24 



The Florists' Review 



OCTOBBR 18, 1917. 



BALTIMOBE, MD. 



Club Strong for S. A. F. Publicity. 



One of the most enthusiastic meetings 

 the Gardeners' and Florists' Club has 

 held since the 8. A. F. convention in 

 this city was that of October 8. The 

 subject of the evening was publicity, a 

 committee having been appointed at 

 the previous meeting to formulate plans 

 and bring them before this meeting. 

 Subsequent to the naming of this com- 

 mittee, however, the S. A. F., through 

 Chairman Asmus, appointed Eobert L. 

 Graham, chairman, William J. John- 

 ston, Charles J. Bolgiano, Charles F. 

 Feast and Eichard A. Vincent a pub- 

 licity committee for the state of Mary- 

 land; so the club committee, instead 

 of making its report through its chair- 

 man, asked that it be discharged and 

 that the club work in conjunction with 

 the S. A. F. committee. This was done, 

 and on motion of Mr. Graham the fol- 

 lowing were added to the committee ap- 

 pointed by Chairman Asmus: J. J. 

 Perry and William McKissick, repre- 

 senting the wholesale houses, and Isaac 

 H. Moss and H. K. Morrison. 



Mr. Graham, who had caught the 

 publicity spirit at the New York S. A. 

 F. convention, started the ball rolling 

 with a rousing speech. He said that 

 for years the members had been meet- 

 ing and discussing ways and means to 

 increase business, but nothing had ever 

 been done; that no one individual 

 could handle such a proposition alone; 

 that the time had now come for the 

 florists of this country to get together 

 and, through cooperation and organiza- 

 tion, with the national organization 

 behind them, to make a campaign that 

 would boost the florists' business from 

 New "York to San Francisco. He said 

 that now, when flower buying, owing 

 to war conditions, is changing all over 

 the country, is the ideal time to edu- 

 cate the great mass of people who will 

 have money to spend on flowers during 

 the next four years, those who never 

 have been flower buyers. 



James Hamilton was enthusiastic 

 over the proposition and said that ac- 

 tion was what was needed in the local 

 club. He said that the question had 

 been well thrashed out at the conven- 

 tion and that it was the best thing he 

 had ever known any convention to ac- 

 complish. The speaker handed Mr. 

 Graham his subscription blank, filled 

 out for $50 per year. This was quickly 

 followed by like amounts from Isaac H. 

 Moss and the R. Vincent, Jr., & Sons 

 Co. Messrs. Moss, Vincent and Feast 

 spoke and told of the advantages of 

 publicity in their own businesses. 



After the adjournment the publicity 

 committee met and organized, with 

 Robert L. Graham as chairman and 

 Charles F. Feast as secretary. Great 

 things may be expected from this com- 

 mittee, judging by the spirit of deter- 

 mination displayed at the meeting. 

 The slogan adopted is, "Not a slack- 

 er in Maryland!" The drive is to be 

 for every florist in Maryland, no mat- 

 ter how small his business or his sub- 

 scription. He can do his "bit" to- 

 ward making the florists' business one 

 of the leading industries in the coun- 

 try. Maryland has been first in sup- 

 plying her men for the army and navy; 

 she was on the spot for the Liberty 

 loan; she has never fallen down on 

 anything she has undertaken; watch 

 her now in this publicity campaign, 



and see how well she will do her full 

 share. About $860 was contributed be- 

 fore the committee was organized, or 

 before it had gotten to work, and some 

 sent in subscriptions through other 

 sources. 



Various Notes. 



At all tlie stores business is reported 

 good. A stroll to the retail establish- 

 ments found them all taking on a win- 

 ter appearance; that is, well filled with 

 plants; and I have never seen a bet- 

 ter line of palms and ferns than are be- 

 ing offered this fall. At Feast & Sons' 

 store I found Mrs. Hill, busy as usual, 

 just finishing a funeral order. The 

 Feast window decoration was most at- 

 tractive. In the center were several 

 vases of Sunburst roses, pretty well 

 opened. The store is on a corner and, 

 with show windows on both streets, 

 the firm has a splendid opportunity to 

 make good displays. 



Halliday Bros, had a group of 

 crotons in the center of their window, 

 with a green background. 



At John Cook's window I became in- 

 terested in what looked like the finest 

 La France roses I had ever seen. When 

 I asked Miss Cook what they were, she 

 said it was "our new one," and I 

 could readily understand why J. Horace 

 McFarland called it a "glorified La 

 France. ' ' 



At the wholesale houses they said 

 that, with the outdoor stock still plen- 

 tiful, prices could not be regulated yet, 

 for they all agree that even for out- 

 door stock they are getting better 

 prices than last year. 



Lohr & Fritze had a pile of coal, 

 160 tons, lying beside the boiler pit. 

 For about a week they had been smell- 

 ing gas, but could not locate it un- 

 til one morning one of the firm saw 

 smoke arising from the pile of coal and 

 found it on fire, from spontaneous com- 

 bustion. They have good fire protec- 

 tion, however, so they only lost about 

 ten tons. 



At William J. Halliday 's place we 

 got to talking about prices for the win- 



ter. Mr. Halliday said that prices 

 would have to be advanced when he 

 got down to regular business. Mr. 

 Halliday depends on the wholesale 

 houses for all he uses, aside from or- 

 chids, and he said that with coal at 

 the higher price, and labor scarce and 

 high, he must expect to pay more for 

 stock with the prices of supplies ad- 

 vanced. Mr. Halliday said an advance 

 was absolutely necessary. 



N. F. Flitton, secretary of the Gar- 

 deners' and Florists' club, for many 

 years a park superintendent, died last 

 week. Details are given under obitu- 

 ary. Tate. 



DBS MOINES FLOWER SHOW. 



Flower show plans are now rapidly 

 progressing. Committees are working 

 steadily and everything promises a most 

 successful shoV. An enthusiastic meet- 

 ing of the committees was held October 

 8 at the Grant Club. The committees 

 reported and full authority was given 

 to each to carry forward its work. 



The publicity committee was instruct- 

 ed to use every effort to advertise the 

 show both locally and among the trade. 

 The decoration committee has in mind 

 extensive decorations of the hall and 

 has been liberally provided for. Mu- 

 sical talent will furnish a program both 

 afternoon and evening. Since Des 

 Moines has one of the large army can- 

 tonments, a military night is planned. 



All profits of the show will go to the 

 Red Cross. The Girls' Volunteer Aid of 

 Red Cross will be in charge of the sale 

 of tickets. 



A limited amount of trade space is 

 available and may be had at 20 cents 

 per square foot. It is advisable for 

 growers, supply houses and others to 

 make reservations for space at once. 



An attractive handbook and pro- 

 gram on the order of those put out by 

 the New York and Philadelphia 

 shows is being prepared. Those desir- 

 ing advertising space should make ap- 

 ])lication to the assistant manager, A. 

 S. Thurston, Ames, la. 



Wesley Greene, Sec'y. 



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MOTT-LY MUSINGS 



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The queen of autumn reigns in the 

 store of Holm & Olson, Inc., St. Paul, 

 Minn. Surrounded by autumnal foliage, 

 one sees the first showing of fine chrys- 

 anthemums sent in by W. E. Tricker 

 from the extensive establishment which 

 is none too big to supply the increasing 

 demands made on it. Never before has 

 it devolved on the grower to study the 

 economy of space and this winter will 

 be the severest test of his mentality. 

 "Summer business has been good," 

 observed Mr. Olson, "and the fall sea- 

 son has opened up well. We are inter- 

 ested in this publicity movement and 

 are of the opinion that to accomplish 

 anything at all a fund of at least $50,- 

 000 is essential. Our idea would be to 

 inaugurate a campaign along ' short 

 story' lines, believing this to be the 

 most effective way to get the reader 

 interested. The album of floral photo- 

 graphs we are compiling for our country 

 trade represents an outlay of $4,000 in 

 addition to the labor. Its preparation 



kept us so busy that vacations were out 

 of the question. The press of business 

 and serious illness of Mrs. Olson pre- 

 vented me from attending the meeting 

 of the F. T. D. at Detroit, much as 

 I wished to go, especially being a di- 

 rector." 



Adam Graham, of Cleveland, is pre- 

 paring for his annual pilgrimage to the 

 Isle of Pines, but desires to wait until 

 after the election, weather permitting. 

 Adam Graham, Jr., is a member of the 

 public service commission, in addition 

 to his other responsibilities. "We serve 

 the public," is his slogan. Charles 

 Graham is vacationing at the green- 

 houses, and says it is good to quit the 

 store for a while and revel in the soil. 



C. C. Pollworth, Milwaukee, Wis., has 

 found plenty to do since returning from 

 the east. His prowess as a hunter of 

 the finny tribe is well known, and he 

 proposes to cast a strong line in the 

 business pool this season. W. M. 



