October 11. 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



311 



Not only is the proposition to « 

 the money of the florists subscribers 

 to the publicity fund on billboards the 

 worst sort of advertising, I • n t it is like- 

 ly, us I havp said, because of the grow- 

 ing sentiment against the billboard, 

 to have a reverse action and do defin- 

 ite harm to the people who are sub- 

 scribing the money for other purposes. 

 Yours truly. 

 J. Horace McFabland, 

 Pres. American Civic Association. 



"TELEGRAPH ORDERS." 



Some Good Suggestions About Han- 

 dling them. 



The question of how to take care of 

 the telegraph order business, is one of 

 the most important subjects for gen- 

 eral discussion that has entered 

 into the florists business for several 

 decades. 



Since the inauguration of the relay- 

 ing of orders from florist to florist by 

 telegraph there has been, more or less 

 trouble and very unfortunately will 

 continue so, until a thorough cam- 

 I>aign of education among retailers is 

 established. 



The taking of an order for delivery 

 to another city while simple in itself, 

 is very important insofar that it is 

 necessary to get full details, particu- 

 larly the correct name and address ot 

 the party that is to receive the flow- 

 ers. So many mistakes are made by 

 the carelesness of clerks and men who 

 are engaged in the retail business in a 

 small way. These mistakes are made 

 mostly in sending orders to larger 

 cities or the quickly growing centers 

 of industry where there is a continual 

 influx of new inhabitants; for illustra- 

 tion, take Dynamic Detroit, the 

 fourth city, where the increase in 

 population far surpasses the ability of 

 the municipality to provide the neces- 

 sary homes for its fast growing con- 

 dition. It is nearly impossible to 

 keep in touch with the new-comers. 

 The constant changes in addresses of 

 people in homes, apartments and 

 hotels make it very difficult for de- 

 livery of flowers. 



A suggestion by one of our mem- 

 bers from the Pacific Coast is of im- 

 mense value in this connection, which 

 is as follows: — "I would like to place 

 before you a very important sugges- 

 tion and one on which I have had 

 several complaints. When an order is 

 received from one brother florist to 

 the other for a box of flowers, to be 



ALL IMPORTED BULBS 



DUTCH— FREe/CH— JAPANESE AT TRADE PRICES 



Keep your Counter Display Alive 



Nothing Better than Bulbs and None Better than Ours 

 Moderate cost. Big Profits. No Loss 



Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissus 



Finest in Cultivation 

 Write for "Book for Florists" 



43 Barclay St 

 New Yo 



r'k'citv Vaughan's Seed Store 



33 W. Randolph St. 

 Chicago, III. 



delivered to a party on a certain date 

 at a hotel or residence or wherever it 

 might be, it would be well to call up 

 the hotel or residence in advance and 

 ascertain if the party had arrived or 

 when expected." 



This would be of great value and or 

 protection to the flowers, preventing 

 their laying around for perhaps 

 twelve or twenty-four hours. 



Likewise with funeral orders, the 

 day and hour should be ascertained, 

 this would give the confirmation of 

 same being correct and would cer- 

 tainly be a builder up of the efficiency 

 of the F. T. D. service. Hence, the 

 great importance of getting the cor- 

 rect address is quite obvious. 



The retailer accepting the message 

 should at all times be sure that he 

 thoroughly understands the order, if 

 in doubt have the telegraph company 

 repeat message, if this does not prove 

 satisfactory, wire the sender for veri- 

 fication of order, by following this 

 method, many errors and serious mis- 

 takes would be avoided. 



When we consider that this branch 

 of the retail business has increased 

 from a very nominal volume, to won- 

 derful approximate total value of 

 from one to three millions annually, 

 one can readily understand the im- 

 portance of creating or establishing a 

 system of educational features where- 

 by we may all learn and improve our 

 methods of conducting the retail busi- 

 ness. There is a wonderful future for 

 the retail florist in the business of 

 flowers by wire to all parts of the 

 world. The earth's surface has hardly 

 been scratched as yet along this line 

 and I am optimistic enough to make 

 the bold statement that the volume of 

 business will reach ten millions of dol- 

 lars in not any great distant future. 

 It must be remembered however, that 

 great things are accomplished only by 

 supreme efforts and not by half- 

 hearted or disinterested co-operation 



Many complaints come into the 

 office of the Secretary of the F. T. D. 

 of the carelessness and seeming 

 negligence of members not acknowl- 



edging orders immediately upon re- 

 ceipt of same, another will not send 

 his statement for several weeks, while 

 others pay absolutely no attention to 

 complaints against them for mistakes 

 on non-delivery of orders. These con- 

 ditions exist and it is unmistakably 

 w r rong, hence the dire necessity of 

 educational features. 



The L. Bemb Floral Co. of Detroit 

 has a very good system to overcome 

 the many complaints for non-delivery. 

 This form receipt is used principally 

 for hospitals, hotels and apartment 

 houses, where most of the mistakes 

 are made. Its use, however, for all 

 out-of-town orders is advisable. Its 

 adoption or something similar would 

 combat this evil. A reproduction or 

 the following order will fully explain. 



Received in good order from 



("Driver") Buster Weber 



of the 



L. BEMB FLORAL COMPANY, 



Albert Pochelon 



153-155 Bates Street, Detroit, Mich. 



Telephones — Main 2002-2003 



on September 26, 1919 10.40 A. M. 



Date and Time 



the following order: Box of Roses 



addressed to Mrs. Louis Ghirardelli, 



care Mrs. S. R. Dennis, 



205 Van Dyke Ave. 



Signature, Mrs. S. R. Dennis. 



The members of the F. T. D. who 

 have the experience and adopted 

 similar safeguards to overcome irregu- 

 larities in business, would be doing a 

 great good to enlighten the lesser 

 lights of the retail business. 

 HORTI— THREE 



There are a great many subjects 

 that are. continually being brought to 

 light that should be expressed by the 

 aid of printer's ink. 



Trusting that the views expressed 

 above will be the means of helping 

 some doubting Thomases awakening 

 them of the importance of flowers by 

 wire. 



M. Blov, 



F. T. D. Office. 



