?»'-''7 



May 15, 1013. 



The Florists' Review 



19 



what varieties are creating the heaviest 

 demand, and then pass this item on to 

 the grower. Would not all three parties 

 be benefited by this method! 



Grower to Betailer. 



Now the retailer-^ne has his troubles, 

 too, and plenty of' them. It is prin- 

 cipally through him that lies the suc- 

 cess of the florist business. He is the 

 one who directly reaches the public; 

 therefore, he has to be constantly on the 

 alert. Public opinion, as we all know, 

 is a queer instrument. Yet, if this 

 opinion is cultivated in the correct man- 

 ner, nothing is too great to expect. We 

 inust all take our hats oflE to the re- 

 tailer, when we think of the demand 

 he has created in the last few years; of 

 the modes and methods he has u.sed to 

 arouse the flower-buying public If 

 each man by himself has created a de- 

 mand, who can imagine the result when 



[they all get together? 



Now the question is, where and how 



lean a retailer be benefited? Here is a 

 suggestion that might mean much or 

 might mean little: Would not the re- 



jtailer do better to deal directly with 

 the grower? An arrangement could be 

 made whereby both would be benefited. 

 The grower could quote an attractive 

 price to the retailer for the entire sea- 

 Son on a regular order, the price to re- 

 main the same through all holidays. 



I Any extra orders coming in during the 



I holidays from the retailer should be 



[shipped at market prices. 



This method would not work a hard- 



Iship on the retailer at certain seasons of 



[the year when prices are out of all rea- 

 son. The grower would have regular 

 jrders to depend on during the gluts 

 ind slow seasons. The public would be 

 senefited by the lower selling price. The 

 entire trade would be benefited by the 

 Increased sales of flowers and plants. 



^A great majority of the people buy 

 'something else at Christmas and Easter 

 because they think the florists are rob- 

 bing them, and justly so. 



When the grower and retailer decide 

 to work together, they will soon notice 

 a mutual benefit. The retailer could 

 teep the grower posted concerning 

 crops to grow, when to have them in 

 full crop and in numerous other ways. 

 The retailer by this method would have 

 the satisfaction of knowing just what 

 certain variety was coming into crop 

 tnd when. Knowing this he could ad- 

 ?^ertise accordingly, which would no 

 ioubt add to his yearly sales. 



Keep the Windows Up-to-date. 



. The principal fault among many re- 

 lailers is the use of old blooms. They 

 kre too set on selling all of their flow- 

 krs, whether they are fresh or old. To 

 Ulustrate this point I am going to cite 

 in incident that happened only a few 

 peeks ago. I was in one of the large 

 kities a short time ago and happened 

 lo meet a man I knew intimately. We 

 lalked a few minutes about my busi- 

 ness, which finally led him to tell me of 

 In incident that happened to him in 

 purchasing flowers. He had given a 

 theater partv and had purchased cor- 

 ^ges for all of the ladies in his party. 

 Pe went on to say that by the time 

 Jhe show was half over the corsages 

 looked a week old. The flowers were 

 Evidently not fresh and should not 

 ►ave been used under any circum- 

 tances. The gentleman is a liberal 

 fower buyer and was highly incensed at 

 Ihe treatment he had received. Here- 

 after he will no doubt deal with some 



W. J. Vcsey, Jr. 



other retailer. Can you see where the 

 retailer gained by using those old 

 blooms? 



The average retailer does not give 

 enough attention to his main attraction 

 — his window. Too many crowd alto- 

 gether too much stock into their win- 

 dows. To the passer-by it merely cre- 

 ates an impression of color, and nothing 

 more. The window should have a great 

 deal of thought and time expended 

 upon it, as it is an acknowledged fact 

 among the trade that the window, is the 

 principal medium of advertising. The 

 window should be decorated in pretty, 

 attractive manner and method. Make 

 the window a novelty, the talk of the 

 town. Make the people realize they are 

 seeing something new, either in style 

 or arrangement, every time they pass 

 the window. There is no argument to 

 this statement, for it is a fact that in 

 making an attractive window the re- 

 tailer interests the public. 



As to Imitation Flowers. 



Why should we sit calmly by and 

 watch the increased use of imitation 

 flowers? Where do we gain anything? 

 Ask yourself this question. How long 

 would the average woman wear a dress 

 that is out of style? She would not 

 wear it. It is the same with any style. 

 It is the retailer, who is constantly in 

 touch with the public, twho should 

 change the order of things. Make the 

 people realize, through advertisements 

 and windows, that fresh flowers are the 

 correct thing to wear. Put a stop to 

 this everlasting artificiality. I have 

 gone into a good many stores and no- 

 ticed metal wreaths and bouquets for 

 cemetery use. From my viewpoint, I 

 cannot see where the florist is helping 



his business in handling this line of 

 goods. It would be so much better to 

 educate the people to the use of box- 

 wood, Scotch heather, preserved oak, 

 and other foliage that has come into 

 use generally within the last few years. 



There are still a great many faults 

 that protrude here and there which 

 should be changed. I have skimmed 

 lightly over a few of the more impor- 

 tant faults, that I may impress to a 

 slight degree the necessity of changing 

 the customs of our business to present- 

 day requirements. 



The best and surest way of obtaining 

 the desired results is in your club and 

 association meetings. It always rests 

 with a few members to <lo all the talk- 

 ing, {;nd usually the pushing. This 

 should not be. Every man certainly 

 has his opinion, and it might be the 

 one that would hit the nail squarest. 

 Don't be backward; get up and express 

 your ideas. And, above all, get in the 

 line and push. For it is you we need; 

 not once or twice, but all the time. 



W. J. Vesey, Jr. 



SLOW GROWTH OF PANSIES. 



My pansies kept nicely over winter, 

 but they should grow faster. They are 

 short on foliage and also on buds and 

 blooms. I transplanted them in Sep- 

 tember. What feeding >g)iould I give 

 them to make them grow bushy and 

 flower better? F. S. 



Do not be impatient with your pan- 

 sies. If they are in well enriched ground, 

 all they will need will be an ample 

 water supply. If the soil is poor, a 

 soaking of cow or sheep manure water 

 will benefit them. -C. W. 



