Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE FLOWER SHOP By Eunice S. Williams From the first there was no question in my mind as to whether the Flower Shop provided a place for a woman. But I early discovered that in the “profession” there are varying ideas. It has always neen my joy to visit a florist whenever possible. Usually , in chatting, I ask his opinion as to whether a girl would fit in his line ol work. If you are a visitor, and not a job-seeker, he most often agrees that parts of the work would suit a woman excellently, but he seems vaguely doubtful about other parts. When I went to one of the best-known florists in our city and actually asked for a job, he told me frankly that he did not like to employ women in his shop. I le admitted that they are clever with their fingers, and rapid workers. But. he argued, they cannot stand the rush of work that a man can. they cannot work long hours overtime, nor handle big jobs. He preferred to employ men. Me tried to persuade me that I could never run a shop of my own because of the great risks it involves! 1 enjoyed hearing his viewpoint, but within another hour 1 had landed a job with an equally important and well-known florist. To be successful in a Flower Shop you must possess qualities which do not seem particularly either masculine or feminine. You must be always pleasant, courteous and tactful—whether dealing with a customer or a fe.low worker. Your fingers must be quick so that you do not waste time in wiring endless blossoms or making up numberless bows. You must be full of original ideas so that each customer feels he is getting something just a bit different; resourceful enough to be able to substitute just the right thing when plans do not work out as expected. Physical endurance would be the place where some women might fall short. At holidays and sometimes on ordinary days it is necessary to work long hours. Lunch time comes when it can be fitted in—not at twelve sharp every day. If there is a big order which must be delivered at a certain hour—for weddings and funerals are not timed to suit florists—it is sometimes necessary to start work ai live A. M. At holiday seasons work just begins when the shop closes, because everything must be put in order for the next rush and all of tomorrow’s orders prepared for early delivery. Sleep becomes a much-to-be desired stranger. It is necessary to be strictly business-like in everything concerned with the shop: Business-like with the customer, your fellow-worker, or fellow-florists. If you are merely human everyone remembers that after all you are only a woman and not up to the same things as men. 1 speak from the standpoint of one who has worked in this business only with men. Perhaps if the fellow-workers were women, conditions would be different Most men who are not used to working with women are yet to be convinced of what a woman can accomplish. However, you do not often stop to analyze all these points if you are interested in the work. If you love flowers—if it gives you joy to handle them—you do not spend much time in watching the clock or thinking about yourself. It is a pleasure to talk with even fussy cus-

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THE DELICIOUS MONSTER By George B. Kaiser No. it is not an animal, but the fruit of Monstera Deliciosa, a plant of the Arum family, that climbs the trunks of palms in tropical America and, with its aerial roots often adds to the impenetrability of the jungle. “Most delicious,” said a noted botanist in commenting upon the flavor of this delectable morsel. “It combines the lusciousness of ripe bananas, pineapples, and the juiciest of strawberries.” And his eyes turned heavenward, no doubt recalling how this ambrosial fruit had tasted to him. Is it a wonder that our mouths thereafter watered and that, over a year ago. when a gentleman at Horticultural Hall, in Fairmount Park, promised us a ripened “monster” our epicurean spirit rose high in expectation? Recently at a meeting of the Germantown Horticultural Society a fruit of Monstera was exhibited reposing upon one of its great perforated leaves. It had been brought to luscious maturity by the care of I. Newton Kulp, gardener to the Misses Mason, of School Lane, after several years of fruitless endeavor to accomplish this feat of greenhouse culture. It looked like a fat, rough, green cucumber about ten inches in length, except at the end, where the hexagonal green plates had fallen away, exposing the pale yellowish soft interior, which exhaled a tempting fragrance of ripe pineapple. It was generously presented to the School of Horticulture by Mr. Kulp. who soon departed, with a sly smile warning the grateful Enthusiast that it would be in his charge from that instant. This was no sinecure. Children greedily• eyed the prospective treat, the while sniffing the odorous emanations from it. Grownups, too, were not without covetous glances, and that gentleman from Horticultural Hall, himself, whose fruit had probably not ripened, had the unwarranted temerity to actually treat one of his friends to a portion of the araceous treasure! Toward the end of the evening a member of the Society even dared to make off with the “monster” under guise of protecting it for the Enthusiast. That settled it! The tasty fruit was hastily wrapped in tissue paper by its new guardian and by him borne away with the great leaf, a yard long, trailing after, to the amusement of the audience and later to the edification ol trolley riders. Next morning the adventures of Monstera were continued on the way to Ambler. When the convoy at last reached the School safely all were soon conquered and convinced that no praise could be too high in describing the gastronomic delights experienced in partak'ng of this unusual fare, 'file Enthusiast, who served the fruit, found it altogether proper to taste a little himself each time he served a participant in the feast, and each time he only the better understood that celestial trend in the eyes of the learned Professor who had at first enlightened him concerning the charms of the delicious Monstera.

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tomers and persuade them that they want what you have to gave them. Packing boxes of flowers gives you a chance to develop beautiful combinations—all the packer has to do is imagine her own delight on opening the package. It would be hard to decide whether it is of more interest to arrange a stunning basket or build a funeral piece which is natural and artistic, and certainly carries with it much comfort. Flowers for social occasions and weddings offer a chance for endless ideas and combinations, and are always fascinating. If there is nothing else to do you can almost always put in some time on the window and case displays. Don't you always just long to make some of those wonderful and simple-appearing window arrangements? You’d be surprised to find how much ingenuity the really good ones require. All of which goes to prove—to my mind—that a woman’s place in a Flower Shop is just the place she makes it. Here, as always, it’s up to the individual. SOMEDAY In the green house, where the sun shines; Where the morning sun shines brightly; Where the sun of noon beats hotly, And at night the sunset glimmers; There the propogating benches, Filled with sand, and bottom-heated Hold their rows of tender cuttings; Slips from daisy plants, and ivy; Pale begonias, and bright pansies; Fragrant heliotrope, and roses: And two little rows of boxwood— Small and green, and bravely trying To reach up and meet the sunshine; To push out wee roots for water. Growing strong, and ever larger. Some day they will be old bushes, Ancient boxwoods, green and fragrant— In a garden on a hilltop. In a garden filled with roses; Filled with mignonette and lillies; Set within a grove of locusts, Tall and lacy, slender locusts—