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APBIL 27, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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MOTHERS' DAY 



AND THE FLORISTS 



THE LORD HELPS THOSE 



Who Help Tbemselves. 



Easter has been observed since early 

 times. 



There is record of the celebration of 

 Christmas in the year 180. 



Memorial day has been an institution 

 lor forty-five years. 



Mothers' day is three years old. It 

 got a strong start and, if we are con- 

 tent to await the slow development of 

 public opinion, may sometime approxi- 

 mate the importance of the three great 

 flower days. 



But why wait? 

 . Why not advertise and force the 

 growth, just as we do of our crops? 



Let Everybody Help. 



It is not often fortune favors the 

 florists the way it has with Mothers' 

 day — the second Sunday in May. 



But the trade should not depend 

 wholly on the fact that the sentiment 

 which inspired Mothers' day has ap- 

 pealed to the great American people 

 as nothing else haa done in recent years 

 — we should grasp our opportunity and 

 do our utmost to acquaint the public 

 with the purpose of this annual event: 

 "To honor the best mother who ever 

 lived — your own." 



Mothers' day is only three years old, 

 but last year it brought a lot of busi- 

 ness to every florist who made effort 

 to arouse interest — and to some who 

 only sat idly waiting for others to 

 work up the interest for them. So 

 let's all do our share this year and 

 push this new flower day into a lead- 

 ing place among the trade's special 

 dates. 



There are many ways it can be done 

 — but none of these wAys includes rais- 

 ing prices. Don't do that; reduce them, 

 if anything. 



The Story of Mothers' Day. 



Mothers' day broke out sporadically 

 all over the United States in 1908. It 

 took florists by surprise, for none had 

 heard of it before, and many wrote to 

 The Keview for information. But the 

 inquiries then received have been as 

 nothing compared to the questions and 

 suggestions that came in following sea- 

 sons, and especially this year, show- 

 ing how the interest is growing. 



That first year, when The Review 

 undertook to trace the origin of Moth- 

 ers' day and find what it all was 

 about, it proved no easy task. The 

 Federation of Women's Clubs, when 

 appealed to at that time, disclaimed 

 responsibility, but said, "It's a fine 

 idea." Officials of the Congress of 

 Mothers replied, "We have no record 

 of Mothers' day, but the idea is good; 

 ■we shall call attention to it at our 

 next annual meetine. " Finally, the 

 sea,rch for the founder of the day led, 

 through the city editor of a Chicago 



daily, to Miss Anna Jarvis, 2031 North 

 Twelfth street, Philadelphia, who con- 

 fessed to having conceived the idea 

 in the desire to commemorate the an- 

 niversary of her mother's death. It 

 was not only the thought of laying 

 some flowers on mother's grave, but 

 it occurred to her that it would be a 

 beautiful tribute to all mothers, the 

 living as well as the dead, if their 

 children, on a given day, would unite 

 in the simple wearing of white flow- 

 ers. She wrote a letter about it to a 

 Philadelphia newspaper and it was this 

 that caused Mothers' day to break out 

 in spots all over the country. 



No Special Flower Needed. 



Miss Jarvis suggested the white car- 

 nation as the Mothers' day flower par 

 excellence. "Its whiteness stands for 

 purity; its form, beauty; its fragrance. 



best local paper and run a Mothers' 

 day advertisement. The one shown on 

 this page was suggested by The Re- 

 view last year and worked well for 

 the dozens of readers who used it. 

 Advertise strongly; it's planting good 

 seed on well prepared ground. 



Enlist the aid of the editors; they 

 will help you push the work along. 



Put Mothers' day cards, nicely let- 

 tered, in your window. 



Talk Mothers' day to your custom- 

 ers. 



Then, too, you can go as far as you 

 like with the Woman's Club, the 

 churches, the Y. M. C. A. and the fra- 

 ternal societies. The idea appeals to 

 all classes. 



Why not get the mayor of your city 

 to issue a proclamation similar to the 

 one issued for the first Mothers' day 



Wear a Flower for Mother's Sake 



To lionor the best Mother who ever lived — your own. That 

 is the purpose of Mothers' Day. 



SUNDAY, MAY 14 



A white flower for Mother's memory. 



A bright flower for Mothers living. 

 We shall be prepared Saturday, May 13, and Sunday, May 14, with 

 a large assortment of fine, fresh flowers, appropriate for Mothers' Day, 

 offered at our usual moderate prices. All customers served promptly. 



Special rates to Sunday Schools, Lodges, etc. 



Posey & Blossom, "'"'^ '"'™ '^'"S; s«r.et. 



Send Mother a Bouquet on Mother*' Day. We have correspondente to deliver flowers fresh 



anywhere In the United States. 



Suggestion for Newspaper Advertisement to Help Posh Mothers' Day. 



love; its wide field of growth, charity; 

 its lasting qualities, faithfulness — all a 

 true mother's attributes," she wrote. 

 But the way the sentiment appealed to 

 the people was, too strong for the sup- 

 ply of white carnations — there were 

 not enough to go around — and The Re- 

 view suggested that white flowers be 

 worn for mothers gone before, bright 

 flowers for mothers living. This does 

 not meet with the approval of Miss 

 Jarvis, who does not like to have her 

 ideas tinkered with, but it is the only 

 way that the development of Mothers' 

 day can be continued. To limit its 

 observance by the supply of white car- 

 nations would be the height of folly. 



How Florists Can Help. 



Every florist can, and should, help 

 push along the Mothers' day observ- 

 ance. It can be done in many ways. 



As a beginning, take space in your 



by the mayor of Lincoln, Neb.? Here 

 it is: 



MOTHERS' DAY PROCLAMATION. 

 Office of the Mayor, City of Lincoln, Neb. 

 To the People of Lincoln: " 



/..,'^w. secj-etary of the Lincoln Young Men's 

 Christian Association having suggested that Sun- 

 day, May 10, be observed by the people of this 

 city as Mothers' day. every man to wear on that 

 day a flower in honor of his mother. I have been 

 requested to ask for general compliance wltli 

 the suggestion. 



Therefore, in pursuance of this request and as 

 mayor of the city of Lincoln. Neb.. I hereto^ 

 ^a'^^^o"^ *''*' ^y general consent. Sunday. May 

 iw ♦i ♦ '., ^ *** ■P"''' " Mothers' day and that 

 on that day every man and every boy in the city 

 of Lincoln and every visitor within our itatM 

 wear a flower in honor of his mother 

 r^nJi^J suggest that the day be made a special 

 occasion for sending flowers to the invalids In 

 Lincoln homes to the sick In hospitals and to the 

 orphans In public and denominational institutiona 



It Is eminently fitting that In this, as in other 

 worthy movements, Lincoln take the lead Let 

 ^u,^°J?^ «?*,**',^ ^""^^ Mothers' day observed to 

 th 8 beautiful city will be so successful and li- 

 sp ring that othpr cities will, in future yeart 

 follow the example. suture years. 



Witness my hand as mayor of the oitv nf r in . 

 coin. Neb., this 6th day of May AD 1908 ^^' 

 V 1. ,. , ^'^ W- BROWN, Mayor. 



You see, he did it at the suggestion 



