Deckmbek 8, 1010. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



15 













i ^ 9i 





The Enlarged Store of^'William J. Smyth, Chicago. 



SMYTH'S NEW STORE. 



How promptly an improvement in 

 facilities has been followed by an in- 

 crease in business has twice been dem- 

 onstrated by the experience of W. J. 

 Smyth, whose store at Thirty-first street 

 in Chicago is passed by the Michigan 

 avenue automobile parade. A few years 

 ago Mr. Smyth put in a new store front 

 and the building was overhauled gener- 

 ally to give him up-to-date equipment. 

 Even before the work was finished trade 

 began to increase and he soon was doing 

 much more than ever before. A few 

 months ago the adjoining store was se- 

 cured, the partition removed to throw 

 the two rooms into one and the work of 

 redecorating and refurnishing begun. 

 Trade actually doubled before the alter- 

 ations were complete. November was 

 the largest regular month 's business Mr. 

 Smyth has yet had. 



The enlarged store has two entrances 

 and four show windows, the latter kept 

 bright with eye-catching plant arrange- 

 ments. The selling space is doubled, 

 but as important as any other feature 

 of the improvements is the addition to 

 the facilities for handling the work be- 

 hind the scenes. A partition across the 

 store midway divides the selling space 

 from the workrooms. At the right rear 

 is the room for the storage refrigera- 

 tors for cut flowers and the tables for 

 the designers, the order files, tele- 

 phones, etc. At the left rear is a new 

 room designed to serve three purposes. 

 It can be warm or cold, so as to accom- 

 modate either cut flowers or plants at 

 holiday times; it is fitted witii shelving 



for the big stock of baskets and other 

 supplies, such as a store nowadays must 

 carry, and it has zinc-topped tables and 

 a duplicate stock of the first aids to the 

 designers. In the rear of the work- 

 rooms is the conservatory. 



With the store just finished and a 

 new delivery car to come out of the 

 shop this week, Mr. Smyth looks for- 

 ward to far the biggest Christmas in 

 his career. 



A SAD EPISODE. 



Scene: A flower shop. 



Enter a lady. She points to a vase of 

 carnations, saying: "Are those fresh 

 today?" 



Florist: "No, ma'am; they came in 

 yesterday." 



Exit lady. 



Enter second lady, who looks at same 

 vase. "Are those flowers fresh this 

 morning?" 



Florist: "No, ma'am; they are fresh, 

 but they came in yesterday." 



Exit second lady. 



Enter third lady, her eyes caught by 

 the same vase of carnations, "Are 

 those flowers fresh this morning?" 



Florist: "Yes, ma'am." 



Exit third lady with carnations. 



AZALEAS, ETC., IN THE SOUTH. 



Will you kindly inform me whether 

 you have a book about the growing of 

 azaleas and ericas? I wish to get 

 one, so as to have a clear idea of 

 growing them. Do you think that 

 these tv.o plants can he jjrown in the 



south? My opinion is that azaleas 

 may do well, but I am not certain 

 about the ericas, as they like a low 

 temperature. Will ardisias grow in 

 the south? These plants are all to be 

 grown for commercial purposes. 



M. L. 



Ericas, I am afraid, would be a fail- 

 ure. The one variety which might 

 possibly succeed would be the popular 

 E. melanthera, which can be planted 

 out all summer. Azalea' Indica 

 should succeed fairly well, but it will 

 pay you to purchase fresh imported 

 plants each year, rather than try to 

 grow them yourself. Ardisias will do 

 well and the higher temperature will 

 be rather an advantage to them. I 

 do not know of any special book on 

 ericas and azaleas, giving culture 

 adaptable for the American climate. 

 William Scott's work, "The Florists' 

 Manual," treats of them, as well as 

 a wide range of other plants of com- 

 mercial value. Any unsold azaleas 

 you can plant outdoors. Keep them 

 syringed freely and well watered at 

 the root and they will be all right. 



C. W. 



NAME OF PLANT. 



I am sending you a piece of a plant 

 for identification. Please give its cor- 

 rect name. M, L. 



The plant is Santolina maritima, 

 useful as a silver-foliaged bedding 

 plant. C. W. 



