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32 



The Florists^ Review 



Dbcbmber 4, 1019. 



Eatabllahed. 1897, br G. L. OBANT. 



Published every Thandar by 

 Thb Florists' Publishing Co« 



620-S60 Oaxton Balldlnir, 



008 Soatta Dearborn St., OhlcaffO. 



Tele., Wabaah 8196. • 



ReRistered cable address, 



Florview, Chicago. 



Entered as second class matter 

 Dec. 3, 1897. at the post-ofQce at Ohl- 

 caffo. 111., under the Act of March 

 8. 1879. 



Subscription price, $1.60 a year. 

 To Canada, $2.60; to Europe. |3.00. 



Adyertislnir rates quoted npon 

 request. Only strictly trade ad- 

 vertising accepted. 



EESULTS. 



We give them. You get them. 



We both have them. 



Pot plants for Christmas are snapped 

 up when and where available. 



Peophbtic vision is not needed to see 

 large profits in the coming holidays. 



One of the necessary qualifications of a 

 florists' helper now is ability to drive a 

 ford. 



Production costs prohibit liberal mar- 

 gins and careful management is needed to 

 return an adequate percentage of profits. 



Collections are not so hard as they 

 have been in some other seasons, but they 

 will Dear systematizsd watching just the 

 same. 



Lack of fuel and the customary holi- 

 day pressure will reduce train service 

 after mid-December. Supplies for the 

 holidays should be obtained now. 



Novelties are slow in appearing after 

 war-time. Perhaps two or three years 

 will be required for resumption of raising 

 new varieties on the former sc-ale. 



C. L. Washburn says that the trade as 

 a body has learned the power of adver- 

 tising just as it becomes necessary to re- 

 double our efforts to sell our merchandise. 

 We predict that the volume of florists' 

 advertising will increase for many years. 



The October number of the S. A. F. 

 Journal has been delayed by the printers' 

 strike in New York city. The issue, 

 which has now been sent to members, 

 contains the third installment of the 

 Detroit convention proceedings and pub- 

 licity campaign articles. 



It is asked by those responsible for the 

 advertisement of the song, ' ' Say It with 

 Flowers, ' ' which appeared in The Review 

 for November 27, that it be stated that 

 the name of the publisher should have 

 been Artnuisic, Inc., instead of Broad- 

 way Music Corp., as the ad writer 

 made it. 



Most florists have their Christmas 

 boxes now in stock, but will be compelled 

 to replenish the supply right after the 

 rush. They may find difficulty in getting 

 what they want and are almost certain 

 to find prices higher, because one of the 

 first effects of the coal strike has been 

 to close the boxboard mills. Manufac- 

 turers of boxes, of course, have more or 

 less stock on hand. 



HOLIDAY HAS BUMPER SALES. 



Thanksgiving business is generally 

 reported to have surpassed previous 

 records for the holiday. Here and there 

 florists state that sales were not up to 

 expectations, but from others come 

 glowing assertions, such as that Thanks- 

 giving sales exceeded those of previous 

 years by fifty per cent, that they rivaled 

 Christmas and Easter records for other 

 seasons, that the limit of business was 

 imposed by the supply of stock rather 

 than the ability to sell it. As The Re- 

 view predicted, the people of the United 

 States, in celebrating a prosperous" 

 Thanksgiving, spent more liberally than 

 before for flowers. 



To the forehanded florist there is a 

 tip in these reports, for they augur what 

 is in store for Christmas and New 

 year's. "If I had anticipated such 

 business," says a florist, "I could have 

 been prepared and made more money." 

 Post-mortems are not profitable in the 

 business world unless they supply a 

 lesson to be heeded in future. The moral 

 of the Thanksgiving sales is that florists 

 should form preparations fully adequate 

 for the coming holidays. Buying in 

 luxury lines is heavy; Christmas will be 

 extravagantly celebrated this year; 

 flowers will be in strong demand. 



OET YOmt SUPPLIES. 



Paradoxical as it may sound, the coal 

 shortage may affect retailers more se- 

 riously than the growers. The latter, 

 as a whole, have adequate stocks of coal 

 to insure continued production of flow- 

 ers despite the miners ' absence from the 

 pits. The former, however, face pros- 

 pects of further rising of already high 

 prices on supplies and even the possi- 

 bility of curtailment altogether. 



Manufacturers of the supplies the re- 

 tail florist needs to carry on business 

 are not held "essential to the urgent 

 needs of the people" when the fuel ad- 

 ministration doles out coal. Makers of 

 box board used for florists' paper boxes 

 have closed down, and increased prices 

 on these are predicted as the supply on 

 hand diminishes. 



Other manufacturing lines may be 

 compelled to cease operation also as 

 conditions become more serious. The 

 critical state of each industry varies 

 with location. Some states are taking 

 urgent measures regarding coal restric- 

 tions now. The retailer will do well, 

 therefore, to inquire as to the continued 

 availability of his various lines of sup- 

 ply- 



COAL RESTRICTIONS TIGHTER. 



Closer application of the revived war- 

 time rules regulating the distribution of 

 coal to industries followed the secession 

 of the miners' representatives from the 

 conference at Washington. The four- 

 teen per cent increase in wages proposed 

 by the administration was regarded by 

 the strikers' leaders as the last straw. 

 So they returned to their homes to carry 

 on the fight for their demands by means 

 of the strike. 



In some cities, such as Indianapolis 

 and Kansas City, strict rules are now in 

 force, curtailing the number of hours 

 stores and offices may be open and other- 

 wise affecting the trade, particularly the 

 retailers. Such limitations are being 

 applied in other communities, where the 

 closing of theaters, clubs, schools and 

 churches will seriously reduce the pur- 

 chase of flowers for social activities. 



Growers who have not their necessary 

 supplies of coal face a severe situation. 

 Already various industries have been 

 crossed from the list of those who may 

 obtain coal when their present supply is 

 exhausted. Of course, the greenhouse 

 owner confronted with the possibility 

 of losing his whole investment by freez- 

 ing will no doubt be able to secure 

 enough coal from the fuel administra- 

 tion to avoid such loss. Should present 

 supplies decline, however, to the point 

 that public utilities need to be restrict- 

 ed, there will be little chance of pri- 

 vate industries securing fuel. 



There is a ray of hope in the calcula- 

 tions of government officials that coal 

 production is increasing. Last week 

 was, they stated, nearly flfty per cent 

 of normal in bituminous fields. Should 

 the administration's measures to oper- 

 ate the mines meet with increased suc- 

 cess, the crisis may not be so severe as 

 at present anticipated. 



BUILDINa SUPPLIES SOABOE. 



The steel strike and the present coal 

 miners' strike, added to the difficulties 

 under which most industries labor now, 

 have shortened the available supplies of 

 greenhouse building materials seriously. 

 The fact that the scarcity comes at the 

 winter season renders it less critical 

 than it might be at a more active period 

 of the year. It is hoped that the condi- 

 tion is only temporary and will alter 

 soon. 



Prices have been withdrawn by the 

 manufacturers of glass and the steel 

 makers. The former have been produc- 

 ing under difficulties for some time, on 

 account of the scarcity of capable work- 

 ers and other industrial hindrances. The 

 steel fabricators have not yet recovered 

 from the strike. The mills are now 

 operating at from fifteen to twenty per 

 cent below the average capacity when 

 the men went out. One reason for this 

 is that thousands of men during the 

 period of enforced idleness sought occu- 

 pation in other fields and' cannot be 

 readily replaced. -It is hoped, however, 

 that the high wages paid by the mills 

 and fabricators will in time lure them 

 back. 



The fuel question at present is more 

 vital and is causing considerable appre- 

 hension. If a shortage of coal necessi- 

 tates a rationing of supply to the indus- 

 tries, it will mean a serious curtailment 

 of production, and many thousands of 

 men will be thrown out of employment. 

 All efforts are being made to avert the 

 possibility so far as possible. 



WORKING OVERTIME. 



You hear a lot of talk these days 

 about industrial slackers, about those 

 who "lie down" on the job, just be- 

 cause skilled help is scarce, but Review 

 Classified Ads still work early and late 

 — no 44-hour week for them. Like this: 



In reply to yours of some time ago in regard 

 to a display advertisement, will say that it looks 

 like I will not have much excuse to advertise 

 at all, as the little Classified advertisement of 

 a year ago seems to be working overtime to beat 

 the band. I am practically sold up on gladiolus 

 bulbs by getting increased orders from last year's 

 customers and also some new ones who must have 

 referred back to last season's copy of The Re- 

 view. — C. M. Grossman, Petoskey, Mich., Novem- 

 ber 28, 1919. • 



If you hear a man complain of the 



cost of advertising you can be pretty 



certain he spends a good bit of money 



elsewhere than in The Review. 



