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DEBUTANTE DOINGS » 

 X DEVELOP DOLLARS 



Since time immemorial the social butterfly, emerging from the cocoon of 

 adolescence, ha^ occupied a conspicuous plaice in t^e, cosmos, until today the 

 debutante brings large sums of her admirers' mo'^^y.Jo the coffers of florists. 

 It is a business where quality and novelty count. ^' 



CCORDING to Webster a 

 da-bii-tont' is "a woman 

 appearing for the first 

 time before the public or 

 in society; specifically, an 

 actress or singer making 

 her first appearance in 

 public, or a young woman 

 during her first season in 

 society," but according to 

 a florist a debutante is a spring, the 

 source of a rill of pure gold, which, fed 

 by other streams drawn to it, becomes, 

 in late autumn, a river, sometimes a 

 broad, deep river, enriching as it flows, 

 as well as the retailer, the growers far 

 and near. 



For the debutante receives many 

 flowers — fine flowers. 



It may be argued that the doings of 

 the debutantes affect only the retailers 

 who cater to those who hold positions 

 in society, that they do not interest the 

 store men who derive their patronage 

 from those outside the social pale. But 

 is that truef "What of the effect on 

 the marietst The early-bird debutante 

 and the first frost ordinarily make their 

 appearance together and one has al- 

 most as much effect as the other ii. 

 putting life into the summer's lacka- 

 daisical demand for 

 greenhouse fiowers. 



For one can't send 

 a debutante garden 

 flowers. 



Gift flowers never 

 can be cheap flowers 

 — they nlust be the 

 best. And the de- 

 mand for quality al- 

 ways advances prices 

 — advances even the 

 prices of the stock 

 not good enough for 

 the quality buyer, 

 because, as one whole- 

 saler used to argue, 

 when the best is 

 gone the best of what 

 is left becomes the 

 best and is worth the 

 best prices — if one 

 can get them! At 

 any rate, when buy- 

 ers are bidding for 

 the privilege of se- 

 lection it means that 

 everyone becomes 

 filled with renewed 

 enthusiasm and takes 

 hold with new zest. 



For there's noth- 

 ing like a crowd to 

 loosen purse-strings. 



The more flowers 



the first debutante has, the more the 

 next one will get. People send flowers 

 because it is de rigueur, the right 

 thing to do, and the social elect are au 

 fait, so to speak, well instructed. In 

 any flrst-class American city a group 

 of twenty or thirty girls of debutante 

 age means a big season's business for 

 the half dozen or so florists who make 

 pretense of catering to that class of 

 trade. It's a difficult business to break 

 into, but, once established, it's like 

 Tennyson's celebrated brook — it goes 

 on forever. 



For there is a new crop of debu- 

 tantes each year. 



When Alice Roosevelt had her com- 

 ing-out party at the White House the 

 debutante bouquets came in showers. 

 There were hundreds of them; so many 

 that it was necessary to provide a 

 means of displaying them, and a rack 

 was built to hold them. 



For everyone who sends flowers must 

 see them, be it funeral or reception. 



One of the features of the debutante 

 flowers that people do not like, and yet 

 are responsible for, is their sameness. 

 They always have been, and always are, 

 alike, according to their period, as 

 everyone sends the same thing, the ar- 



Tb« Dcbtftante't Friends are Known by the Flowers They Send. 



rangement that has the approval of 

 custom. The old-fashioned bouquet was 

 what grandmother had for her debut. 

 Mother had a looser bunch, but the 

 next generation was back to grand- 

 mother's style, elaborated, embe^Ushe4, 

 beautified and much more costly, but 

 still the old-fashioned formal bouquet. 

 Today there's need for a change and 

 the stores that supply the bulk of 

 these flowers are trying out various nov- 

 elties, as well as sending many fine 

 boxes and baskets of loose cut flowers. 



For baskets of flowers are appropriate 

 for every occasion. 



"The debutante season has, become a 

 great factor in the florists' business, 

 especially so in the large cities," says 

 Albert Pochelon, of Detroit, who has his 

 finger on the pulse of this phase of trade 

 activities because of the considerable 

 number of telegraph orders for debu- 

 ^tantfi flowers .and his position as secre- 

 tary of the F. T. D. "We have in De- 

 troit this autumn from thirty-five to 

 forty prominent families with daugh- 

 ters to be formally introduced to so- 

 ciety and each of the leading retail 

 stores is sure of a number of good or- 

 ders for each of these parties. Also, 

 quite a few of the orders will come 

 from out-of-town by 

 mail and telegraph." 



For debutantes have 

 distant friends who 

 don't forget. 



"But it is time we 

 retailers put some 

 originality into debu- 

 tante flowers, ' ' con- 

 tinued Mr. Pochelon. 

 "Bouquets are called 

 for more than ever 

 before, but it is only 

 because people don't 

 know what else to 

 send, unless it is a 

 basket. And after 

 the affair is over we 

 hear the flowers were 

 fine, but too much 

 alike. We retailers 

 will be starting some- 

 thing of advantage 

 to ourselves and to 

 the whole trade when 

 a lot of us get to 

 working up good nov- 

 elties to send to the 

 debutantes. Stir up 

 the thinkers and get 

 them to show their 

 ideas in The Re- 

 view," andMr. Poch- 

 elon accordingly 

 sends along a couple 



