Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-01-02
WOMEN AS FLORISTS.
The Peculiar Fitness of Housewives
to This Occupation.
A Keen Perception of the Needs of Deli
cate Things and an Alert Attention to
the Markets Essential to
Paying business.

seems to be for profitable occupa-
tions for women, it is comforting to
discover that few of the more SEN
siblc, clear-headed and practical
members of the sisterhood have
gone about their business and set
tied the matter themselves and in q
very easy and satisfactory way.
Among the first prizes carried off by
florists, not q few have gone to
women; and little consideration of
the possibilities Of this line will
show abundant reasons for belief
that as florists women are destined
to succeed.
The Thoughtful, alert attention,
the daintiness of handling, the habit
of care and the keen perception of
the needs of delicate things, are
much more highly developed in wom-
en- than in men; and these are among
the qualities necessary for the best
work in the floral kingdom. One
moments carclessness, the least
chance taking, the wcll-enough idea,
and all of the hap-hazard conse-
quences that follow i'll their train
are against the bestresults in flower
land as well as in household mat
ters.
The trained housewife, if her time
and strength allow, will, all things
being equal, make an excellent flor
ist, for the reason that she has de-
veloped precisely the qualities most
needed in this new field. In order
to make financial success and
when all the fuss and feathers have
been taken away from 1t, this is
about the basis of the florist idea:
1t is necessary to reduce floral cul-
ture as near as possible to an exact
science, 1t is not imperative that
the present-day woman runs SO
deeply into the scientific, but in
order to achieve results she must
take advantage of other peoples re-
searches and use their brains and
discoveries to further her own pur-
pose. She must also keep very
close track of the markets, the law
of supply and demand and the ca
price of the moment. A good deal
of money has been wasted by invest.
ing in the cultivating of certain
flowers just as they were going out
of fashion.
Just why some woman should not
introduce a new flower is a question
that many people would like tc
have answered; indeed, if one has
the facilities for SO doing, this is
where q great deal of the money
comes in. Oneman in New York city
cleared ten thousand dollars annual
ly by watching for and introducing
novelties; another turned his atten
tion exclusively to new roses, ant
banked a still greater sum.
There is no limit to the desire o.
the public for floral novelties, anC
those who can in any way meet such
wants are quite certain to reap
golden harvests.
Just now the chrysanthemum idea
is to the fore, and there are excellent
opportunities for making money in
raising these beautiful flowers. The
various chrysanthemum shows are
incentive in this direction, and it is
not in the least difficult, with proper
care and q small investment, to have
a complete assortment of the vari-
Gus varieties. There is scarcely a
community of any size in which sew
eral florists might not make COM
Portable living; and, as this sort OF
business grows by what it feeds on,
it is possible to develop in the minds
of the residents of almost any given
locality taste for natures beauties
that will be met only by continual
enlargement of the floral field.
Violets, sweet peas, roses, chrys-
anthemums and similar flowers offer
excellent inducements to careful
growers, and every year new flow
ers will come into demand, and for
this the would-be successful amateur
should be ever on the alert.-N. Y.
Ledger.