March 15, 1017. 



The Florists' Review 



17 



Despite Bush, Watch Details. 



When plants or baskets are ordered, 

 find out the customer's pleasure in re- 

 gard to time and manner of delivery and 

 comply thereunto. In the rush of the 

 next thirty days something might be 

 overlooked, but under no circumstances 

 let yourself be short of room. 



Made-up baskets should not be ar- 

 ranged in jumbles, but should have 

 plenty of room with an eye to harmony. 



Look up last Easter's orders and be 

 prepared for a similar demand. Too 

 much stock in the windows and not 

 enough in the icebox is almost as bad 

 as opposite conditions. 



Though effective by daylight, be care- 

 ful how you associate blue and yellow 

 flowers for decorations by artificial 

 light. 



Orchids require perhaps more care- 

 ful arranging than any other flowers, 

 but they are beautiful when properly 

 handled. 



Well established pansies in small, flat 

 dishes are excellent Easter plants. The 

 colors are diversified and the flowers 

 last well in good condition. 



Birchbark boxes and different sorts of 

 baskets are peculiarly well adapted for 

 showing such plants as Primula ob- 

 conica. 



Keep Stock Sold in Water. 



Keep flowers in water until the last 

 minute before required for use or deliv- 

 ery, as it is impossible to tell how they 

 may be treated when they reach their 

 destination. 



Treat your customer as well if he 

 spends a dollar as if he had spent ten. 



Consider no transaction closed until 

 the buyer is thoroughly satisfied. Don't 

 persuade the people to buy something 

 they do not want, as it is far better to 

 have an assortment and they will find 

 something they do want. 



Make as few mistakes as possible 

 and be willing to rectify those unavoid- 

 able. 



Be liberal, honest and friendly, with 

 courtesy as a motto and good cheer an 

 asset. 



Have a homelike atmosphere about 

 your place, with polite and courteous 

 sales people. Your main idea must be 

 to serve as well as to sell, and, if these 

 specifications are carried out thoroughly, 

 I believe this Easter will be a Waterloo 

 to previous Easter records. 



PROPER ICEBOX TEMPERATURE. 



Please inform me what temperature 

 should be maintained in a refrigerator 

 to keep the flowers in a salable condi- 

 tion for the longest period possible. 

 Should the flowers be placed in water 

 all the time, or just now and then for 

 two or three hours at a time? 



D. M.— Ark. 



When a refrigerator is used for all 

 kinds of cut flowers, the temperature 

 should be from 40 to 45 degrees. The 

 standard temperature is 42 degrees. In 

 this temperature cut flowers should last 

 for a considerable length of time. The 

 best way of prolonging the life of flow- 

 ers is to keep them as free from drafts 

 as possible. Each morning cut the 

 stems a little and replace them in vases 

 filled with water. 



In the summer time, when outdoor 

 stock is plentiful, diflBculty often arises 

 from bad odors, caused by the rotting 

 of the foliage and stems. This can be 





Wreath of Beauties by H. S. Bell, of J. J. Habermehrs Sons, I*hiladelphia, Pa. 



entirely overcome by the careful use 

 of about two or three drops of formalde- 

 hyde to about three quarts of water. 

 This water must be changed daily. 



H. J. H. 



TO PRESERVE DISPLAY STOCK. 



What causes my flowers and plants 

 to wilt quickly after they are placed in 

 the display window? I have an ar- 

 rangement whereby the stock is kept 

 on display there, but even carnations 

 and chrysanthemums remain in a sal- 

 able condition less than twenty-four 

 hours. Some of them show signs of 

 going to sleep almost immediately. Tlie 

 stock is protected from the direct sun- 

 light by an awning. No gas is used, 

 but the store is heated by a iDase-burner. 

 The temperature in the window is cool. 

 The flowers and plants are well watered. 



E. L. P.— Wis. 



earthenware vases in the place of gal- 

 vanized or tin holders. The water be- 

 comes warm and unsuitable for retain- 

 ing the freshness of flowers in metal re- 

 ceptacles. A tiled bottom in the win- 

 dow would make for coolness and is bet- 

 ter adapted to flowers than wood, both 

 for retaining freshness and from a deco- 

 rative point of view. H. J. H. 



The main cause of the wilting of 

 flowers and plants in your store win- 

 dow is the too dry atmosphere. I think 

 one great trouble is that the base- 

 burner renders the air far too dry for 

 a flower store. Flowers and plants need 

 a moist atmosphere and they cannot be 

 kept in good condition unless the at- 

 mosphere is cool and moist. 



As a remedy for carnations and other 

 flowers I would suggest an enclosed 

 window, with a sliding door. Maintain 

 a good ventilation. This will give the 

 air in the window enough moisture to 

 keep the cut flowers and plants in a 

 far bettfer condition. The dry atmos- 

 phere takes out every bit of moisture 

 from the flowers and makes them un- 

 salable. 



Another suggestion is that you use 



A WREATH OF BEAUTIES. 



There is a little story attached to the 

 photograph that goes with this descrip 

 tiou. The story illustrates the confi- 

 dence shown in the floral artist, a con- 

 fidence that rivals that so usually dis- 

 played in the family doctor. It seems 

 that Herbert S. Bell, who manages the 

 uptown store of J. J. Habermehl's Sons, 

 traveled 500 miles to arrange this 

 wreath. It was pretty tall, taller even 

 than Mr. Bell. It was composed of 150 

 American Beauties. Their loveliness was 

 enhanced by a great bow of ribbon. 



Phil. 



SPRING WEDDING WORK. 



The illustration on page 15 shows 

 a portion of a church decoration by 

 Max Schling, New York, for a spring 

 wedding in a Plainfield, N. J., church. 



The main part consisted of two 

 standard Dorothy Perkins roses, each 

 twelve feet high, standing in a bed of 

 blue hydrangeas with Dorothy Perkins 

 roses climbing on the stems, two stand- 

 ard blue hydrangeas of the same height 

 and two standard hydrangeas nine feet 

 high. The background was of smilax 

 with pale wistaria tied in. The decora- 

 tion was natural, simple and impres- 

 sive. 



