5. His green- 

 houses cover more ground than any others 

 in America and he pays more personal 

 property taxes than all the rest of the 

 Chicago city council put together. They 

 talk of running him for mayor. 



Henry C. Ostertag, who is running for 

 alderman, although they call it member 

 of the House of Delegates, at St. Louis, 

 is 42. He was born at the capital of 

 Wisconsin. 



* ' Billy ' ' Kasting, ex-president of the 

 S. A. F., and chairman of the National 

 Flower Show, is 39. Born at Sachsen- 

 hausen, Vaterland, he now is park com- 

 missioner in Buffalo — and would have 

 been city treasurer if there hadn't been 

 too many republicans. 



Willis N. Eudd, native of the town of 

 Worth, 111., and alumnus of Cornell, was 

 49 March 30. He finds play for his 

 varsatility by being president of a ceme- 

 tery and secretary of the S. A. F. 



A. A. Pantet, candidate for re-election 

 as alderman for the Third ward at Fort 

 Smith, Ark., is 43. He was born at 

 Angouleme, France, New Year's day, 

 1866. 



Mentor, O. — C. Merkel & Son are pre- 

 paring a fine showing of flowers for 

 Easter. 



Atlanta, Ga. — In a big storm at mid- 

 night March 24 the big plate glass win- 

 dow of the Westview Floral Co., 105 

 Peachtree street, was blown in and con- 

 siderable stock ruined. 



Norwich, Conn. — A conservatory, to 

 cost about $2,000, is being erected at the 

 Washington street residence of Mrs. W. 

 C. Lanman. It will be used for the culti- 

 vation of new varieties of roses. 



