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13 



NATIONAL SHOW A 



GREAT SUCCESS 



The fourth National Flower Show of the Society of American Flo- 

 rists, held la^t week at Philadelphia, has set a new mark for trade exhibi- 

 tions in America. The best feature of it was that, now it is over, 

 everybody is satisfied with the results achieved under the handicap of an 

 inadequate building. 



aniBssipinDiS 



HEN the National Flower 

 Show closed its doors in 

 Convention hall, Philadel- 

 phia, on the night of April 

 2, it had scored the great- 

 est success in the history 

 of flower shows in Amer- 

 ica. Not only was it the 

 largest show ever held in 

 America, but it had been 

 seen by more people; not only had it 

 cost more money than any previous 

 show, but the funds necessary for a 

 financial success had been obtained 

 without recourse to the guarantors, 

 who therefore will share in the profits 

 of the show. 



Of course it is too early to be able 

 to state with authority what the out- 

 come has been, but it is thought that, 

 even with the loss of 

 the first Sunday's an- 

 ticipated gate receipts, 

 the show had covered 

 all expenses by March 

 30, leaving the gate of 

 the last three days as 

 possible profit. 



Ail Pleased. 



But of far greater 

 importance than a prof- 

 it from the show is the 

 fact that everyone con- 

 nected with it is satis- 

 fied with the outcome. 

 PHrst of all, the Phila- 

 delphia public was 

 pleased. The show oc- 

 cupied a larger place 

 in the thoughts and 

 conversation of the 

 people of the city than 

 has been the case with 

 any previous national 

 show, and the comment 

 was unanimously fa- 

 vorable. The result is 

 that much good was 

 done the trade; flori- 

 cultural interest was 

 stimulated as never be- 

 fore. _The benefits will 

 fiftf askeacfiing. , =^ . 



Did Big Business. 



Of second impor- 

 tance is the fact that 

 Philadelphia florists 

 and gardeners feel 

 that the success 

 achieved compensates 

 them for their eflEorts, 

 which were by no 

 means slight. 



And the exhibitors are pleased — they 

 all did business. Those who bought 

 trade space and sought orders nearly 

 all say they found the effort profitable 

 in spite of the high cost per foot made 

 necessary by the inadequacy of the 

 building to accommodate all comers. 

 In many cases it is reported that the 

 orders booked constitute the best record 

 thus far made at any trade exhibition 

 or convention and this report comes 

 from some who looked to the public for 

 their orders as well as from those who 

 sought the patronage of the trade vis- 

 itors. The number of trade visitors 

 exceeded anything heretofore known, 

 but the attendance of florists fell off 

 after New York day, instead of in- 

 creasing, as had been expected. 



The effect of magnitude and excel- 





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A GUmpse of the TraVie'i Display SecUoa in the National Show * 



lence in the show unquestionably grew 

 on one with each succeeding day and 

 at the close each trade visitor was ready 

 to subscribe to the verdict that every 

 shortcoming in the exhibition could be 

 traced to the unalterable condition of 

 overcrowding growing out of the deplor- 

 able inadequacy of the building; that, 

 this handicap considered, the manage- 

 ment had done extremely well, taking 

 advantage of every opportunity and sur- 

 mounting every obstacle in the best pos- 

 sible way. 



The Attendance. 



The crowd that filled the hall each 

 day until the doors closed Sunday even- 

 ing, April 2, continued to be a marvel 

 to all. That such immense numbers of 

 people would go to a Philadelpliia show 

 was almost past local 

 belief. So great was 

 the press in the build- 

 ing that Thursday 

 evening the doors were 

 closed for a time to 

 prevent overcrowding. 

 A device of the man- 

 agement to have the 

 show open to all on the 

 second Sunday, April 

 2, was successful. An 

 associate membership 

 badge in the S. A. F.,- 

 good from April 2, 

 1916, to April 2, 1917, 

 was put on sale at the 

 hall and at four down- 

 town stores until Sat- 

 urday night, April 1. 

 These badges, with two 

 American flags crossed 

 on a button with a 

 scarlet ribbon attached, 

 were sold at 25 cents 

 each. Nearly 5,000 

 were sold. Every re- 

 spectable looking per- 

 son was let in free Sun- 

 day, April 2. The 

 crowd was enormous. 

 Conservative judges 

 estimated that the re- 

 ceipts for the last 

 three days were profit 

 over all expenses, or, 

 as they tersely ex- 

 pressed it, were velvet. 

 It was gratifying. 



Information Bureau. 



That no future Na- 

 tional Flower Show 

 will be complete with- 

 out an information 



