10 



The Florists* Review 



AV6USX 7, 1913. 



in vain. He then resumes his old posi- 

 tion and again patiently awaits an- 

 other bite. It has been stated by sev- 

 eral spectators that this is a true rep- 

 resentation o£ their luck during their 

 summer outings." 



Whatever the appeal to human ex- 

 perience that this particular fisherman 

 toy exerts, which makes it doubly at- 

 tractive, other mechanical toys add 

 greatly to a window decoration. Whir- 

 ring motorboats and automobiles, even 

 though they never reach a destination, 

 catch the eye, for the eye of the ordi- 

 nary individual is as sensitive to a 

 moving object as the eye of a bull to 

 a bit of red, although the effect may 

 not be the same. 



Puzzles Are Good Advertising. 



There is a ruling principle which 

 should be carried in mind and may as 

 well be mentioned here. This is to the 

 effect that a puzzle is about the greatest 

 keeper of attention. If somewhere in 

 the window there is a bit of action 

 that cannot be accounted for by any 

 mechanical contrivance within the 

 scope of the spectator's fancy, the puz- 

 zle will be an eternal lodestar to him. 

 If he can not find out how it works 

 today he will come back tomorrow, and 

 again and again. He will tell a friend 

 that over in the window of So-and-So, 

 the florists, there is a contrivance that 

 has got him guessing, and the friend 

 also will try to solve the puzzle. This 

 is real advertising. 



In the window of a Chicago business 

 house there is a toy steamer that steers 

 its way amid rocks and hidden dangers 

 and never falters and never meets dis- 

 aster. One's first guess is a wire under 

 the water and search is made immedi- 



ately for it. The water is clear and 

 smooth as glass, but no means of con- 

 trol is revealed to the eyes of the 

 searcher. So he comes again, always 

 hunting for a solution. Such a device 

 is difficult, but many simpler puzzles 

 may be devised. A whirling spray in- 

 side a globe of glass and hidden by the 

 water flowing down the sides of the 

 globe often puzzles some people for a 

 while. The puzzle need not be unsolv- 

 able; it need only puzzle for a time 

 and, when solved, merit the commenda- 

 tion of cleverness. 



Appeal to Other Interests. 



It is a well-known rule in advertising 

 to hitch up one's idea with something 

 else in which people are strongly in- 

 terested. Hence the great number of 

 badeball ideas in advertisements, par- 

 ticularly of men's needs. This rule 

 helps equally in window decoration and 

 will lend a touch that makes the dis- 

 play worth twice the value it other- 

 wise has. Appropriate designs for holi- 

 days and special occasions have long 

 been the rule. Designs appropriate to 

 locality and the interests of the season, 

 and in some way linked up with those 

 things in which the spectator is almost 

 certain to be interested, jfre of as 

 much, if not of more value. 



This is, of course, meant to be car- 

 ried out in a particular way, just as in 

 a broad way the whole display is made 

 to appeal to the interest the passer-by 

 has in a cool spot. As the effort to 

 arouse a feeling of coolness must be 

 constantly present in the dog-days win- 

 dow decoration, so the idea of hitching, 

 up the window advertisement to the in- 

 terests of those who will see it ought 

 to be ever in mind. 





THECONVENTIONCllY- 



I 



CONVENTION HAUii ALL BIGHT. 



This note is for the purpose of setting 

 at rest disquieting rumors as to the 

 condition of the armory at Minneapolis 

 that is to be used as the convention 

 hall. 



A story has been going from mouth 

 to mouth and growing with each telling, 

 until it might appear that the building 

 is unsafe. The facts appear to be quite 

 tame. It is stated by George Asmus, 

 who has just returned to ("hicago after 

 spending several dUys at Minneapolis, 

 that a section of the west wall pos- 

 sibly 10x10 feet has been taken down 

 and boarded up pending the permanent 

 rebuilding with brick after the conven- 

 tion. The roof is carried on steel gird- 

 ers on concrate pilasters and is en- 

 tirely independent of the walls. If all 

 the walls were removed it would not 

 affect the stability of the building. One 

 nmall section between girders some time 

 ago parted a tew inches from the steel 

 and repairs were ordered by the state. 

 For the convenience pf the S. A. F. 4he 



permanent work was postponed until 

 after the convention. Of course various 

 conferences have been necessary, but 

 the matter is of no real consequence 

 and should not be exaggerated. 



CONVENTION PREPARATIONS. 



The Outdoor Exhibits. 



Vice-president Theodore Wirth, who 

 is in charge of the outdoor exhibits 

 that are to be a feature of the S. A. F. 

 convention at Minneapolis, is disap- 

 pointed with the showing; the response 

 by the trade lias not come up to his 

 expectations. According to the list 

 published in The Beview July 31, 

 eighteen firms from a distance have 

 taken space, as have thirteen in Min- 

 neapolis and St. Paul, a total of thirty- 

 one exhibitors. It also was stated in 

 the same issue that at least one ex- 

 hibitor is paying $447 for his outdoor 

 space. That will seem to those who at- 

 tend the convention as' being a dis- 



tinctly creditable showing, although 

 Mr.' Wirth writes: 



"Are all the many advantages of 

 our conventions and trade exhibits un- 

 derstood and recognized, and are we 

 all doing our share to-jUlvance those 

 advantages for the common good of the 

 trade in general? 



"I believe that the speaker at a re- 

 cent meeting of the Philadelphia Flo- 

 rists' Club was entirely right in saying 

 that *w€^ do not always give each other 

 the square deal, ' and his remarks, which 

 were dealing in the main with existing 

 relations between growers and retailers,^ 

 can well be applied and are equally true 

 in a still broader sense when we con- 

 sider the relations between the craft 

 as a whole and our endeavors to ad- 

 vance and explore to the fullest extent 

 our large and ever promising field of 

 work. 



"The truth of this is well demon- 

 strated through the comparatively 

 small interest shown by the grower* 

 and dealers of this country in the un- 

 dertaking of an outdoor exhibit in con- 

 nection with the coming convention. 

 No better opportunity has ever been 

 offered to any grower or dealer to dis- 

 play his plants adapted for outdoor cul- 

 ture than the garden now planted, 

 which from a cultural point of view is 

 now in a promising condition. The ex- 

 pense for space was low and the as- 

 surance given for the proper care, cul- 

 tivation and protection of the exhibits 

 could not have been made more satis- 

 factory. 



"The answers to our appeal for ex- 

 hibits received from some of the lead- 

 ing firms, and the marked indifference 

 shown by the great majority of grow- 

 ers and dealers, are, to say the least, 

 discouraging and not creditable to the 

 craft as a whole. The only reasonable 

 excuse for the lack of better support 

 for this undertaking is that it is a 

 new venture in connection with our 

 convention. Good weather prevailing, 

 the success of this exhibition garden is 

 assured, and it is hoped same will re- 

 sult in similar displays at future con- 

 ventions, to which the trade will surely 

 give better support." 



Secretary Young's View. 



On the other hand. Secretary John 

 Young thinks the prospect for the con- 

 vention among the best in years. Writ- 

 ing August 1, he said in part: 



"A state of preparedness may be 

 said to exist at this time. All the 

 local committees have been and are 

 working in harmony, and all details are 

 so arranged that no one expects the 

 slightest hitch to occur during conven- 

 tion week. 



' ' The main hall of the Armory, where 

 tlie trade exhibits are to be located, is 

 ideal for exhibition purposes. The 

 plantings in the outdoor exhibition 

 have progressed, well, and should be 

 just right when the convention opens. 

 All will be ready when the delegates 

 arrive. 



"Intending visitors should avoid the 

 possibility of disappointment in obtain- 

 ing hotel accommodation to their lik- 

 ing by making room reservations at 

 once. Minneapolis has many good ho- 

 tels, but at this time of the year they 

 are generally well patronized by tour- 

 ists; hence the wisdom of booking ac- 

 commodations early. 



"Great preparation has been made 

 to care for the comfort and pleasure of 

 the visiting ladies. The Minnikahda 

 Club, where the luncheon will be given 



