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HORTICULTURE 



January 31, 1920 



Little Talks on Advertising 



It would be surprising to the average 

 man. in the florist trade nr out of it, 

 to learn what a large amount of space 

 is used in the local papers by retail 

 flower stores. Hundreds of florists are 

 trying out the results of an advertis- 

 ing campaign of some sort. All too 

 often, however, the results are not 

 commensurate with the money expend- 

 ed, just because the copy is not so 

 worded as to draw trade. It is said 

 that almost everybody thinlcs that he 

 could edit a newspaper or if necessary 

 sit down and write a bonk. It must 

 l5e the same with advertising. The 

 average merchant apparently consid- 

 ers it the simplest matter in the 

 world to cook up an advertisement 

 which will compel buyers to flock to 

 his store. If they don't come, he us- 

 ually blames the paper anrl not the 

 advertising copy. 



Of course it is useless tn dogmatize 

 on the matter of advertising. Many 

 different factors enter in the question, 

 and what may prove a strong drawing 

 card in one place may give only in- 

 different results in another. Still. 

 there are some fundamentals that no 

 advertiser can safely overlook. For 

 one thing he must be definite and to 

 the point. An advertisement which 

 may be ever so attractive to the eye 

 and perhaps a literary gem in its 

 phraseology may yet exert ahuost no 

 pulling power. Even an advertlse- 

 •ment of this kind cannot he set down 

 as worthless or as wasted, for in the 

 long run anything which keeps a 

 dealer's name before the public helps 

 liis business. Many national advertis- 

 ers have that one purpose in mind. 



But the retail florist wants immed- 

 iate results, as a rule, and must con- 

 struct his advertisements accordingly. 

 1 have a whole fistful of retail adver- 

 tisements from different New England 

 papers. Let us look at some of them, 

 to see if they teach us anything. Here 

 is the copy used by A. Gabicke of Bur- 

 lington, Vt. He takes double column 

 space to say in large type; 



Fresh Cut Flowers and Plants for 

 all Occasions. 



No doubt Burlington people will bear 

 Mr. Gebicke in mind when they want 

 flowers or plants for a special occa- 

 sion, but there is nothing about the ad. 

 to make them want flowers now. Quite 

 different is the copy used by The 

 Myers Flower Shop of 936 Chapel 

 street, New Haven, Conn. Mr. Myers 

 makes a definite suggestion in his ad- 

 vertisement. In three or four inches 

 of single column space he says: 

 If you know 

 some person 



who Is sick, 



send them 



flowers. 



It will cheer, 



them up. 

 Here is a specific reason for buying 

 flowers this very day. Doubtless many 

 people never have thought of express- 

 ing their sympathy in this way. It is 

 unfortunate, though, that Mr. Myers is 

 not more grammatical, for this fault 

 in the copy might prejudice educated 



Congratulate your friends 

 with flflwers. Let us ar- 

 range an artistic bouquet 

 for you. We understand 

 the traits and whims of 

 flowBrs. That is why the 

 growing plants of the 

 fresh tut flowers select- 

 ed here serve so beauti- 

 fully and satisfactorily. 

 Flowers Telegraphed 

 Everywhere 



'St 



•.>•' 



:tzrj 



"Jior * 



395MA(W ST.. ODD FELLOWS BUXS, 



C-.^Hat-'E 74-5 AT >nGHT CALL 

 GREENHOUSES- STOHEH3«^28n. 



Irttiaf)! 



StonehanSibjI. 



The Best Retail AA. We Have Seen This 

 Week 



people against the store. This ad. 

 might read, "If you have friends who 

 are sick," etc., to keep the plural form 

 throughout the sentence. 



I think that C. Quadland & Sons of 

 North Adams, Mass., make a mistake 

 .when they start off their ad. with the 

 adapted phrase, "Eventually you will 

 be our regular flower customer. Why 

 not start now?" There is something 

 about the assurance of this statement 

 which will offend many people. It will 

 seem to them that the advertiser is 

 taking altogether too much for grant- 

 ed. The Quadlands have a second line, 

 however, which is as good as the first 

 is poor. It reads: "Our flowers are 

 not cut until ordered by you, assuring 

 you of absolute freshness." Of course 

 all florists cannot make such a claim 

 and live up to it, but it must make a 

 strong impression on a prospective 



purchaser and influence him toward 

 the store which presents such an in- 

 ducement. And, after all. that is what 

 counts. 



Finally, I have the advertisement of 

 a Haverhill, Mass., flower store which 

 occupies only two inches single column, 

 and yet which by its wording and dis- 

 play must pull no little trade. It reads 

 as follows: 



FLOWERS ARE A NECESSITY 



— at all social gatherings. We are 

 specialists in preparing corsage bou- 

 quets to be worn at dinners, dances or 

 other evening occasions. Phone or- 

 ders filled. 



• KAULBACH'S 



"The Flower Shop" 



28 Main St, Tel. 504-W. 



THE MARKET. 



The market is extremely quiet and 

 has been for the past week. Ship- 

 ments are coming in very slowly and 

 the demand is so small that even the 

 light offerings are sufficient to meet it. 

 Carnations are selling at 12 and 15 

 cents as HoRTiCTiLTTmE goes to press, 

 but if anything like heavy consign- 

 ments should show up, undoubtedly 

 the price would break in half. But 

 shipments to New York are cleaning 

 up everything in sight. 



Callas are coming in a little more 

 freely and the price Is a little easier, 

 but three and four dollars is obtained 

 readily for good quality stock. 



THE ILLINOIS QUARANTINE. 

 Flowerfield, L. I., N. Y, 

 Jan. 27, 1920. 



Dear Sir; — I note with interest your 

 editorial on the 111. quarantine, and I 

 think it is time that concerted action 

 is taken by the Trade in regard to 

 these quarantines, mainly for the 

 jeason that there is no proof presented 

 that they are necessary. 



As Mr, Alexander has pointed out, 

 the Corn Borer may possibly live over 

 in Gladiolus stalks, but there is no 

 likelihood of its living in, or being 

 carried by, the Gladiolus bulb. 



Then again, I think the present 

 quarantine is unreasonable and unjust 

 to dealers on Long Island which is en- 

 tirely surrounded by water, and al- 

 though belongs to New York State 

 there is not as much reason to quar 

 antine it, as other, states that join N. 

 Y. State by land 



What future is there for Floriculture 

 in this country if it is going to be 

 dealt these "body blows" repeatedly. 

 Yours very truly, 

 I. S. Hendrickson, 



John Lewis Childs, Inc. 



