Decorah-posten., 1898-02-11
Edited by rnor G A. ouvEs
The Scotsman and His Catalogue

Edited by PRor G A, OLIVER
The Scotsman and His Catalogue
The beautiful and costly annual
catalogues from the florists and
seedsmen OF the nation are now
being sent out in every direction,
After selecting the seeds and
plants we desire to grow the COM
ing summer, our orders should be
sent in early to prevent delay and
also to secure the first choice OF
best goods in stock.
The day has gone by for the
lowergrowing housewife to rely
solely upon the contents OF sundry
little pokes and bags filed with
seeds of her own raising. Per
haps she still turns TO her home
filed packets Of Marigold and
Candytuft, but she has learned
that the choicest flowers can be
perpetuated true to color or mark
ing only by seed saved from first
class stock, specially isolated from
all other varieties to prevent ad-
mixture.
The scotsman has facilities for
this: she has not; so that for
choicest ANIMALS she must depend
upon the scotsman. Again, the
latter, if enterprising, is always
bringing to lIghtsomething entire
ly new in the flower line, or a
double flower in place of an old
time single one, or a new color or
singular form of an old favorite.
More than this. the modern anna
tcur, if at all ambitiously inclined,
wants percnnials, shrubbery, hardy
bulbs and summer tubers, vines
and bedding plants. Hence comes
the delight with which the florists
catalogue that lists these things,is
hailed by every hower-lover.
And yet, somehow, there is a
great deal OF g%rumbling about
these same catalogues. 1t is not
always the catalogue that puts the
most color on the cover that con-
tains the most meat in the inner
pages: it is not always the seeds
man who pictures the biggest To-
mato and hugest HoIlyhock, that
sends out the best stock. The
new variety, the description of
which almost beggars the diction-
airy of adjectives, may prove no
Shower than some standard sort
with but the modest descriptive
text of very choice; and the
novelty heralded to the skies as
something marvelously beautiful,
may prove a fiat failure.
Here are a few rules for pro-
spective purchasers, as learned in
the hard school of experience by
a confirmed victim of the cata-
logues. There are catalogues
without number; therefore.
RULE I. Be sure of the reliabili-
ty of the firm you favor.
1t is always in a firms favor
that it is we'll known, for flor
lists if they persisted in sending
out inferior or misnamed stock
would find, like Othello, their oc-
cupation gone. Their reputation
is as much a part of their stock in
trade, as are their Roses or Gladi-
oil. And yet we must confess
that some of the leading floral
concerns, true as steel to their
main stock, are yet so-we will
put it careless Tor a mild term
careless in their eagerness to bring
out a long string of novelties that
they will advertise with a grand
flourish OF trumpets untried stuff
that may prove a perfect lzzle in
our climate. Or even worse, by
exaggerated illustrations and skill
full word bombast, deliberately
boost mediocre plants whose chief
merit is their novelty, to the high
est seats in the floral synagogue.
The conscience of such florists
reminds US of the grocer who felt
It a sin to put sand in his sugar
but ground peas in his pepper
without any conjunction. There,
fore buy your novelties sparingly
from any firm, no matter how pre-.
tentious their catalogue, until act,
ual trial demonstrates to yol
whether their conscience is novel
ty-hardened or not. Once you
find a true firm, stick to it.
RULE 2. Mass your orders.
Of course you study the cata
logues. That is all right. You
ought to study them, but dom
lose your head over them. Vicl
offers some plant FIVE cents cheap.
err than Childs; Childs offers an.
other plant FIVE cents cheaper
than Henderson, who in turn is
cheaper than Vaughan or Storr:
and Harrison on some other thing
Now don't pick out a little drit
here and a little drib there, &C
cents at one place, 50 cents at an.
other, 90, y, and 81 at still othel
places. These little orders are Z
nuisance to the dealer. They take
as much packing and nearly a:
much postage as larger orders
and away goes the profit. They