32 



The Florists^ Review 



DECEMBEtt 1, 1921 



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STAGING A SHOW 



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PUTTING ON A FLOWEE SHOW. 



Clark Tells How. 



Tliis autuniii has witnessed a return 

 in force of flower sliows. They were 

 not numerous during the war, and after- 

 wards the prices obtainable for flowers 

 and plants made exhibits few in number 

 iind small in size. But the necessity, 

 now enforced, of greater sales effort has 

 brought tlie flower show back. Many 

 successful ones have been staged this 

 fall; many more are planned for next 

 sjjring. 



The florists and clubs planning these 

 shows are not all experienced in such 

 promotion. Some of them, to insure 

 success, have sought the advice of 

 florists who already have put on note- 

 worthy exhibitions. At Scranton last 

 montli was such a one. In consequence 

 of its success, G. E. Clark, general secre- 

 tary of the Scranton Florists' Club and 

 active in the promotion of the show, has 

 received inquiries from florists who 

 contemplate staging flower shows in 

 1922, regarding the methods of pro- 

 cedure employed in staging the show 

 recently held at Scranton. Instead of 

 replying directly to these florists, Mr. 

 Clark has generously contributed to The 

 Review a description of the plans fol- 

 lowed in putting across the recent show 

 at Scranton and also of the plans con- 

 templated by the florists of Scranton in 

 1922. Thus florists throughout the 

 country, expecting to stage shows in 

 the future, can have the benefit of this 

 experience. 



Some of the questions asked of Mr. 

 Clark were as follows: Did you limit 

 your entries to Pennsylvania? What 

 was your main line of entertainment? 

 What was tlic cost of advertising? Did 

 you charge admission? What was the 

 amount of your prize money? Mr. 

 Clark rci>lies to these questions in the 

 <'Ourse of his statement, which follows: 



Scranton *s First Fall Show. 



"The show of this year is the first 

 clirysanthemuin, or fall, show of the 

 Scranton Florists' Club, although we 

 have had several spring shows. Last 

 March we began to consider our prepa- 

 rations for the fall show in 1921. We 

 have alreadv begun preparations for 

 our show in the fall of 1922. A 

 general line of committees is ap- 

 pointed, with an executive committee 

 at the head. These committees, accord- 

 ing to our ideas, comprise fifteen dif- 

 ferent divisions. The first thing we did 

 was to get the Armory for the nights 

 we intended to exhibit. This done, we 

 sent a schedule to the florists in this 

 part of the state. 



"We had exhibits from New Jersey, 

 New York and Philadelphia. Scranton 

 is located in the northeastern part of 

 the state and we branched out into the 

 two other states, as mentioned. I would 

 suggest that you extend your invitation 

 to all your surrounding territory; in 

 tliis way you extend interest in your 

 show. 



"Our prizes amounted to $700, and 

 consisted of cash and donated prizes. 

 These we obtained from wealthy people 



of our city, from tradespeople in all 

 lines of our city, and from the florists 

 themselves. 



"In the November 24 issue of The 

 Review appeared an article which 

 covered the trade exhibits. This feature 

 can be extended as far and wide as a 

 show management desires. We had a 

 large floor space and therefore were 

 generous in giving space to trades- 

 people; the price of the space was 50 

 cents per square foot. 



' ' At the outset we assessed all mem- 

 bers of the Scranton Florists' Club an 

 amount sufficient to cover all possible 

 expense, going into detail as to what 

 the show would cost, including advertis- 

 ing in the newspapers, billposting and 

 stickers, an item of nearly $1,000; music, 

 $450; rental of Armory, $550, and 

 numerous other smaller expenses inci- 

 dent to an exhibit of this kind. Our 

 florists most cheerfully agreed to the 

 assessment, one-half paid down at the 

 beginning of the season and the balance 

 to be called for when necessary. It will 

 never be necessary. 



"Most certainly we charged admis- 

 sion, 50 cents and a war tax or 5 cents. 

 The Knights Templar came in one night 

 with us and they charged admission, 

 which we shared fifty-fifty. It was 



enough to protect them and us hand-^ 

 somely and their participation ])roved 

 an interesting feature of the show. 



Benefits. 



"In any cities of fairly large size 

 throughout the United States the florists 

 can easily buckle into it and show the 

 people there that this trade is quite 

 alive. Such a show is also a great 

 feature of advertising. The slogan, 

 'Say It with Flowers,' has become a 

 great commercial asset. A flower show of 

 large magnitude commands the atten- 

 tion and respect, not only of flower 

 lovers, but also of the indifferent. It 

 awakens the love of flowers and leads 

 to an aspiration of attainment, thereby 

 becoming an asset to the florists. Our 

 florists have decided to continue these 

 shows yearly. They make a mighty 

 friendly fellowship and a closer co- 

 operation, which the florists' craft ought 

 to cultivate. It helps to take us out of 

 the shell into which we are so apt to 

 crawl and remain by ourselves. 



"If florists will look at The Review 

 of November 17, they will get an idea 

 of the fellowship at Scranton from the 

 banquet picture. Other lines of trade 

 participate in these side social interests, 

 much to their benefit; why should not 

 we? Brushing up against the other fel- 

 low and exchanging ideas helps all 

 around. 



"When you stage your show com- 

 municate to the trade papers your plans 

 and the advancing steps of your prepa- 

 ration; the papers are glad to get them 

 and they will help the other fellow. ' ' 



i^ 



GATHERINQ FERN SPORES. 



I have some Boston ferns that have 

 gone to seed. Will you let me know 

 liow I can gather the spores? 



J. P. M.— Ga. 



The usual method of gathering fern 

 spores is to cut off the fronds that are 

 covered with the spores, or seeds, and to 

 put these fronds into clean paper bags. 

 Then hang up the bags in a warm and 

 dry place for two or three weeks and 

 by tliat time most of the spores will 

 have dropped out of the spore-cases on 

 the leaves and may be found in the bot- 

 tom of the paper bag. From this they 

 are stored away in small bottles, which 

 are tightly corked. The seeds may be 

 kejit in this way until thev are sown. 



W. H. T. 



not so largely grown as it was ten or 

 fifteen years ago, because of the fact 

 that other varieties of nephrolepis have 

 superseded it in commercial circles, but 

 it is a handsome fern when it is well 

 grown. This fern originated with a 

 Massachusetts florist. Advertisements 

 offering it appear in The Review. 



W. H. T. 



LOCATING A FERN. 



I am enclosing a leaf from a fern. 

 Will you tell me the variety? Where 

 mav it be obtained? C. L. S. — 111. 



The fern in question is one of the 

 forms of Nephrolepis Whitmanii, of 

 which thete are several varieties. It is 

 not easy to say which of these this is, 

 from one small leaf. N. Whitmanii is 



WHITE SPECKS ON FERNS. 



I am enclosing some fern fronds, with 

 small, white specks on them. These 

 seem to be insects, but one can never see 

 them move. Will you tell me what the 

 trouble is and suggest the best remedy? 



S. F. S.— Ark. 



The fern leaves are infested with fern 

 scale, an insect pest that is, unfortu- 

 nately, quite common and injurious to 

 plants. Cut off the fronds that are most 

 affected and burn them. Then dip the 

 plants in a nicotine solution. Repeat 

 the dip at intervals of ten days to two 

 weeks Some growers prefer to add 

 one-half an ounce of soap to the solu- 

 tion but this will sometimes injure the 

 tender tips of the fronds, especially if 

 the plants are exposed to the sun after 

 dipping. W H T 



