32 



The Florists^ Review 



DlCKMBIB 2, 1920 



Established 1897, 

 by O. L. Grant. 



Pabllshed every Thursday by 

 The Plouists' PimusHiNo Co., 



500-560 Caxton Bulldtner, 



608 South Dearborn St., Ohlcagro. 



Tel., Wabash 8196. 



Kofrlatered cable address, 



Florvlew, Chicago. 



Entered as second class matter 

 Dec. 3. 1897. at tlie post-ofSce at Chi- 

 cago, 111,, under the Act of March 

 3. 1879. 



Subscription price, J2.flO a year. 

 To Canada, $3.00; to Europe. $4.00. 



Advertising ratios quoted on 

 request. Only strictly trade ad> 

 yertlslng accepted. 



RESULTS. 



We give them. You get them. 



We both hs^ve them. 



Now for a big Christmas. 



There will be plenty of valley for the 

 wedding bouquets next June. 



Never mail currency. Send checks, so 

 that if the letter is lost the money still 

 will be safe. 



This is the month when a bright win- 

 dow gets attention. Are you using this 

 means of advertising your flowers? 



"Let us beautify your sun parlor," 

 reads a sign over a live florist's store. 

 Perhaps a corner of your shop could be 

 fitted up to show patrons how. 



Retailers who have long-term leases 

 expiring next May are getting a jolt from 

 the landlords. Make short-term leases 

 now. Conditions will change within the 

 next three years. 



What does the postoffice do with the 

 letters that never arrive? In the good 

 old days there were no such letters, but 

 now the complaints are numerous and, 

 worst of all, increasing. 



There is too much soil adhering to 

 some of this season's imports of Man- 

 etti stocks to suit the hair-splitters em- 

 ployed by the F. H. B. They suggest 

 condemning and destroying whole ship- 

 ments because not thoroughly manicured. 



The aggregate production of soft coal 

 during the week of November 13 was 12,- 

 091,000 tons, which was larger than for 

 any corresponding week of the last four 

 years, according to statistics compiled by 

 the geological survey. The rate of out- 

 put was cut considerably by the Armis- 

 tice day celebration. The week would 

 probably have set a new record except 

 for the holiday in many states. 



Window-glass factories have pretty 

 much all shut up shop for the time being. 

 There are various reports as to the reason. 

 Ostensibly they are closed because of fail- 

 ure of the supply of natural gas. Another 

 report is that the suspension of activities 

 is planned to reduce the cost of labor, 

 while still another source of information 

 avers that if the factories operated more 

 than a few months a year they would 

 turn out so much glass it could not be 

 sold. In the meantime the supply is 

 small, deliveries slow and prices high, 

 particularly of greenhouse sizes. 



Do the vases in your refrigerator dis- 

 play case add to the appearance of your 

 flowers? The extra expense of suitable 

 ware is an item soon repaid. 



The florist who does not take an in- 

 ventory at least once, and preferably 

 twice, a year, not only lacks intimate 

 knowledge of his business, but courts 

 trouble in times when business is not the 

 best. * 



Based on the prices per pound of 

 thirty-one articles used for food. Brad- 

 street's weekly index number for last 

 week was $3.80, in comparison with $3.99 

 the week before and $5.10 for the cor- 

 responding week a year ago, denotiiig 

 more than a twenty-five per cent de- 

 crease in the last year. A dollar will 

 now buy some flowers as well as some 

 food. 



Locations in the congested parts of 

 cities are not necessarily the most desir- 

 able for flower stores. Where traffic is 

 too dense people are likely to be hurried 

 past, without the opportunity of admir- 

 ing, entering or even seeing the florist's 

 shop. In such a place the rental value 

 is above the actual sales value of the 

 location. Those who have tried both kinds 

 know they do a better-class and more 

 profitable business, perhaps by a little 

 different methods, at the stand just out- 

 side the zone of greatest traffic conges- 

 tion. 



BIOOER THAN EVER. 



From every city in the country the 

 reports of Thanksgiving business are 

 enthusiastically good. Those who enter- 

 tained some misgivings as to the in- 

 crease of sales that this holiday would 

 bring found their doubts unfounded, 

 and those who made ready for excellent 

 business reaped the benefit of their 

 preparations. The nature of the busi- 

 ness is not reported uniformly; some 

 florists state that their best stock went 

 first, a good many people preferring a 

 few special blooms to a larger number 

 of lower grade, while others experienced 

 a strong demand for moderately priced 

 flowers. The general condition Thurs- 

 day night seemed, however, to be the 

 same — ^fuU cash drawers and empty ice- 

 boxes. 



Chrysanthemums, in many markets, 

 were all too few, though in a few local- 

 ities they were abundant. Boses like- 

 wise were not overplentiful. The 

 scarcity of the latter is due, perhaps, 

 to growers' endeavoring to hold them 

 back till the mums are out of the way. 

 Other stock served to supply the pub- 

 lie's requirements, though the general 

 preference was for mums. Speaking 

 generally, prices were not high, though 

 in most cases good. This fact, no doubt, 

 had its part in accounting for the day's 

 large business. Retailers stocked up 

 who would have bought more warily at 

 higher figures. The strong markets the 

 latter part of the week indicated such 

 retailers moved their supply. 



CHRISTMAS NEXT. 



The success of Thanksgiving encour- 

 ages retailers to prepare for a big 

 Christmas business. Some florists were 

 doubtful as to the effect which the gen- 

 eral business quiet would have upon 

 sales for the feast day; indeed, they 

 were inclined to be pessimistic. The 

 volume of sales actually registered, 

 however, served as a reassuring barome- 

 ter, indicating that Christmas, too, 

 would be as big a flower day as of yore. 



Uncertainty is felt as to whether the 



amount of stock, in plants or cut flow- 

 ers, which will be offered the public at 

 this yuletide will be as large as that 

 available last year. Opinion seems gen- 

 eral that it will not. This fact will call 

 for larger and more varied preparations 

 to satisfy the holiday demand, and the 

 retailer will regret business turned 

 away if he fails to make adequate pro- 

 vision for excellent business. In some 

 mercantile lines the public is averse to 

 spending much before the holidays be- 

 cause they foresee bargains during the 

 sales that follow, especially since news- 

 paper stories tell of extra efforts to 

 maintain retail price levels until Christ- 

 mas is past. But flowers are not in that 

 category. The Christmas plant or 

 basket cannot be presented a week 

 later. Florists will have an excellent 

 holiday business at Christmas time. 



GET ORDERS IN EARLY. 



Although railroad transportation now 

 is better than it has been for a long 

 while and express service is improving, 

 orders will be placed for the Christmas 

 and New Year's holidays which will be 

 received late. The fault for all of them 

 will not lie with the carriers. 



It is a habit that is not confined to the 

 florists ' trade to postpone placing orders 

 for even staple supplies until the last 

 minute and then to blame everybody 

 but oneself if they arrive late. There 

 are times, of course, when it is neces- 

 sary to send rush orders, even though 

 careful foresight has been employed. 

 But many last-minute orders might just 

 as well have been sent sooner, to the 

 greater comfort and satisfaction of all 

 concerned\ 



Aside from flowers, almost everything 

 in a flower store can be ordered now 

 as well as next week. There is little 

 reason for postponement, usually none 

 but procrastination. It is well to make 

 count now of the supplies needed — 

 every florist can judge as well now as 

 later, and a liberal supply will be used 

 up after if not at the holidays, anyway 

 — and send your orders in early. Then 

 you will have insured yourself an ade- 

 quate stock, regardless of whether 

 transportation is back to pre-war stand- 

 ards or not. 



A PRIORL 



Some things are easily reasoned out, 

 without the benefit of experience. For 

 instance: 



I receive great pleasure and benefit from my 

 subscription to The Review. — Wm. Herdman, 

 Tacoma, Wash., November 9, 1920. 



Enclosed hnd $2; please renew; we wouldn't 

 want to get along without The Review. — Hiram 

 J. New, Manchester, la., November 22, 1920. 



Given such letters as these, an aprio- 

 rist would reason that The Review, 

 standing so highly with those who buy it 

 to read, must be a splendid advertising 

 medium. He would regard as to be ex- 

 pected, such letters as these: 



The plants are sold; the last check we needed 

 came in today. We are well satisfied with the 

 results and won't forget The Review when wo 

 have something more to sell. — Alphonse Peters, 

 Marquette, Mich., November 16, 1920. 



Please run this ad until forbid, but If results 

 are as in the past shall need only two or three 

 Insertions. — T. H. Fuller, Battle Creek, Mich.. 

 November 16, 1920, 



Stop that 6-line Classified ad at once; It is 

 going to get me into trouble. My stock Is almost 

 sold out; it Is surprising the amount of business 

 brought to florists by those little liners. — John H. 

 Grlscel, Dayton, 0., November 22, 1920, 



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. 



