122 



HORTICULTURE 



January 24, 1914 



CHICAGO FLORISTS' CLUB. 

 President French's Report. 



Although we have had no special 

 doings in the way of large exhibitions, 

 etc., our club has enjoyed a steady in- 

 crease in mepabership and every- 

 thing is progressing nicely. There 

 has been a wonderful growth in the 

 Florists' Telegraph Delivery Associa- 

 tion. The florists and the people are 

 beginning to realize the advantages 

 of being able to "telegraph flowers" 

 to almost any part of the country and 

 of having nice fresh stock delivered 

 on time, without delay, worry or ex- 

 press charges. Publicity has been dis- 

 cussed from different angles, appar- 

 ently resulting in more advertising in 

 the daily papers, street cars, etc. Still, 

 to my mind, there has been no con- 

 certed action by the florists to create 

 more business, especially during times 

 when stock is plentiful and prices 

 reasonable. I notice that around the 

 holidays when stock is scarce, prices 

 high, and the demand heavy, the 

 wholesalers and commission men will 

 double and treble their ads. when they 

 know that it will be practically im- 

 possible to fill their orders even at 

 advanced prices. Then again, when 

 there is a glut in the market, and 

 I believe that most of the gluts are 

 caused not by a loss of business, but 

 by the output of the greenhouses be- 

 ing doubled and trebled— stock in full 

 crop, fine quality, immense quantities, 

 and no especial efforts being made to 

 create more business to take care of 

 the increased production — instead of 

 big ads you will see ads cut down and 

 hear the same old story: "The market 

 Is rotten." 



The Price Problem. 



The question is, what effect would it 

 tave on the market if the big holi- 

 day ads were used, and the public 

 given the benefit of lower prices dur- 

 ing these gluts? Would it pay? 

 Would it move the stock? Would the 

 public resDond? Who would derive 

 the benefit, the retailers, commission 

 men or growers? Who should pay for 

 the advertising? Some say you would 

 never be able to get the prices up 

 again. In answer to that we have 

 only to point to what happens during 

 the fruit season or the vegetable sea- 

 son. When the first ones come in, 

 prices are high— people expect to pay 

 high prices when stock is scarce; as 

 the season advances the quantity, and 

 as a rule the quality increases but 

 the prices decrease. As the season is 

 near the end the prices go up again. 

 If these conditions are true with fruit 

 «nd vegetables, why would they not 

 be true with flowers? 



Bargain Sales. 



I believe much more new business 

 could be created and more money 

 made all the way round by the re- 

 tailer, the wholesaler and the grower 

 if more money were spent advertising 

 "bargains" during these periods of 

 over-supply. How much business 

 would the department stores have 

 after the holidavs if it was not for 

 their big advertising campaigns, price 

 reduction, stock taking, etc.? Still if 

 you will comoare their price reduc- 

 tions you will find that they have 

 not reduced their prices any more 

 and often not as much as the florist, 

 but they are making a noise— they 

 want everyone to know and feel that 

 his dollar will purchase $2.00 worth 

 of stock, and they get the business! 



Fathers' Day. 



Senator J. Hamilton Lewis, of Beau 

 Brummel fame, made strenuous efforts 

 to have a Father's day legalized. Did 

 he have the support of the florists? 

 Maybe he did. but I did not hear 

 about it. They should have been up 

 on their toes and helped this good 

 thing along. After the popularity of 

 Mother's day a Father's day woul 1 

 naturally mean another big flower 

 day. The florist should not only be 

 on the alert and help further any such 

 suggestions, but should be the one to 

 offer them. The trade should get to- 

 gether and have that day set at a 

 time when flowers are plentiful and 

 the demand light. This could be done. 

 Our friend J. Ham doesn't care a con- 

 tinental whether Father's day comes 

 in December or June — it would not 

 make any difference to him, but it 

 would make a vast difference to the 

 florist. The following story told by 

 H. K. Adair, the western advertising 

 expert, conclusively shows that silence 

 is not always golden. 



About Donkeys. 



"A donkey once fell into a well. A 

 fox saw him fall and running up 

 looked over the well curb. 'O, help 

 me out, good fox,' said the donkey. 

 'No, I can't do it,' the fox answereil. 

 'I have not the strength, but feeding 

 In a grove not far away I see an ele- 

 phant; call him and he will have you 

 o"t in two shakes. Now I must be 

 off.' The fox hurried away, but the 

 donkey said to himself, 'I am very 

 vpcik from the shock; if I raise my 

 voice to call this elephant my weak- 

 ness will be aggravated. No, I will 

 not submit myself to such a strain. 

 It is the elephant's duty to come to 

 me without calling,' and the donkey 

 lay back in the icy water and died 

 of hunger and cold. A year later 

 the fox, passing the well, saw the don- 

 key's skeleton and exclaimed; 'If in 

 the transmigration of souls it ever 

 happens that donkeys become men, 

 then surely this donkey will become 

 one of those merchants who won't 

 advertise.' " 



Flood Philanthropy. 



Last spring the Chicago Florists' 

 Club did more real good than is gen- 

 erally known. I refer to the time 

 of the disastrous storm and floods 

 which caused heavy losses to many 

 florists in the devastated districts. We 

 did not come to the front with a do- 

 nation, as soon as the catastrophe 

 had occurred, as it appeared that the 

 sufferers were being as well taken 

 care of at the time as possible, but 

 a few weeks afterwards when men and 

 women were struggling to re establish 

 their business, our club stretched forth 

 a helping hand, sent a statement to 

 the trade papers, who kindly gave it 

 prominence, telling the flood and 

 storm victims to write our secretary, 

 stating what they needed to help 

 them again start in business. We re- 

 ceived some very pitiful letters but 

 not one appeal for cash. What these 

 people wanted was stock or material 

 to help them get a new start. 



Our members responded to the ap- 

 peal by donating thousands of rose, 

 carnation and chrysanthemum plants, 

 bulbs, nursery stock, etc., besides pots, 

 building material and glass. I am 

 pleased to state that every appeal 

 was taken care of and a surplus left 

 to draw on. This was practical help 



A CORDIAL INVITATION 



la extended to the trade t* rtalt iDri 

 Inspect our new eRtnlillHhineDt, Flftb 

 Avenue at 46tli Street. New York City. 



ORDE 



by Telegrapb or otherwist for 4^UT«r7 

 iif Flnwprs to Steaniera, Theatres, vr 

 Residences in New York msi4 rtcliilO 

 executed In best manner. 



Thos. F. Galvin, Inc. 



Established 1847 



Fifth Ave., at 46th Mreet, NEW YORK 

 THREE STORES IN BOSTON 



CHICAGO 



And Neighboring Towns 



Are Thoroughly Covered by 



SCHILLER, THE FLORIST 



(Member Florists Telegraph Delivery). 



Flowergram or Mail Orders from florists 

 anywhere carefully filled and delivered 

 un<)er the supervision of 



GEORGE ASMUS, Msr. 



2221-2223 W. Madison St., CHICAGO. 



■Phone West 822 



REDTER'S 



Memben FWiiU 



Telegraph 



Delivery 



STORES IN 



New London and Norwich, Conn. 

 and Westerly, R. I. 



We cover the territory between 



New Haven and Providence 



GEORGE H. COOKE 



FLORIST 



Connecticut Ave. and L St., N. W. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



F. R. PIERSON CO. 



FLORISTS AND 

 PLANTSMEN 

 TARRYTOWN ON HODSON. - N. Y. 



Member of Florists' TeleKrapb D«llT«r]r 



RANDALL'S FLOWER SHOP 



HABBT I. RANDALL, ProprletM. 



Pbone: Park M 

 3 PLEASANT ST.. WORCESTER. MASSv 



iirmi-r Florists Telt-graph Delivery AssotiMittn 



given at the time that it was most 

 appreciated. We have letters on file 

 from these people, letters that came 

 straight from the heart, conveying 

 their thanks to this club for what it 

 had done for them in their hour of 

 need — letters that any organization 

 might well be proud of. Gentlemen, / 

 speak of this matter at some length 

 because it shows how much practical 

 help a society of this kind can give 

 If handled in the proper way. These 

 sufferers were not club members; with 

 two exceptions, they did not even live 

 In our state; but the assistance was 



