JUNB 4, 1914. 



The Florists^ Review 



17 



to handle it on an extremely narrow 

 margin of profit. 



WBEATH OF SPRING FLOWERS. 



In the funeral wreath shown in the 

 accompanying illustration several varie- 

 ties of spring flowers were used, with 

 exceedingly good effect. Sweet peas, 

 daffodils and mignonette were the flow- 

 ers used; adiantum fern and a bow of 

 bronze and green ribbon were added to 

 finish the piece. It was made for a 

 recent funeral by the Livingston Seed 

 Co., of Columbus, O. 



EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. 



Mr. Wittbold's Ideas. 



In an article on "The Purposes of 

 Organization," printed in the pam- 

 phlet published as the organ of the Re- 

 tail Florists' Association of Chicago, 

 Louis Wittbold, head of the George 

 Wittbold Co., makes the following ob- 

 servations worthy of a wider reading, 

 for they apply wherever the flower 

 business has been developed to meet the 

 needs of a large population: 



"A topic brought up at a recent 

 meeting of the association advising the 

 craft to cut out the undertakers, etc., 

 from their list of'customers, has set me 

 to thinking and I want to give a warn- 

 ing that we are treading on dangerous 

 ground, provided we want to hold the 

 florists together. 



"To dictate just how a man must 

 run his business would be an ideal 

 state to accomplish, provided it could 

 be equitably done and providing the 

 person or persons who did the dictat- 

 ing would be strong enough to compen- 

 sate him for the losses that would be 

 sustained by complying with such a re- 



Shipping Artificial Wreaths from Penn's, Boston, May 29, for Memorial Day. 



quest. We must remember that our 

 ideas, ideals, business principles and 

 business methods to make an honest 

 living may be entirely different, and 

 generally are entirely different from 

 those of our competitors, and still each, 



Funeral Wreath of Spring Flowers by the Livingston Seed Co., Columbus, O. 



in his way of doing, is following his 

 own conscience, and from his way of 

 thinking is absolutely right. Conse- 

 quently, we are obliged to view things 

 from the other fellow's viewpoint, so 

 that we can be fair with him and not 

 put him in an embarrassing position, 

 which would force him to a hasty de- 

 cision either to forsake his business or 

 forsake the association to which he 

 belongs. 



"You must remember if you wish to 

 hold the organization together, we must 

 first make a study of the conditions 

 under which we exist, that is, the 

 source from which we receive our reve- 

 nue, the fields that we work in. Some 

 of us may sell strictly to the home 

 trade, some may sell to the under- 

 takers, some may make a specialty of 

 department store trade, some may be 

 working other fields that have taken 

 years to develop and with which they 

 are thoroughly familiar, and for whiA 

 they have specially fitted themselves. 

 All these things must be thought of 

 and it would not be wise or right un- 

 der the present conglomeration of in- 

 terests to make plans that would crip- 

 ple or curtail a man's business. If we 

 wish to hold this organization together 

 we must create a spirit in the organiza- 

 tion that we can all feel that we need 

 not fear for our business life. 



* ' Everything that is attempted should 

 be along educative lines and in a sug- 

 gestive way, as our interests are so 

 varied that it is almost impossible to 

 benefit one without hurting another. 

 That which would be most beneficial 

 to one would be antagonistic to another, 

 so, until we can meet on a more equal 

 plane, which can be brought about by 

 years of intelligent educational effort, 

 methods of dictation should be shunned 

 and only the most friendly methods 

 should be pursued. 



"To a certain extent the florist busi- 



