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June 7, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



149 



explaining tiie nature of the National 

 Council of Horticulture, and the purpose 

 of the press service. Editors were as- 

 sured that the articles distributed would 

 be prepared by experts and would give 

 their readers authoritative and valuable 

 information concerning horticultural mat- 

 ters. The purpose of the service was 

 explained as being a general stimulation 

 •of interest in horticulture, which would 

 lead to more beautiful homes, and a 

 eloser acquaintance with nature. A 

 pledge -vas given that the articles should 

 in no instance have the effect of ad- 

 vertising any par^ticular firm or group 

 of firms, or any articles of commerce 

 mot generally disseminated. This pledge 

 ihas been kept. 



To understand the full meaning of the 

 results obtained by the test service, it 

 onusl be remembered that lack of funds 

 prevented any attempt to advertise our 

 service. We could not urge on editors 

 ithe reasons they should print the articles 

 we offered. We were barred by poverty 

 from the "follow up" system without 

 which any ordinary business would be 

 lifeless. We could merely offer our 

 wares, explaining ' their merits briefly, 

 and accept the first decision, for or 

 against them, in silence. 



The Results Obtained. 



As close a check as possible was kept 

 to determine what percentage of the 

 papers to which the service was tendered 

 made use of it. This was found to be 

 approximately ninety per cent. This 

 percentage is very much above what I 

 expected, and I believe that had it been 

 possible to have properly followed up 

 •our offers, the few papers that refused 

 them would have been brought to see 

 their merit. 



All the press bureaus and syndicates 

 to which the service was oft'ered accepted 

 it. I give here a list of the bureaus and 

 the number of papers they served as 

 estimated by the different managing 

 •editors at my request, the number in 

 •each case being the minimum estimate: 



Kellos Newspaper Co 760 



Western Newspaper Union 750 



(These bureaus, the largest In the country, 

 ■combined April 15. Up to that time they were 

 supplied with the service separately aiul sup- 

 -Plled It to their dally and weekly newspapers. 

 The maximum estimate put on the number of 

 papers served by the merged bureau was 3,000.) 



American Press Association, New York 400 



Chicago Newspaper Union 500 



(These bureaus supply weekly newspapers.) 

 Madison, Wis., Democrat Co 25 



(These are dally and weekly papers of Wis- 

 consin and Minnesota.) 

 Newspaper Enterprise Association, CTeve- 



land, 80 



(These are metropolitan dallies, inciudiiig the 

 Chicago Journal, Cleveland Press. Cincinnati 

 Post, etc.) 



The service went direct to the following large 

 dallies and was used by them: Worcester Ga- 

 zette, Detroit News, Grand Rapids Herald, 

 leorla Journal, Dayton Dally News, Atlanta 

 Constitution, Ohio State Journal. Columbus. 0., 

 ^}^^^ News-Tribune, Cincinnati Commerclal- 

 IT-lbuiie. St. Louis Uepubllc, Louisville Times, 

 Memphis Commercial Appeal, Omaha Bee, To- 

 peka State Journal, Buffalo Evening News, In- 

 dianapolis Sun, Kansas City Star. Milwaukee 

 «^n"" V,. Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin. Mlnne- 

 r"^ L.i 'iil'"*','. Brooklyn Eagle. San Francisco 

 S^li "• Sj'.'"^'"«*on '^t*'"- Spokane Spokesman- 

 S!rJ''";.u.^''""''*''l''''a Bulletin, Chicago Dally 

 >ews. Chicago Tribune. 



The willingness of newspapers through- 

 out the country to print horticultural 

 matter having been demonstrated, it re- 

 mains to comment on the value of the 

 service to the members of the nursery, 

 seed and florist trades that supported it. 



Valoe to the Trade. — ^— — 

 The value cannot be questioned by 

 anyone familiar with the effects of ad- 

 vertising. The articles sent out by the 

 •council have been advertisement, not for 



A Btrchbark Rrcplacle Filled by Muir, Chicago. 



any one firm, but for the horticultural 

 interests of the country generally. 



Every branch of horticulture has been 

 affected by the wide range of subjects in 

 the articles. No one will deny, for in- 

 stance, that an article on how to grow 

 pansies, printed in the Brooklyn Eagle, 

 Philadelphia Bulletin, and the Chicago 

 Tribune, leading newspapers in three big 

 cities, with a combined circulation of 

 more than half a million, will stimulate 

 the demand for pansy plants among th,^ 

 readers of those papers in New YOj|f%( 

 Philadelphia, Chicago, and a large tferti- 

 tory surrounding each city. 



Such an article would probably be of 

 so much value to the trade benefited, that 

 by dividing the expense among "them, 

 the dealers in each city could afford to 

 pay for the article s insertion at ad- 

 vertising rates. Certainly to any enter- 

 prising dealer that would be a business 

 proposition not to be lightly put aside. 



An article on pansies was published in 

 each of the large papers named, and in 

 2,500 or more other papers throughout 

 the country. It was distributed by the 

 national council at a cost of about $5, 

 and was published free. 



Is it conceivable that the benefit done 

 by that article to the florists and seeds- 

 men of the country was not worth the 

 cost, and many times the cost? 



Every other article distributed by the 

 national council was of similar profit 

 to the trade, and was published with as 

 little expense. 



Consider what the cost of this exploita- 

 tion would be at advertising rates. Con- 

 sider also the immense circulation given 

 to each article, even in our limited ex- 



perimental service. The newspapers 

 served ranged in circulation from 350,000 

 down to 1,000. Supposing the average 

 circulation to be 2,000 — which is reason- 

 able — and the total circulation was 

 5,000,000. This at a cost of $5. 



It must not be forgotten, moreover, 

 that the articles distributed by the 

 council are published as editorial matter 

 and the value of editorial matter is gen- 

 erally rated as much greater than matter 

 in the advertising columns. 



Ag^uvst these arguments in favor of 

 t^fr eoBn*il(!s press service it may be 

 utged that the newspapers, being 

 cdgnizant of the public interest in horti- 

 culture, will print information about it, 

 whether the council supplies it or not. 



Reasons for Extension. 



It is true there is a wave of interest 

 in horticulture sweeping over the country. 

 It is fostered by the Civic Association, 

 the Woman 's Outdoor Art League, and a 

 dozen other admirable voluntary organi- 

 zations that are inspired by high ideals 

 of beauty and a love of nature. It is 

 this general interest which makes it 

 possible for the national council to get 

 its matter printed with so little trouble. 



These organizations, however, do not 

 have the prosperity of the commercial 

 man at heart. Their work is not 

 systematized to that end. While the gen- 

 eral interest they stimulate often leads 

 newspapers to print horticultural in- 

 formation, then again in many instances 

 it does not. What is printed may lack 

 timeliness, from a trade standpoint. 

 Certainly, it won't be prepared with the 

 commercial men's benefit in view. 



