18 



The Florists^ Review 



NOTBMBIB 4. 1920 



appeal. In the 'vrindow pictured in the 

 illustration on the. preceding page, peace 

 is both the ce^tratidpia and the word on 

 the card held in the dove 's bill. In this 

 display, designed by Paul Bichmond, of 

 the Miller Floral Co., Salt Lake City, 

 Utah, the flag is draped in such a way 

 as to focus the attention of the spectator 

 on the peace-symbolizing dove, to which 

 the doll's hand also points, while the 

 roses and chrysanthemums, by their 

 beauty and their graceful arrangement, 

 decldre that only flowers can properly 

 celebrate that anniversary of peace. 



In towns near army posts or camps, 

 even though the camp be much smaller 

 than it was during the war, the appeal 

 may bear more heavily on things mili- 

 tary and the window display include 

 either a battlefield scene or parts of a 

 soldier's uniform or equipment. This 

 may also be done where there is a uni- 

 versity having a military training unit. 

 In fact, such windows are not unlikely 

 to appeal more effectively to young men 

 receiving military training than to men 

 who have been through war itself and 

 are not eager to be reminded of it. 



The inclusion of the verses, "Flan- 

 ders' Fields," on this page, in advertis- 

 ing copy or window displays will press 

 more poignantly the appeal of the day. 



Telegraph Delivery. 



While local conditions will largely in- 

 fluence the advertising, the yet undevel- 

 oped possibilities of telegraph delivery 

 must not be overlooked. Such a quick- 

 ening of family affection and tightening 

 of the bonds of friendship as Armistice 

 day is sure to bring will create a wide- 

 spread demand for the long-distance 

 transmission of flowers. So the window 

 display, either incidentally or as its dom- 

 inating feature, may suggest the con- 

 venient possibility ef sending flowers to 

 the bereaved mother or to the invalid 

 soldier friend. 



PRESIDENT AIDS DAY. 



Formal recognition of an Armistice 

 day holiday was lent smpport by Presi- 

 dent Wilson in a proclamation directing 

 that Sunday, November 14, the Ameri- 

 can flag be displayed at half-mast on all 

 public buildings and naval and military 

 posts " as a token of the nation 's partic- 

 ipation in the memorial services held 

 for the heroic American soldiers, sailors, 

 marines and others who gave their lives 

 to their country in the world war." 



In connection with the order, the Pres- 

 ident authorized this statement: 



* * The selection of a formal day which 

 shall annually be set aside to commemo- 

 rate our participation in the world war 

 will some day doubtless be effected 

 through legislation, and already Memo- 

 rial day, rich in heroic memories, has 

 acquired additional significance as being 

 appropriate also to the commemoration 

 of the heroes of the world war." 



SOFT-PEDAL THE POPPIES. 



The adoption of the poppy as the offi- 

 cial flower of such organizations as the 

 American Legion and the Sons of Veter- 

 ans will unquestionably result in many 

 calls for the flower on Armistice day. 

 Merely to reply that poppies are unob- 

 tainable at this season or to offer artifi- 

 cial reproductions will be to kill the 

 trade's opportunity to develop another 

 flower day. The florist who successfully 

 turned the public's requests for white 

 earnatiens at Mothers' day into sales of 



other blooms "will know how to handle 

 the inquiries next week. He will 

 patiently explain that the poppy was 

 officially adopted by the organizations 

 mentioned on account of its sentimental 

 symbolism and that the same sentiment 

 can be expressed by the wearing of an- 

 other kind of flower, even one that is 

 not red. If the florist further urges that 

 the inquirer will surely wish to pay 

 tribute to the world's war veterans by 

 wearing some sort of floral token and 

 suggests a flower at hand, he will doubt- 

 less make a citstomer. 



BujLJsfld'^e talk away from poppies. 

 Another year, perhaps, growers might 

 be able to flower some variety of poppy 

 for Armistice day, but such a crop would 

 not commercially be a success. The 

 fragile nature of the blooms, their lack 

 of substance and their short life when 

 cut would result in nothing but dissatis- 

 faction. Let's soft-pedal the poppies. 

 Though we wish the many to "Say It 

 with Flowers," we should help their 

 expression of sentiment to be so satis- 

 factory that they will want to repeat. 



COAL SUPPLY INCREASING. 



Optimistic growers who have persisted 

 in hoping for a fall in coal prices, and 

 have refused to buy their winter's stock 

 at the exorbitant prices recently de- 



FLANDEBS' FIELDS. 



In Flanders' fields the popples blow 

 Between the crosses, row on row, 

 That mark our place, and in the sky 

 The larks, still gaily singing, fly. 

 Scarce heard, amidst the guns below. 



We are the dead. Short days ago 

 We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow. 

 Loved and were loved, and now we He 

 In Flanders' fields. 



Take up our quarrel with the foe. 



To you from failing hands we throw 



The torch. Be yours to bear it high. 



If ye break faith with us who die. 



We shall not sleep, though poppies blow 



In Flanders' fields. 



manded, have seen their hopes steadily 

 materializing for the last two weeks 

 and finally, last week, when the record 

 week's production since the signing of 

 the Armistice was reached, the alleged 

 coal shortage ceased to be a bogey. 

 Coal experts say that if this rate of pro- 

 duction can be maintained there will be 

 enough coal and to spare for everyone 

 this winter and all danger of a shortage 

 will be eliminated. 



The total output of soft coal during 

 the week of October 16 was, it is esti- 

 mated, 12,135,000 net tons, an increase 

 of 44,000 tons over the preceding week. 

 Taking the production for the first 246 

 days of the last four years, the year 

 1920 is about 10,000,000 tons behind 

 1917 and 44,500,000 behind 1918, but is 

 nearly 52,000,000 tons ahead of 1919. 



In 1918 production exceeded consump- 

 tion and, it is estimated, 30,000,000 tons 

 were added to the reserve stocks of con- 

 sumers. But in 1919 there was an excess 

 of consumption over production of 

 40,000,000 tons. Thus the consumers' 

 reserves were almost gone at the be- 

 ginning of this year. In addition to 

 this, the exported coal in 1920 has been 

 larger than ever before, amounting to 

 probably 20,000,000 tons. The coal 

 strike in Great Britain, it was feared, 

 would cause a tremendous drain on coal 



production in the United States. The 

 fact that this has been settled has been 

 instrumental in easing the situation in 

 America. 



Low coal prices quoted last week for 

 southern Illinois coal were $5.50 and $5 

 per ton, f . o. b. the mines. There were 

 no takers at $5.50, according to one 

 large operator. The prices of this same 

 coal a short time ago were $7 and $8. 

 In New England coal dropped at the 

 rate of 25 cents a day during last week, 

 according to one expert. Transporta- 

 tion, also, has shown an improvement 

 and, although there is a present shortage 

 of cars, this is due largely to the in- 

 creased activities of the railroads in 

 moving coal. 



THE DAVIS INTEBESTS. 



If it cannot yet be said that the 

 Davis brothers are the world 's greatest 

 growers, the continued expansion of 

 their interests is bringing them close 

 to that point. 



The Davis brothers do not believe in 

 concentration. Their, policy has not 

 been the development of one enormous 

 range, but the creation of a string of 

 establishments of moderate size. The 

 four brothers now are operating ten es- 

 tablishments, scattered all the way 

 from Terre Haute, Ind., to Los Angeles, 

 Cal., though the Los Angeles develop- 

 ment is a recent one and all the other 

 nine ranges are in the three middle- 

 western states of Indiana, Illinois and 

 Iowa. 



Though the brothers are stockholders 

 to a certain extent in each other's cor- 

 porations, they have kept their inter- 

 ests fairly well separated. J. W. Davis 

 is the controlling factor in four of the 

 ten establishments, one at Terre Haute, 

 one at Joliet and two at Davenport. In 

 the Davenport and Joliet establishments 

 he has F. L. Davis as his chief asso- 

 ciate, in direct charge of the Davis 

 Floral Co., of Davenport, and of the 

 Joliet range, which was the old Thomp- 

 son place. 



W. B. Davis operates the two estab- 

 lishments at Aurora and Kankakee and 

 has just started another at Los Angeles. 



Boy B. Davis, in partnership with Mr. 

 Steiner, as Davis & Steiner Co., oper- 

 ates three establishments, at Streator, 

 Morrison and Ottawa. 



The ten ranges now have a glass area 

 of approximately two million square 

 feet. Erected primarily for forcing 

 vegetables, lettuce, cucumbers and to- 

 matoes still are the principal crops, but 

 one of the Davenport ranges is run ex- 

 clusively for the florists' business and 

 in most of the others cut flowers er pot 

 plants are employed either as a prin- 

 cipal crop or as a catch crop. Cycla- 

 mens and ferns have become specialties 

 and at present a considerable number of 

 chrysanthemums are being sent to mar- 

 ket. 



SPHAGNUM MOSS IN SPBINO. 



I wish to use sphaghum moss in the 

 spring to pack vegetable plants for 

 mailing. What would be the right time 

 to buy, in order to have it on hand at 

 that time! L. J. S. — Pa. 



By all means procure your sphagnum 

 moss now, before winter sets in. There 

 is usually a strong demand for it toward 

 spring and if you delay ordering top 

 long vou mav be unable to procure it. 



C. W. 



