14 



The Florists' Review 



April 30, 1914. 



RETAIL STORE MANAGEMENT 



WHAT THE LEADERS IN THE TRADE ARE DOING 



KANSAS CITY STYLE. 



The Florists' Club at Kansas City is 

 doing things a little differently from 

 other similar organizations. For in- 

 stance, they are taking up for discus- 

 sion the problems connected with flower 

 store and greenhouse management, seek- 

 ing solutions of trade troubles. At a 

 recent meeting the discussion turned to 

 this season 's shortage of hardy cut 

 ferns. It was pointed out -that the sup- 

 ply in Kansas City is erratic this sea- 

 son, there being times when it is almost 

 impossible to get ferns; "a panic in 

 ferns," as one speaker described it. The 

 matter was referred to M. H. Smith, 

 chairman of the press committee, with 

 instructions to gather information re- 

 garding the situation, to be reported at 

 the next meeting of the club. 



THE TWO SALESMEN. 



[With Apologies to Walt Mason and System.] 



Two flower salesmen went one day to 

 work for Florist Jones; each drew on 

 Saturday, as pay, eleven big round 

 bones. ' * It isn 't much, ' ' said Jones, 

 "but then, do well, and you'll get 

 more; I'd like to have some high-priced 

 men around this blamed old store. 

 You'll find I'm always glad to pay as 

 much as you are worth, so let your 

 curves from day to day astonish all 

 the earth." 



Then Salesman Number One got down 

 and buckled to his work; and people 

 soon, throughout the town, were talking 

 of that clerk. He was so full of snap 

 and vim, so cheerful and serene, that 

 people liked to deal with him, and hand 

 him good long green. In busy times 

 h"e^(T stay at night to straighten things 

 around, and never show a sign of spite, 

 or raise a doleful sound. He never 

 feared that he would stay a half an 

 hour too long, but he sold flowers 

 throughout the day with cheerful smile 

 and song. 



And ever and anon Brer Jones would 

 say: "You're good as wheat! I raise 

 your stipend seven bones, and soon I 

 will repeat!" And now that Salesman 

 Number One is managei*, they say; 

 each week he draws a bunch of mon 

 big as a load of hay. 



But Salesman Number Two was sore 

 because his pay was small; he sighed, 

 ' ' The owner of this store has seven 

 kinds of gall. He ought to pay me 

 eighteen bucks, and more as I advance. 

 He ought to treat me white — but 

 shucks! I haven't got a chance." 



Determined to do just enough to earn 

 his meager pay, he watched the clock, 

 and cut up rough if late he had to stay. 

 He saw that other salesman climb, the 

 man of smiles and songs; but still he 

 fooled away his time, and brooded o*er 

 his wrongs. 



He's still employed at Jones' store, 

 but not, alas! as clerk; he cleans the 

 windows, sweeps the floor, and does the 

 dirty work. He sees young fellows 

 make their start and prosper and ad- 

 vance, and sadly sighs, with breaking 

 heart, "I never had a chance!" 



And hundreds raise that same old 

 wail throughout the florists' trade; you 

 hear that gurgle, false and stale, wher- 

 ever failure 's made. The men who never 

 had a chance are scarce, as chickens' 

 teeth, and chaps who simply won 't ad- 

 ^anee must wear the goose-egg wreath. 



' UNIQUE TABLE DECORATION. 



The motley group of guests in varie- 

 gated costume seated around the table 

 in the accompanying illustration is 

 enough to attract attention of itself, 

 and, with the addition of several other 

 features not at all common, may cer- 

 tainly be called a unique decoration 

 for a dinner table. Around a miniature 

 oval table, sixteen inches wide and 

 twenty-four inches in length, were seat- 

 ed, when all were present, twenty-four 



Miniatui* Table Decoration Used as a Table Decoration by "F. T. D/' Pocbelon. 



miniature figures, representing a fancy- 

 dress party of a society dancing club. 

 The little table and its guests were in 

 the midst of a miniature roof garden,, 

 which was illuminated and decorated 

 with flowers and beds of flowers. 



The entire roof garden, with the tiny 

 party seated around the miniature ta- 

 ble, was placed in the center of a large 

 table, at which the twenty-four life- 

 sized guests of this dancing club were 

 to dine. In an adjoining room was a 

 Victrola, which was boxed up so that 

 the sound issued through a pipe that 

 ended in a funnel under the little roof 

 garden. Needless to say, the twenty- 

 four life-sized guests found much en- 

 tertainment in this novel decoration,, 

 which was from the store of the fanci- 

 ful "F. T. D." Pochelon, at Detroit,. 

 Mich. 



A DECORATION OF DISTINCTION. 



A piece of work worthy of more than 

 ordinary note is the church wedding 

 decoration shown in the illustration on 

 page 15. The fact that the photo- 

 grapher has done his work unusually 

 well adds to the value of. the repro- 

 duction and brings out the beauty of 

 the original effect. The decoration was 

 done by Philip L. Carbone, of Boston, 

 for an Easter wedding at the Arling- 

 ton Street church, in Boston, and is 

 rated by this store as one of the most 

 important pieces of work its force ever 

 undertook. 



About 300 rambler roses, mostly' 

 Dorothy Perkins and Lady Gay, were 

 brouglit into bloom for the occasion. 

 In addition to these, 4,000 Lilium can- 

 didum and two dozen white lilacs were 

 used. The trimmings of roses on the 

 columns reached almost to the ceiling 

 of the church. Smilax tvas used only 

 on the side walls in the galleries. The 

 masses at the base of the columns were 

 composed of lilacs, rambler roses and 

 lilies. At the corner of each pew was 

 tied a garland of smilax with a small ' 

 bunch of roses. In order that the red 

 carpeting of the church might not ruin 

 an otherwise beautiful effect, the entire 

 floor was covered with a specially dyed 

 burlap of foliage green. The particu- 

 lar carp which was bestowed on every 

 detail was well rewarded by the un- 

 usuallv fine effect of the finished work. 



Montague, Mich. — ^f. A. Reinhardt 

 has gone out of business here. 



Medina, N. Y.— The John C. Moninger 

 Co. will soon start the erection of three 

 houses, each 25x200, of iron-frame, truss 

 construction, at Lee Smith 's plant. A 

 Kroeschell hot water boiler will be used 

 to heat the plant. 



Pittsfield, Me.— Mrs. A. J. Loder is 

 planning to move to Bangor, where Mr. 

 Loder has been since his purchase of 

 the Beers greenhouse property and 

 store in that city. They are to erect 

 two large houses on Main street in 

 Banger. The business here will be left 

 in charge of the son, B. W. Loder. 



