Dbcbmbbb 11, 1919. 



The Rorists^ Review 



31 









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Begonias of the Lorraine Type Never Lose their Popularity with Chrislmas Flower Buyers. 



in all, while we still miss azaleas, our 

 growers have risen to the occasion and 

 given us such good substitutes that we 

 shall hardly feel their absence. 



PBEPASATIONS FOB THE BUSH. 



Plenty of Wrapping. 



It is always well to prepare for cold 

 weather at Christmas and not to try to 

 economize on wrappings for plants. Be 

 prepared with an ample supply of wrap- 

 ping paper; it may mean unfrozen plants 

 and pleased customers, which are surely 

 better than the reverse. Paper comes 

 high these days, but we must have it, 

 and be sure that you have newspapers 

 in abundance. The more expensive oil, 

 tissue and various wrapping papers we 

 can no doubt cut down on, but in news- 

 papers we cannot afford to economize. 



The need of clean pots all florists now 

 understand. It is nothing less than an 

 insult to a customer to offer him or her 

 a well grown plant in an unwashed pot. 



Attention to Watering. 



Now about the need of watering. It 

 must be remembered that watering is a 

 good deal of an art and one which, 

 naturally, the growers understand vastly 

 better than those who are retailers only. 

 Some growers are also retailers, and in 

 such cases plants in the stores are most 

 likely to receive proper care. I have 

 been struck many times with the care- 

 less and almost ignorant way in which 

 Bome store employees water plants. The 

 man who understands watering is a 

 jewel, a,nd I would advise either grower 

 or retailer to hold on to such a man 

 when he gets him. 



Impress upon customers the need of 

 watering, particularizing those plants 



which need the most abundant supply. 

 The card tied on plants by some retailers, 

 "Water this plant every day," is good 

 so far as it goes. Some plants would be 

 speedily ruined by a daily watering, 

 while in the often overheated living 

 room not a few need it twice a day. In 

 reality, two or three tags are needed to 

 cover watering properly. Rubber plants, 

 palms, aspidistras, dracsenas, crotons, 

 Boston ferns, unless in small pots and 

 near radiators, need not be watered more 

 than thrice a week. Cyclamens, be- 

 gonias and berried plants will, on the 



average, need it daily. Poinsettiaa keep 

 in better shape if a little on the dry 

 side, while recently made up pans of 

 mixed plants need far less water than 

 those matted with roots. 



Araucaria All Decorated Up. 



HOLIDAY TELEGBAPH OBDEBS. 



Care should be exercised in the ac- 

 ceptance of orders from customers to 

 telegraph to other parts of the country 

 for holiday delivery. At this time more 

 than on ordinary occasions the varia- 

 tions in prices and in stock available in 

 different sections should be kept con- 

 stantly in mind. Should the customer 

 specify a certain variety or even a 

 certain flower, the florist who takes the 

 order should make sure that the amount 

 will pay for good stock of that kind in 

 the place where the order is to be deliv- 

 ered. If the sum is not enough, the 

 florist who receives the order is forced 

 either to deliver another kind of flower 

 or a low grade of the blooms named — 

 unless he is willing to fill the order at a 

 loss, which is not what he is in business 

 for. 



The safe course is for the retailer 

 when he takes the order to advise the 

 customer to leave the filling of it to the 

 florist at the other end of the wire, giv- 

 ing assurance that such a course will 

 result in the most satisfaction and pleas- 

 ure to the recipient of the flowers. He 

 can explain the variation in prices and 

 kinds of stock available if the customer 

 needs such explanation. If retail prices 

 were supplied for the various sections- 

 of the country, the taking of holiday 

 telegraph orders would be simpler. A 

 dozen florists of Los Angeles, Pasadena 

 and Santa Barbara, Cal., use two page* 

 in the Pink Section of this issue to an- 

 nounce their holiday prices. In the ab- 



