22 



The Florists' Review 



Sbptbmbbb 27, 1917. 



Established, 1897, by Q. L. GRANT. 



Published every Thursday by 

 The Florists' Publishing Co., 



620-S60 Oaxton Building:, 



608 South Dearborn St., Ohlcaco. 



Tele., Wabash 8195. 



Registered cable address, 



Florvlew, Chicago. 



Entered as second class matter 

 Dec. 3. 1897. at the post-office at Chl< 

 cage. 111., under the Act of March 

 S 1879. 



Subscription price, $1.60 a year. 

 To Oanada, $2.60; to Europe. $3.00. 



Advertising rates quoted upon 

 request. Only strlcUy trade ad- 

 vertising accepted. 



n *- 



NOTICE. 



It is impossible to g^uarantee 



the insertion, discontinuance or 



alteration of any advertisement 



unless instructions are received 



BY 4 P. M. TUESDAY. 



SOOIETT OF AXERICAN FLORISTS. 

 Incorporated by Act of Congress, March 4, 1901. 

 Officers for 1917: President, Robert O. Kerr. 

 Houston, Tex.; vice-president, A. L. Millar, Ja- 

 maica, N. Y. ; secretary, John Young, 63 W. 28th 

 St., New York City; treasurer, J. J. Hess, 

 Omaha, Neb. 



Officers for 1018: President, Charles H. Totty. 

 Madison, N. J.; vice-president, Jules Bourdet. 

 St. Loula; secretary and treasurer as before. 



Thirty-fourth annual convention and Fifth Na- 

 tional Flower Show, St. Louis, Mo., April to 

 16, 1018. ^___ 



Results bring advertising. 

 The Review brings results. 



The sale of such great numbers of 

 baskets and flower bowls has had an ap- 

 preciable effect in reducing the number 

 of calls for the refilling of fern dishes. 

 But, by the same token, it has increased 

 the calls for cut flowers for table use. 



It is safe advice to urge every man re- 

 sponsible for the heating of a greenhouse 

 to get in all the coal he can now. Statis- 

 tically, car shortage has been reduced, 

 but practically the movement of freight 

 never was slower than now. It is sure to 

 be worse in the winter. 



The reports are generally to the effect 

 that more flowers are being sent to fu- 

 nerals than in any previous year. The 

 rich are sending less elaborate wreaths, 

 perhaps, but the working classes are 

 ordering more pillows than in the days 

 when earnings were lower. 



How generally the Help and For Sale 

 columns of The Review are watched is 

 shown by the fact that a recent blind ad 

 brought an advertiser over sixty answers 

 from readers interested in his proposi- 

 tion, while a particularly attractive Help 

 Wanted ad brought nearly 100 applica- 

 tions for the job. 



The classified ads in The Review are 

 an excellent index to trade conditions. 

 That the returns to advertisers seem this 

 season rather better than in any previous 

 autumn might not mean much if it were 

 not for the fact that there also are about 

 fifteen per cent more classified ads than 

 at this time last year. Evidently there 

 are considerably more both of buyers and 

 sellers. 



As handsome a vase of asters as ever 

 has decorated the Editor's desk has come 

 from Erank Winans, Petoskey, Mich., 

 where garden flowers have not yet been 

 attacked by frost. 



We all expect too much of September; 

 the business of the month, while better 

 than in midsummer, rarely comes up to 

 anticipations. We must wait for the 

 first frosts, or at least for the autumnal 

 equinox, as ours distinctly is a busi- 

 ness in which weather is the most impor- 

 tant influential factor. 



TWO GOOD RULES. 



There is nothing that so hurts a busi- 

 ness man's credit as carelessness about 

 paying small bills; neither is there any- 

 thing more exasperating to a business 

 man than to have to send a statement 

 of a small account several times. Neg- 

 lect to pay many times is taken as an 

 indication of inability to pay; inability 

 to collect promptly takes the profits 

 from small sales. Pay small bills 

 promptly and ask prompt payment of 

 small bills are two good rules for any 

 florist to follow. 



CREDITS AND COLLECTIONS. 



The discussion of credits which is go- 

 ing on in the trade almost invariably 

 refers to the credit of florists, not the 

 credit florists extend to the public. But 

 in either case credits are entirely a per- 

 sonal matter. It is up to some individ- 

 ual to decide. 



What the average florist wants of a 

 credit agency, whether he is considering 

 the case of a florist or an outsider, is an 

 opinion as to whether or not the bill will 

 be paid; information as to the buyer's 

 financial standing is not enough, for the 

 florist does not seem to know how to 

 interpret it. 



Of all the florists who sell to the 

 trade, the man who has devoted more 

 time and attei^i^n than any other of 

 the writer's acquaintances to investi- 

 gating the standing of new customers 

 practically always ended by extending 

 the credit. It was not because he al- 

 ways found his information satisfac- 

 tory, but because he did not know how 

 to interpret the information, or because 

 he lacked that quality of character nec- 

 essary for the rejection of business that 

 held even a remote promise of profit. 



What florists need is not so much ad- 

 ditional credit information as it is a stif- 

 fening of the backbone. The credit in- 

 formation now available to the trade is 

 far from complete and none too exact, 

 but there are plenty of men with noth- 

 ing whatever to recommend them for 

 credit who, nevertheless, have no trou- 

 ble in getting all they want. Someone 

 always is ready to take a chance. 



What the trade really wants is a col- 

 lections bureau able to repair the mis- 

 takes of the individual. 



THE GUN FOR THE GAME. 



Every business man knows that mod- 

 ern business divides itself into special- 

 ized and more or less closely knit and 

 organized groups. 



He knows that his business is cen- 

 tered in one or more of these groups — 

 every business is. 



With progress in that group his busi- 

 ness progresses. With stagnation there 

 his business stands still. 



He knows that to the extent to which 

 he gains the good will of the men in 



the group in which he does business, Ms 

 business prospers. 



Now, in every one of these groups 

 there is at least one efficient, responsible 

 business paper — a medium that reflects 

 and crystallizes the public opinion of 

 that group. The worthy trade paper is 

 depended upon not only by the "cap- 

 tains" of the field it represents, but 

 also by the rank and file. 



The attitude of the readers toward 

 The Review is one of intimate connec- 

 tion, because The Review is literally 

 made by the men who read it. It is the 

 clearing house for the business it serves. 



Obviously, advertising in The Review 

 is intensive advertising. Here, for in- 

 stance, are two letters in support of the 

 statement: 



Our classified advertisement of bulbs in The 

 Review has brought wonderful results — we were 

 entirely sold out after the first insertion. Buy- 

 ers in person, telegrams and letters were in 

 evidence from almost ev^ry section of the coun- 

 try, and we are still returning checks in almost 

 every mail. Of course, we realize the shortage 

 of importations has its effect, but, nevertheless, 

 the returns we received were indicative of the 

 value of the advertisement. — Hoffmann's Dutch 

 Bulb House, Baraboo, Wis., September 7, 1917. 



Please take out my snapdragon ad in The 

 Review. I am sold out; in fact, I had to re- 

 turn some checks today. — Clarence Alwine, Alden, 

 Pa., September 10, 1917. 



When you hear a man complain of 



the cost of advertising you can be 



pretty certain he spends a good bit of 



money elsewhere than in The Review. 



CHICAGO. 



The M^fkfit, 



The condition of the wholesale cut 

 flower market shows gratifying im- 

 provement, with stock of all kinds clean- 

 ing up well each day. Although Sep- 

 tember 20 and 21 could only be called 

 fair days, so far as sales were concerned, 

 a noticeable increase in demand oc- 

 curred September 22, which became 

 even more brisk the first days of the 

 present week. The Hebrew holiday, 

 September 26, probably accounts for a 

 portion of this increased activity, espe- 

 cially in the demand for red stock of 

 all kinds, while many funerals have 

 also made for a stronger call. 



A decided shortening of supply has 

 also occurred and in some lines it is 

 often found difficult to fill orders. In 

 roses this is especially true of American 

 Beauty and Russell, while orchids and 

 valley also are on the short side. 



A ready market is found for all Amer- 

 ican Beauties which arrive, and no sales- 

 manship is required to secure satisfac- 

 tory prices. Russell, as before men- 

 tioned, is scarce and retains its place as 

 the leading seller. The best grade now 

 brings $3 per dozen. There is also a 

 noticeable shortage of good red roses, 

 which are also in active demand. Ophe- 

 lia appears to be picking up, but does 

 not yet sell as well as the darker varie- 

 ties. 



Carnations are in active demand. 

 Though not noteworthy as yet, the qual- 

 ity steadily is improving and some good 

 stock is arriving, not enough, however, 

 to satisfy the brisk call. V-^; , " 



The season for gladioli is n^'aring its 

 conclusion. Not much stock is arriving 

 and the demand also has fallen off. 

 Easter lilies are in sufficient supply. 

 Orchids, though still scarce, are in a 

 little larger supply. Asters are arriv- 

 ing in diminished quantities. Their 

 season is almost over. Some good long- 

 stemmed rubrum lilies are coming in, 

 and chrysanthemums arrive in slightly 



