



S. A. F. TO RESUME 



PUBLICITY PROGRAM 



One of the most enjoyable of S. A. F. meetings, the convention at Wash- 

 ingtdn last week was likewise one of action. Of the various projects dis- 

 cussed, most important was the plan to continue national publicity through 

 another 4-year subscription campaign. 



OST important of the de- 

 cisions taken at the Wash- 

 ington convention of the 

 Society of American Flo- 

 rists, last' week, was that 

 to act upon the national 

 publicity committee's 

 plans to resume magazine 

 advertising this autumn 

 and to undertake a new 

 l-year subscription campaign, in con- 

 ;inuation of the one concluded this 

 .^car, with $100,000 as the sum to be 

 •aised in each of the years 1922, 1923, 

 1924 and 1925. The committee has laid 

 ts plans for a campaign in the national 

 nagazines this coming autumn, with 

 opy better than ever before, specimens 

 )f which Major O'Keefe had on view. 

 ?y suspending such advertising during 

 he first half of this year, the commit- 

 ee was able to meet all its previously 

 lontracted obligations and to accumu- 

 ate suflScient funds on hand so as now 

 be in position to cover the cost 

 if every contract which it places. 



Stimulating Addresses. 



The decision to pursue this course and 

 prepare for another 4-year subscrip- 

 ion campaign followed the hearing of a 

 timulating report by Henry Penn, 

 hairman of the national publicity com- 

 Qittee, printed in last week's Review, 

 einforced by remarks from George 

 ^smus as chairman of the finance com- 

 Qittee of the publicity committee, 

 Iriven home by the excellent address of 

 ■'■ D. Fernald, advertising manager of 

 he New York Post, and topped by the 

 gniting talk of Major P. P. O'Keefe. 



In his address, full of pithy state- 

 nents, L. D. Fernald said: 



"To build up successfully the habit 

 if buying flowers will require a habit 

 if advertising flowers on the florists' 

 •art. Merely doing it spasmodically — 

 low and then, at special seasons or on 

 pccial days — won't do the job. It will 

 imply increase the amount of spas- 

 noilic sales, now-and-then purchasing, 

 nstead of the regular buying of flowers, 

 r:iusients instead of customers. 



'May I suggest that advertising re- 

 in ires exactly the same treatment as 

 hf rest of the florist's business re- 

 luires. His flowers of today exist be- 

 ^ 'se he has had persistence and confi- 

 't' ce in investing his money in good 

 P Is or good plants and in stimulating 

 [' r growth by ideal growing condi- 

 i""s and cultivation. Identically the 

 it' e logic should give him the same 

 pifidence in his advertising, for iden- 

 '' illy the same logic applies." 



'^Ir. Fernald pointed to campaigns 

 lovr being conducted throughout the 



On his return from the 

 Washington convention, 

 Secretary Young receiv- 

 ed the following radio- 

 gram from President- 

 elect S. S. Pennock, in 

 reply to a cable message 

 notifying him of his elec- 

 tion: "Essen, Germany. 

 To John Young, 43 W. 

 18th St., New York: My 

 warmed appreciation of 

 the confidence and hon- 

 or tendered me. Be^ 

 wishes to everyone. S. 

 S. Pennock." 



country as examples of one of his prin- 

 ciples, that the slack season is the ad- 

 vertising season. 



"If you will keep up your adver- 

 tising and do more of it, and make 

 people think more about flowers," he 

 predicted, "this will be the biggest 

 and best business year the florists of 

 the United States have ever known." 



Subscription Books Out. 



After presenting to his hearers a plea 

 not to allow so remarkable a slogan to 

 languish and lose its business-develop- 

 ing power. Major O'Keefe outlined the 

 plan for furthering the campaign. Books 

 of subscription pledges had been pre- 

 pared, twenty-five blanks in each book. 

 These were distributed to those who 

 pledged their aid to the campaign by 

 securing signatures of twenty-five flo- 

 rists in each book. If 200 florists took 

 books, he stated, and secured on each 

 of the twenty-five blanks a pledge of 

 the average sum of $20, a fund of $100,- 

 000 a year would be obtained for the 

 next four years, an amount nearly twice 

 as much as was available for publicity 

 in any of the four years of the present 

 campaign. The enthusiasm with which 



the books were taken augured well for 

 the success of the campaign. 



Flower Show Session. 



Following the hour at the polls Thurs- 

 day morning, when Wallace R. Pierson, 

 of Cromwell, Conn., and Fred L. At- 

 kins, of Eutherford, N. J., were elected 

 directors, a session was held devoted 

 chiefly to the next national flower show. 

 George Asmus, chairman of the commit- 

 tee preparing for that event, presented 

 the report which appeared in last week's 

 issue of The Review. He was followed 

 by Charles H. Totty, who gave an ex- 

 cellent discourse on the benefit to be 

 derived by the trade from flower shows. 

 Robert Pyle was then called upon to 

 talk about the participation of the 

 American Rose Society in the show. A. 

 F. J. Baur spoke for the American Car- 

 nation Society and Irwin Bertermann 

 for the Florists' Telegraph Delivery 

 Association. 



Helpful to Growers. 



At the closing session, Thursday 

 afternoon, an exceedingly instructive 

 paper was read on "The Maintenance 

 of Soil Fertility," by James H. Beat- 

 tie, of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. He 

 was rewarded with a rising vote of 

 thanks. The paper was printed in full 

 last week in these columns. 



A telegram was read from Adolph 

 Gude, replying to the one sent him by 

 the convention at an earlier session. 



A plea for the standardization of 

 methods of grading cut flowers was 

 strongly put by Joseph Kohout, of Lib- 

 ertyville, 111., former president of the 

 Commercial Flower Growers of Chi- 

 cago and now president of the Illinois 

 State Florists' Association. His ad- 

 dress was printed in last week's issue 

 of The Review. Following it, Max 

 Schling gave emphatic reenforcement 

 to Mr. Kohout 's statements. J. F. Am- 

 mann asked that the president appoint 

 a committee of three, including one 

 grower, one retailer and one wholesaler, 

 to consider and report at the next con- 

 vention on Mr. Kohout 's paper. The 

 proposal was unanimously carried. 



Robert Kift moved that telegrams be 

 sent in the society's name to those old 

 staunch supporters of the organization, 

 Robert Craig and John Weston, whose 

 absence was regretted. 



Reports of the judges of the trade ex- 

 hibits were read by J. H. Pepper. These 

 are given in full on another page. 



J. F. Ammann presented a supple- 

 mentary report of the membership com- 

 mittee, calling attention to those 

 members who had assisted most strong- 



