28 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



Al'RIL 6, 1»11. 



32 and 33 show such combinations of 

 plant and plant receptacle. In one of 

 these hyacinths are shown in a green, 

 unglazed jar, the color being slightly 

 darker than the color of the foliage. 

 In another is a Dr. Encke azalea trans- 

 ferred from its pot into the inner re- 

 ceptacle of one of the delicate white 

 china jardinieres. In another, several 

 primulas are shown in one of the gold 

 baskets which have been so popular of 

 late. This was an oval basket. Still 

 another of the combinations shows a 

 genista in a dumb-bell shaped receptacle 

 of green, unglazed pottery, which at- 

 tracted by its oddity as well as by the 

 tastefulness of the combination. The 

 yellow of the flower and the yellow of 

 the ribbon rosette combined most har- 

 moniously with the green of foliage and 

 receptacle. All of these articles sold 

 like hot cakes last Easter in a store 

 the proprietor of which says frankly 

 that though he caters to an exceedingly 

 well to-do trade, the bulk of his sales 

 are on just such articles priced at from 

 about $3 to $7.50. 



GENISTA AND GOLD. 



Gold has recently been having a phe- 

 nomenal run with the supply houses; 

 gold baskets have been used in some 

 stores almost to the exclusion of every- 

 thing else, though the average florist 

 finds that it is better policy to buy a 

 few pieces of a great many diflferent 

 styles than to stock up heavily with 

 any one kind of plant receptacle. How- 

 ever, for some plants nothing is so well 

 suited as the gold basket; for the gen- 

 ista it is the acme of appropriateness. 

 The plant shown in the illustration on 

 this page presents an especially harmo- 



COST OF DELIVERY. 



The Old Method and the New. 



The retail florist in a large city has 

 many trials and tribulations, as we all 

 know. One of the difficulties to solve is 

 the punctual delivery of our goods to 

 widely separated sections of the city, 

 perhaps on the same morning, at the 

 least possible expense. Quite a few re- 

 tail florists have turned to the motor car 

 as a means of facilitating their deliv- 

 eries, and in the issue of the Review for 

 March 9 the writer compared the advan- 

 tages of the auto and the horse, with all 

 points seemingly in favor of the former. 



Every phase was considered, excepting 

 one — the relative cost. This, of course, 

 is one of the most important points and 

 should be carefully gone into before in- 

 vesting in an auto. The writer could 

 conceive of no better way of getting at 

 the facts than by taking up the matter 

 with a number of florists using horses 

 and autos in diflferent cities. Conse- 

 quently a list of questions was mailed to 

 some fifteen retailers now using autos. 

 The answers were incomplete; still I 

 was able to make the following deduc 

 tions: 



The Horse. 



First of all, let us consider the gen- 

 eral method of delivery — the horse. As 

 no two firms work under just the same 

 conditions or follow the same rules for 

 making deliveries, we will have to treat 

 this matter in a general way. Some flo- 

 rists keep a number of wagons busy all 

 day, while with others one horse can do 

 all the work. 



Genistas in Gold Basket with Gold Tie. 



ous arrangement, the yellow flowers, 

 the green foliage and the gold basket, 

 the latter, of course, lined with tin, 

 going together as though made particu- 

 larly for the purpose. The eflfect was 

 Btili further improved by the addition 

 of the gold tie knotted on the handle of 

 the basket. 



In this comparison we will consider ii 

 firm requiring two one horse wagons to 

 liandle the deliveries on ordinary days. 

 Where two horses are used practically all 

 day, three horses must be kept in order 

 to give each one an occasional rest. Aver- 

 aging the figures, we get the following in 

 vestment and operating expense: 



THE HORSK. 



Invested. 



Two fairly good florists' delivery wagons 



will cost about $ 600.00 



Three good horses will cost 450.00 



Two good sets of harness will cost.... 80.00 



Toial investment $1,130.00 



, Operation and Maintenance. 



Feed' and bedding per year at $2.80 per 



weeli -per horse $ 436.80 



Shoeing at $2 per month per horse 72.00 



Veterinary surgeon's services 50.00 



One of the greenhouse employees is 

 usually called upon to look after the 

 stable, this costing probably 50c per 



day 182.50 



Uepair on wagons and harness 35.00 



Heating wagons < 25.00 



Depreciation on Investment at 10%.. 113.00 

 Two drivers' wages at $10 per weelt. . . . 1,040.00 



Interest on investment at r>% 56.50 



Insurance 15.00 



One year's cost $2,025.80 



Of course these figures may not fit any 

 individual case, but they represent the 

 average florist's expense in operating 

 two one-horse wagons. 



The Automobile. 



To arrive at the cost of operating an 

 automobile delivery car is a little more 

 difficult than to figure the cost for a 

 horse and wagon, for the reason that the 

 cost of repairs depends largely upon the 

 way the machine is handled and on the 

 further fact that most florists' machines 

 are new; the cost for upkeep may in- 

 crease when the autos are older. 



This is the way the autos average up 



with the retailers who gave me their 



figures: 



THE AUTOMOBILE. 



Invested. 



One good auto delivery car will readily 

 iifconiplish as much as two or even 

 three onf-horse wagons, providing the 

 auto is in the liands of a good man. 

 This car will cost, equipped $1,400.00 



Operation and Maintenance. 

 .\vcragc (lailv mileage. 4.' miles per 

 ilav. or l'6,42o miles per year of 



.'{65 days , ^„„ ^„ 



Tire expense at 2c per mile $ 328.50 



Uasoline and lubricating oil at li/4c per „„_ „. 



mile 205.31 



Repairs per year -x9"XX 



Chauffeur's wages at $15 per week '^-^X 



Insurance, fully protected 125.00 



Interest on investment at 5% 70.00 



Depreciation at 15% per year 210.00 



One year's cost $1,768.81 



An auto can readily be heated from the heat 

 of the muffler, thus effecting a saving of $25 

 per year. 



There is no doubt that the cost of 

 operating an auto or delivering with 

 iiorses varies considerably under different 

 conditions. These, of course, every man 

 should know. One thing remains a fact: 

 gasoline, lubricating oil, tires, repairs, 

 etc., cost just about the same, be it in 

 New York or some little town on the 

 western coast. Autos are also the same 

 price almost everywhere in the United 

 States. 



The above figures are as nearly cor- 

 rect as could be obtained, and no par- 

 tiality was shown either method. They 

 speak for themselves. The auto has 

 solved, or will solve, the delivery prob- 

 lem to a large extent. It is the initial 

 cost that deters many, but once used 1 

 think you will never go back to the horse. 

 The proprietor of the business with which 

 the writer is connected is an exceptionally 

 conservative man and was skeptical about 

 purchasing an auto for delivering. It is 

 now nearly a year that it has been in use 

 and it has proven a paying investment. 



Of course, with a firm that requires 

 only one wagon, the proportion of the 

 cost would be somewhat different. In the 

 first place, a less expensive machine could 

 be purchased. Then the mileage would 

 be cut in half, meaning a considerable re- 

 duction in operating expenses. Painting 

 and overhauling of wagons and autos has 

 not been taken into consideration, as both 



