August 20, 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



11 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST... 



1 



BASKETS FOB FUNERALS. 



I heartily approve of E. H. Harvey's 

 sensible and timely remarks in The 

 Review of August 15, page 38, on the 

 use of the basket at funerals. It is 

 not as appropriate as a bunch or the 

 numerous pretty and suggestive de- 

 signs, and its continued use for fu- 

 nerals would discourage people from 

 sending it to the living as a present, on 

 account of its being considered "too 

 funereal. ' ' Some flowers are in the 

 same boat, simply because their fra- 

 grance has made an impression upon 

 people and they associate the blooms 

 with funerals. In the south many peo- 

 ple will not permit a cape jasmine in 

 the house, as it reminds them of death. 



I also dislike to see the use of the 

 shower effect for casket bouquets. It 

 is bride-like and suitable for weddings. 

 Why not use it solely for that joyous 

 occasion, and exclude its use at that 

 somber occasion when the simpler ar- 

 rangements of flowers are in much bet- 

 ter taste? 



Another objection to the basket as a 

 funeral offering is that it is difficult to 

 arrange it gracefully and substantially 

 at the same time. A basket is easily 

 upset. Who feels like turning in and 

 arranging flowers at a funeral? I have 

 seen people send large trays of loose 

 flowers. What was their fate? They 

 were dropped and stepped upon by the 

 heedless, while more thoughtful in- 

 dividuals were stooping and gathering 

 them together, meanwhile wondering 

 why people would send loose flowers at 

 such a time. 



If a basket is wanted, and nothing 

 but a basket, suggest sending it to 

 the family in the sad days after the 

 funeral, when they can enjoy the ar- 

 rangement and afterward take them to 

 the grave, which by that time will need 



Panel for the White Rats. 



some fresh flowers to take the place 

 of the dead tributes sent to the fu- 

 neral. S. Cabaniss. 



FACTS AND FIGXJRES, 



About this matter of retail orders 

 from other florists: The Review fre- 

 quently has pointed out that this busi- 

 ness not only is large but that it is 

 growing steadily and can be greatly 

 increased by giving it publicity. 



Just how important this feature is 

 was shown in figures by one of the 

 inland retailers present at the Chicago 

 meeting of the Telegraph Delivery As- 

 sociation August 21. He gave this 

 record of the retail orders he has sent 

 to other florists — too far away for him 

 to ship his work: 



The No. of Gross 



Year. Orders. Value. 



1909 .360 $2.9.50 



1910 40.'i .-{.I.tO 



1911 4.*{5 :i.4,->0 



So far this year, he said, there has 

 been another good increase. 



Is there a florist in America who 

 would not consider $3,500 worth of 

 business important? 



Mind you, these were the orders he 

 has sent out; the record does not show 

 the business he received from other 

 florists too far away to make deliveries 

 in his town. 



His profit on the orders sent out was 

 twenty per cent. The profit on the 

 orders he received from the florists was, 

 of course, correspondingly less, for he 

 allowed the twenty per cent discount 

 from his regular prices to the florists 

 who sent the orders. 



To receive your share of the stream 

 of exchange orders that flows into your 

 city, carry a card in the Department 

 for Leading Retail Florists in The 

 Review — there already are seven pages 

 devoted exclusively to these cards. 



To get orders 'to send out, and make 

 your twenty per cent, you have only 

 to let the public know of your facilities 

 for delivering flowers anywhere on 

 short notice. 



A FLORAL EMBLEM. 



Although from an artistic standpoint 

 designs and emblems carried out in 

 flowers are not usually a success, yet 

 there are times when retailers are called 

 upon to make them, and, as they arc 

 in tln> business to make money rather 

 than to educate the public, they natu- 

 rally do what their customers wish. The 

 panel shown in the accompanying illus- 

 tration was made to the order of the 

 White R;its Actors' Union of America 

 for the funeral of its founder, George 

 Fuller Gordon, and was the work of the 

 Hayward Floral Co., of Los Angeles, 

 Cal. This panel stood eight feet higli 

 and was over four feet wide. The rat 

 was made of white chenille and carna- 

 tions, the star of red and the ground 

 of white carnations. The greens used 

 were galax and adiantum. 



"GREETINaS!" 



One of the customs not in vogue to 

 the extent the florists wish it were is 

 that of presenting flowers to the pre- 

 siding officers at conventions and other 

 meetings. Possibly stage decorations 

 and vases of loose cut flowers are in 

 better taste than the presentation of 

 floral designs; but the florist likes to 

 make the designs. Also, the average 

 president of a trades union or fraternal 

 order is tickled to death when the local 

 people present him with some such an 

 arrangement as is shown in the accom- 

 panying illustration. This is a design 

 made by the Art Floral Co., San Fran- 

 cisco, for a meeting of the Eagles. Note 

 the bird at the top. The portrait of 

 the president, of course, occupied the 

 center. ^^^ 



THAT EMPIRE WREATH. 



With reference to the empire wreath 

 submitted for criticism in The Review 

 of August 8, page 9, I would say that 



CombiDing Portraits and Flowers. 



the designer failed to retain the shape 

 of the wreath properly. The galax 

 looked as if it had been put on care- 

 lessly. Some asparagus should have 

 been used to cover the easel, and a 

 few sprays should have been used with 

 the flowers. Two or three fronds of 

 the Whitmani fern would have added 

 a graceful look to the design. 



I find that in making up empire 

 wreaths it pays to use flowers of one 

 kind; that is, to put on a cluster of 

 carnations, sweet peas, roses or other 

 flowers, but put a stop to mixing all 

 kinds of flowers together, on designs 

 of this kind. It is not necessary to 

 educate people in order to create in 

 their minds a preference for one kind 

 of flowers; you will find that after 

 they have seen one made up in the 

 manner I have stated, they will always 

 want them that way. This applies espe- 

 cially to empire wreaths. 



Some florists think that if they have 

 some odds and ends on their hands, 

 they must use them in the first design 

 that is ordered. It would be more prof- 



