20 



The Florists^ Review 



I 



Mat 18. 1916. 



ing can be said in its favor except that 

 certain florists, more particularly in 

 New England, have built up a big busi- 

 ness in these, a business now large 

 enough to attract the attention of covet- 

 ous department stores. There are locali- 

 ties, too, where the demand runs to 

 metal wreaths or wreaths of wax 

 flowers. 



It is the business of the florist, first 

 of all, of course, to make a living,, by 

 the sale of pots and baskets as well as 

 plants and flowers, but there are many 

 in the trade who never have been able 

 to bring themselves to handle artificial 

 stock. 



Study; Then Act. 



Yes, most decidedly Memorial day is 

 well worth pushing. 



So it behooves each of us to study his 

 special field, to note what we have ac- 

 complished in other years, and what our 

 competitors have accomplished; to note 

 what others outside our local field are 

 doing with success and to figure out a 

 plan of operations that fits our special 

 needs. It must be a plan, moreover, 

 that covers three distinct phases of the 

 business: Arrangement for stock, a 

 method of apprising the public of the 

 merits and location of the supply, and 

 means for sale and delivery. 



While a few florists in a still fewer 

 cities have become large and successful 

 users of newspaper space, nine out of 

 ten still content themselves with laying 

 in a stock and putting a sign in the win- 

 dow — not always the sign. The man who 

 does not advertise should be careful not 

 to overbuy. 



Let us resolve now to dress up the 

 window several days before Memorial 

 day. This year May 30 falls on Tues- 

 day, so we should have the decoration in 

 the window by the Thursday before. We 

 must use plenty of flags, if nothing more, 

 suggestive of the day. After that, each 

 one can go as far as he likes. 



BEYOND THE PALE. 



One Peter Tremulis, who sells flowers 

 in a store at Aurora, 111., is quoted as 

 follows in a newspaper published in his 

 city: 



Carnations, the Mothers' day flowers, are sell- 

 ing as high as ?1 a dozen and they should be sell- 

 ing two (ii>zon for 2a cents. 



Mind you, I will make as much money regard- 

 less of the price of the flowers, but I am opposed 

 to charging exorbitant prices. I believe that a 

 person slioiild wear any flower he wishes next Sun- 

 day. If his mother is fond of roses, wear a rose, 

 etc. 



The greenhouse people boost the prices of flow- 

 ers for Kaster Sunday and then, with the aid of 

 the special days for wearing flowers, they keep 

 the price up. Tliey hold back thousands of flow- 

 ers for as long as two weeks. Many of them 

 are rotted when they are sold to the Individual. 



Let's, quit having these special days for wear- 

 ing flowers unless the prices arc reduced. 



Of course florists all know what kind 

 of a man it is who says carnations 

 should retail "two dozen for 25 cents," 

 but what are we to think of a person 

 who gives to the public such unwar- 

 ranted statements concerning the source 

 of his livelihood! 



Saginaw, Mich.— During the Easter 

 rush at the Charles Frueh & Sons store, 

 Theodore Ahrcns fell three stories in 

 an elevator loaded with plants. The 

 actual falling of the elevator did not 

 appear to cause any injuries to Mr. 

 Ahrcns, but a large iron cog wheel fol- 

 lowed the drop from the top and struck 

 Mr. Ahrens on the head, crushing his 

 skull. He was taken to the hospital 

 unconscious and an operation was per- 

 formed to remove the pressure from the 

 brain. 



OPEN LCTTCI^^'- DEADEEid 



PBICE IS NO BAB. 



In The Eeview for May 11 Charles 

 Helm expresses the opinion that $7 per 

 hundred for carnations is in the ex- 

 treme. Although the wholesale price 

 for Mothers' day did not quite reach 

 that figure, any retail florist, by using 

 good judgment, can easily dispose of 

 from fifteen to twenty times the usual 

 number on this day, besides the same 

 average increase for all other blooms. 

 Our experience at this writing shows, 

 and the writer can vouch for this, our 

 net profit per dozen was as great — yes, 

 greater than on aiiy dozen throughout 

 the year, and we were taking no chances 

 of the disposal of our stock. Mr. 

 Helm probably has not considered that 

 many only wear a single carnation, 

 while few purchase more than they can 

 afford. This day is not used to 

 show who can purchase the most, nor 

 does it resemble a Christmas gift; any 

 trifling expenditure will express one's 

 reverence for his mother and any mother 

 will appreciate a single flower from her 

 loved ones. Our writer must also re- 

 member that our better class of buyers 

 are protected and it leaves an opening 



for the spirit of Mothers' day to enter 

 more homes by having purchases made 

 in smaller quantities. We had several 

 churches purchasing carnations, ranging 

 from fifteen to twenty-six dozen, in our 

 small villages and we have not heard 

 a word as to prices being too high, 

 which shows the sentiment and willing- 

 ness of the general public. 



We carry a policy of one price to 

 all, regardless of quantity purchased. 

 Give your customers quality and they 

 will appreciate it. They may not come 

 as often or may make smaller pur- 

 chases, but you have a good and regular 

 patronage if you follow this up. 



We can assure Mr. Helm that no 

 Sherman law can alter the conditions 

 under which a grower is moving his 

 stock or a retailer is selling it. The 

 Sherman law does not regulate the sun- 

 shine, germinate the seeds or pay our 

 fuel bills. Every florist knows we need 

 such days to make up for our dull sum- 

 mer months. Besides, we are 'not ped- 

 dlers, forcing our goods on people, but 

 place our goods on the open market 

 for the public's approval. 



William A. Schaefer. 



A STABT IN BOSE GBOWING. 



Please tell me how to prepare the 

 soil for roses and when to bench them. 

 I intend to plant a house of assorted 

 varieties of roses for commercial trade, 

 and will use only the best grafted 

 stock. A. L. R.— N. J. 



Soil for roses should be prepared the 

 fall previous to planting. It should 

 consist of fibrous loam and cow manure, 

 one part of the latter to three parts 

 of the former, and if it can be turned 

 over and well mixed once or twice be- 

 fore using, all the better. 



You can plant roses in May, June 

 and July. I would suggest June if 

 your beds or benches are ready. You 

 can get plants in either 2i^-inch or 

 4-inch pots. As a general rule grafted 

 plants, worked on Manetti, are superior 

 to own-root stock. Such varieties as 

 Ophelia, Double White Killarney, 



Hadley, Sunburst and' one of the pink 

 Killarneys should give you sufficient 

 variety for commercial trade. Do not 

 try too many varieties. C. W. 



BAMBLEBS FOB NEXT SPBING. 



Which are the best varieties of baby 

 rambler, or dwarf polyantha, roses, in 

 white, pink and red? Can they be 

 forced in a temperature of 45 to 50 

 degrees? Would it be proper to plant 

 young stock in the field now for potting 

 in the fall, and would you advise cut- 

 ting back the young stock when plant- 

 ing it in the field? A. L. — Mo. 



Good varieties of polyantha, or baby 

 rambler, roses are: Mrs. W. H. Cutbush, 

 cerise-pink; Mme. Levavasseur, or 

 Baby Dorothy, clear pink; Orleans, 

 cherry red; Erna Teschendorff, deep 

 crimson, a splendid sort; Orleans, deep 

 pink. 



These roses will force well in a night 

 temperature of 50 degrees, but to have 

 them flowering for Easter, which comes 

 early, they would need a little more 

 heat. For Memorial day trade 45 to 50 

 degrees would suit them well. You 



