CHARACTER SKETCHES OF 
FLORISTS. 
“ Has it ever uccrurred to you 1p 
This was the title of the toast chosen 
by Lewis Ullrich, of Tiffin, O., on the oc- 
casion of une Detroit Florists’ Club ban- 
quet tendered the American Carnation 
Society in Harmonie Hall. Mr. Ullrich’s 
words have such a true ring to them that 
we reproduce them, feeling sure they will 
be read with interest by every subscriber 
for “The Florists’ Exchange’ (says that 
journal). He said in part: 
‘Has it ever occurred to you that the 
practical florist, as a rule, is a whole-souled 
person in whom the trait of good fellow- 
ship isa sort of second nature? You will 
generally, find him with a deep sense of 
honor and a sincere wish.to do, what is 
right between man and man. The real 
florist is easy to approach, has a welcome 
for everybody, and a hearty handshake 
that carries a feeling of friendship with it, 
which shows that his heart is in the right 
place. He may be a man not possessed 
of many of the higher attainments of life ; 
but by nature he has an inborn. love of 
the beautiful, and is possessed of a great 
amount of patience and perseverance, or 
he could not content himself to carry out 
the many details required in growing 
plants and flowers successfully. Florists 
are usually a contented class of people; 
not grumblers, kickers, or fault-finders, or 
envious of the more successful ones; but 
willing to give credit for what they know 
and what they have done. The real, prac- 
tical florist is always willing to give the 
less experienced the sought-for advice or 
information; and you will invariably find 
him a faithful husband, an indulgent 
father, and a law-abiding citizen. 
“Has it ever occurred to you that, as 
nearly every flock has its ‘black sheep,’ 
so the fraternity of florists has am occar 
sional one—one who has not got the true 
sense of honor; with willingness to be ac- 
commodated and obliged; is a florist in 
name only; is selfish, conceited, arrogant, 
and, to use a slang phrase, ‘is stuck on 
himself” Has it ever occurred to you 
that that man has no use for you, only so 
long as he sees profit in your acquaint- 
ance? Then he does not care how he 
meets you. He may mortify you with a 
snub to a civil question. Such a man is 
so filled with vinegar, that the nobler 
qualities which go to make the man find 
no place in him. It is advisable to steer 
clear of such a character; for life is too 
short and the genial characteristics too 
plentiful to waste any time on such an in- 
dividual.” 
Mr. Ullrich then went on to tell of the 
benefits accruing from attendance at the 
meetings and exhibitions of the American 
Carnation Society, and of the good that 
organization had done for the florists’ 
trade, adding: “Has it ever occurred to 
you what the stay-at-home florist has 
missed by not belonging to this society— 
he who thinks he knows it all; the fellow 
who says, ‘They can’t teach me anything? 
Such a man you will usually find an ‘old 
fogy,’ a back number, his place of business _ 
_ «PHE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
generally dilapidated and disorderly, look- 
ing more like an old junk shop full of 
broken pots, empty boxes, and dead plants 
standing around, tumble-down benches, 
muddy walks; his tools out of place; in 
fact, he has no place for anything, spend- 
ing more time in looking for a tool than 
he does in using it”? © Mr. Ullrich ad- 
vised such a man to go from home occa- 
sionally and learn something. He must 
profit by the experience of others if he 
wishes to be progressive. . 
Continuing, he said: “Has it ever oc 
curred to you, young men of the society, 
that some day not far distant, when the 
older mén will have stepped down and 
out, when the ‘Angel of Death’ will have 
knocked at'their doors and they have gone 
to their reward in the Great Beyond, that 
you, young men, will have to take the 
places left vacant by their demise? . I 
would advise you to employ every moment 
of your time to improve yourselves. 
Strive to become proficient in | every 
branch’ of the work, from the wheeling of 
soil up through the various details in 
growing and producing good plants and 
flowers. Learn how to dispose of your 
product ata profit. Adopt a good system 
‘of bookkeeping ; and be sure to learn how 
to be a good, prompt collector of bills, 
for that is the great ‘finale’ of all your 
labors. And ‘while at the conventions, 
attend closely to the business meetings; 
be observant, take part im the discussions 
and profit thereby, so that) when you are 
called upon to take your place in the 
‘management of the affairs of this great 
society, you will be prepared to do so.” 
Mr. Ullrich closed this address with a 
well-merited compliment to ~ President 
Rackham of the Carnation Society; 
Robert Flowerday (President), and J. F. 
Sullivan (Secretary) of the local florists’ 
club; President Breitmeyer, of the 
S.A.F.0.H., and the craft in Detroit 
generally, for their kind hospitality. His 
remarks were loudly applauded. 
ROSES. 
— 
THE ROSE AND ITS USES. 
(CY THE REY. 0. DUDLEY LAMPEN.) 
Not only for its color or odor has (the 
most favorite of our flowers endured the 
test of time. There are in the Rose 
medicinal properties, astringent and tonic 
in character, The Pharmacopooia indicates 
‘three kinds as useful—the Rose canina, or 
common Dog Rose; the R. Gallica, or 
French red Rose; and the R. centifolia, or 
Cabbage Rose. Of the Dog Rose the valu- 
able part is the fruit from which the hairy 
achenia is removed and the fleshy calyx 
beaten to a pulpy consistency and mixed 
with sugar. ‘hus is produced a conserve, 
containing malic and citric acids, and said 
to be slightly refrigerent and aperient. 
The fresh seeds of this Rose are in some 
parts made into an infusion, and the mild 
astringent drink is used by those who in 
swampy districts suffer from malaria, 
At one time the district about Mitcham, 
in Surrey, supplied large quantities of 
petals of the R. Gallica and the R. Damas- 
May 2, 1904 
cena for, the London herb market, these 
being purchased by herbalists for the con- 
coction of their drugs. The process of the 
preparation of the flowers’ is curious.  Be- 
fore they expand the buds are plucked and 
the calyx and base of the petals removed. 
The flower is then dried as quickly as pos- 
sible in order to préserve its astringency, 
fine aroma, and color. It is calculated that 
about 2,000 buds yield 100 Ib. of petals, and 
that these when dry weigh only 10 lb. The 
taste of the herb is bitter. ‘}- 
_ Another curious use is made of the same 
buds. It is found that combined with salts 
of. iron, and beaten up with ‘cloves and 
other spices, a thick paste of blackish color 
is produced. This paste, on exposure to 
the air, becomes exceedingly hard, and 
may be polished and turned in a lathe; 
from it are formed beads for rosaries. 
From the petals of the R. Damescens 
and R. semperflorens a laxative medicine 
can be produced, though it is’ seldom 
employed. Curiously, although -the confec- 
tion compounded ‘from the Dog Rose 
speedily becomes mouldy, that mado’ from 
these Roses never does so. In mixing the 
medicine an iron mortar cannot be used om 
account of the peculiar action of the Rose 
juice when in contact with metal. Conserve 
of the Gallic Rose is used as:a vehicle for 
other medicines, and asa basis for blue pill. 
To produce an infusion of Roses, boiling 
distilled water is poured over the petals, © 
and dilute sulphuric acid is added. After 
macerating for some hours the liquid is 
strained and sweetened. No vessel glazed 
with lead can be used in this process, as the 
Rose juice acts thereon as it does on iron. 
The liquid is astringent and slightly tonic, 
and at one time was largely used to check 
excessive sweats, as well as for a throat 
gargle. In the latter case it is mingled 
with honey, and is called Mel Rosarum. 
-The syrup used to sweeten and color medi- 
cines is manufactured in a similar way. 
As a deodoriser the Rose serves long 
after its own death. The petals of Rosa 
centifolia, having a very strong perfume, 
were at one time largely collected and 
saved after having been dried in the opem 
air, care being taken not to break the 
several leaves; for in this case (contrary to 
the R. Gallica) desiccation impairs the 
fragrance. Salt is added, with cloves and a 
little pepper, aud the compound is placed 
in pots, from which ascends a perpetuak 
though very mild scent. 
Whereas in the south of France there are 
extensive distilleries where the scent known 
as rosewater is manufactured (as well as at 
Mitcham, Surrey), Oriental countries pro— 
duce the far more subtle and costly scents 
known as athar, ather, attar, utter, or otto 
of roses, one of the rarest and most valu- 
able of perfumes. Much mystery at one 
time surrounded the production of this 
famous drug. A certain Donald Monro 
asserted that it was produced by merely 
soaking the Rosesin water. But Tromms- 
dorf, after many experiments, failed to ex- 
tract the attar thus. Others maintained 
that it was produced by distillation. Anglo- 
Indians, in the earlier days of our dominion 
in India, certainly discovered something - 
about its. production. Thus Bishop Regi- 
nald Heber of Oalcutta, in 1823 (his 
bishopric including Australasia!), states. 
