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January 18, 1010. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Store of the A. W. Smith Co., Keenan Buildin;, Pittsburfr, Pa. 



that the suburban florist be well versed 

 in this department, so that he may ad- 

 vise them wisely and correctly. 



If the suburban florist is fortunate 

 enough to have some ground in addition 

 to his greenhouses, where he can show his 

 customers results which may be obtained 

 in the immediate vicinity, he could give 

 them object lessons. This I believe would 

 accomplish more good than any cataFogue 

 he could issue. 



For example: The hardy border, with 

 the best and up-to-date perennials; the 

 rose garden; the spring show of bulbs, 

 pansies, forget-me-nots, and English 

 daisies. The peony bed, with its varieties 

 neatly labeled. The summer garden filled 

 with annuals and new cannas, the fall 

 border with late asters and helianthus, 

 followed by the hardy chrysanthemums. 

 Some years ago there was not a May- 

 flowering tulip in Overbrook; from the 

 method described I sold this fall some 

 15,000 bulbs, and from a small bed of 

 columbine last spring I sold 1,000 plants. 



Now, of course, to carry on this business 

 it is necessary to make desirable connec- 

 tions with the nurserymen, seedsmen and 

 plantsmen, and also the wholesaler of cut 

 flowers, acting as their agent. Let me 

 give you an example : When Mr. A. comes 

 along and admires a certain beautiful 

 rase in bloom, and desires one, you take 

 his order, go to the phone, order the 

 same, and thus make a quick turnover 

 with comparatively little labor. 



Buying Stock Better Than Growing. 



My idea of a retail business in a grow- 

 ing community is to use your glass prin- 

 cipally for show houses, keeping them 

 supplied from the large growers. It is 

 foolish to try to compete with them in 

 ^he growing line. An important factor 



is the sale of house plants. There is 

 scarcely a home in which there is not a 

 growing plant. Then, too, a great many 

 people enclose their porches with glass in 

 winter-time, making a temporary con- 

 servatory, to be filled with foliage and 

 flowering plants, which of necessity must 

 be replaced from time to time, making a 

 profitable source of income. 



The sale of Christmas and Easter 

 plants is so universal that its importance 

 need hardly be mentioned. 

 . After spring comes the spring bedding, 

 which probably, taking the whole season 

 throrgh, embraces the biggest volume of 

 the work. Of late years this department 

 has grown to such an extent that I de- 

 pend entirely on the large growers of 

 bedding plants, placing my orders early, 

 80 as to insure a good quality of stock. 

 It seems to me there is a great deal more 

 money made in buying geraniums at $18 

 per thousand out of 2%-inch pots in Feb- 

 ruary, and selling them for $80 per thou- 

 sand from 4-inch pots in May and June, 

 than by growing them myself; besides, I 

 can then confine myself to a few special- 

 ties which oftentimes I cannot buy. 



Under the head of beddi^g plants 

 comes the filling of porch-boxes. I have 

 been trying to get away from the usual 

 filled box, ofeeraniums, coleus, petunias, 

 verbenas ano^alieap vines, using instead 

 such decorative plants as crotons, panda- 

 nus, dracsenas, ferns, etc. The cost of 

 filling such a box as I have described is 

 considerably more, instead of $2.50 to $3, 

 running from $8 to $10, but wherever I 

 have used them they have more than 

 pleased and repaid the purchaser, the 

 reason being that they give an immediate 

 effect, combined with lasting qualities, if 

 given proper attention. Also, at the ap- 



proach of frost the boxes can be taken 

 into the conservatory. 



The Sale of Cut Flowers. 



The sale of cut flowers is the next 

 branch in importance. My experience has 

 been that one cannot get, or expect to 

 get, the same prices as the city florist 

 receives, for the reason that in a growing 

 community the florist caters almost ex- 

 clusively to a family trade, people who 

 want the flowers but not the friUs, con- 

 sidering a fancy, ribbon-tied box unnec- 

 essary. I have found that people of 

 wealth like to buy flowers frequently at 

 moderate rates, say from $1 to $2 worth, 

 but will not spend large amounts except 

 on special occasions, when they will go 

 the limit. Even so, I have found at 

 Christmas time few among my customers 

 who are willing to pay $3 per dozen for 

 red carnations, or $25 per dozen for 

 Beauties. 



To meet this demand for moderate 

 prices I have had to grow flowers which 

 will satisfy the buyers and at the same 

 time give me a profit. These flowers 

 which I grow for this purpose cannot al- 

 ways be bought at the wholesalers '. The 

 following varieties are some of them: 

 Starting in the fall with the dahlias, cos- 

 mos, hardy chrysanthemums. Paper "White 

 narcissus; later on the stocks, wall-flow- 

 ers, schizanthus, daisies and indoor bulbs, 

 following with the spring fiowers, peonies, 

 sweet peas, Spanish iris, outdoor-grown 

 bulbs, etc. 



I have an arrangement by which I sup- 

 ply flowers once a week, on any day the 

 customer desires, at $1 and upwards a 

 week. This plan has met with fair suc- 

 cess. 



In decorations the public seejns to have 

 more confidence in the city florist, think- 



