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HORTICULTURE 



October 11, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



Established by William J. Stewart In 1MM 



VOL. XXX 



OCTOBER 11, 1919 



NO. 15 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



HORTICULTURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 78 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 

 Telephone Fort Hill 3C94 



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Entered as second-claBs matter December 8, 190*, at the Poat Offiee 

 at Boston, Masa., under the Act of Congreaa of March 3, 1879. 



At a recent bank opening in Boston the 

 Boosting desks and counters were heaped high with 

 trade flowers, making a display of such lavish 

 character that it attracted no little atten- 

 tion and comment. The suggestion has been made that 

 occasions of this kind offer an unusually good opportuni- 

 ty for florists to push their business. It is a noticeable 

 fad thai in some communities the sending of flowers 

 when a new store or institution is opened is carried on to 

 a large extent, while in other places very few flowers arc 

 seen. Now there is no reason why florists should not 

 get this custom well established everywhere. It is most- 

 ly a matter of a good beginning. Oftentimes it would 

 pa) florists to send a decorative piece with their compli- 

 ments. Others would see. the flowers and on future 

 occasions the thought would come to them to express 

 their good wishes in the same way. There are many 

 towns "where more enterprising methods would do much 

 to boost the trade of the local flower merchants. 



We notice that some of the ten-cent 



10-cent stoivs arc again advertising flowers at 



store flowers the very low prices which they quoted 



in days before the war, although it is 

 difficult to see how they can manage this with flowers as 

 scarce as they are now. There are some men in the 

 trade who seem frightened at ten-cent store competition 

 and who believe that drastic methods should be adopted 

 to eliminate it. In our opinion, on the other hand, 

 evcrv development of this sort is really an asset for the 

 trade. It starts people buying flowers who have never 

 bought them before. It inculcates a love for flowers 

 and when these people become tired of the poor stuff 

 which they get in the cheap stores, many of thorn will 

 begin buying through the regular channels. In the end. 

 therefore, the trade will be benefited. It is the same 

 with street sellers. There may be times when they seem 

 to out into the trade of the stares, but in the end they 

 make better business for all concerned. 



We regrel thai the strike in New 5Tork 

 New York city lias interfered with the regular 

 strike of our esteemed contemporary, the Flor- 

 ists' Exchange. An < peril ace of this 

 -on upsets business routine and is disagreeable in ei 

 way. in addition to the facl that n out- down revi 

 At tin' same time, the situation was one which had to 

 hi' faced ami the publishers of thi I ange, along 

 with those of tin' oilier Vu York magazines, are to he 

 congratulated on their firmness a- well as their fai 

 Under present conditions, which are made doubly hard 

 by the government's zone method of distribution, where- 

 by a subscriber is penalized if he lives many miles from 

 the city of publication, the magazines are between the 

 upper ami the nether millstones. Few of them have had 

 their income increased in the same proportion as other 

 industries and many a publisher has found his ii 

 dwindling as those of his employes have grown larger. 



Widespread is the' interest manifested by 

 The flower florists concerning the proposal for a "S 

 week it with Flowers" week. As has already 

 been pointed out in Horticulture, there 

 are endless way- in which such a special week can he 

 made to serve the trade. The point is to get prompt 

 ami concerted action all over the country. Perhaps the 

 host way to bring that about is to adopt the suggi 

 contained in a letter which has been written by Mr. R. 

 ('. Kerr. Houston, Texas, to Mr. W. F. Gude of Wash- 

 ington, ami a copj of which has been sent to this paper. 

 The letter follow - : 



Dear Sir: — The campaign which is being inaugurated 

 to establish the "Say It With Flowers'' week seems to he 

 gaining popularity. It strikes me that it could not be a 

 more appropriate time to set for the "Say It With Flowers" 

 week, than the week of November 11. We should grasp 

 this opportunity to create a demand for flowers during this 

 great celebration, and there is nothing more appropriate 

 than "Say It With Flowers," and there is certainly nothing 

 more than wit! come nearer expressing the proper senti- 

 ment. 



One of the ideas that we might embody, is that every- 

 one wear a flower in memory of the heroes who lost their 

 lives during this great war. 



Another idea that we might inject in the campaign, 

 and that is, send flowers to the mothers of those who 

 served, more especially to the mothers of those who 

 lost their lives in the war. 



In connection with this campaign, and during the en- 

 tire week, our window decorations should be played up 

 strong, and our publicity program should be increased for 

 the week. 



I am sorry that it will be impossible to attend the 

 P. T. D. Convention in Cleveland. The proper method, as 

 I see it, is to have the President of the F. T. D., and the 

 President of the S. A. F. to declare this the "Say It With 

 Flowers" week. The many retail florists that assembled 

 in Cleveland will no doubt have many suggestions to make 

 along this line. 



I think by all means that we should do something now 

 at this convention to create the sentiment to commemorate 

 this great day by "Say It With Flowers." 



I trust this matter will come to a head at this meet- 

 ing, and something can be clone. 



Yours very truly, 



R. C. KERR. 



