20 



TBc Florists^ Review 



July 19, 1917. 



ffn 



Established, 1897, by G. L. GRANT. 



Published every Thursday by 

 The Flouists' Puhlishincj Co., 



520-560 Oaxton Building, 



508 South Dearborn St., Chicago. 



Telo., Wabash 8195. 



Reprlstered cable address, 



Florvlew, Chicago. 



ISntercd as second class matter 

 Doc. 3, 1897, at the post-oftice at Ohl. 

 cago. 111., under the Act of March 

 3 1879. 



Subscription price, $1.50 a year. 

 To Canada, $2.50; to Europe, $3.00. 



Advertising rates quoted upon 

 request. Only strictly trade ad- 

 vertising accepted. 



NOTICE. 



It is impossible to gfuarantee 



the insertion, discontinuance or 



alteration of any advertisement 



unless instructions are received 



BY 4 P. M. TUESDAY. 



SOOIETT OF AMEBIOAN FLOKISTS. 

 Incorporated by Act of Congress, March 4, 1901. 

 Offlcera for 1917: Preaident, Robert C. Kerr, 

 HouatoH, Tex.; vice-president, A. L. Miller, Ja- 

 maica, N. Y.; secretary, John Young, 53 W. 28th 

 St., New Yorlc Oity; treasurer, J. J. Heaa, 

 Omaha, Neb. 



Thirty-third annual convention. New Yorli, 

 N. Y., August 21 to 24. 1917. 



Results bring advertising. 

 The Eeview brings results. 



Reports indicate no lack of confidence 

 on the part of retailers; they are placing 

 large orders for accessories for fall de- 

 livery. 



The florist who grows his stock up to 

 a quality rather than down to a price is 

 a winner every time, provided he has 

 average selling ability. 



There was a time when the trade 

 looked on the cut flower grower as the 

 monarch of all he surveyed; then it was 

 the plantsman who was envied; but today 

 it is the retailer who is in the ascendant, 

 with the opportunity to go as far as he 

 likes. 



Schedules have been issued for the 

 combined exhibitions of the American In- 

 stitute and the American Dahlia Society, 

 at the Engineering building, New York, 

 Septem])er 25 to 27. Anyone interested 

 should address W. A. Eagleston, secre- 

 tary, 324 West Twenty-third street, New- 

 York., 



lOXG 



Among the conspicuous successes of re- 

 cent years have been a few with the Had- 

 ley rose. It is not possible to be more 

 definite here, but it is reported that a well 

 known grower of Hadley for the New 

 York market in the season recently closed 

 had gross receipts of $3.09 per plant from 

 the variety. 



Some growers think rose plants need 

 a rest, more or less complete, every few 

 months, but one of the most successful 

 men in the middle west frequently runs 

 a house two years without desisting from 

 the application of food and water and he 

 has run a house of Wards five years with- 

 out a pause. 



A NUMBER of white sports of Sunburst 

 are reported in widely separated parts of 

 the country. They are being nursed, but 

 wliat is wanted is a white sport of 

 Ophelia, the rose that is the trade's easi- 

 est doer. 



One of the things which make the 

 florists' business unattractive is the long 

 liours employers expect their store help to 

 put in, to compete with the man who 

 lives on his place and who, therefore, is 

 on call at all hours. It is all very well 

 to keep open as long as there is business, 

 but a record of sales by hours usually 

 will show there is little to be lost by 

 closing earlier than now is done, even if 

 the man down the street does live back 

 of the store and sits on the steps till 

 11 o'clock these summer evenings. 



PRICES BY AGREEMENT. 



Before the printed matter for next 

 season is prepared the Horticultural 

 Trades Association of (ireat Britain and 

 Ireland plans to bring the individual 

 interests together in an agreement as 

 to prices. Some vpork In this direction 

 was done last season, but too late to 

 have the full effect desired, and this 

 year it is planned to start in time and 

 to include as many items of stock as 

 possible. Certain levels of values must 

 be maintained if the trade is to con- 

 tinue under war conditions and it is 

 hoped to be able to assume the main- 

 tenance of these values by full discus- 

 sion and subsequent agreement. 



Agreement may be possible in Eng- 

 land, but in the trade in the United 

 States nothing of the kind can be hoped 

 for, although it probably is as urgently 

 needed. In this country, sellers are of 

 two classes: One class includes the 

 men who think their stock is worth as 

 much as any other growers', if not a 

 little more. In the other class are the 

 men who have no pride in their stock, 

 no confidence in its value or their own 

 selling ability and whose idea of price 

 is always to be a little under the other 

 fellow. The hope for fair prices lies in 

 tlie first class, as the other is incorrig- 

 ible. 



PREPAREDNESS. 



This is the season of the year when 

 tlie retail florist has little to do and 

 considers himself lucky if lie has enough 

 business to pay expenses; the whole- 

 saler is mentally busy trying to get rid 

 of the stock, good, bad and indifferent, 

 wliich is thrown on his hands for dis- 

 jiosal and the grower is getting ready to 

 furnish the supply for next season. 



The activities of the latter should 

 furnish an inspiration for the former. 

 (u't ready for next season! 



In all parts of the country there are 

 florists more progressive than their 

 neighbors. Their names may be learned 

 by a careful reading of the news letters 

 in The Review. Here it is recorded that 

 (uie is making alterations and improve- 

 ments to his store, another is installing 

 a new refrigerator, while a third is re- 

 decorating and making his store bright 

 and clean for the opening of the season 

 in the fall. 



Of course the nature of the stock he 

 carries makes a florist's store attractive. 

 But, on the other hand, the store can 

 make the stock more attractive by pro- 

 viding a setting that is in harmony with 

 the ))eauty of the flowers. 



This is house-cleaning time for flo- 

 rists. It is also the time to "paint up 

 and clean up." The labor and the ex- 



pense will be turned into dividends 

 next fall, and winter, and spring, when 

 the bright store is getting the business 

 and the dull, drab place is not. 



PLEASE NOTE. 



Each week a number of letters and 

 telegrams containing advertising in- 

 structions reach The Eeview while the 

 paper is on the press — just a few hours 

 earlier and they would have had atten- 

 tion a week sooner than is possible. 



It is the aim to give prompt service, 

 but to secure it advertisers should note: 

 "It is impossible to guarantee the in- 

 sertion, discontinuance or alteration of 

 any advertisement unless instructions 

 are received by 4 p. m , Tuesday." 



SYSTEM. 



' ' In many cases, ' ' says a British trade 

 paper, ' ' unpleasantness might be avoided 

 if the custom were adopted and rigidly 

 adhered to of acknowledging receipt of 

 order. A printed post card for the pur- 

 pose would suffice and the little labor in- 

 volved would be well repaid by the preser- 

 vation of good temper. The large^ well 

 ordered establishments of course do this, 

 but a good many smaller plantsmen and 

 seed houses struggle along through busy 

 seasons sadly handicapped through lack 

 of businesslike system in the office, al- 

 though there is no doubt even the smallest 

 business will grow the quicker and show 

 the greater profits if a proper system of 

 working is adopted, which need not be 

 elaborate to bo efficient." 



TO HELP THE TRADE. 



Practically every florist stands ready 

 to do anything that will benefit the 

 trade as a body — provided it does not 

 call for too great personal sacrifice. 



Well, here is the way to render the 

 greatest possible assistance to the trade 

 at large — and it calls for no sacrifice at 

 all. 



Everybody recognizes that the busi- 

 ness man who owes no money can not 

 fail — so pay your bills. 



If every florist gets in the money 

 due him from the public and passes it 

 on to those he owes, the trade's liabili- 

 ties will be sharply reduced — and then 

 nobody need worry. 



Collect and pay — that's the way. 



CHICAGO. 



The Market. 



There is a spirit of marked satisfac- 

 tion prevalent on the wholesale cut flow- 

 er market with regard to the excellent 

 manner in which July business is hold- 

 ing up. Although demand generally is 

 somewhat erratic, the average business 

 done is not to be regarded at all slight- 

 ingly when one considers how far along 

 in the summer it really is. 



Although the supply of all items is 

 large enough to meet the demand, there 

 cannot be said to be any superabundance 

 and with a fair average quality all the 

 way through stock moves along nicely. 

 Exceptions of course can be pointed out, 

 the most conspicuous one being carna- 

 tions, of which there is much poor qiial- 

 ity stock, unsuitable for shipping pur- 

 ])oses, and which only serves to depress 

 prices. 



The market on roses is entirely satis- 

 factory in every way. The cut, gener- 

 ally, is of a fairly good, even quality, 



t-; 



