22 



The Florists^ Review 



Jdnb 10, 1920. 



.News' from 



roa 



WAR'S EFFECT IN AUSTRIA. 



The description of present horticul- 

 tural conditions in Austria, as given by 

 a citizen of that country who spent his 

 internment in this country during the 

 war at the Arnold Arboretum and has 

 now returned to Vienna, gives a light on 

 life there not easily obtained. In the 

 latter part of April Camillo Schneider 

 wrote from Vienna: 



"There is no necessity for explaining 

 that horticulture as a whole is badly af^ 

 fected by the present economic and po- 

 litical situation in this country. Aus- 

 tria has not only lost a long and ex- 

 haustive war; she has lost much more 

 by peace. German Austria is reduced to 

 a poor, small country, with few natural 

 resources and surrounded by states that 

 are none too friendly to her. The 

 worst, however, is the fact that each 

 little 'land' within the narrow limits 

 of the present republic acts in the most 

 selfish way. 



"I resided in the U. S. A. during the 

 war, because I was on an exploring trip 

 in western China when the war broke 

 out and, not being able to go back to 

 Austria, I accepted an invitation from 

 Prof. C. S. Sargent to go to the Arnold 

 Arboretum at Jamaica Plain, Mass. 

 Therefore, when I came back to Vienna 

 in October, 1919, I, perhaps, more deeply 

 felt the contrast between the past and 

 the present than anyone who had re- 

 mained during the last five years and 

 had become used to the misery. 



"Vienna has always been the center 

 of horticultural interest in old Austria. 

 It is even more the center of it at pres- 

 ent. But what a change! The beautiful 

 city, once the meeting place for all who 

 went to central and eastern Europe, is 

 still beautified by gardens full of lilacs, 

 forsythias, iris<?s and other lovely flow- 

 ers, but about all parts famine is lurk- 

 ing and far too many pallid-faced chil- 

 dren and worn-out mothers are to be 

 seen. 



"The main impression is that every- 

 thing (I might say everybody) needs re- 

 pair. Everybody is so exhausted by 

 the war and its evil consequences as to 

 have lost the energy necessary to keep 

 up the struggle. 



"Some of the gardeners, of course, 

 are by no means badly affected by the 

 present situation. Many of the market 

 gardeners have become well-to-do men. 

 They sell their few vegetables at prices 

 undreamed-of at any previous time, be- 

 cause there are a few rich men, too, 

 who can pay for them. But the people, 

 as a whole, are not able to buy lettuce, 

 spinach or cauliflower at the present 

 rates. The case of the florist is, to a 

 certain degree, different. Scarcity of 

 labor and high wages, combined with 

 the high cost of fuel, wood, glass and 

 every other material he needs for keep- 

 ing up his establishment, make it im- 

 possible for him to maintain his former 

 standard and even difficult to grow what 

 is needed today. 



"Vienna has been famous for its 

 beautiful gardens, but these are begin- 

 ning to disappear. The public gardens 



are kept fairly well by the city and, in 

 this extremely lovely and warm spring, 

 the private gardens and suburbs look 

 much finer than they really are. The 

 work of the landscape architect is re- 

 stricted. Where, formerly, he planted 

 handsome flowers and shrubs, there are 

 now growing lettuce, cabbage, potatoes 

 and other useful things. The number 

 of war gardens is immense. Hundreds 

 of colonies of what are called 'schre- 

 ber ' gardens have sprung up and the 

 schreber garden movement is one of the 

 characteristic features of the time. 



"The situation of the Horticultural 

 Society is a rather lucky one. It was 

 in possession of a valuable piece of 

 ground in one of the best parts of the 

 city, but it sold part of it during 

 the war and now has some money at it^/ 

 disposal. But it cannot realize its in- 

 tention to build a new home, because no 

 houses at all can be erected at a time 

 when one brick costs about .3 crowns. 

 The society has a garden of its own at 

 Esslingen, about two hours from the 

 city, in the so-called Marchfield, but at 

 present it is not much more than a vege- 

 table garden. It will take some time 

 to transform it again into a real experi- 

 mental ground." 



DON'T DROP ADVERTISING. 



Would you cease paying your insur- 

 ance premiums? If you did, what would 

 happen? What prompted the taking of 

 the policy? The desire to have some- 

 thing for the family when the great 

 day comes. Well, with the same 

 thought in mind, how often have you 

 smarted to advertise and then, seeing no 

 immediate results, quit? The only 

 profitable advertising is the kind that, 

 once started, is kept up, and even- 

 tually it will help 3'ou even better 

 than you thought, provided, of course, 

 everything is consistent with your ad- 

 vertising. 



It not only sells your product, but 

 also buys good will, so that your ambi- 

 tions are being constantly put on a 

 higher plane of action. It not only 

 creates a demand for your product, but 

 also gives you the preference, all things 

 being equal. 



Try to get your message across in as 

 simple a way as possible. Don't try to 

 do impossibilities. Don't try to make 

 an advertisement appear to exaggerate, 

 but do more than is expected of your 

 advertisement and the benefits of ad- 

 vertising will be felt a great deal more. 



Make your advertising impressive 

 and dignified and have it reflect the 

 character of your store. By following 

 these few suggestions much good will 

 be obtained and bigger business will be 

 the ultimate outcome. 



Above aH things, once you start ad- 

 vertising, keep it up. It pays. 



Henry Penn. 



MOTT-LY 



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' ' It is not a grand and glorious feel- 

 ing, " said William P. Pfeifer, Utica, 

 N. Y., "when, after training one's boy 

 to become a leading florist, he suddenly 

 quits the business to act as a gilide with 

 a big automobile concern." As a con- 

 sequence, Mr. Pfeifer intends retiring 

 to the garden and will dispose of the 

 greenhouses this summer. This is an- 

 other striking instance of the demise of 

 an old establishment and flourishing 

 business for the want of a successor. 



• • • • 



"I might as well close shop," ob- 

 served Frank Baker, Utica, N. Y., "if 

 we have to recognize the 8-hour law, as 

 applied to the store, for funeral work 

 is both uncertain and important. It 

 must have the best of attention." The 

 son, Charles F. Baker, M-as at work on a 

 splendid floral cross of the largest size. 

 He is a "chip of the old block" and 

 the business will not suffer whenever 

 (lad feels like easing up. 



• • • • 



William Mathews, TTtica, N. Y., is 

 sending some fine orchids out of town. 

 The grand old orchidist is feeling the 

 hand of Father Time and has the sym- 

 pathy of his many friends in the trade. 



• • • • 



"A couple of weeks more will wind 

 up a most successful season and enable 

 us to take a brief vacation. During 

 vacation it is well for the store man to 

 get into closer touch with the grower. 



who really has the least leisure time, 

 if any. Take off your coat if necessary 

 and help along the good cause," ob- 

 served Eobert Bard, Syracuse, N. Y., 

 who has had a life experience in the 

 business from every angle and has the 

 honor of being floricultural adviser to 

 Governor Smith, of the Empire state. 



• • • • 



W. A. Rowlands is supplying Utican.^ 

 with fine carnations of the varietic-i 

 Laddie, Enchantress Supreme, Benor;' 

 and Matchless, for which his range a 

 Whitesboro has become noted. 



• • • • 

 Commenting upon the big business o* 



Memorial day, L. C. Stroh & Sonr 

 Batavia, N. Y., paid tribute to the fin 

 qualities of carnations White Wondei 

 Enchantress, Mrs. C. W. Ward, Dori;^ 

 which they consider the best scarlet i 

 their experience, and the new Whit> 

 Benora, which they will grow to th' 

 excltision of some older varieties. Whil 

 this latter is not so prolific as could b 

 desired, every bloom comes perfect an' 

 commands top figures. 



• • • • 



B. F. Myers Floral Co., Dansville, N- 

 Y., organized primarily as a wholesal 

 growing concern, finds it advisable t ' 

 cater to retail trade to meet the cai^ 

 from many surrounding towns. Thi;-. 

 its first season, has exceeded all expec- 

 tations, according to Barney Myers, pro 

 prietor, also manager of the W. J. Pal 

 mcr & Sons range at Lancaster, N. Y.. 



y 



