162 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



you are located from the large city the more attention you must 

 pay to details. See to it that there is a good supply of wrapping 

 paper, twine, sheet and sphagnum moss, corsage pins, shields and 

 boxes, plain cards, card envelopes, delivery tags, the different 

 sizes of fern dishes and bulb pans, wire and wire rings for wreaths, 

 various sizes of wired toothpicks, tinfoil, narrow fiber, chiffon, 

 and a better grade of red ribbon; these are just a few of the things 

 almost every florist, no matter where he is located, needs for Christ- 

 mas. The list would be as long again should we mention all the 

 items made use of by the larger city florist. 



t 



Displaying the Holiday Stock 



The chances of making a sale all depend on what you have 

 in suitable Christmas stock and how it is presented to those who 

 visit your establishment. For instance, a Winterberry centerpiece 

 among a lot of baskets and pot plants doesn't make nearly as much 

 impression as when set by itself on a small table with a white cover; 

 in this way it wiU give one an idea how it would look on the dining- 

 table. A Cleveland Cherry, no matter how fine the plant nor how 

 fuU of berries, should not be placed alongside a Poinsettia pan; 

 the color of the latter gives the Cherry anything but a Christmas 

 effect, although alone or next to some white flowers it looks fine. 

 There is never anything gained by crowding things in the store or 

 show house and the florist with greenhouses in connection with his 

 store should always put aside a bench in one of the houses where 

 the main part of the Christmas stock can be kept to be drawn 

 upon when needed. As this bench begins to empty, move up the 

 remaining stock and use the space vacated for stock sold and to be 

 deUvered later. 



If you should happen to have an oversupply of anything, 

 whether it consists of Christmas Peppers, Cleveland Cherries, 

 Primulas, Poinsettias or anything else, and you are anxious to dis- 

 pose of the plants, you will never do it by crowding them into the 

 show house, or having them predominate there. Rather display 

 them to best advantage and in proportion to other stock. But 

 push them, that is where you salesmanship comes in. If, for example, 

 you have twelve Cleveland Cherries on a counter and just one 

 each of Cyclamen and Poinsettia, it is a safe bet that no one will 

 want the Cherries. 



Stock once sold has no longer any business in the store or show 

 house; it should be removed immediately and put out of sight. 

 Last, but by no means least, maintain your display in the best possible 

 shape until you close up. When the flowering plants begin to give 

 out, keep on bringing palms, ferns or other decorative stock to 

 take their place. Anything looks better than an empty or half- 



