NOVBMBBB 14, 1912. 



The Florists^ Review 



25 



looked the creditable displays of the 

 Eochester Floral Co. and Geo. Keller. 

 An immense plant of Datura suaveolens 

 in full bloom was a striking object in 

 Mr. Keller's exhibit. 



Those who were in attendance all the 

 week turned away with reluctance at 

 the last moment, and many visitors 

 were heard to remark, "This show 

 grows on one." This is assuredly the 

 sincerest compliment that could be paid 

 to Messrs. Pitkin and Trautman, the 

 designers, and to the decoration com- 

 mittee, under F. J. Keller, who carried 

 out the details so thoroughly. 



While the attendance was large every 

 •day, the banner day was Friday. There 

 were 7,000 paid admissions. 



Schuyler Arnold. 



FLORISTS' CLXTBS OF AMEBICA. 



[Summary of a paper by J. Otto Thilow, of 

 Philadelphia, read before the Boston Gardeners' 

 and Florists' Club, November 11, 1912.] 



No other profession is so resourceful, 



none so varied and interesting, nor has 



there been in any other sphere of man's 



occupation the possibility of developing 



a condition of the people of our land. 



Are we not the projectors of the civic 



condition in the localities where we 



ar^ located? It is in your power to 



«hange Sodom into Eden and bring 



order out of chaos. 



Advancement Through Affiliation. 



That there has been advancement 

 through affiliation there is no doubt, 

 as we have seen the progress of our 

 business within the last decade. If 

 our club and society affiliation does no 

 more than to broaden our minds, widen 

 our principle and awaken our interest 

 one for another, it does much toward 

 the uplift of our florist brother in the 

 remote parts of this great land and 

 «ven abroad. It was said to me by one 

 of the American visitors to the London 

 flower show that he was in company 

 with an English grower going to visit 

 another grower who lived a short dis- 

 tance away when he said, "This is my 

 first visit to my neighbor, and we have 

 been nearly side by side for many 

 years." The American grower said, 

 ^*Do you mean to tell me that you are 

 not more congenial and neighborly than 

 that! In America we could not afford 

 to do that. If we do not learn from 

 our neighbor, it is a blessed thing that 

 he can learn from us. ' ' 



In my engagements with civic clubs I 

 rarely find a florist interested, but many 

 of the best ladies of our land are active 

 in the betterment of the surroundings 

 of all classes by the suggestion of bet- 

 ter horticultural conditions. Surely 

 this is a branch that the florist should 

 be concerned in. These clubs and asso- 

 ciations would welcome the advice and 

 cooperation of the florist in the com- 

 munities where better civic conditions 

 are being advocated. Let us in some 

 modest way demonstrate to the public 

 that our , business, the cultivation of 

 plants and imt«ks, concerns everybody, 

 and by ouf earnest intetest in oyr pro- 

 fession awakfen the latent love for flow- 

 ers in others. Never, Mhon the season 

 ^ill permit, let us be without a flower 

 upon the coat lapel. 



The Use of Publicity. 



Can we measure the good that will 

 I?8ult from the recent move of the New 

 * !. ™»sts' Club in its publicity ef- 

 fort? It IS one of the most stimulat- 

 ing enterprises entered upon in the last 



J. Otto Thilow. 



quarter century. The present results 

 will not warrant the assertion, but the 

 indications are far beyond a prophecy. 



It reminds us that we are not alto- 

 gether awake to many things in which 

 we might interest the public. Let every 

 florists' club in this country be awake 

 to what might be done in its locality. 

 Fall in line with the New York club, 

 and let us be altogether in one move, 

 universal, the country over. Create the 

 demand. 



As a source of information, I have 

 written to the secretary of every club 

 and association in the country, as' far 

 as I could secure their names. I wanted 

 information as to what the clubs were 

 doing in publicity, and also invited 

 their suggestions as to what might be 

 conducive to the furtherance of the 

 florists' business. Eesponses have come 

 from a small portion of the fifty in- 

 quiries sent out, but the answers thus 

 far received are most gratifying. In 

 several instances the publicity commit- 

 tee is supplying articles every week for 

 newspaper publication, something sug- 

 gestive of abundant bloom at the dif- 

 ferent seasons. In another case a 

 florists' club is fostering a school gar- 

 den contest, under the direction of the 

 Woman's Club. Another club collected 

 $300 from florists for Mothers' day ad- 

 vertising in street car, newspaper and 

 wagon banners. They report the re- 

 sults are wonderful. 



Making Clubs Interesting. 



In conclusion I wish to emphasize that 

 whatever you debate in the club, you 

 should consider seriously the matter of 



production and prices. First-class stock 

 will always find a market. We don't 

 wish to stop there. Moderate prices 

 will influence the masses and, if pos- 

 sible, get a flower into the hands of 

 every man, woman or child. Encour- 

 age the use of flowers at every func- 

 tion in the home, the festive hall and 

 public demonstration, and by all means 

 let the public know that you are a 

 florist. 



Make your club active. Have an 

 essay committee that can prepare, with 

 the assistance of those who are capable, 

 some paper or talk on topics of inter- 

 est. This committee is the most im- 

 portant of the club. The committee on 

 games should keep the clubroom active 

 and in a spirited mood. Encourage ex- 

 hibitions at the meetings. Have occa- 

 sional outings during the summer, and 

 don 't leave the girls at home. 



What I have learned in my personal 

 touch with my florist brethren of the 

 Philadelphia Florists' Club is the one 

 paramount thought of doing whatever is 

 best for the advancement of the busi- 

 ness and broadening the horticultural 

 realm; to make optimists, to use the 

 club as a safety valve and engender 

 personal feelings conducive to good 

 friendship, and infuse a geniality into 

 those with whom we associate. This 

 genial temperament is usually charac- 

 teristic of the florist. His life should 

 be resplendent and aglow with cheer, 

 because his occupation is in touch with 

 nature 's sweetest product. 



Beading, Pa. — John G. Giles is run- 

 ning a Cadillac touring car, 1913 model. 



