AcouBT 25, 1921 



The Florists^ Review 



23 



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FLOWER SHOWS AID PUBLICITY. 



Demonstrated Advertising Value. 



Is the flower show worth while as an 

 aid to getting our goods before the pub- 

 lic? Most unquestionably, yes I Every 

 industry recognizes this and promotes 

 its own exhibitions, the automobile 

 shows, the chemical shows and many 

 other industries' exhibitions being ex- 

 amples to this effect. 



The New York flower show, with 

 which I have been more particularly 

 connected the last six years, has been 

 a wonderful assistance to business in 

 our section in the flower, seed and plant 

 lines. The grower senses the value of 

 its possibilities; the nurserymen and 

 seedsmen are fully alive to the splendid 

 business it creates; the only man who 

 does not seem able to grasp J;he signifi- 

 cance of a flower show is-' the retail 

 florist. The number of retail florists 

 who interest themselves in the show, 

 in comparison with the number engaged 

 in the business, is pitifully small. I am 

 hoping the retail end of the profession 

 will make a different showing at the 

 fifth national flower show, which will 

 be held at Cleveland next spring. The 

 retail merchant is the man first bene- 

 fited by the increased demand for flow- 

 ers. He should reciprocate by showing 

 the public the most artistic use of 

 flowers. 



New York Gives Example. 



If you could have witnessed, as I 

 have, the crowd of onlookers at the 

 tables when the exhibitors are staging 

 their decorations, for instance, you 

 would see ^hy the retail merchant 

 should be onte of the principal factors 

 at the show./ The public is interested, 

 vitally so, and it is up to the retail 

 men to encourage that interest. 



One of the main features of the last 

 New York show was the garden class, 

 staged by the garden clubs of the coun- 

 try. This drew commuters by the hun- 

 dreds, who attended the show just to 

 look over that particular group, to ad- 

 mire and particularly to see in what 

 way they could use the same methods 

 on their own grounds. Now as to re- 

 sults — did it pay? The phenomenal 

 business the nurserymen in the neigh- 

 borhood of New York report this year 

 in the face of rapidly declining business 

 in other lines speaks for itself. Is it 

 not logical to assume that some of this 

 business — much of it, in fact — was due 

 to the interest displayed and created in 

 the New York exhibition? 



We must remember our business is 

 not a necessity. Our customers do not 

 have to purchase flowers. They do not 

 think they have to adorn their grounds 

 unless we put the thought in their 

 minds and keep it actively alive that it 

 is the right thing to do. Demonstra- 

 tions at flower shows of the use of flow- 

 ers and plants, backed up by a cam- 

 paign of educational instruction in the 

 magazines and papers of the country, 

 will, I am sure, make our business con- 

 tinue to grow and flourish like the pro- 

 verbial bay tree. 



Address by Charles H. Totty on "The Value 

 of Flower Shows in Publicity for the Florists' 

 Industry," presented at the S. A. P. convention 

 lit Washington August 17, 1921. 



Not alone do flower shows educate 

 the public to a better knowledge of the 

 progress that is being made, but they 

 are also a medium by which the raiser 

 of novelties can show his brother florist 

 the progress he is making in producing 

 newer and better types of roses, carna- 

 tions and other flowers. This furnishes 

 an excellent reason why every florist 

 should feel it incumbent on him to at- 

 tend the flower show next spring. A 

 grower who keeps up-to-date with his 

 varieties is the man who gets the 

 "cream of the bottle," leaving the 

 "skim milk" for the other fellow. 

 New roses that cannot stand up in com- 

 petition with the standard sorts have 

 a poor chance of getting themselves es- 

 tablished in the public estimation, 

 riower shows should always be educa- 

 tional in this respect. They should show 

 through the displays of trained artists 

 how to harmonize colors, how to ar- 

 range bouquets, the proper and many 

 sentimental uses to which flowers can 

 be put and the difference between good 

 and bad form in their arrangement. All 

 these things have an interest for the 



public, and properly handled — that is 

 to say, showing something different 

 every day — they will bring the same 

 people day after day to a large exhibi- 

 tion. 



A series of interesting talks on differ- 

 ent phases of the business is always a 

 good drawing card, provided the lec- 

 turer doesn't get too dry and technical 

 in his discourse. 



Adding to Interest. 



A primary consideratipn in a flower 

 show is good music, both instrumental 

 and vocal. Some sense of the fitness of 

 things should be observed. An orches- 

 tra so heavy that it drowns out all other 

 sounds is to be condemned, but music as 

 a diversion cannot be overestimated. A 

 flower show that has no live movement 

 or action is one of the dullest things 

 imaginable. We have found good vocal 

 music to be a drawing card in the New 

 York show, and an excellent adjunct to 

 flowers and their uses. 



Some florists will say, "This sounds 

 all very well for a large exhibition, but 

 we are living in a small town and can- 

 not put on a big show and any show we 

 do put on has little chance of being a 

 financial success." To such florists I 

 would say, by all means work in con- 



Charles H. Totty. 



