16 



The Florists' Review 



March 8, 1917. 



because the proprietor figures he is get- 

 ting reasonable rent. He does not real- 

 ize that he might as well shove himself 

 oflf the earth. 



Many of us still have the habit of 

 trying to work off old flowers — the grow- 

 ers are in the majority in this respect, 

 however — when we realize that the 

 freshest stock is none too good. 



As to delivery service: I know many 

 florists who continue to use a plug horse 

 when an automobile can be purchased 

 for $300, for which nominal sum he can 

 render better service to his customers 



Many florists do not understand that 

 politeness is an asset in business. In 

 our own business we try to treat every- 

 one with due respect and politeness. Of 

 course we have our " ups and downs," 

 and occasionally we vary from this rule, 

 but there is absolutely no excuse for it, 

 no matter how roiled a customer may be. 



The successful man of today is one 

 who has self-control. This reminds me 

 of a story I once heard about a peddler, 

 who went to a house, knocked and asked 

 the woman who came to the door if he 

 could see the lady of the house. 



"Yes, you can, if you ain't blind," 

 snapped the woman. 



"Oh, beg your pardon, madam. You 

 are the lady of the house then?" 



"Yes, I am. What did you take me 

 for? Bid you think I was the gentle- 

 man of the house, the next-door neigh- 

 bor, one of the farm hands, the cat, or 

 the ice chest?" 



"I didn't know, lady, but that you 

 might be the voungest daughter." 



"Oh, did "you? Well, that was 

 natural, too," responded the lady of the 

 house. "What did you want?" 



The peddler displayed his goods and 

 left the house, being well paid because 

 he understood human nature and treated 

 his prospect with respect and politeness. 



Advocates Profit-Sliaring. 



Another subject I want to treat on 

 is the welfare of our employees. We 

 are apt to hire help for too small wages 

 and, in return, expect too great service. 



the business. They are willing to work, 

 early and late, and they are always 

 there at the bugle call. In fact, I have 

 such confidence in our force that I will 

 wager that they can turn out fifty per 

 cent more work, and of better quality, 

 than an equal force which is not work- 

 ing on a profit-sharing basis. 



I want to say right here that the aver- 

 age retail florist is too slow. What per 

 cent of florists do any advertising or 

 make an effort to promote the flower 

 business? Very few. And when it 

 comes to spending a little more money 

 for the benefit of their business, either 

 in a direct or indirect way, they figure 

 they are throwing their money away. 

 We, in our business, figure advertising 

 as an asset. It is true one cannot be- 

 come reckless when he is laying out his 

 advertising campaign. If you spend five 

 j)cr cent of the gross sales, it is ample. 



F. T. D. Increases Business. 



One of the greatest opportunities be- 

 fore the retail store manager today is 

 the out-of-town delivery of flowers. It 

 behooves every proprietor and manager 

 of a flower store to get busy and investi- 

 gate the benefits of the Florists' Tele- 

 graph Delivery Association. This or- 

 ganization transferred orders last vear 

 approximating $2,000,000. This was ac- 

 complished through individual advertis- 

 ing by its members, who now number, 

 1 believe, about 400. If you want to do 

 an increased business this year, by all 

 means join the F. T. D. 



In the present age we must take ad- 

 vantage of every opportunity. As the 

 old farmer once said to his sons: * ' Boys, 

 <lon 't yon ever speckerlate or wait for 

 soniethin' to turn up. You might jest as 

 well go and sit on a stone in the middle 

 of a medder with a pail twixt yer legs 

 and wait for a cow to back up to be 

 milked.' ' 



The retail florist who is willing to 

 wait for something to turn up, need 

 not be surprised some fine morning to 

 find a constable's sign on his store front. 



The various things I have touched 



SCHLINQ PLANS CONFEBENCE. 



Max Schling, of New York, plans a 

 conference with the heads of the ex- 

 press companies in the effort to better 

 shipping conditions in the trade and 

 makes the following announcement: 



For almost two years I have worked a lone 

 hand on bettering shipping conditions connected 

 with the different express companies. It was 

 slow work for my Impatience, but I managed. 



About six months ago I brought this up at a 

 meeting of our Retail Florists' Association, and 

 had from our association, also from the Greek- 

 American Florists' Association, a letter giving 

 ine authority to close any agreement which 

 might further our interest, the interest of retail 

 florists. 



We will have a meeting In New York, Friday" 

 or Saturday, Marcli 16 or 17. 



The presidents of the different express com- 

 panies are willing to do anything possible to 

 protect our shipments and to further our busi- 

 ness, and I will have to give them a few days' 

 notice for what day they should arrange so that 

 they can give us their time. 



Any florists' club or retail florists' association 

 whicli wants to send a delegate to this meeting 

 should write me Immediately. I will gladly sub- 

 mit to the different delegates what I have done 

 in this matter heretofore. We can form a com- 

 mittee, elect a chairman In advance of this com- 

 mittee, and instead of representing the few 

 hundred florists of New York, we can derive 

 beneflts for all the florists in the United States. 



Mr. Schling's address is 22 West 



Fifty-ninth street, New York city. 



FUNSTON'S FLO WEBS. 



Great masses of flowers representing 

 tributes from persons in all parts of the 

 country were used for the funeral of 

 Major' General Frederick Funston. It 

 was one of the most elaborate military 

 ceremonies of the kind ever observed 

 in San Francisco. While many floral 

 offerings were shipped with the remains 

 from El Paso, Tex., and others were 

 picked up along the way, the bulk of the 

 work was done at San Francisco. Some 

 of the local florists were rushed Febru- 

 ary 23 in getting out large pieces. Many 

 telegraphic orders were handled on short 

 notice. 



The remains of the famous soldier 

 were the first to rest in state in the 

 great rotunda of the City hall at San 

 Francisco. A. J. Eossi, of Pelicano, 

 Rossi & Co., had charge of the decora- 

 tion, and its effectiveness did him credit. 

 Palms were furnished by the park com- 

 missioners. The large number of set 

 pieces and other tributes were grouped 

 at the base of the grand staircase and at 

 the sides of the rotunda. The cata- 

 falque, made by Pelicano, Rossi & Co., 

 required about 10,000 daffodils, thirty 

 large bunches 6f almond blossoms and 

 yards of blue ribbon. It represented 

 ithe California colors. S. H. G. 



The Casket of General Funston on its Mound of Flowers. 



I learned long ago that a man gets only 

 what he pays for. Most of our em- 

 ployees hold stock in the company, and 

 I haven 't a man or woman in my employ 

 who does not take a personal interest in 



upon have come to me in my fifteen 

 years' experience in the retail flower 

 business and to all of them I have given 

 a great deal of thought and attention. 

 They are worthy of coosideralion. 



THE COMING ROSE FESTIVAL. 



.\11 the advance work for the show 

 of the American Rose Society to be held 

 in the First Regiment Armory, Broad 

 and Callowhill streets, Philadelphia, 

 March 20 and the three following days, 

 is complete. The final schedule of 

 classes and prizes has been mailed. 

 Anyone desiring a copy can obtain it 

 by writing to the local secretary, Fred 

 Cowperthwaite, 1614 Ludlow street. 

 The schedule includes many new special 

 prizes that have been added since the 

 preliminary schedule has been issued. 

 The committee advises visitors who are 

 coming to Philadelphia to the show to 

 stay at the Bellevue-Stratford hotel. 

 Broad and Walnut streets. The Belle- 

 vue-Stratford, which is one of the finest 

 hotels in this or any other city in 

 America, will be the National Rose 

 Society's headquarters. The rates are 

 $2..'>0 a day for room without bath, 



