16 



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The Florists^ Review 



May 27, 1920. 



CX)CN Wrm^y^ DEADED6 



A HINT WORTH HEEDING. 



We have been using the Classified ad 

 columns of The Eeview for several 

 years and the only "kick" we have is 

 that too many times checks are re- 

 turned. As an S. E. O. sign, The Eeview 

 is a perfect success for the seller. 



We have, however, a great complaint 

 on some shippers. Only yesterday we 

 received a shipment of 1,000 pansies 

 from Chicago. The plants were evi- 

 dently packed in a pasteboard box and 

 put wet into a gunny sack. When they 

 arrived the box had soaked away and 

 the plants were a solid rotten mass. We 

 believe that the small florists at least 

 should be cautioned about the way they 

 pack their stuff. We seldom receive 

 plants in bad condition from the larger 

 growers, but of course in these times 

 are unable to get anywhere near a com- 

 plete order filled from one house and 

 have to go to the small grower for many 

 items. We trust that you may see fit 

 to give a few suggestions for better 

 packing in your valued columns, so that 

 your advertisers may profit thereby. 

 Bonwell Seed Co. 



BED SPIDER REMEDY. 



Frequently in The Eeview I read in- 

 quiries as to the best method of ridding 

 plants of red spider. Thinking that my 

 experience may help someone else, I 

 should like to say that I have found 

 nothing so effective as Standard insec- 

 ticide, applied according to the instruc- 

 tions on the can. This is advertised 

 in The Eeview and is entirely effective; 

 one or two applications were sufficient 

 for the worst case I ever saw. It is 

 also a sure shot for mealv bug and 

 aphis. "H. W. S. 



PAGING CONRAD WOLFE. 



I wonder if you could help locate Con- 

 rad Wolfe. He is a gardener and 

 worked for the Deadwood Greenhouse, 

 Deadwood, S. D., ten or fifteen years 

 ago. There is a letter in the Deadwood 

 poStofficc for him from his folks in Ger- 

 many. The postoffice people called my 

 attention to it, as they thought perhaps 

 I would know where he is, but I do not. 

 I expect his folks are anxious to locate 

 him. Andrew Daniels. 



ANOTHER DOUBLE SNAPDRAGON. 



I read with much interest the account 

 of T. D. Hefko 's double pink snapdragon 

 in The Eeview of May 13. We also 

 have a double snapdragon; ours is yel- 

 low and, like Mr. Hefko 's, is seedless 

 and will not drop off, but dries up on 

 the stem. While it is not so large a 

 flower as some other sorts, its keeping 

 qualities will make up for size of bloom. 

 It is also quite sturdy and apparently 

 free from disease. So far wo have not 

 treated it as a novelty, not having tried 

 to work up a stock of it or to cross it 

 with large-flowered kinds to produce 

 variety, but there seems to be no reason 

 why it cannot be done. If so, a seed- 



ing variety might be produced, which 

 would, no doubt, perpetuate the vitality 

 of the stock. A. J. Wagoner. 



MOTHERS' DAY IN TOLEDO. 



Progressive florists here in Toledo, 

 O., far from harboring any bitter feel- 

 ings towards Miss Anna Jarvis, founder 

 of Mothers' day, for her pro-button 

 efforts, cannot think of her without a 

 fond smile of satisfaction. 



Her endeavor to prevent "flower- 

 gougers," as they were styled in the 

 headline of a Toledo Blade front-page 

 article, from getting in their "dirty 

 work," jarred into dynamic action the 

 members of the trade here who have 

 been passively reaping the reward of 

 the advertising of a few live-wire flo- 

 rists. Growers immediately decided that 

 it would not be good policy to raise 

 prices too much on this day; retailers 

 who never believed in constructive ad- 

 vertising suddenly awoke to its need. 



The result was that everybody co- 

 operated in a last-minute curative and 

 educational campaign, in which the 



button idea was knocked out in thr 

 first round. No names were used iu 

 this publicity and the commercial idea 

 was relegated to the background. With 

 a little diplomacy, much free publicity 

 was secured which greatly counter- 

 acted the original press dispatch. To- 

 ledo pounded on the fact that the idea, 

 of Mothers' day is to honor and re- 

 member mother and that the best way 

 to do it is to "Say It with Tlowers. " 

 Any flower or plant is appropriate and 

 color has nothing to do with her satis- 

 faction. 



While carnations still lead in sales 

 with those florists who still think they 

 are necessary, the trend is gradually 

 changing and in a few years carnations 

 will no longer be official. It can be 

 done. Schramm Bros, handled only 

 sufficient carnations to take care of nec- 

 essary F. T. D. orders. Yet they did the 

 biggest business of their career in 

 plants, sweet peas, roses and other cut 

 flowers. All florists cleaned out com- 

 pletely and if they will remember the 

 lesson of this Mothers' day they can 

 make this a better flower day than 

 Easter. There is no limit to its possi- 

 bilities. 



However, this is one day when prices, 

 no matter how great the demand, should 

 not increase materially. Let us grow 

 more flowers and plants for this day, 

 sell as many as we have and then close 

 shop. The day must be advertised 

 more each year; otherwise business will 

 soon decrease. A. C. Kneisel. 



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^ DUTCH BULBS s^ 



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BULBS AROUSE BRITISH. 



Conference Passes Resolutions. 



Eepresentatives of the three trade 

 bodies of Great Britain, the Horticul- 

 tural Trades' Association, the British 

 Federation of Floriculturists and the 

 Chamber of Horticulture, held a joint 

 conference in London a short time ago 

 to consider the reply of the Dutfth bulb 

 men to the statement of the British 

 trade regarding the former's terms and 

 prices. The sentiment seemed to be 

 unanimous that resistance should be 

 made to the present prices and terms of 

 trading of the Hollanders. The follow- 

 ing resolutions were carried unani- 

 mously: 



That this mpoting urees all members of the 

 Uritish trade not to make any purchases of 

 Dutch bulbs prior to June 1 at the Dutch Bulb 

 Exporters' Association's present prices and terms. 



Nothinp In the first resolution, however, shall 

 debar members of the British trade from buy- 

 ing at any time at lower prices than those 

 fixed by tlie Dutch Bulb Exporters' Association 

 and on terms to be mutually agreed between 

 buyer and seller. 



That this meetins strongly advises members 

 of the British trade not to buy on any terms 

 except f. o. b. Rotterdam or Amsterdam, so 

 that responsibility up to the port of shipment 

 rests Tipon the seller. 



That no suEKestion of the Dutch Bulb Ex- 

 porters' Association for includinK the cost of 

 packing and cases with the freight he enter- 

 tained under any circumstances whatever. 



That this meeting asks that any case where 

 a Dutch trader does not make a reasonable 

 allowance on unsatisfactory bulbs or deliveries 

 should be brought to the notice of the pur- 

 chaser's association (i. e., the H. T. A., B. 

 F. F. or the Chamber). 



That this meeting is of opinion that the 

 British trade press should be open to any bona 

 fide grower or dealer whether a member of the 

 Dutch trade organization or not. 



The resolutions were to be com- 



municated to the trade in America and 

 Scandinavia. 



Different Views of Prospect. 



At the meeting statements were made 

 to the effect that some of the members 

 of the Dutch Bulb Exporters' Associa- 

 tion were not living up to their own 

 rules, except in a technical way, involv- 

 ing misrepresentation and subterfuge. 

 Instances were cited. A British grower 

 wanted 1,000 Dutch tulips. Astonished 

 at the price quoted, he told the Hol- 

 lander that he must reconsider buying 

 them. The reply was that for every 

 1,000 on the bill, the Hollander would 

 ship 1,500, technically holding his prict' 

 but actually selling at one-third less. 

 Another Hollander was reported to have 

 said: "I can't do business direct on 

 lower terms, but I will give you the name 

 of some one else and do business through 

 him." 



On the other hand, statements are 

 made that the supply of Dutch bulbs this 

 season is such that they will all clear 

 at the prices asked by the association- 

 Since it is admitted that the quantity 

 of tulips to be available for sale cannot 

 yet be ascertained, such statements can 

 not be held .accurate. 



The situation is becoming more acute 

 in Great Britain. Some Holland firms 

 advertise themselves in the trade press 

 as not members of the association and 

 others as members of the anti-trust as- 

 sociation. Whether the Dutch Bulb Ex- 

 porters' Association can hold out against 

 the pressure of the British trade is 

 doubted by many. 



