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The Weekly Flbrists' Review. 



Apbil 27, 1911. 



of the Y. M, C. A. If you think your 

 own "pull" isn't strong enough, get a 

 leading minister to approach His Honor. 

 Don't be bashful about it. The Lord 

 helps those who help themselves. Be- 

 sides, it's a good idea and they'll all 

 take to it. 



How It Worked Iiast Year. 



In its issues of April 21 and 28, last 

 year The Beview called attention to 

 Mothers' day and pointed out the de- 

 sirability of helping the idea along; 

 also, some ways in which it could be 

 done. Quite a few took hold and did 

 their part with a will. Several atter- 

 ward wrote The Keview about it. it is 

 interesting to note they all got good re- 

 sults. The story is told in the following 

 article. 



THESE TOOK THE HINT. 



Working Up Mothers' Day. 

 Last year Mothers' day, always the 

 second Sunday in the month, came May 

 6 In its issues of April 21 and ^» 

 The Eeview urged its readers to work 

 for the success of the day and sug- 

 gested some of the things that could 

 be done. The following are extracts 

 from a few of the many letters received 

 later in the month, telling how easily 



it came: 



Kenosha, Wis. 



I went to our mayor and he issued a 

 proclamation for Mothers' day, in 

 which he recommended the wearing of 



A white flower for Mother's memory. 

 A bright flower for Mothers living. 



I also went to nearly every pastor in 

 town, and they all had something to 

 say about Mothers' day. Now, in re- 

 gard to business: Every florist in 

 Kenosha stocked heavily, but by 2 p. m. 

 everything was gone; we could have 

 sold more. Colored carnations sold as 

 well as white. C. G. Anderson. 



Seattle, Wash. 



Acting upon the suggestion of The 

 Eeview, we took up the subject of 

 Mothers' day. We first secured an edi- 

 torial in a leading paper, which we 

 promptly followed with an almost ver- 

 batim copy of the advertisement The 

 Eeview suggested, of appropriate flow- 

 ers for this day. The newspapers gave 

 a full page describing the rise of the 

 custom and honoring Miss Jarvis with 

 pictures of her and her mother, and 

 Bome of the decorations in our store. 

 Even the newspaper cartoonists helped 

 to swell the cry, and we are more than 

 OTatified to be able to say to you truth- 

 fully that we were entirely sold out 

 both on Saturday and Sunday. 



The custom certainly took splendidly, 

 and Mothers ' day is now on our regular 

 annual holiday list. We often find and 

 appropriate many useful suggestions in 

 your paper and wish to compliment you 

 on its eflaciency. L. W. McCoy. 



Marlboro, Mass. 



This is the second year we have tried 

 to push it, and we feel well repaid for 

 ail effort on our part. Last year the 

 people took kindly to the idea and the 

 sale of flowers for the day exceeded 

 our expectations; but this year it 

 seemed more generally known, we ad- 

 vertised more, and the demand was 

 greater than we anticipated. It should 

 be as you suggest: 



A white flower for Mother's memory. 

 A bright flower for Mothers living. 



We sold our pinks for 5 cents apiece, 

 not raising the price to customers, al- 

 thoulgh we had to pay more at whole- 

 sale that day than usual. We feel that 

 it is a day which will grow in popu- 

 larity. G. C. & B. A. Stevens. 



McKeesport, Pa. 



I read the Mothers' day articles in 

 The Eeview and called the matter to 

 the attention of our mayor and some 

 of the leading ministers. The result 

 was that the mayor issued a proclama- 

 tion urging every citizen to observe 

 the day and wear a flower — a flower, 

 mind you, not a white carnation — and 

 the newspapers gave it a good show- 

 ing, stating that the florists had pre- 

 pared for the extra demand and would 

 not raise prices; also there was a 

 Mothers' day mass meeting in one of 

 the churches. If every florist would 

 see that the day is properly adver- 



Fiowers For Mother. 



tised by such means it would not be 

 long until it would rank as one of the 

 first of our special flower days. 



J. H. Orth. 

 Toronto, O. 

 Mothers' day was fittingly observed 

 here. We are retail dealers in cut 

 flowers and had a fine trade; could not 

 get enough carnations to supply the de- 

 mand. The Toronto daily published on 

 Friday and Saturday that flowers 

 should be worn on Sunday, Mothers' 



day, 



A white flower for Mother'a memory. 

 A bright flower for Mothers living. 



All colors of carnations sold; every- 

 thing in the way of carnations was sold 

 out clean. The day promises to be bet- 

 ter than Easter. Chas. J. Tracht. 



New Castle, O. 



Business was surprisingly good for 

 Mothers' day. Carnations being ex- 

 hausted, geraniums and other flowers 

 were used. Committees from Sabbath 

 schools came for miles for flowers. 

 They took anything they could get — 

 white or colored. One school took ge- 

 raniums in pots to present to each 

 member. Others made it a home-com- 

 ing day, the family gathering around 

 the mother, bringing her flowers, and 



then gathering around the table. I sug- 

 gest that another year announcements 

 be made earlier, and believe that 

 more flowers can be sold Mothers' day 

 than any other one day in the year. 

 So let every florist become interested 

 and thank The Eeview for pushing the 

 day upon our attention. 



A. O. Nysewander. 



Texarkana, Ark. 



In our local papers, and in those of 

 the surrounding towns, acting on The 

 Review's suggestion, we printed the 

 following "reader": 



CARNATIONS. 

 Mothers' day is Sunday, May 8. Wear a white 

 carnation In memory of your mother, or a pink 

 one In her honor, if living. Majestic Floral Co., 

 310 Vine street. 



It has taken well and we think per- 

 haps it would be of some help to other 

 retail florists. We believe, if there was 

 any difference, the demand for pink 

 was greater than for white. 



Majestic Floral Co. 



Minot, N. D. 



Well, I want to thank you for push- 

 ing Mothers' day. I sold 2,300 roses 

 and carnations in that one day at regu- 

 lar prices, and could have sold more 

 if one of the wholesale houses could 

 have supplied me with 500 carnations 

 that I ordered but failed to receive. 

 I think Mothers ' day will have a future 

 of being better than Easter for cut 

 flowers. Geo. E. Valker. 



Barrlngton, HI. 



At your suggestion in The Eeview 

 in regard to advertising Mothers' day, 

 I got busy and inserted an ad in our 

 local paper, with the result that I sold 

 325 white carnations to one Sunday 

 school, supplied the G. A. E. post, and 

 took enough other orders to use up all 

 the flowers that I had on hand for the 

 day. It pays to read The Eeview and 

 to advertise. F. W. Stott. 



Mason City, la. 



Just a word in relation to Mothers' 

 day. We understand The Eeview has 

 been the greatest factor in populariz- 

 ing this most profitable day for flo- 

 rists. Locally we have worked on your 

 suggestion, "white flowers for moth- 

 er's memory and bright flowers for 

 mothers living," and have succeeded 

 wonderfully well. 



Frank C. Goodman. 

 Do Your Part Now. 



Possibly the work of exploiting 

 Mothers' day has grown beyond any- 

 thing Miss Jarvis expected when she 

 launched the idea in a circular in 1908. 

 At any rate, the expense of postage, 

 printing, clerical work and other things 

 is sure to be large. The work, outside 

 that done by the florists, has fallen on 

 Miss Jarvis personally, and she has 

 met the cost. She is not backed by 

 an organization; her interest may 

 slacken or change direction at any mo- 

 ment. Florists, who have so much to 

 gain, should push the work along. Why 

 not do something nowt 



FLOWEBS FOB MOTHEB. 



The illustration on this page shows 

 what one family did to honor mother 

 last year, when the second Sunday in 

 May was more generally observed than 

 it ever had been before. The illustra- 

 tion shows the flowers on mother's 

 table when she wakened. It chanced 

 that in this case mother was in her 



