1290 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Mabch 29, 1006. 



Regular Supplies. 



Keason the fourth: Why the retailer 

 should arrange for a regular Bvipply of 

 new roses, particularly varieties he dis- 

 plays. This was brought to my personal 

 attention during our flower show last 

 fall, when, as manager, I was on the 

 lookout for material that the press 

 would use if we were to expect help to 

 promote our interests in the local pa- 

 pers. One of our growers had a new 

 rose which he intended naming and, as 

 he had had some unsatisfactory expe- 

 rience in the past owing to names given 

 to roses, he was very desirous of get- 

 ting the right name for this particular 

 variety and finally decided upon naming 

 it after the bride of one of Chicago's 

 prominent business men. The press 

 immediately took hold of this subject 

 and gave it much prominence by display- 

 ing cuts of the rose and the lady it 

 was named after, also mentioning the 

 grower and publishing information given 

 by him. 



Previous to this press talk a few re- 

 tailers in our city had this same rose 

 in stock in such quantities as were avail- 

 able; but reports did not show that there 

 was a notable demand for it. Now, how- 

 ever, note the change! The statement 

 of the manager of the establishment 

 where the rose was grown was that 

 from thirty to forty telephone calls a 

 day was a moderate estimate, to say 

 nothing of the calls at the local retail 

 stores by people wishing to know where 

 the rose could be seen and purchased. 



Naturally there was a scarcity owing 

 to the demand, also owing to the usual 

 methods employed by the grower in se- 

 curing all the wood available for cut- 



Advertising Value of New Rose* 



It would be well to state here the 

 worth of new roses as an advertising 

 medium for flower shows. This was 

 brought home to me very forcibly at 

 our show where I established a bureau 

 of information, clerks in charge being 

 overrun with inquiries regarding the 

 location of new varieties advertised. 



As to reason five, Why the retailer 

 should learn the parentage or source of 

 new varieties: Because it pertains to 

 his business. When talking with the 

 trade the impression left by the knowl- 

 edge of new varieties cannot help but 

 do good. Very often people are glad 

 to receive such information and do not 

 hesitate to tell others; at the same time 

 it adds to the prestige of the party giv- 

 ing the information. It is also a help 

 in properly displaying new varieties and 

 correctly informing the public. The 

 choicest vase of roses can be given 100 

 per cent more publicity in the window 

 by simple and truthful description. 



Naming New Varieties. 



Reason six: Why the retailer should 

 interest himself in the naming of new 

 varieties. The grower should deliberate 

 very carefully before naming a new 

 rose. While undoubtedly it is a great 

 pleasure to name a rose after a dear 

 friend or a member of one's own family 

 it is not very often the practical way. 

 For after all we are merchants who are 

 fortunate to have one of the Creator's 

 beauties to deal with. 



If flower buyers would rather purchase 

 the Alice Roosevelt rose than the same 

 rose named Uncle John or Uncle Bill, 

 let us give them what they want and 



The Silver Medal Group of Nephrolepis Whitmani at Boston. 



tings as soon as he found out he had a 

 winner. The retailer would be apt to 

 think that the variety has been exter- 

 minated were it not for the glittering 

 advertisements in the trade papers. I 

 sometimes think there are growers who 

 do not sleep nights but go prowling 

 around with a lantern in their green- 

 houses looking for new cuttings; there- 

 fore the retailers had better arrange for 

 a regular supply of new roses before ad- 

 vertising too strongly. A regular supply 

 of any item is needed if a trade is to 

 be worked up. 



reap the benefit. It never hurt the beau- 

 tiful carnation Peter Fisher originated 

 when he named it after Boston's illus- 

 trious son's wife, Mrs. Thomas W. Law- 

 son, and nothing could be more appro- 

 priate than the name American Beauty 

 for that grand flower. When E. G. Hill 

 changed the name of his beautiful red 

 rose from Aetna to Richmond he knew 

 there was something in a name. 



Value of a Name. 



An incident comes to my mind during 

 my visit to New York last month. While 



strolling along Fifth avenue I saw quite 

 a throng of people stop and adinire three 

 vases of roses prominently displayed in 

 a show case in front of one of New 

 York 's large flower stores. My cu- 

 riosity being aroused I investigated and 

 found the beautiful Richmond rose 

 adorned with a small placard announcing 

 same as the Mme. Sembrich, Uncle 

 John as Mme. Fames; and still another 

 rose the variety of which I was ignorant, 

 as Mme. Melba. That being grand opera 

 week I was informed by the exhibitor 

 that they could insure the sale of many 

 more roses by tricking the public. I 

 myself do not approve of that scheme; 

 far the reverse, and I did not hesitate 

 to tell my informant so. But here was 

 food for thought. If it was of so much 

 value to name "the rose Mme. Fames, or 

 whatever the name might be, to iiicrease 

 the sales, M'hy should not the retailer 

 who meets the purchaser and knows the 

 value of a name be consulted and his 

 advice listened to? 



Time for Club Meetings. 



Reason seven, Why he should devote 

 part of his time to horticultural societies 

 and local florists' clubs to relate expe- 

 riences with new varieties: My answer 

 to other reasons covers this somewhat. 

 But the fact of the good derived from 

 rubbing elbows with all branches of our 

 business was brought home to me dur- 

 ing a recent visit to Dayton, 0. While 

 taking lunch at the ofiicers' club on the 

 National Cash Register Co. 's grounds, 

 where the heads of different departments 

 lunch and spend the noon hour, I noted 

 that the greater purport of the conversa- 

 tion was upon their work. I was in- 

 formed that some of the brightest ideas 

 originate in that recreative hour. Thus 

 it should be at our club meetings. The 

 retail employer should see that his help 

 belongs to local organizations, and there, 

 if anywhere, the rose grower is sure to 

 bring his new variety. Discussions on 

 the merits of the same might take place 

 and the grower could get such informa- 

 tion as he may need and wish. It wants 

 the closer affiliation of the grower and 

 retailer to help both in their business. 



• Popularity of Mme. Chatenay. 



It was at one of these meetings in 

 our city that a Chicago grower displayed 

 a vase of the Mme. Abel Chatenay in 

 first-class condition. The rose had been 

 partly condemned by some of the re- 

 tailers who had not seen it at its best. 

 The roses so impressed one of our prom- 

 inent retailers at that meeting, and he 

 was so interested, that his purchases and 

 the demand he caused no doubt was re- 

 sponsible for part of the great popu- 

 larity of this rose in our city. 



Reason eight. Why the retailer should 

 be one of a set of judges and his essays 

 more frequent: By so doing he would 

 come in touch with the local dealer and 

 get his ideas on his wants in the way 

 of supplies for certain seasons and the 

 colors mostly desired. It seems to me, 

 also, that essays would be one of the 

 ways his ideas could be ventilated. By 

 making him one of a set of judges the 

 commercial view of the new roses could 

 be better had. 



I will now close, trusting that I have 

 conveyed to you clearly my views on 

 the retailers' part in the introduction of 

 new roses. 



Heerinqton on the Chrysanthelnum, 

 the latest book, 50c, of the Review. 



