The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-07
SUNNY SIDE GREEN HOUSES.
Rightly Named, But no Sumner Than the
Dispositions of the Two Popular Pro-
prietors.


Dispositions of the Two Popular Pro-
prietors.
In August. 1890. John s. Schleider and
Miss Mary Schleider, his sister, came to
Owosso, almost total strangers in the city
and with scarcely thought Of seriously en-
gaging in the green house business. To-
day they are the proprietors of six large
conveniently arranged houses with large
local trade and still larger foreign trade,
while they have made friends until there is
scarcely child in the city who has ever
bought a primrose, or even bunch OF
''pinks" who does not know John" and
MARY" and who does not feel that they
are his own special friends. And while no
sketch of their business would be complete
without their pictures in it, we present the
following with the reflection that even with
their pictures, the sketch would not be COM
plete, but that they must be seen in their
houses before it could be fully appreciated.
The business was not one of mushroom
growth but one of steady and healthy in
crease. Mr.. Schneider had always been
great lover OF flowers and had friends in the
east who owned large green houses and
took great pleasure in showing them to him
and instructing him in the secrets of the
best methods of raising the different plants.
They had always urged him too, to go into
the business for himself, and with all these
influences bearing on him, he built green
house on his lot at the corner of King and
Washington streets, and there with his sister
he commenced the business. Things did
not 60 to suit them, however, and at one
time they gave it up. Soon after this they
went east for visit, and after spending
some time in the big green houses of their
friends, gained new inspiration and en-
thusiasm along with a better insight into the
work, and on returning home went at the
work again.
They soon outgrew their quarters and In
short time the space about their home was
| filed with two more green houses well fitted
out with first class hot water heater and a
larger stock of plants. Mr.. Schleider began
too, about this time, to devote all of his
time 10 their green house business and the
success of their work began to be apparent.
The flowers seemed to appreciate the fact
that the green houses were rightly named
Sunny Side, while the people appreciated
the flowers and the pleasant treatment re-
| cai uad ot tho bopda of tho fmo rronr; otoro
Along with the increase in the local re-
tail business there came also growing
wholesale trade, and more than once they
have sold flowers to the home people at
lower figures than they were receiving for
flowers which they were sending to Chicago
or Detroit. They did not wish to dis
appoint the home trade, however, and so
sold their stock to them at loss of the diff
ference in price.
1t soon became evident that either the
business must be reduced or else larger
quarters must be sought. After considera-
BILE hunting for suitable location they
failed to find any near at hand and even
tually purchased three acres just outside
the corporation, lying north of North street,
between Washington and Hickory streets,
fronting on both North and Hickory streets.
On this ground three green houses were
built and the establishment put in the con-
dition in which 1t stands today.
The houses north of the city are larger
than the old ones which measured about
15x60 feet each, besides the Office and boil
er house. Two of the new ones are 24x105
feet while the third is little narrower,
14x105 feet. They haye an almost perfect
yentiating device by which over hundred
window panes in the roof are raised from a
fraction of an inch to foot. by turning a
single crank. The latest and most ap.
proved methods have been used throughout
In the construction of the buildings which
are supported almost entirely by iron OF
steel framework, while instead of using
clumsy wooden props on which to train uI
plants, galvanized iron rods are used which
give much neater appearance to the beds
The heating arrangement is excellent
There are two large hot water boilers which
can be run singly or together as necessary
A good sized boiler house and work sho,
covers this apparatus. while in one corner
the house is built up IN a square tower. GOV
ering the one hundred eighty-fve barre
tank which stands thirty feet from thu
ground and which when full gives an ampl,
water pressure throughout the houses. A
good we'll and frst-cass windmill furnish
an abundant water supply for the system.
One of the largest houses Is given up en-
tirely to roses, and 1t would do any plan
lover good to see how thrifty these thre,
neatly kept beds, a hundred feet in length
are kept all of the time. Nearly all of tn,
bushes are of about the same height ant
the roses they bear simply defy description
A comparatively small number of varietie
are kept, there being room only for tn,
best, but there are Sunsets, Lady Woodins
and Bridesmaids, besides number of th
other most popular apd best roses. Thel
the sight of over three thousand carnatioI
plants In the other large green house is M
small treat There are William SCOTS an,