12 



The Florists' Review 



MAKni 1, 1917. 



vidual matter, \vliother we do or 

 don 't. Do. 



PBIMROSE POISONING. 



As a cure for primula poisoning the 

 following has been found successful: 

 Dissolve 10 cents' worth of camphor 



gum in one pint of gasoline. Rub the 

 mixture on the affocted parts after han- 

 dling primroses and before putting the 

 liands in water. Another application 

 before retiring also is helpful. And, 

 gentlemen, be careful that you do not 

 light your j)ipes while bathing in this 

 solution! K. \\. TcMuperley. 



i THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



W? k'i^^f^S^^^^^'i»^^^^.^^^?iS^^'i9^-U:mii!0i'i^ 



MUFFS FLOWER-TRIMMED, 



Muffs made of delicate materials and 

 trimmed with cut flowers are being car- 

 ried by guests at the balls given by 

 fashionable skating clubs in New York 

 city. The one shown in the illustration 

 was designed and produced by Max 

 Schling. Excoi)tionally good taste has 

 been used in the application of the flow 

 ers to the muff here shown. It will be 

 seen that a sense of proportion has been 

 observed, the roses on the muff proper 

 being confined to a few stems woven to- 

 gether, with single blooms attached on 

 the top and sides ;ind to the riblton 

 streamers. 



In sending tlie photograph, Mr. 

 Schling says that tliese muffs are popu- 

 lar, not only for skating parties, but 

 also j)ractical for weddings. Their sim- 

 plicity and artistic appearance will un- 

 doubtedly create a demand for muffs of 

 this descr)i)tion throughout the country. 



"IT PULLS LIKE FORTY." 



Z. 1). Blackistone, the Washington re- 

 tailer, always has been a believer in the 

 saying that "any advertising is better 

 than no advertising" and he recently 

 has been converted to the theory that 

 "some advertising is a great deal bet- 

 ter than other advertising." It came 

 about like this: Mr. Blackistone 's 

 method of adxertising had been to tell 

 about the quality of his stock, tiie speed 

 and precision of his service and the con- 

 venience of his location, but he had not 

 said much about his prices. Still, re- 

 sults were goo<l. Then, just by way of 

 a change, he used about ten inches of 

 space in a well read paper to show a 

 cut inscribed "This is the handsome 

 Blackistone spray at $2." with some 

 other "Flower specials for this week: 

 Roses, $1.50 dozen up; double violets. 

 50c bunch; jonquils, 75c dozen; selected 

 carnations, $1 dozen; sweet peas, 50c and 

 75c bunch; seasonable potted plants, 

 75c. ' ' Of course it was well displayed 

 and, although florists will appreciate 

 that the prices were not low for the 

 week after St. Valentine's day, "it is 

 pulling business like forty" is the way 

 Mr. Hlni-kistone puts it. 



HAVE YOU HEARD FROM HIM? 



Several florists are interested in the 

 fortunes of one H. R. Conklin, whose 

 most recent headquarters appear to have 

 been at Atlanta, Ga. It is alleged that 

 Mr. Conklin worked harder to secure 

 merchandise for which he was not re- 

 quired to pay on delivery, and to sell it 

 if he couM not use it, than would have 



been necessary to make a good living 

 by the ordinary nu'aus. The jtostoffice 

 ins])ectors appear to have (diecked his 

 operations through l)ringing him before 

 the I'nited States C'onunissiouer at At- 

 lanta on a charge of fraudulent use of 

 the juails. Max Schling, in New York, 

 as recently as January '_'S received a 

 letter from Conklin as follows: 



I Mill '111 :iv(ii-iiit' til fiiriii-ilL Mi-s. Conklin at 

 this address witlf two ilnzcii .Viiicriciiii Ik'aiit.v 



roses twice weekly, on Tuesday and Friday of 

 eaeh week. These to be of the best quality and 

 extremely long stems. 



I am unable to obtain anything satisfactory 

 in this vicinity and if possible you could supplv 

 same directly from New York, and that shipment 

 can be made in such manner that they will 

 reach here In first-class condition. 



If it is possible for you to do so you may malie 

 shipment as above and continue until further 

 notice. 



It is possible that tlieso might be obtained in 

 some eastern city nearer here than New York 

 where tliere would he better facilities for de- 

 livery. If this be true you may supply in this 

 manner, but I must insist that they be extremely 

 Kood and those obtainable here are not. 



The communication and proposition 

 did not look business-like to Mr. Schling 

 and he did not accept the order. As re- 

 ])orted in an Atlanta paper, Conklin 's 

 scheme, according to the government, 

 was to trade under a name similar to 

 that of some important concern, hoping 

 that when he ordered goods the shipper 

 would confuse the name of Conklin 's 

 concern Avith the real one. According 

 to the postoffice inspectors Conklin 's 

 orders ranged all the way from portable 

 houses to carbon paper, but he special- 

 ized on automobile goods. 



H. P. Knoble, of Knoble Bros., Cleve- 

 land, O., states that he filled H. R. Conk- 

 lin orders to the extent of $90, which 

 has thus far proved uncoUectable, and 

 lie understands other florists, including 

 the C. A. Dahl Co., of Atlanta, have had 

 a similar experience. 



THE LARGEST ORDER. 



In a recent issue of The Review an 

 illustration was shown of a design rep- 

 lesenting a value of $100, ordered of 

 James Hayes, of Topeka, Kan., by tele- 

 graph because of his card in the Tele- 

 graph Delivery Department of The Re- 

 view. It was cited as the record order. 

 But here is another: 



I read with much interest the acoiitit of tlie 

 onlor sent to Mr. Hayes, of Topeka. bv telegraph 

 and note it was said to be the recnnl order so far 

 as heard from. It may interest The Review and 

 its readers to know that I sent an order by wire 

 to A. E. Fancher, of Uingharatoii, N. V., amount- 

 ing to $100. This was a simple order, liowever, 

 <ompared to the one Mr. Hayes received, as it 

 consisted of three separate standard pieces, a 

 lilanket and two wreaths. I think it would l)e 

 interesting to hear from other florists wlio have 

 sent or received larger orders tliaii these, and 

 to find out who really lias sent and received the 

 record telegraph delivery order up to this date. 

 William 0. llloeckner. 



The feature of the record Srder re- 

 ceived by Mr. Hayes was not so much 

 the size and value of the design as it 

 was the unusual and complicated charac- 

 ter of the piece demanded on short no- 

 tice. Any retailer will agree that an 

 order for a special design never made 

 before would be much "larger" than 

 an order for a standard design costing 

 the same money. What was the largest 

 order you ever sent or received by mail 

 or wire? The editor will be glad to hear 

 about it. 



Schling's Muff for Skaters. 



MAKING THE STORE ATTRACTIVE. 



That a beautiful store is a great help 

 in selling flowers is thoroughly appre- 

 ciated by John Mangel, the Palmer 

 House florist, Cliicago, and he is tire- 

 less in his effort to achieve his ideal 

 of a retail establishment. Not only 

 should the store be of the greatest 

 beauty, but there should always be some- 

 thing new to attract customers' atten- 

 tion, he says. 



The illustration on page 13 shows 

 the conservatory at the rear of liis store 

 at 17 East Monroe street, which indi- 

 cates clearly how Mr. Mangel carries out 

 his polic.v. The column of spray in the 

 center is produced by one. of the Randall 

 changeable-light, self-contained, elec- 

 tric fountains. 



