^READ and TiOSES 



As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day, 



A million darkened fptchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray 



Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses, 



For the people hear us singing, Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses. 



As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men — 

 For they are women's children; and we mother them again, 

 Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes — 

 Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us Bread, but give us Roses. 



-James Oppenheim. 



HOW WELL has Mr. Oppenheim thus voiced an universal hunger! Whether we admit it or not, every human being 

 must receive nourishment through the windows of the soul as well as through the doorway of the teeth. Even 

 though the senses of sight and smell inform us of the beauty of the Rose, there is a subtle and more stirring accep- 

 tance of its unique charm. "How does the Rose feed our hearts?" you ask. I cannot tell you, but that to those whose 

 hearts are open the Rose makes an irresistible appeal, I am absolutely sure. To it,, as the superior handiwork of our Creator, 

 our spirits joyously respond. We find tranquility and spiritual renewal in the service of the Queen of Flowers. 



But — "It never rams Roses." To have beautiful Roses you must plant them, first in your mind, and then in your garden. 

 Both processes are enjoyable. For Rose success, there are four primary points to be considered: Which Roses; When to 

 plant them; Where, and How. To knowledge of these essentials I aim to point the way. 



TWENTY-FIVE years ago, I came to West Grove, finding Alfred F. 

 Conard and Antoine Wintzer serving as executives in the original 

 form of this firm. Looking upon them as the best-informed Rose men 

 in America, I gladly began, as they insisted, at the bottom — at 75 cents a 

 day. First making Rose cuttings, the interest soon grew that has led to life 

 devotion to the Rose, and has taken me twice through the Rose lands of 

 Europe, as well as on countless American Rose journeys, bringing me in 

 contact with many thousands of Rose lovers. 



Before I was born these men began their pioneer Rose work. They sent 

 out the first catalogue that caused the grandparents of our present customers 

 to buy their Roses by mail. They made possible our present success. 



Thus two generations of practical Rose experience are back of the earnest 

 Rose endeavor that now engages me. In the Spirit of these pioneers I 

 seek to make the beauty of the Rose Mailable to all America. 



West Grove, Pa., 



December 15, 1923 



SOME years ago an able lawyer friend of mine wrote to me thus: 

 "Dear Rob: After an entire evening spent in reading 

 your interesting catalogue, I'm still in doubt about u'hat 

 to order! Please send me three dozen good Roses." 



I did just that, and ever since then have tried to make our catalogue 

 more helpful; to put up sign-boards showing the short-cut from purse to 

 posy. I have tried to dredge the channel of its drudgery and disappoint- 

 ments, and thus to make easy sailing into the harbor of plenty of real Roses 

 around the home. 



The Conard e? Jones Co. deals not only in Rose roots and branches, 

 important as they are as a means to an end. Unless they produce pictures, 

 such as human hand never painted, and beauty and fragrance fraught with 

 delight, I fail in my life work. 



How much I can help you to steer clear of missteps, and to find that 

 delight which your own Roses will surely give, you will be better able to 

 judge after reading the personal history in the next column. 



