Behind the Seenes at Star Roses 
HERE ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELP KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING 
The unsung heros of any organization are those patient 
toilers who perform their daily tasks behind the scenes. 
Without them the wheels of progress would inevitably 
erind to a slow and stuttering halt. It is, after all, people 
who compose a company. . . and people who compose the 
customers of that company. . . and success is merely the 
measure of how well “the twain shall meet.’’ Our people, 
of whom those pictured here are representative, are like 
you. They have homes, families, jobs and hope for the 
future. They enjoy their work—do it well. They’re 
steady-going. The seven here have worked at Star Roses 
for a total of 80 years—an average of 1114 years. They 
represent other workers like them in the office—in the 
growing fields—in the greenhouses. They represent 
Star Roses. 
® 
JOHN ROARK has been with us 13 years. He is cutting 
budwood of the Floribunda, Polka. It goes from him to 
Mabel who prepares it for budding by Herminio. Like 
the gears of a machine, one man’s work meshes with that of 
another for smooth operation. John is depended upon to 
do his part. . .. and he does. 
RUBY COLE is pasting address labels on catalogs for our 
customers. Ruby has worked with us for 4 years; her 
husband, Howard, for 15. As it is in most organizations, 
people do various kinds of work, and Ruby is no exception. 
She works with our IBM machines, too, a more exacting 
task than label-pasting. 
MABEL DUFF in this operation is “‘prickling’”’ the bud- 
wood, or removing the thorns from sticks of budwood. 
Until this is done, Herminio and his men cannot cut out the 
small bud-eyes for inserting into the understocks. Mabel 
has been a Star Rose worker for 13 years. 
MARTHA CALDWELL, another 13-year employee, is 
“‘reading”’ your order for Star Roses. She checks it, makes 
out the necessary forms and puts it into the works. Ship- 
ping time, routing and other information must be noted. ; ee 
This, of course, requires extreme accuracy. Marta CALDWELL 
HERMINIO DIAZ, one of a number of Puerto Rican Americans working here, is an expert 
““budder.”” He cuts a tiny bud-eye from a stick of budwood and inserts it into the multiflora 
understock on which Star Roses grow. This work is done in the fields and requires a deft 
touch with a sharp budder’s knife and a steady hand. Herminio, who has been here for 11 
years, can bud as many as 2000 plants a day. This is a testimonial to his ability. Herminio 
can identify several hundred different roses by a quick look at the bloom or the plant. 
RALPH NEFF is a tractorman. Rugged Ralph handles his huge machine as gently as he 
would a kitten, and sprays “‘his’”’ roses under 400 pounds pressure with keen regard for their 
welfare. This is one of the several dozens of steps necessary to give you top quality plants. 
These are the roses you'll receive in your order this spring. Ralph is a 17-year man at Star 
Roses. . . big, quiet, hard-working. 
SIEGFRIED SCHMIDT, our Plant Propagator, is shown in one of the greenhouses rather 
proudly admiring some of the Miniature roses for which he is responsible. The kind is Cinder- 
ella. Under Siegfried’s watchful eye, several hundred thousand Miniature roses are grown 
each year; as well as countless other quantities of plants, such as African Violets and ever- 
greens, propagated from rooted cuttings. Siegfried has been with us for 9 years. No one is 
more devoted to his job than he. 
ee aes 
Herminio D1az Raven NErr SIEGFRIED SCHMIDT 
33 
