May 3, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



419 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS 



AND 



ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURISTS 



There are very many ardent sup- 

 porters of our compaign who have fol- 

 lowed up work closely enough to as- 

 sure themselves that our efforts to in- 

 crease business are yielding a bumper 

 measure of success. 



The following letter, from a well 

 known firm, vouches for a direct bene- 

 fit resulting from the publicity cam- 

 paign: 



"Lincoln, 111., April 19, 1919. 

 "Mr. John Young, New York, N. Y., 



"Dear Sir: — Enclosed please find our 

 check for $50 in payment of our sub- 

 scription for 1919 to the Florists' Pub- 

 licity Fund. We are finding evidence 

 of substantial returns from this adver- 

 tising from a source we had little 

 thought of, until we began to notice 

 such evidence in the increase of orders 

 from it. This source is the better 

 class of magazine readers in a number 

 of little towns. We can only attribute 

 the increase in the number of accounts 

 from these smaller towns to the at- 

 tractively planned advertisements 

 placed in the various magazines of 

 wide circulation. 



"It is our belief that while there will 

 not be the great scarcity of flowers dur- 

 ing the next year which has prevailed 

 since the summer of 1918, nevertheless, 

 demand will be so largely augmented 

 by the highly intelligent advertising 

 campaign now being prosecuted by our 

 National Society, that prices will be 

 at least in a considerable measure sus- 

 tained. 



"Yours truly, 

 "(signed) Gullett & Sons." 



If it were needed, this letter might 

 be taken as a direct endorsement of 

 the policy of our committees to confine 

 our advertising to the national maga- 

 ines of general circulation. Our sub- 

 scribers are to be found in practically 

 every section of the country, therefore 

 our advertising mediums must cover 

 equitably every bit of territory of the 

 United States, in which case they also, 

 necessarily, cover Canada. To every 

 million subscribers to these magazines, 

 it is safe to add at least four million 

 readers, for it is universally admitted 

 that the average of readers for each 

 copy put out is five persons. Small 

 wonder, then, that our publicity is far 

 reaching. 



If non-subscribers would give a little 

 thought to these facts, and, as well, 

 make it their business to inspect our 

 advertisements in magazines which 

 surely come to their hands in some 

 way, considerable impetus would be 

 given to the campaign. The "broad- 

 side" recently sent out by our Promo- 

 tion Bureau, and which is now in the 

 hands of the trade in every section of 

 this country, gives full information as 

 to where our advertisements are to 

 be seen and also describes the various 

 aids for making local connection with 

 them. It is to the interest of every 

 florist to make this connection, either 

 through the newspaper electrotypes, 

 provided, or by projection in moving 

 picture theatres of the lantern slides 

 furnished for this purpose. Anyone 

 who has not received a broadside 

 should make immediate application of 

 the secretary for one. 



John Young, Secy. 



1170 Broadway, New York. 



DOES PUBLICITY PAY? 



Three years ago the National 

 War Garden Commission and 

 the Department of Agriculture 

 started a publicity campaign on 



VEGETABLES: 

 SEED sales jumped ! The Seeds- 

 men have had the three biggest 

 years in their history. 

 Two years ago the Florists start- 

 ed their publicity campaign on 



FLOWERS: 



Flower sales jumped! In spite 

 of adverse conditions, business 

 increased so much last year that 

 many florists this year are 

 doubling their subscriptions to 

 the Publicity Fund. 

 This year the Nurserymen, 

 through the National Service Bu- 

 reau, started their publicity cam- 

 paign on 



NURSERY STOCK: 



Nursery sales jumped! Nursery- 

 men have had all the business 

 they could do — at higher prices. 



DOES PUBLICITY PAY? 



IS THE AVERAGE FLORIST A GOOD 

 BUSINESS MAN? 



This is the question that I have of- 

 ten heard discussed — and cussed. Well, 

 it is really hard to say, but there is no 

 doubt that the majority who are good 

 business men have made a success of 

 their venture in the florist business 

 despite poor conditions and lack of 

 proper organization; and then there are 

 some who will have to be classed as 

 successful because they made money 

 without the foolish expenditure of 

 money for. advertising," or the help 

 of the national organization, or any 

 of the large trade organizations; such 

 a man is in a class that is known the 

 world over as "selfish," feeling that 

 there is some one else spending his 

 time and money and he will get re- 

 sults just the same. By comparison, 

 we class him just as an American does 

 the uneducated and, perhaps, unfor- 

 tunate of some of the trouble burdened 

 countries for whom America went in- 

 to the war ,with the hope to some day 

 take him by the hand and say, "My 

 friend, my work has not been in vain, 

 for now you see the light." 



How few of the craft know of or 

 care for the great work done in their 

 behalf in protecting them from bad 

 legislation, or from fraud through lack 

 of knowledge of losses they would have 

 sustaine without that knowledge? 

 There are those who do untiring work 

 for the benefit of all in the trade and 

 ask for their reward — results. So 

 when you are asked for your share of 

 expense as a contribution toward the 

 National Publicity Compaign, you are 

 enjoying a distinct privilege. 



The slogan, "Say it with flowers" is 

 given you to use without question. 

 Are you so ungrateful or short sighted 

 as not to see what it all means to you? 

 The moneys contributed are used most- 

 ly in national magazine advertising 

 contracts. In order to secure space in 

 the leading publications, we must to 

 given two or three months in advance 

 of publication, which means if we are 

 to spend money for the starting of a 

 vigorous campaign when the late sum- 

 mer and fall crops are in, we must 

 have assurance that we can meet our 

 obligations, that's all. George Asmus. 

 Chairman of Finance Committee, S. 



A. F. & O. H. Publicity Compaign. 



