Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-10-13

ably admit that he had to pick off a
few bugs ana scratch up the earth oc-
casionally. Now the fact is that I'd
be florist means to be in continual
hustle, for he has to get ahead of two
very powerful competitors-the bugs
and his brother florists.
The season is much longer than for
merly and practically lasts all the year
around. Early in September the green
house season opens for the carnations
must be well started in order that they
may bear long stemmed blossoms by
October and November. Then come
roses, chlysanthemums and Violets ana
the miscellaneous flowers needed foi
spring gardens. for few florists can af-
ford to ignore their out of town trade.
Therefore there is only a short hiatus
in the latter end Of July and August.
Perhaps you imagine the florist then
goes off on long vacation. Not bit
of it. His hardest work comes at this
time, for he has to clean his green
house, and this is what greenhouse
cleaning means: Not only all the rub
bish and OLD broken pots have to be
removed from where they have accu-
mulated under the benches, but almost
every flower on the place has TO be up
rooted and thrown away. This is done
with recklessness which would make
a lover Of flowers turn pale, but it is
necessary to renew the plants every
year in order to insure plentiful and
perfect blossoms.
The next thing to do is to remove all
the old earth, and this is no easy job,
for it is almost impossible TO run a
wheelbarrow in the narrow alleys of
greenhouses. and most of the carrying
must be done by hand in pals and
baskets. When it is finally accom-
plished the beds must be filed up to
depth of five inches with fresh earth,
earth which has been scientifically pre-
pared for the last two years-and |
may here add that the florist has put
in most OF his spare time during the
preceding winter spading the said
earth and mixing it with fertilizer
but before the fresh soil has been put
in an interesting operation takes place,
and it is then that the long suffering
florist gets even with the bugs. He
closes every door and window and
thoroughly fumigates the place with a
pan of sulphur. What a satisfaction it
is to him to watch ants, caterpillars
and aphides die by thousands! After
this wholesale slaughter the place is
thoroughly ventilated and whitewash
ed, but when the plants have been
brought in there has to be a second
grand fumigation, for in spite of all
the care exercised some perfdious in
sect may have lurked under the leaves
in order TO batch out later a crop of
tiny worms whose appetite is all out
of proportion to their size. When this
has been done the florist can take
breath, but not long one, for troubles
crowd in upon him fast and heavy-his
neighbors get ahead of him, his steam
pipes burst, the bugs come around
again, and the price of roses goes
down.
When he goes with his stock Of bios
SONS to the Wholesale man, he bewails
his lot and declares that there is no
other place for him and his family but
the poorhouse. but as the wholesaler
has some idea Of the profits he is max
ing these lamentations do not worry
him much. The wholesaler is general
" not far wrong for somehow or 9th
er the poor florist always manages not
only 10 phil through the winter, but to
build little in the spring, and thus it
Is that the total area of glass in the
United States has in less than CEN
fury grown from nothing al all 10 %
100000 square feet, while, according to
the best estimates, the total value OF
the annual output exceeds S20,000,000.
If 1t were not for the bugs, the for
lists life would not be such hard one,
and apropos of these a story is related.
A bad florist died and was sent TO an
uncomfortable place. Satan regarded
aim with benignant smile.
You may 60" said he, "and pick all
the aphides off my chrysanthemums
with your fingers"
The unfortunate man gave n shrek
of despair. He knew he had job for
all eternity.
MAUD BAuNE ROBINSON. .