Febklary 13, 1913. 



The Florists' Review 



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I 



THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



I 



PUSHING IT ALONG. 



In the St. Valentine 's day number of 

 The Review it was said that ' ' the 

 purpose of this issue is to get 10,000 

 florists each to do a little something 

 to attract the attention of the public 

 to the appropriateness of flowers for 

 use as valentines." Complete returns 

 are not in, but a goodly proportion of 

 the 10,000 certainly did their part. For 

 instance, Samuel Murray sent to the 

 best people of Kansas City a neatly 

 printed card bearing the following 

 above his signature: 



"Flowers should be used to express 

 your Greeting on Valentine 's Day. 



"Our supply and variety of Choice 

 flowers will be found adequate for this 

 occasion. 



"Coming from us will assure you of 

 correct arrangements of the best flowers 

 and prompt delivery. 



"Let us serve you." 



A CONSEBVATOBY ENTBANOE. 



Usually a floiist gives little attention 

 to the appearance of the rear view of 

 his establishment; if he has a green- 

 house beside or behind his retail store 

 he is content with a structure that ful- 

 fills the utilitarian need and spends no 

 money on the impractical. In the case 

 of Bertermann Bros. Co., Indianapolis, 

 however, when a conservatory was 

 built for the storage of decorating 

 plants the entrance on the rear street 

 was designed to be one of the attrac- 

 tive features of the place. It is shown 

 in the accompanying illustration and 

 will be seen to present a better appear- 

 ance than many a main entrance does. 

 The conservatory is 30x100, of steel 

 frame construction, and beneath it is 

 a basement to which flowers are trans- 

 ported from an electric elevator in the 

 sidewalk. 



PUSHING SPECIAL DAYS. 



The following letter is from A. F. 

 Koehle, in charge of the retail florists' 

 department of the Texas Nursery Co., 

 of Sherman, Tex.: 



' ' We have read with great interest 

 and pleasure the several pages in The 

 Review for January 30, on making, and 

 how to make, St. Valentine's day an- 

 other special flower day. We are en- 

 closing herewith a copy of a letter we 

 intend getting out to our customers, 

 the other fellow's customers, and pros- 

 pective customers. Like most other 

 florists, we have representatives in the 

 smaller towns around us, from whom 

 we get a list of prospective customers, 

 to whom, as you will note by enclosed 

 copy, we mail the letter. We did this 

 last year and it increased our Valen- 

 tine's day business many-fold, and we 

 are expecting it this year to at least 

 double that of last year. We would like 

 your opinion as to this method, as we 

 do not see it mentioned exactly in this 

 way in your many suggestions for fea- 

 turing the day as appropriate for send- 

 ing flowers. 



"We also use this means of advertis- 

 ing at Christmas, Easter, Mothers' day, 

 Thanksgiving and at other times during 

 the season when we have anything spe- 

 cial to offer. However, we get out a 

 separate letter, composed accordingly, 

 to the single men, married men and mar- 

 ried women. We have found this a 

 profitable way of advertising, but there 

 is always room for improvement and 

 we would like your opinion. ' ' 



The form letter enclosed by Mr. 

 Koehle is as follows: 



"Dear Sir: Did you send flowers for 

 valentines last year! If so, no need to 

 explain what an ideal valentine a box 

 of choice cut flowers or a pretty pot 

 plant makes. If not, we ask you to 

 try it once and see the pleasure it gives 

 the recipient and you will always be 

 an advocate of 'Flowers for Valen- 

 tines.' We will have a splendid and 

 appropriate line for this occasion at 



. May we not have the pleasure 



of furnishing and delivering your val- 

 entines?" 



There can be no question that such a 

 letter pays. Advertising is nothing 

 more nor less than salesmanship. The 

 best way to get an order is to go 



among the kind of people you want to 

 reach. 



THE FOX STUDIO. 



It is generally known that Charles 

 Henry Fox, the well-known Philadel- 

 phia retailer, takes students in the art 

 of floral arrangement and in salesman- 

 ship — beyond this not much is known. 

 A glimpse at Mr. Fox in his studio will 

 be of more than usual interest. You 

 mount three or four flights of step* 

 from the rear of the Sign of the Rose,, 

 to reach the door marked "Studio,"" 

 with a line below advising the student 

 to bring enthusiasm along. Inside i& 

 a well lighted room, neatly furnished 

 in proper style. One of the walls is 

 filled with what may be described as 

 a floral chart. This chart embodie* 

 Mir. Fox's ideas in teaching. He aims,, 

 by thoroughness and originality, to- 

 teach the student in one year what is- 

 often imperfectly done in four or five 

 years. Education of the practical kind 

 is begun downstairs w4tli every 

 minute detail; the storing of boxes, 

 placing paper and twine in their proper 

 places, sorting and grading flowers and 

 putting them in water, lining and pack- 

 ing boxes for short and long distance 

 delivery and, finally, in the art of 

 selling, first in one or two kinds of 

 flowers, then in all. 



To return to the lessons in the studio. 

 The chart is arranged in mathematical 

 style. * ' What are flowers ? " "A form 

 of human expression," is Mr. Fox's 

 description. Then follow questions as 

 to how they should be grown. The 

 answers briefly refer to the importance 

 of water, air and light and to their 

 effect on quality. Good flowers, Mr. 

 Fox believes, should always be used in 



G>nservatory Front of Bertermann Bros. Co., laoianapolis. 



after it ia person, but this usually 

 is not possible for florists. The next 

 best way is to send the prospective 

 customer a personal letter, but this 

 takes much time, costs much money and 

 is possible only with a small list of 

 names. The way to reach the greatest 

 number with the least effort and at the 

 lowest proportionate cost is to adver- 

 tise in the paper of largest circulation 



preference to poor ones, because the 

 cheap stock requires too much time to 

 prepare; time is money with a busy 

 florist. 



Taking up the retail line, the chart 

 follows out every detail in store man- 

 agement. The price of flowers; why 

 this or that variety is costly; the com- 

 parative value; how to buy; how to 

 make up; how to sell — all are fully 



