8 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



Fkbruaex 10, 1910. 



your fingers. This is important; pack 

 the soil in well around every fern. 



A dish filled by an experienced man 

 will have the soil even across the top 

 and a little below the edge of the lining 

 after the work is finished. " You may 

 have seen dishes in which the soil was 

 heaped around each fern, or perhaps 

 there was a little mountain in the center, 

 with a cocos at the peak. A dish so 

 filled cannot be properly watered. 



Various Tastes to Satisfy. 



As to the arrangement of the ferns or 

 the varieties used, this depends usually 

 upon the wishes of your customers. Some 

 want nothing but asparagus, while others 

 will not have it at all. Some people like 

 a low, even effect, while others want just 

 the opposite. I have also run across 

 customers who did not believe in per- 

 mitting a particle of soil to show; in 

 order to avoid this, the ferns had to be 

 fairly packed, allowing them little chance 

 to grow. Personally, I prefer an assort- 

 ment of ferns and a loose, airy effect, 

 even if a little of the soil does show. 



There is no end to the number of 

 pretty effects that may be obtained in a 

 dish of fairly good size. Often three 

 small cocos can be used in the center, in- 

 stead of only one. 



Depth of the Dishes. 



The best depth for a fern dish is from 

 three to three and one-half inches, giving 



there would not be so many nearly use- 

 less fern dishes on the market. 



It will pay most retail florists to keep 

 in stock a nice assortment of fern dishes, 

 in qualities and styles to suit the class of 

 trade in each community. A few of 

 these dishes should always be kept nicely 

 filled. They will sell readily. 



Stock to Use. 



It is not necessary to confine yourself 

 to ferns. Small plants of pandanus or 

 Phoenix Eoebelenii, small kentias, dra- 

 caenas, crotons, etc., can be used to good 

 advantage in the large dishes. Baskets 

 in the natural wood, such as birch bark, 

 or baskets in neutral colors, or small 

 window sill boxes, can be filled. In fact, 

 there are many ways of using these small 

 plants. 



Some of the varieties which I have 

 found best for use in fern dishes are: 

 Asparagus plumosus, Aspidium tsussi- 

 mense, Cyrtomium falcatum, Davallia 

 stricta, Pteris Cretica albo-lineata, Pteris 

 Mayii, Pteris serrulala cristata and 

 Pteris Victorise. 



Trifling as the business of filling fern 

 dishes may seem, still a well-filled fern 

 dish on some one's table is a good ad- 

 vertisement for the fiorist, one that may 

 attract more attention than a costly cal- 

 endar. Anyway, it is the little things in 

 life that count. Hugo Schroetee. 



[A little advertising will enable any 

 retail florist to increase his business in 



Fern Dish of Mexican Red Pottery. 



you an inner lining about two and one- 

 half to two and three-fourths inches 

 deep, which will just nicely take the 

 small ferns without disturbing the roots. 

 Some of the dishes on the market are 

 much too deep to look well. Unless ferns 

 of a pretty fair size are planted in them, 

 they Ttill look squatty. Then, again, 

 there are the dishes which are so shallow 

 that it is no wonder the ferns die in 

 them over night. If the manufacturers 

 would confer with an expo-ienced florist. 



the sale and refilling of fern dishes. Try 

 a neatly printed circular for inclosure in 

 your letters, bills, packages, etc. The 

 Review will supply duplicates of either 

 of the cuts used to illustrate this article 

 at $2 each.— Ed.] 



Columbus, O. — Wm. F. Metzmaier at- 

 tended the Pittsburg meefing of the 

 American Carnation Society and thor- 

 oughly enjoyed the trip and the meeting. 



ADVERTISING PAYS. 



W. G. Schucht is located at Chiltua 

 Wis., and it is not in the small tow as 

 that newspaper advertising has its gro t- 

 est value; in the larger cities the ne\'s- 

 paper reaches people who seldom woi Jd 

 see the florist's window or hear of 'be 

 florist; but even in Chilton advertisijig 

 pays, for Mr. Schucht writes: 



"Enclosed is a copy of an advertise- 

 ment I used in a local newspaper as a 

 forerunner for St. Valentine's day and 

 which has brought me business I othiU'- 

 wise would not have enjoyed. I am ruM- 

 ning a large display advertisement this 

 week, which will end with a special win- 

 dow display for St. Valentine's day. A!- 

 though I am located in a community 

 where flowers have not been bought on 

 these special days, I can see where ad- 

 vertising at the right time brings great 

 results. It was shown to me this year on 

 McKinley day, when I had a fine run on 

 carnations through a special window dis- 

 play and special advertising. I am en- 

 joying the Eeview every week, and find 

 some very helpful hints in it. ' ' 



Mr. Schucht 's enclosure, from his local 

 paper, was a clipping as follows: 



FEBRUARY 14th. 

 Just a gentle reminder 



In behalf of Valentine's Day, 

 So think the matter over careful 



And with me you will agree 

 That there is nothing sweeter 



At this season of the year 

 Than a nice Bouquet of Flowers 



Your Valentine's heart to cheer. 

 Flowers are real valentines 



(Nature's product come to stay) 

 And you will always find them proper 



To present on Valentine's Day. 



W. G. Schucht, the Florist. 



MAIL ENCLOSURES. 



Many retail florists find it worth while 

 to send out in each letter a neatly printed 

 circular advertising some feature of their 

 business. Others put circulars on the 

 plant department in cut flower orders, 

 and cut flower circulars in the plant or- 

 ders. Of course they must be attractively 

 gotten up. Here is one used in its mail 

 by an Iowa concern: 



CALIFORNIA- 

 FLOWERS— 

 IOWA— 



Last week we told you we had flowers. We 

 told you we could furnish the lovely part of 

 California to you at small cost. 



Some of you took the cue — and some seem to 

 have forgotten It. 



Now see here, you married men. Just a re- 

 minder to you. 



Don't you remember how you used to take 

 Her a bouquet of pretty flowers every once in u 

 while when you was a cortln' Her. 



Don't you remember how she used to put theiu 

 to her lips (to smell 'em) and say 



"How lovely! — and how good of you to brlnj; 

 them. I Just adore roses!" 



You kept making her say sweet things to you 

 because you did such thoughtful things for her. 

 But say — 



How long since you carried a bouquet to Hi!' 

 since you married Her? 



Once?- Twice? — "Nope, not once" — unless yov. 

 had a party. 



Yes, we've got flowers for parties, too— but i' 

 I were you I'd break the ice by taking a bun :- 

 home to Her a few times. Try it. 



HILL CITY GREENHOUSES 

 Forest City, Iowa 



OUTDCX)R SPRENGERL 



Would the growing of Asparagii 

 Sprengeri in the field be profitable coi;' 

 mercially in this New England climate f 

 If so, what size of plants should be sci 

 out and what time should they be planted 

 out! What kind of land would be best 

 suited to their growth? Any other in- 

 formation you can give on this subje't 

 will be thankfully received. F. E. S. 



Asparagus Sprengeri is grown outdoor- 

 satisfactorily in Florida, but in New Enu 

 land I think it would be a doubtful es 



