JUNE 14, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



67 



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THE RETAIL 



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The Coining Convention. 



The retail florists are afforded a 

 splendid opportunity during tlie con- 

 vention of the Society of American 

 Florists and Ornamental Horticultur- 

 ists to show their inventive and ar- 

 tistic ability in various ways and 

 thus encourage a greater use of flow- 

 ers. Many other professions make 

 their annual conventions a means of 

 introducing new elements to the pub- 

 lic which are beneficial to both, 

 whereas florists merely gather to en- 

 Joy themselves and incidentally look 

 at a trade exhibit, which is all very 

 good, but scarcely sufllcient. The re- 

 tailers, as far as organized efforts or 

 displays are concerned, are thoroughly 

 demoralized, much to their discredit. 

 The support given by them to the va- 

 rious exhibitions held throughout the 

 country is of the most meager kind, 

 and today almost every club and so- 

 ciety sneeringly refers to the apathy 

 of this most important branch of the 

 trade. 



We know the growers and others 

 often condemn before thinking, how- 

 ever, there is nothing to prevent the 

 retailers from shaping everything to 

 suit themselves, and they should cer- 

 tainly show more activity in advanc- 

 ing the interests of their own end of 

 the business. The florist should not 

 depend on any outside source for in- 

 formation and ideas, he should be 

 equal to all the emergencies of the 

 trade. The introduction of new styles 

 or advancements in every form con- 

 nected with flowers should emanate 

 from the brains of the florist just as 

 much as milliners, dressmakers and 

 others dictate as to what shall be 

 proper in their wares and ways. It is 

 very true that most of the really ar- 

 tistic adaptations in floriculture at the 

 present have originated with the flor- 

 ist, but many of them hasten to intro- 

 duce flimsy pretexts and caricatures 

 suggested from all sources; that's 

 why we've had plants with shirts and 

 dresses on. And then the ribbons, oh 

 those fabrics and fabrications on art! 

 No wonder our friend Blumenschnei- 

 der becomes indignant. He can rest 

 assured that ribbons, etc., in connec- 

 tion with flowers have seen their 

 greatest days. 



We would like to see a grand floral 

 fete arranged for the annual gather- 

 ing of florists, such affairs should not 

 be left entirely to the public. There 

 is no telling the vast amount of good 

 that would accrue from a well exe- 



cuted floral display by the florists 

 themselves; it would certainly inau- 

 gurate a flower using and otherwise 

 beneficial custom. Our idea is this, 

 that the carriages used to drive the 

 visiting florists around New York next 

 August be decorated by florists in 

 competition for medals or other 

 awards, that nothing but native flow- 

 ers and foliage be used in these deco- 

 rations, and that all the arrangements, 

 especially the judging, be left in the 

 hands of competent retailers. The ef- 

 fect created by, say, one hundred car- 

 riages neatly decorated and driven in 

 procession down Fifth avenue under 

 the Dewey arch (which could also be 

 decorated for the event) and a battle 

 of flowers such as th,ey have in Paris 

 could be indulged in, would be suffi- 

 cient to arouse enthusiasm in every- 

 body and set any city on tiptoes of ex- 

 cited expectation. This kind of an 

 affair properly worked out would do 

 the society a vast amount of good. 

 Every city would look forward to its 

 coming and besides it would encour- 

 age decorative art. The cost of such 

 a demonstration would be very small 

 obstacles to intelligence and perse- 

 verance. Carriages are usually hired 

 anyhow and what would it cost to dec- 

 orate each? Very little, indeed, if the 

 right kind of material is used. 



We have seen and read of floral 

 parades and fetes which, of course, 

 were costly because special floats and 

 costumes and an abundance of ribbons 

 and other expensive adjuncts were 

 prominent features; these could all be 

 left out in the florists' affair and noth- 

 ing but outdoor foliage and flowers 

 need be used. The public-spirited citi- 

 zens and oflScials would gladly inter- 

 est themselves and the cities in such 

 an event, whereas it is difficult to at- 

 tract their notice to the ordinary csn- 

 ventions unless in the matter of com- 

 mon courtesy which is not all that is 

 desired or necessary. 



And then again at the president's 

 reception during the convention some 

 effort should be made to bring out 

 new styles or the best that is in old 

 ones, of all manner of bouquets and 

 everything pertaining to the carrying 

 or wearing of flowers. Thus prizes 

 could be offered for the best method of 

 wearing flowers in the hair, for the 

 best natural flower trimmed dress, for 

 the best corsage cluster, the best 

 hand bouquet or bunch, the best bou- 

 tonniere, and so on; and all these 

 should be judged from the manner of 

 wearing as well as the make up. We 



feel sure the ladies connected with the 

 trade would gladly assist in making 

 the president's reception an education- 

 al as well as a pleasant social part of 

 the annual meeting. 



There are cynics who exist on seeing 

 nothing good in anything, but the 

 great majority of retail florists know 

 that something in the way of con- 

 certed action is desirable and neces- 

 sary to illustrate all that is best and 

 important in connection with their 

 part in the trade, and it only requires 

 some little effort to accomplish mucli 

 that is wanting. As we have said be- 

 fore, it is the duty of the florist to 

 lead in and suggest floral fashions, 

 and the only way to do it is by prac- 

 tical demonstration, and we feel sure 

 the florist's sense of enjoyment is Just 

 as acute as that of any other human. 

 New York ought to start the ball 

 a-rolling this year. They might with 

 profit to the future pare down the al- 

 lowance for cigars, ice cream and beer 

 and devote something to the advance- 

 ment of floriculture in this particular 

 manner. There can be no dignity in 

 going around with the hat to outsiders 

 asking for money merely to provide 

 yourselves with the necessaries for 

 having a "good time." If on the 

 other hand we offered to get up some 

 public exhibition that would be of 

 benefit to the people, the city and in- 

 cidentally to the florist business, then 

 we could go unblushingly and ask 

 support from any source with very few 

 chances of failure. There are plenty 

 of generous people in the United 

 States, and if some are foolish it ill 

 becomes the florist to profit by it. 

 , We would not like anyone to con- 

 sider what we have said here to be an 

 attack on the S. A. F., for we think a 

 national fiorists' society is absolutely 

 fUecessary. The one in existence has 

 iaccomplished mountains of good, but 

 it can do still more. It seems a pity 

 to make it wear the same clothes all 

 these years or endeavor to confine it 

 to the narrow path it started on long 

 years ago. We hope a new infusion 

 of blood (not necessarily new or blue 

 blood ) will broaden its sphere and 

 make it far more influential than it is 

 today. 



Commencements. 



All the educational institutions 

 throughout the country are at present 

 in a state of excitement over their 

 preparations for graduating or com- 

 mencement exercises. Years back, it 

 is true, more flowers were used at 

 these most interesting ceremonies, 

 still great quantities are used now, 

 and there is no reason or excuse for 

 any retrograde movement in this di- 

 rection. The girls of today are no: 

 too educated to love flowers as much 

 as their grandmothers did, in fact, 

 you will find that the more education 

 the greater the powers, or at least the 

 more expressive the regard for all 

 that is bright and beautiful, and it 

 seems a pity that the last days at 



