April 5, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



J40I 



a vouiih: man to trim up a i)lant taste- 

 fully, and the most handy at that may 

 be very dumb as a salesman. Good sales- 

 men should not be expected to do work 

 tliat much cheaper help can perform 

 quite as well. 



One of the most anxious and vexa- 

 tious things connected with these busy 

 times is the delivery. Ninety per cent 

 of all our sales have to be delivered; 

 therefore not the least valuable man on 

 the place is one who knows the city well 

 and will not keep the wagon or auto- 

 mobile waiting empty at tiie door for a 

 load. Don't let him run away to sell 

 Mr. Impatient a 2i')-cent hyacinth. His 

 services are too valuaViie. Deliver when 

 you promise. If you promise Saturday, 

 it is no business of yours to think Sun- 

 day a. m. will do as well. It nmy be 

 a goody person Avho believes in keeping 

 holy the Sabbath day and does nut want 

 to work his own or your man servant, 

 or niaiil servant, or his ox. 



Willi a:\[ Scott. 



THE GLADIOLUS. 



Twig Basket of Hyacinths and Asparagus. 



the buds to be out at once. It is not 

 the way of a rose, and your customer 

 will be far better pleased if two flowers 

 are about expanded and three or four 

 buds to come. There is a growing 

 preference among our people for a plant 

 with some buds yet to come. They en- 

 joy seeing the future developments. 

 This is so, particularly with the azalea. 

 The Marguerite Queen Alexandra is a 

 fine thing. We have evidence already 

 that it is going to sell well. Give it the 

 fullest light and the buds open quickly. 



Be Prepared. 



In past years I have taken the liberty 

 of advising you to be prepared for the 

 Easter rush, for it is sure to come no 

 matter what the weather is. I don 't 

 propose to go into detail now, because 

 any hints I could give would be an old 

 story. Be in a perfect state of pre- 

 paredness and put nothing off to Friday 

 that can be done on Thursday. Provide 

 yourself with plenty of proficient help. 

 Other trades take on a lot of extra help 

 at certain times, and if it is not as pro- 

 ficient as your steady help, no harm will 

 come of it, for your customers, seeing 

 the place full and a rush of business 

 going on, will not expect the time and 

 suavity as in ordinary days. If an 

 aristocrat is not pleased with that, you 

 are as well without him. 



The trimming or decoration of all 

 plants sent out nowadays has grown to 

 be a great feature of the business. The 

 bill for pajier and boxes for cut flowers 

 is now as great as our coal bills used 

 to be, but you cannot escape it. You 

 must keep to the front in this as well 

 as other features. The most insignificant 

 plant now never is sent out or handed 

 to a customer unless its pot is enveloped 

 with a white and green paper tied with 

 silver cord or baby ribbon. As the arti- 

 cle rises in value the decoration becomes 

 more elaborate and costly, and if you 

 do what you ought, you can always 

 charge sufficient to more than cover the 

 cost of the embellishment. Many a plant 



of humble appearance or imperfect form 

 is sold through a judicious trimming up. 



The Retailer's Troubles. 



The retailer, who has only the limited 

 area of a city store, is terribly con- 

 gested at Easter, and the man who has 

 a commodious conservatory at his back, 

 or the office connected with a range of 

 glass, can work to much greater advan- 

 tage, for the latter need not have all his 

 plants on dress parade. He can have 

 samples of all in their best togs and 

 keep replenishing as fast as sold. 



Division of labor is a great thing. It 

 does not take a great schooling to teach 



A Summer Cut Flower. 



The place the gladiolus occupies in 

 commercial floriculture is unique inas- 

 nnich as it is easily and cheaply grown 

 and comes at a season when all lines 

 of the florist 's business are dull and 

 consequently, nuist sell at a moderate 

 ]>rice. Still it is one of the most use- 

 ful and lasting, most beautiful and easi- 

 ly handled, of any of the long list of 

 flowers that come during the months of 

 August and September. 



Gladioli are not partial to quality or 

 kind of soil, so long as it is full of well- 

 decomposed vegetable matter, and fine 

 and mellow. Where a preference can 

 be given, a rich, sandy loam is best 

 suited to its needs. They require full 

 sunlight and must have plenty of mois- 

 ture at all times; ]>artieularly is this 

 true from the time the bud first begins 

 to swell the stalk until full bloom. If 

 a sheltered location from strong winds 

 can be given, it is quite a help many 



Twig Hamper with Roses and Asparagus. 



