44 



The Florists^ Review 



Mabch 10, 1921. 



V3^7EHr 



Established 1897, 

 by «. L Grant. 



Published every Thui-saay by 

 Thi-: Fi-ouisTs' Pi'iii.isuiNc; Co., 



BOOoGOCaxton Bullillns, 



508 South Dual born St., Chicago. 



Tel., Wabash 811)5. 



Registered cable address, 



Florvlew, Chlcaifo. 



Entered as second class matter 

 Dec. 3, 1H'.I7, at the post-otlice at (Jhl- 

 cuKo, III., under the Act of March 

 3. 1879. 



Subscription price, $2.00 a year. 

 To Canada, $;i.OO; to Europe, $4.00. 



Advertising rates quoted on 

 request. Only strictly trade ad' 

 vertlslng accepted. 



RESULTS. 



We give them. You get them. 



We both have them. 



CoKKUGATED boaid Loxcs have joined in 

 the price descent. 



March 4 brouglit back the G. 0. P. 

 I^et's liopo it means Good Old Prosperity. 



Seth a. Boruen. of Fall River, Mass., 

 has decided to dispose of his collection of 

 orchids, one of the largest and most 

 famous in America. 



Leksisukg, in Florida, has become the 

 center of the asparagus industrj-, having 

 more shipi)ors of the cut sprigs than any 

 other town in the south. 



As iirobably the biggest show of the 

 year, tlic eighth international flower show, 

 at New York next week, will draw a large 

 attendance of trade members. 



An automobile manufacturer predicts 

 return of trade by next autumn. If that 

 industry can make so quick a come-back, 

 florists need have no (jualms. 



Buyers no longer will toleiate some of 

 the slack business habits which grew up 

 during the war. There no longer is labor 

 shortage or excuse for the neglect of de- 

 tails. 



It is evident that the federal horticul- 

 tural board has come to the realization 

 that the florists are an industry not alto- 

 gether insignilioant in the nation's af- 

 fairs. 



The intliienee of the new administra- 

 tion made itself felt, one might say, be- 

 fore it arrived if one laid to this cause 

 the recent improvement in the postal 

 service. It has been of late more like 

 old times. 



Some people are so difficult to please 

 that the effort scarcely results in a money 

 profit, but when one finds complaint after 

 comjdaint coming from one's customers 

 it is fair to supjiose that something may 

 be wrong in the place even if it is one's 

 own. 



Rkqi^ksts liave been .s'ent out by Secre- 

 tary .Idlin Young for subscriptions to the 

 $20,00(1 uiiarinitee fund for the fifth na- 

 tional flower sliow, to be held at Cleve- 

 land in 1022. At the Washington meet- 

 ing of the S. A. F. directors in January 

 almost one quarter of the desired total 

 was pledged. Mail your subscription to 

 Secretary Young. 4/? West Eighteenth 

 street. New York. 



Decrease in the number of business 

 failures in February brings evidence of 

 the turn for the better. In January oc- 

 curred 1,895; last month 1,641, or" 13.4 

 per cent less. 



Much business was done in the post- 

 war boom by many whoso experience and 

 e(|uipment as business men were slight. 

 The need of straight seeing and clear 

 thinking now will test their ability to 

 continue. 



Notwithstanding that a price drop 

 must come, if the prevailing prices for 

 the i)resent season were undersold in any 

 conuuunity, retail trade would probably 

 1)0 in a chaotic state. Sudden drops may 

 lie worse than maintaining high prices. 



WARNING FROM MR. IMARLATT. 



Upon the announcement of the fed- 

 eral horticultural board that greater 

 liberality would be observed in issuing 

 permits for the importation of certain 

 classes of stock for propagation pur- 

 poses, some Holland nurserymen started 

 to heat the cables to this country. Flo- 

 rists and nurserymen in many sections 

 received advice from these busy for- 

 eigners that ornamentals might be im- 

 ported in any quantity up to June 1 and 

 that orders for such stock should be 

 cabled at once. 



C. L. Marlatt, chairman of Hie fed- 

 eral horticultural board, telegraphs The 

 Review that such cablegrams are likely 

 to mislead members of the trade and 

 cause them losses. Importations will 

 not be permitted except in accordance 

 with the regulations. To obtain such 

 stock, ])ermits must be obtained asking 

 it for specific reproduction purposes, as 

 formerly. Any purchases made under 

 the belief that freedom of purchase is 

 now allowed, says Mr. Marlatt, will re- 

 sult in the rejection of the stock at the 

 port of entry and a loss to the pur- 

 chaser. 



The chairman of the board further 

 states that many imjiortations under ex- 

 ist^ing ])ermits are coming in with so 

 much soil on the roots that rejection is 

 necessary. To safeguard themselves 

 against loss, members of the trade 

 should make purchases from abroad 

 with the condition of ])ayment on de- 

 livery in compliance with governmental 

 regulations. 



THE NEW TUNE. 



Everybod}', everywhere, is marching 

 to a new tune. Every merchant, manu- 

 facturer and jobber is keeping step to 

 it, and florists should follow in their 

 line. The new melody is not a synco- 

 pated monstrosity; it's a plain, old- 

 fashioned, everyday, honest -to-goodness 

 tune, "Reduce' the Overhead and In- 

 crease the Sales." 



The "jazz" jjeriod in business has 

 passed. It's now time to get down to 

 fundamentals and look the future in the 

 face. 



It is the wise florist who is studying 

 costs of operation, who is watching his 

 accounts closely and keeping his avail- 

 able funds in a liquid state. He is also 

 watching his overhead and cutting his 

 expenditures to the bone. Every item 

 which does not increase Iiis ability to 

 serve will be eliminated. He will take 

 advantage of every resource which af- 

 fords him an opportunity to keep down 

 his expense. 



Success this year will go to the con- 

 cern which kee])S its expense !it a mini- 

 muni and at tlie same time fights for 



business. The "go-getter" will bring 

 home the proverbial bacon this year as 

 never before. There will be plenty of 

 trade for the florist who organizes his 

 store to function economically and 

 then goes out after business. 



REASONS FOR OPTIMISM. 



Bankers have been looked upon as 

 the joy-chasers and gloom-spreaders of 

 the present business situation. Some 

 florists have heard their chill words and 

 more have felt the effects through their 

 customers' attitude. Now, however, one 

 of them, believing the worst is over, 

 cites the following reasons for optim- 

 ism: 



"Bank reserves are increasing, money 

 rates are easing somewhat, and loans 

 are diminishing. The railroads are 

 providing effective transportation, al- 

 though railroad prosperity, vital to all 

 business, is contingent to a great ex- 

 tent now upon reasonable wage read- 

 justments. There is general apprecia- 

 tion at least, even in government cir- 

 cles, that the taxation burden which 

 business is bearing is altogether too 

 heavy and must be considerably light- 

 ened as soon as possible. The labor 

 situation is improving; there are fewer 

 strikes, more cooperation between em- 

 ployers and employees, and more effi- 

 ciency among workers. Extravagance 

 is diminishing and thrift, as evidenced 

 in savings deposits and investments, is 

 increasing. While all adjustments in 

 commodity prices have not been com- 

 pleted, many commodity prices have 

 reached prewar levels and some of them 

 undoubtedly will rebound somewhat. 

 The farmers are now marketing their 

 crops, instead of unwisely holding them 

 for a substantial recovery in price. The 

 enforced sellin|j of high-priced inven- 

 tories now occurring in many lines will 

 set uj) its own corrective, through cre- 

 ating renewed demand for all kinds of 

 goods at lower levels. Finally, the 

 steady improvement in foreign ex- 

 change reflects the improvement in 

 Kui-oiiean conditions and forecasts bet- 

 ter international trade." 



FROM FAR AND NEAR. 



If any florist in the east has surj)lus 

 stock he should not miss the opportu- 

 nity to send it westward. There is a 

 prompt demand for everything offered 

 in the Classified ads in The Review. 

 Ijike this: 



Tlio ill! yon liuve been nuuiiii); for ns rortiiiiily 

 produced results, as we liiid orders from eleven 

 sl.ites. ("illitic for more stock than we had to 

 offer. — II. W. Ward. Warren. 0.. March 3, 1921. 



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. 



BUSINESS EMBARRASSMENTS. 



Greenville, S. C— The Rodgers Flower 

 Shop went into the hands of the sheriff 

 under a distress warrant for rent due, 

 Monday, March 7. The firm was unable 

 to meet its obligations. The date of the 

 sale of the firm 's property is not yet 

 known. Harold E. Rodgers, manager, 

 does not intend to reenter the florists' 

 business. A meeting of the creditors of 

 the firm has been called for March 17 

 at 10 a. m., at Greenville. 



Worcester, Mass. — Steven V. Vonic 

 has filed a voluntary petition in bank- 

 ruptcy in the United States District 

 court. Mr. Vonic 's liabilities amount 

 to $4,.')9.") and his assets to $1,294. 



