Mat 7, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



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THE RETAIL 





FLORIST...... 



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LETTERING THE PILLOW. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 ,1 photograph of a 30-inch pillow recent- 

 ly made by J. P. Wilson, of the Wilson 

 Floral Co., Olney, 111. The pillow is 

 probably more often called for than any 

 other one style of funeral design, and 

 the variations of the design are infinite. 

 In this case the principal point of in- 

 terest is the method by which the design- 

 maker met the demand for the lettering 

 of three words, each word being of the 

 same value. By throwing two garlands 

 of roses across the ground of carnations, 

 vvith balancing clusters of roses at „ the. 

 upper left and lower right-hand corners, 

 he succeeded in making appropriate 

 places for all three words, giving each 

 the same relative importance. 



WEDDING OUTnTS. 



However numerous the wedding deco- 

 rations may be in May, the real season 

 for this class of work is in June, and 

 every retailer who makes any pretense 

 at being equipped for wedding work 

 should have an outfit of kneeling stools, 

 gates, etc. 



The supply houses now offer a consid- 

 erable assortment of these goods, and 

 they go a long way toward making the 



decoration satisfactory. The complete 

 outfit will consist of a kneeling stool, 

 satin covered ropes and gates, with elec- 

 troliers and extensions, which enable them 

 to be used in a great variety of posi- 

 tions and adjusted to the space to be 

 occupied. Since no two decorations will 

 be just alike, the outfit, or some part 

 of it, can be used in each one to ad- 

 vantage, and many of the leading re- 

 tailers have several such sets in con- 

 stant use in the busy season. 



, MEMORL\L DAY. 



It is worth while remembering at this 

 time that Memorial day for a number of 

 years has shown a steady advance in its 

 importance to the florists. The trade 

 May 30 has increased so rapidly that the 

 day has taken its place as one of the 

 distinct special flower days, exceeded 

 only by Easter and Christmas. Since 

 the special flower days this season are 

 ex(;eeding those of last year, it is rea- 

 sonable to suppose that the Memorial 

 day business also will show another 

 advance. 



It must be borne in mind that the 

 Memorial day demand is for flowers to 

 be left at the cemetery. For such a 

 purpose the demand is for stock of a 



moderate price; only those stores which 

 have a wealthy trade can handle quan- 

 tities of expensive stock on this day. 

 In the average store the demand is for 

 bouquets at 50 cents, $1, or occasionally 

 $2. Best quality is not demanded; what 

 is wanted is a big show for the money. 



While the principal call is for bunches, 

 large numbers of wreaths may be sold. 

 In some localities the popular thing is 

 the metal wreath, or the one with arti- 

 ficial flowers, and in certain districts 

 florists handle these in large numbers 

 for Memorial day; also, laurel wreaths, 

 magnolia wreaths, moss wreaths and 

 other arrangements bought of the sup- 

 ply houses are sold in large numbers. 

 But in the leading stores nothing of this 

 kind is seen. What is handled there 

 is the boxwood wreath, with a bunch 

 of cut flowers on one side, or the galas 

 wreath similarly embellished. 



Memorial day also affords the retailer 

 an opportunity for some more special 

 advertising in his local newspaper. Don't 

 delay making your plans, either for stock 

 or for advertising. Good advertising in 

 the local paper will do much in the de- 

 velopment of the Memorial day business, 

 and, without much regard to what the 

 local supply may be, you can get flowers 

 in the nearest wholesale market. You 

 might not at Christmas be able to satis- 

 fy a customer who wanted red roses by 

 offering gardenias instead, but for the 

 cemetery purposes, if you have no roses, 

 your customer will be satisfied with 

 carnations, sweet peas, valley, lilies, 

 peonies or cape jasmine. 



THE AHT OF WINDOW GATING. 



The first really open days of spring, 

 such as those which we are now having, 

 make a perceptible difference with the 

 congestion of the sidewalks i^ the over- 



Piflow, by J. P. Wilson, Olney, IIL 



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