44 



The Florists' Review 



Dbcbmber 12, 1912. 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST, 



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BOSTON'S BIGGEST DECORATION. 



The floral decorations at the Copley 

 Plaza hotel, Boston, December 4, briefly 

 referred to in The Eeview of December 

 5, were the most sumptuous ever seen 

 in Boston. James Farquhar, who car- 

 ried out this big undertaking, well 

 merited the plaudits he has since re- 

 ceived. He has certainly set a new 

 high water mark for floral decorations 

 which will not be easily passed, and 

 has proved himself an artist of the 

 front rank. The foyer above the great 

 ballroom was transformed into a beauti- 

 ful Italian garden. In the elliptical 

 alcoves Italian seats were placed. En- 

 circling the terrace were a dozen tall 

 white bases on. which rested statues 

 of the gods and goddesses of ancient 

 Bome. The terrace was hung with 

 moss baskets filled with white Lorraine 

 begonias, and the alcove entrances were 

 massed with Lorraine and Glory of Cin- 

 cinnati begonias, white and pink cycla- 

 mens, bouvardias and other flowering 

 plants. In a charmingly constructed 

 grotto was an electric fountain. Gold- 

 fish disported themselves in the waters. 

 At the baM the Godfrey calla, sarra- 

 cenias and femilar plants were growing. 



At the bottom of the foyer steps, 

 where received the young lady for 

 whom the decorations were given, cat- 

 tleyas, oncidiums, phalsenopsis and other 

 orchids were freely used. The beautiful 

 pure white Buddleia Asiatica in large 

 pots was used with great effect near 

 both flights of steps and attracted no- 

 tice from everyone. B. officinalis also 

 was used, as were ericas, Trumpet Ma- 

 jor narcissi, Primula malacoides, palms, 



ferns and other decorative plants in 

 thousands. Big cedars and arbor-vitSBS 

 partially hid the ballroom walls, and of 

 cut flowers many thousands of the 

 highest grade Beauties and other roses, 

 carnations, sweet peas, chrysanthemums 

 and longiflorum lilies were used. Many 

 truck loads of southern smilaz, Euony- 

 mus vegetus and kalmia were used. The 

 whole scheme was unique in the annals 

 of Boston floral decorations. 



W. N. Craig. 



THE BIGGEST FLOBIST'S WAY. 



The following letter on the business 

 stationery of a large New York depart- 

 ment store was printed in imitation of 

 typewriting, indicating that it must 

 have been sent out in considerable num- 

 bers, probably to undertakers. It ap- 

 pears to be the limit as a bid for busi- 

 ness — the agent encouraged to ask $10 

 for a design for which the florist re- 

 ceives $3.75: 



"As there is a general demand in 

 connection with your line for floral 

 work in different designs, and as we 

 are the largest retailers of flowers in 

 the country, catering to more people 

 than any ten florists at the present 

 time, we can place you in a position 

 where you can be of financial service to 

 yourself as well as ourselves, pertain- 

 ing to orders, giving you an ample re- 

 muneration, in the way of a percent- 

 age of 25% plus any premium you de- 

 sire to make above our regular selling 

 price. 



"For illustration: 



"You receive an order amounting to 

 ten dollars ($10.00); you really were 



selling a five dollar ($5.00) design. 



Your remuneration would be 



20% of $5.00 = $1.25 



$10.00 minus $5.00 = premium 5.00 



Your earning $6.25 



"Your earning power is greater than 

 ours. We guarantee to charge % less 

 tnan elsewhere barring anyone. Don't 

 you think this proposition is worth your 

 investigation? Start now I 



"For other information call or writ© 



*°* "C. C. Trepel, Mgr., 



" Bloomingdale Bros." 



CABDS ON DESIGNS. 



Should the cards be removed from 

 funeral offerings immediately upon their 

 delivery at the home of the deceased? 

 Would it not be better taste to remove 

 them just before leaving for the ceme- 

 tery? What is the customary practice 

 in the cities? B. E. M. 



Caris should be removed from funeral 

 offerings immediately upon their arrival 

 at the home of the deceased. This is 

 the proper way of handling this matter. 

 Of course there are occasions when 

 this is not done, owing to a notion of 

 relatives or friends. 



In the event of the death of a well 

 known person, where the funeral flow- 

 ers number dozens of pieces, the florist 

 who has been favored with the family 

 order often is requested to take care of 

 all the pieces as they arrive. The cards 

 are removed at once and each card 

 should have noted upon it the nature of 

 the offering; that is, "spray of roses, '^ 

 ' * wreath containing orchids, " " cross, ' ^ 

 etc. The cards are then turned over 

 to some relative or friend and laid away 

 until letters of thanks can be mailed. 



One reason for removing cards at 

 once is that they will not become lost. 

 Often they are insecurely fastened and 

 in the handling of the pieces are lost. 

 Then, again, if all the cards were left 

 on the pieces until just before leaving 

 for the cemetery some people would 

 stop to read every card out of mere 

 curiosity H. S. 



AN OSHEOSH DECORATION. 



Oshkosh, in Wisconsin, is a city of 

 close to 40,000 inhabitants and the pros- 

 perity and culture of its people make 

 it an excellent town for the flower busi- 

 ness. The accompanying illustration 

 shows a church decoration by Fugleberg 

 & Flister. As will be seen, the princi- 

 pal materials were wild smilax and 

 chr^anthemums. The ribbon with 

 which the mums were tied at the ends 

 of the pews was an important feature. 



Church Decoration by FuglAerg & Fliater, Oshkosh, Wis. 



Middletown, Conn. — ^It is said that 

 Charles J. Kieft, the Pike street florist, 

 and proprietor of the Cottage Gardens,, 

 cut several berry-laden branches from 

 raspberry bushes as late as October 22. 

 This was part of the season's second 

 crop. The berries were ripe and were 

 said to taste as well as those picked 

 some months previously. 



Batavla, 111. — Andrew Anderson,, 

 whose greenhouses are opposite the en- 

 trance to West Batavia cemetery, has 

 completed the erection of a new sec- 

 tion, 75x100, with a two-story oflSce and 

 show room. Part of the second floor 

 will be occupied by a design depart- 

 ment. Mr. Anderson's houses now cover 

 practically the entire block at Morton 

 street and South Batavia avenue. 



