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The -Florists* Review 



MARCH 13, 1913. 



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WK' 



MR. VESEY ON 



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publicity! 



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THE INDIANA VIEWPOINT. 



[A talk l).v \V. .T. Vesey. Jr.. before the IniTlana 

 State Florists' Association at Fort Wavue, March 

 4, 191.x ] 



The subject for the remarks I am 

 going to make has been the absorbing 

 topic among the allied trades for the 

 last year, and no doubt most of those 

 present have given a good deal of 

 thought to this topic, namely publicity. 



This association was organized for 

 the same reason that other clubs and 

 associations were organized, the ad- 

 vancement of the members ' interests. 

 We have secured advancement in that 

 we know how to grow stock better, 

 keep down disease, and many other 

 things of note. But the times are 

 changing, and so must we change. Mil- 

 lions of feet of new glass have been 

 erected in the last year, which means 

 a far greater supply of flowers than 

 ever before. As j'et nothing has been 

 done toward creating a demand to con- 

 sume the increased supply. Well, why 

 not now? 



I might say we are a fraternity, and 

 a fraternity is only strong when its 

 members pull together. We want to 

 plan our business interests together, or, 

 in other words, we want cooperation. 

 We want to especially study what in- 

 terests the public. The road to suc- 

 cess lies in serving the public, and this 

 can only be done by all taking a com- 

 mon interest in the forward movement. 



The S. A. F. and Publicity. 



This association cannot hope to ac- 

 complish all that we would wish. Our 

 strongest hope lies with the national 

 society. It is to the S. A. F. that we 

 should lend our help and attention, as 

 it is mainly through this body that we 

 can hope to draw the attention of the 

 public to our wares. Let us consider 

 what the S. A. F. means to the average 

 florist. It means a vacation, a picnic 

 and a general good time. But those of 

 you who have attended the last two 

 conventions have found a different at- 

 mosphere prevalent. Questions of ex- 

 ceeding importance have come before 

 the convention and been acted on. The 

 florists who attend these present-day 

 conventions are thinkers. They have 

 come to realize that the business is not 

 80 easy as it used to be. 



At the last convention, held in Chi- 

 cago, a publicity committee was ap- 

 pointed. Through some mistake or 

 oversight, this committee was given 

 no power to act, inasmuch as there was 

 no sum of money set aside for its use. 

 I believe a fair sum will be forthcom- 

 ing this year. The purpose of this com- 

 mittee was to get out such advertise- 

 ments and readin'g matter as will at- 

 tract public attention in the desired 

 direction; to send copy to representa- 

 tive fities for all leading flower days, 

 such as Christmas, Easter and Thanks- : 

 giving; to send copy which will eventu- 

 ally make national flower days of Lin- 

 coln's and McKinley's birthday, St. 



Valentine's day and of Mothers' day. 

 There are unlimited possibilities for 

 this committee. It could suggest to 

 the political parties of this country that 

 they should have a special flower em- 

 blem. Just stop and think what this 

 one item would mean to our business. 

 They could reach the women of this 

 country through such mediums as House 

 and Garden, Country Life, Ladies' 

 Home Journal, Woman's Home Com- 

 panion and numerous other magazines. 

 They could teach the women how to 

 care for plants in the house and gar- 

 den, when to sow seeds, the varieties, 

 how to water, and numerous other cul- 

 tural details. Do you not think this 

 would awaken a widespread interest in 

 our trade? 



Civic Improvement. 



One of our big opportunities is the 

 awakening of so many cities to civic 



Tbe Editor Is pleased 

 ^^liexi a Reader 

 presents his Ideas 

 on any subject treated In 



fVIC^ 



As experience Is the bent 

 teacher, so do vre 

 learn fastest by an 

 exchance of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are broucht out 

 by discussion. 



Good penmanship, spellintr and 

 Rrammur, thougti desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when dointr your best. 



WK SHAIX BE GLAD 

 TO HEAR FROM TOU 



improvement. This item alone is of 

 prime importance to us in that it 

 arouses public interest in the beautiful 

 things we grow, which could probably 

 be aroused in no other manner. Civic 

 improvement I spell with four letters: 

 H-o-p-e. 



Another matter of recent date and of 

 vast importance to us is the parcel 

 post. The parcel post has opened un- 

 limited territory for us to work in. 

 Seedsmen can now quote prices in their 

 catalogues on goods delivered to the 

 door. This is an attractive #38ue to 

 the average catalogue buyer. If the 

 people learn to buy from the seedsmen 

 through the parcel post, why not from 

 the cut flower man? 



You have all noticed the lack of at 

 tendance at flower shows. Why is this? 

 You all know the answer. The shows 

 have not been advertised in the man 

 ner and places that attract public at- 

 tention. The public has not been made 

 to realize what it has missed by pass- 

 ing by a flower show. We must surely 

 realize that a flower show is one of our 

 fortes. Why go to the trouble of get- i 

 ting up a flower show, with all of the ] 

 provoking problems, and not properly 

 advertise it? I attended the National 

 Flower Show in Boston and from the 

 size of the crowds each day anyone 

 could tell that a great deal of thought 

 and attention had been given to adver- 

 tising. The building was exceedingly 

 large, the crowds so large one could 

 hardly force a way through. Did it 

 pay? Well, rather! 



The National Flower Show. ' 



Gentlemen, a big opportunity is com- 

 ing to bring the trade under public no- 

 tice. That opportunity will be April 

 5 to 12, at New York. A wise selec- 

 tion was made when the National 

 Flower Show committee was chosen. 

 Every member is energetic and doing 

 all in his power to make it a success. 

 And I think it will be. It has been 

 largely advertised all through the east. 

 The entries are large, but they should 

 be larger, and would be if the florists 

 realized what an excellent chance they 

 have to impress the public. All of you 

 gentlemen should attend the show if it 

 is possible to do so, for you will re- 

 ceive value for value. 



A small way to advertise is over- 

 looked by nearly every florist; namely, 

 a buttonhole bouquet. Perhaps you do 

 not realize the value of this small item. 

 How easy it is to stop at the refriger- 

 ator and select a nice carnation or rose 

 and put it in the buttonhole before 

 going downtown! We all do it at a 

 florists' gathering, but why not at 

 home? I am like the 'rest of you; I 

 hate to wear a flower, simply because 

 no one else does. Nevertheless we are 

 overlooking one item of advertising. 

 I think I'll advertise from now on. 



Showing the Way, 



A florists' paper has taken up the 

 matter of publicity in this way: In a 

 January issue it went to a great deal 

 of trouble and expense to show the 

 trade how to advertise properly for St. 

 Valentine's day. It went still farther 

 and printed numerous photographs re- 

 garding new modes in the arrangement 

 of boxes and decorations for St, Valen- 

 tine's day. That issue no doubt helped 

 a great many florists along this par- 

 ticular line. It is a good start in the 

 right direction and I hope they keep it 

 up. 



The New York Florists' Club has 

 taken up the question of publicity and 

 from all reports the proposition seems 

 to be moving along nicely. That is 

 what all the florists' clubs in the coun- 

 try should do. And this will be the 

 final outcome, as the florists are awaken- 

 ing to the fact that something should 

 be done toward creating a demand. 



Covington, Ky,— W, R, Miller's Sons, 

 who have a range of seventeen green- 

 houses at Oakland and Wallace avenues, 

 have opened a retail store at Eighth 

 street and Madison avenue, one of the 

 best locations in towit. It is a tasteful, 

 attractive store and the public is show- 

 ing appreciation of it. 



