22 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



when individuality and artistic qualities are considered 

 essential.' 



" Solid business principles must be adopted in every 

 retail flower-shop." 



18. Selling flowers and plants at retail. " Every 

 well-organized store has a definite and well-organized 

 method of recording sales. They are usually placed on 

 sheets in tablet form, with time of delivery and a notation 

 for remarks printed on the same. These sale slips are 

 distributed in wire baskets arranged for the days of the 

 week. Upon filling the order, the clerk files this slip as a 

 charge or paid order. Upon being transferred to the office, 

 these slips are immediately transferred to a duplicate 

 bill by the aid of carbon, and the originals are filed for the 

 mailing period at the end of the month. The duplicate 

 is retained on file and is always available in case of an 

 inquiry by patrons. This also saves the bookkeeper the 

 time required for making itemized statements on the 

 ledger. 



" A sale-slip should indicate the clerk taking the order, 

 also the one filling the same. It indicates clearly to the 

 office at all times what each clerk is doing in the way of 

 efficiency, the amount of his sales and the prices received." 



19. Advertising for retail sales. -- " Advertising is an 

 important feature of all retail work. This has grown with 

 greater strides in the retail flower business than in almost 

 any other phase of retail work. Indirect advertising, such 

 as good service, fresh flowers, artistic designs and bouquets 

 and promptness in delivery, is the foundation on which 

 all successful flower firms are built. It is useless to waste 

 printer's ink without these basic elements. The next 

 surest method of reaching the thousands of flower lovers is 

 to take space in the most prominent newspapers. This is 



