20 



The Florists^ Review 



OCTOBIS 28. 1920 



Modernizing Symbols. 



This 8y8.tem may be adopted today 

 with such modifications as are made 

 aecessary by the change in customs. 

 The flowers in ordinary bouquets are no 

 longer bound together, but the corsage 

 bouquet offers excellent possibilities. 

 By using violets, sweet peas, forget-me- 

 nots and lilies of the valley, natural 

 corsage bouquets can be made. More- 

 over, messages of more than a few let- 

 ters can be inserted, since those bou- 

 quets are rather compact and admit of 

 the use of many flowers. 



If only two different flowers are 

 available, say violets and sweet peas, 

 the biliteral cipher may be used. Each 

 group of five fiowers representing one 

 letter would be bound together in ac- 

 cordance with the requirements of the 

 combination for that letter. For exam- 

 ple, if the violet stands for the a form, 

 the letter L, represented by the com- 

 bination ababa, would be made by start- 

 ing with a violet, adding a sweet pea, 

 then a violet, then a sweet pea, then a 

 violet; or if the elements are to be read 

 by the recipient in tim correct order, 

 the flowers would be tied in the reverse 

 order in preparing the bouquet. The 

 groups of five flowers would then be 

 bound in succession as called for by the 



message. Advantage may be taken, in 

 the preparation of keys, of the various 

 colors which some varieties of flowers 

 exhibit. For example, the corsage bou- 

 quet of sweet peas alone might be used 

 according to the following key: 



Such a bouquet could certainly pass 

 inspection without inviting any suspi- 

 cion, especially since the binding 

 threads would be entirely hidden from 

 view by the tinfoil wrapper. 



The triliteral cipher may also be em- 

 ployed with three kinds of flowers, and 

 longer sentences could be incorporated 

 than in the case of the biliteral cipher. 



It is true that the incorporation of 

 cipher messages within artistic designs 

 and simple bouquets cannot be accom- 

 plished without a little difficulty and 

 care on the part of the florist. But will 

 not the actual presence of the senti- 

 ments and thoughts of the sender add 

 sufficient meaning and value to the to- 

 ken in the eyes of the recipient to make 

 it worth while? 



THE RETAIL FLORIST 



^«W^iW^fflWW^A^/yfW^^^ 



GIVE ME THE FIX)WEES NOW. 



I'Te noticed when a fellow dies, no matter what 



he's been, 

 A. saintly chap or one whose life's been deeply 



steeped in sin, ^ ^^ ,. 



Sis friends forget the bitter wwds they spoke 



but yesterday 

 And try to find a multitude of pretty things to 



say. 



[ fancy when I (ro to rest someone will bring 



Some kindly thought or goodly deed long burled 



out of slKht, , ^ . 



But If it's all the same to you, Just give to me 



instead ,. . j ..w ._ i. 



The bouquets while I'm living and the knock- 

 ing when I'm dead. 



Don't save your kisses to imprint upon my 



marble brow. 

 While countless maledictions are hurled upon 



me now. 

 Say Just one kindly word to me while I mourn 



here alone, 

 Ajid don't save all your eulogies to carve upon 



a stone. 



What do I care If, when I'm dead, the Times. 



Sun and GazPttp 

 Give me a writenp with a cut In moanliiC 



border set? ..^ w * i 



It will not flatter me a bit, no matter what is 



said, J ,_ ^ 



8o kindly throw the bouquets now and knock 



me when I'm dead. „ 



—The OaTel. 



BOOSTINQ BUSINESS. 



A full-page advertisement in a daily 

 aewspaper, appealing to almost every 

 sense of the flower-buying mind, is the 

 effective means Scheinuk the Florist, of 

 New Orleans, selected for announcing 

 the first anniversary of his new store, 

 the "Say It with Flowers" theme and 

 the F. T. D. scheme. 



It is the approach of All Saints' day 

 in New Orleans, a time of the year 

 when the flower market is at its best. 

 In his well constructed advertisement, 

 Mr. Scheinuk calls attention to not only 

 the use of flowers at this particular 

 season, but for debutantes and brides, 

 for corsages and table decorations. 



This is an illuminating example of 

 progressive advertising, of the nature 

 that tends to create a demand for flow- 

 ers, the harvest of which is shared by 

 all in the trade. 



It might be observed this marks the 

 completion of the first year that Mr. 

 Scheinuk has been in his new store in 

 New Orleans and, through advertising 

 of this nature, he has in that time be- 

 come one of the leaders in the business. 

 He cooperates heartily in all inter- 

 florist movements, sharing always the 

 general good with his personal good. 



PEOBLEM FOB BETAILEBS. 



B was giving a reception for A, a 

 newly-wed. A ordered two corsages, one 

 for herself and one for B. Later that 

 day B came in and ordered two cor- 

 sages, one for herself and one for A. 

 Now, what would an up-to-date florist 

 do in such a situation! N. D. 



We have been up against the same 

 proposition several times and have han- 

 dled it according to what we thought 

 would best suit the customer. In one 

 instance, we called up A and told her 

 that since her order had been placed B 

 had ordered corsages and, if she wished, 

 she might cancel her order or else we 

 would send around a nice bunch of 

 flowers in its stead. She accepted the 

 latter suggestion and thanked us for it. 

 In another instance, we told B that A 

 had already ordered corsages, for which 

 she alsq_ thanked us and ordered some 

 other flowers for the tables. In both 

 cases, A and B were both satisfied and 

 we were also. J. W. V. 



SEEEINQ NEW IDEAS. 



To have employees feel their impoi 

 tance and secure their cooperation and 

 aid in building up a successful retaU 

 business, a questionnaire may be ar- 

 ranged that can be filled out at their 

 leisure and not embarrass them. This 

 idea has been found to be mutually 

 beneficial to the proprietor and to em- 

 ployees. New ideas are cropping up 

 every day and the progressive florist 

 wishes to be within hearing of the call 

 of the times. The employees who come 

 in contact with customers are often 

 brought to realize that this or that 

 method in use in the store should be 

 changed for another, but have never 

 had the opportunity to suggest it. A 

 form of questionnaire that has been 

 used with success in a retailer's store is 

 as follows: 



What changes would you make if yon owned 

 this business? 



Do you think that the work Is arranged en- 

 tirely right? 



Are you satisfled with your working condi- 

 tions? Salary? If not, why? 



What changes would you like te see madeT 



Are you satisfled with the treatment you re- 

 ceive ? 



What do you think should be done to render 

 greater service to customers? Why? 



What do you think we should not do? Why? 



Have you any suggestions about the window 

 displays which would be of value to us? 



Have you any ideas for furtkering buslnees 

 along any special line? 



Please make any further remarks, recommenda- 

 tions, suggestions or criticism which would ben- 

 efit the company and you and please state your 

 reasons for making the same. 



Cooperation should not be confined to 

 business men themselves in their ad- 

 vertising, etc.; it should be in their own 

 establishment. "Charity begins at 

 home. ' ' • 



SNAFDBAOONS FOB OHBISTMAS. 



I have a bench of silver pink snap- 

 dragons planted in a raised bench from 

 2%-inch pots; they are well branched. 

 Please tell me when to stop pinching 

 back for a Christmas cut. 



G. H.— 111. 



Discontinue pinching your snap- 

 dragons now, except where they are 

 sending up flower spikes. Never pinch 

 your shoots while soft; they will always 

 break weak and produce a lot of blind 

 wood. Let your wood become firm, 

 with the flowers just starting to open, 

 before you pinch back. Then the plants 

 will make strong shoots, which can be 

 depended upon to flower, C. W. 



,PBOPAGATINa POINSETTIAS. 



I have some 3i^-inch poinsettia plants, 

 from eight to fourteen inches high. If 

 I should top them, would the new 

 growth or sprouts come out and de- 

 velop into bracts for Christmas and how 

 can I get the cuttings to roott I have 

 had no experience in growing and 

 rooting poinsettias and any information 

 would be appreciated. My plants look 

 fine and I do not want to ruin them, 

 but should like to take some cut- 

 tings if posible. J. F. C. — Tenn. 



Ardmore, Okla. — M. C. Mills has taken 

 over the business of G. E. Shuman and 

 is successor to the Ardmore Floral Co. 



To root poinsettias successfully you 

 need a close frame; cuttings put singly 

 in small pots with sandy loam m^e 

 excellent plants. You can also insert 

 them in sand in an ordinary propagating 

 bench and if watering and shading are 

 carefully done practically all should 

 root. Pot up before the roots are more 

 than one and one-half inches to two 

 inches long; water and 8had«> carefully 

 for a few days after potting, Jt^Tt give 



