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Fbbbuabt 0, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



Japanese Decoration in the Store of A. "W, Smith Co., Pittsburg, Pa. 



The Automobile. 



Many of the store men are adding 

 automobiles to their chattels, and the 

 consensus of opinion seems to have 

 relegated the horse to the past. The 

 urgent time calls, the long hours and 

 the important events of life with which 

 the retailers have to contend make 

 automobile delivery of peculiar valuo 

 to the retailer, and its use should be 

 encouraged as a useful rather than an 

 extravagant part of the equi])ment. Let 

 it be omnipresent, though, that we are 

 florists and are not endeavoring to de- 

 generate into a greasy garage manager, 

 as he can do repairing much better 

 and more economically while we are en- 

 gaging a fancy customer. 



Most important is it for the leading 

 retailers to produce or to deal in novel- 

 ties. It would be a grand thing were it 

 possible to sell the same article each 

 year, but destiny will not have it so. 

 Catering to the pu\)lic makes it im- 

 perative to have something new or novel 

 at all times. The flowers need not be 

 new from the trade standpoint, but it 

 is requisite to have a refreshing change 

 for the flower lovers. There are created 

 styles in flowers and they keep chang- 

 ing. What was regarded as old and un- 

 interesting a generation previous may 

 be a good selling article at present. 

 Antirrhinum, bouvardia and Bon Silene 

 roses were favorites with our grand- 

 mothers, but are in style right now, 

 n|ade up with paper holders us^ during 

 Napoleon's reign. Mignonette, pansies, 

 forget-me-not and carnations will never 



grow old, but the grower and retailer 

 should conspire to present something 

 diflFerent at all times. Novel arrange- 

 ments are as essential as novel flowers, 

 and no opportunity should be over- 



Irwin Bertermann. 



looked in placing before the public a 

 new and meritorious combination of 

 nature 's wares. Corsage bouquets made 

 of older varieties of flowers have grown 

 wonderfully in demand and are a source 

 of much revenue to the present-day 

 dealer. 



Counter Trade. 



At least forty per cent of the store 

 men 's business might properly be classi- 

 fied as counter trade, so the importance 

 of packing flowers carefully in a neat 

 box of up-to-date pattern and adding 

 a few finishing touches in the way of 

 ribbons, Farleyense ferns and flowers 

 must not be overlooked. Counter trade 

 is a certain barometer of the state of 

 trade and. like that instrument, flue 

 tuates quickly. The many details in 

 connection with this important branch 

 are often ably taken in hand by corre- 

 spondents of the florists' press. Their 

 ideas may often be enlarged upon, and 

 tlie incentive given the fagged, but 

 energetic, shop man is not to be under- 

 estimated. It is up to him to effect an 

 opening for the great mass of flowers 

 thrown upon the market by millions of 

 feet of glass, and any suggestion in 

 furthering their sale is of immense gen- 

 (MhI value. 



"Take care of your business and your 

 business will take care of you," as 

 Poor Eichard's Almanac had it, is cer- 

 tainly an axiom worthy of every re- 

 tailer. The flower business is not so 

 conducive to financial results as are 

 some other commercial lines, but the 

 instances are few in which the returns 

 Tre rot sufficient, provided the above 

 axiom is closely adhered to. 



Opinions differ greatly as to the best 

 method of advertising. There are many 

 effective ways. Some use newspapers, 

 others magazines, some programs and 

 others none at all in the way of prin- 



