Januabx 22, 1920. 



The Rorists^ Review 



69 



effl apti Ue^very^epsop^aaa^ 



The Oorfsts whose cards appear on the paces carrying this hecul* are prepared to fOl orders 

 "- — from other norlsts for local delivery on th* osnal basis. 



plants are December 22 and 23. Poin- 

 settias, if five or six days in a store, 

 show the foliage damaged, turning yel- 

 low. Cherries and peppers arc also 

 much affected by dry air in the city 

 stores. Such plants are called "bad 

 luck plants," not because they are bad 

 luck to the recipient, as some people 

 think, but because they are bad luck for 

 the florist, since they spoil easily and 

 damage the florist's reputation. We had 

 several complaints, and I am sorry to 

 say that some of them were warranted. 

 One of our customers gave a number of 

 orders for flowers or plants for $3.50. 

 We had no plants at that price. For our 

 cheapest Jerusalem cherries we paid 

 $1.50. With a basket and nicely deco- 

 rated, we sold them for $7, $8, $9 and 

 $10, the largest sizes, planted long in 

 advance of Christmas, having four or 

 five in a pot. Not having anything else, 

 we sent cherry plants on these orders. 

 Unfortunately, all of them showed m*ore 

 or less damage. We had a complaint 

 from one of the persons to whom the 

 ])lants were sent. That was sufficient to 

 cause us to send a man out with a list 

 of the names and addresses of the other 

 recipients. Some of them were too con- 

 siderate of the florist and did not want 

 to complain; just for this reason we felt 

 that they should receive a good plant 

 for the bad one, and of course we made 

 good. 



Lesson of Preparedness. 



We were quite fortunate tliis Ciirist- 

 mas. We did not have many complaints 

 and in those we did have there was 

 sufficient humor to help us over the sit- 

 uation. But I learned a lesson, that it 

 is necessary for every florist to add to 

 his Christmas supjily well keeping stock 

 which can be prepared long in advance 

 and which does not require any extra 

 labor during the holiday week. We had 

 such stock. We had little centerpieces 

 of red berries, naturally placed, and cut 

 heather. We had centerpieces of small 

 orotons in a variety of colors in bask- 

 ets, and on the day of delivery we in- 

 serted little glass tubes in which tliere 

 were roses. We found tliat in the future 

 for the holidays, instead of liaving small 

 and poorly keeping ydants in flower, it 

 will bo better to acce})t small Pandanus 

 Veitchii, well shaped ferns or other well 

 kee])ing house plants, e.'ich decorated 

 with a spray of holly and mistletoe. 

 These are much more acceptable for 

 small customers than a Vierried ]»]ant, 

 which does not last, or a begonia, whicli 

 is j)ast its stage of beauty within four 

 or five days, and much more welcome 

 to any flower or plant lover than a jioiii- 

 settia with two or three flowers, wliicli 

 will show yellow leaves four or five days 

 after it is received. I tried such stock 

 on a small scale this Christmas and not 

 only found it satisfactory, but much 

 more readily accepted with pleasure by 

 the recipient. 



Form Basis for Next Season. 



Now is the time for the florist to take 

 the first free hour he has to check over 

 his orders and classify them according 

 to price for liis own information and 

 benefit, and next season when he orders 

 his stock he has a basis to work on. 



One alwavs hears after Christmas re- 



Putting the Best Foot 

 Forward 



Last night, the boys had a red-hot discussion. Even Jimless 

 Jimmia sort of got to pawing the air. h was about the ever- 

 lasting^price question. 



Jimmie claimed that you ought to put the highest priced 

 plants to the front of the store — the best foot forward. He 

 argued, that when folks saw the finest things at the very first, 

 they wouldn't buy the others. You would make bigger sales. 



Tom said Jim was out of his head with the heat. He con- 

 tended it would scare sales away. 



That if customers first saw $15 plants, and got their mind 

 fixed on them, when they only wanted to spend $5, you 

 wouldn't sell them either. They would just go away, with 

 a feeling you were trying to sting them. 



Suko, the Jap, said: "in shops home, many times same 



plants show— some front — some back — always some cost 



much — always some cost little. Then, at same time, same 



place, get pocketbooks thin and pocketbooks thick. 



Folks not like feel you try snare their money. We not only 



ones know sell ways. Lots folks see through hole in knot, 



just like ourselves, then away go, no buy. 



No such thing as best foot first. Both foots alike. Both 



best. No can walk just one foot. Use one, can just hobble. 



Use both, walk fast, good." 



Who do you think is right, Jim, Tom or Suko? 



New York's 

 Favorite Flower Shop 



Fifth Avenue at 58th Street 



marks from different florists such as, 

 "The larger pieces didn't sell this year 

 and the smaller ones were not enough," 

 or "We didn't sell so much small stuff 

 and the larger pieces we didn't have 

 enough of." It is always either one or 

 the other. 



A florist in ordering his stock should 

 base the purchase of larger specimen 

 jilants or basket combinations on tlie 



sales he liad tiie previous year. He 

 should order in addition, according to 

 tlie increase in sales during the four 

 months before the holidays, over the 

 s.ime months the previous year, smaller 

 stock. Small plants can be sold either 

 singly for smaller sums or, if not sold 

 singly, can be used for combination 

 baskets. In this manner a florist is cov- 

 ered lidfh wavs. He is covered if the 



