658 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



ver, John T. Bcal, Kobt. M. Yost, C. C. 

 Bell, F. P. Graves, appointed only March 

 23, have already done great work. It is 

 greatly desired by them that the State 

 and County Horticultural Society co- 

 operate with them in its display of 

 fruits. Prof. Trelease, of (lie Missouri 

 Botanical Garden, will kindly contribute 

 palms and other plants for decorations. 

 The meeting will continue all of this 

 week. J. .1. B. 



BALTIMORE. 



The Easter Trade. 



The clouds have hardly cleared nor the 

 combatants rested after the battle so that 

 an adequate estimate can be formed of 

 the operations of the day, and the point 

 of view of the observer, doubtless, will 

 influence the verdict as to the Easter 

 trade. 



To an onlooker it would seem that the 

 plant decoration of windows and rooms 

 was hardly equal in extent to last year's. 

 For personal adornment there was less 

 than the usual opportunity of display, 

 the weather being windy and raw, so 

 that the customary parade on Charles 

 street was not a thing to be indulged 

 in longer than was necessary to go 

 through the form and display iievv hats, 

 gowns and wraps. The women wore 

 mostly violets, great bunches reaching 

 into the hundreds and almost into thou- 

 sands, adorning their corsage, but some 

 American Beauties were worn, though 

 under trying experiences from the wintry 

 breezes. 



Saturday was ushered in by a driving 

 rain, not so cold as penetrating and de- 

 pressing, and as it came down until near 

 noon the spirit of the dealers sank with 

 it, as it threatened to break up the day's 

 business by keeping people off the streets. 

 Toward afternoon the downfall ceased, 

 but the clouds were dull and leaden, with 

 no inspiration of glad sunshine. Not- 

 withstanding, people thronged the stores 

 and market stalls and the buying con- 

 tinued lively until nearly midnight. 



Yet we believe on the whole, there was 

 not the complete clearing out of all kinds 

 of stork- v.itn, - 1,1 i„ some vears. Per- 

 haps (lii- i- .III, 1,, ilir laiiier prepara- 

 tions )i ! I . ;,,:,,. II nltnt;ctl]ei-, the 

 conscn-u- .t , |iMiinii seems to be that 

 never were tlicre more flowers sold, espe- 

 cially in the markets. Of cheap stuff, 

 hyacinths, tulips and narcissus, there 

 was too great a supply. Calla lilies were 

 in excess of requirements, although there 

 seemed to be at first an insufficiency in 

 sight. Carnations were good and about 

 proportioned to the demand. Of white 

 and Perle roses there was a shortage, but 

 Beauties and pink roses were fairly 

 abundant. Harrisii lilies were not to be 

 had, and many orders went to our cousins 

 of the City of Brotherly Love. The sale 

 of violets was enormous, but more were 

 still wanted and would have been readily 

 absorbed. 



The azalea was not in as high favor 

 probably as in former years. Perhaps 

 this statement should be modified to refer 

 to plants of some size. The market men 

 were provided with small well bloomed 

 plants, which found great favor, selling 

 at 75 cents and one dolhir, which is a 

 figure at which most buyers of a single 

 )ilant in the market stop. The Crimson 

 Rambler did not go, as in the days of its 

 earlier introduction, and at several store.s 

 today (x\pril 8) fine samples are on hand 

 unsold. 



The "itories' in the daily paper.s did 

 a conspicuous disservice, as usual, to 

 the trade by their exaggeration of the 

 prices and cupidity of the florists. Many 

 person;, who would otherwise be buyers, 

 are frightened off from even trying prices 

 by these exaggerated fictions. 



The Florist's Exchange did, as usual, 

 a rushing business, demonstrating anew 

 its lack, of capacity of room and accom- 

 modations to properly handle the ma- 

 terial which comes to it. Arripler quar- 

 ters would lead to more business, the bet- 

 ter handling of stock and to the peace 

 of mind of I lie buyers. 



Various Items. 



The market missed the large contribu- 

 tions usually coining in of carnations 

 from John M. Rider, whose houses were 

 partially, and his stock entirely, de- 

 stroyed by fire some weeks ago, result- 

 ing in a loss to him of something like 

 $2,000. A number of the gardeners 

 banded together lately and went down 

 to help him straighten things up some- 

 what. The houses will be rebuilt. Mr. 

 R. has the sympathy and good will of 

 the entire trade, for he is a good fellow, 

 built on a broad gauge, and one who 

 has achieved marked success as a grower. 



Following promptly on Easter are a 

 number of large weddings this week, 

 which naturally will call for many flow- 

 ers. There will be no scarcity, but the 

 growers are all telling now how dif- 

 ferent things might have been had bright 

 sunshiny days taken the place of the 

 rain and clouds of last week. 



Theodore Eckhardt, a well known gar- 

 dener here, widely known for his contri- 

 butions on horticultural subjects to the 

 trade and daily press and who estab- 

 lished some years ago a large commer- 

 cial establishment near this city, has re- 

 considered his determination to go back 

 to Belgium and has accepted a position 

 at the Springfield Insane Asylum, a state 

 institution, where he will lay off the 

 grounds and superintend the garden work 

 in general. The appointment is one re- 

 ceived with much favor, as Mr. E. is a 

 capable and active man. _ 



"Tew houses oc ' 

 are noticed at Woodberry, 

 this writing unknown. Another erected 

 for carnations at Melvale by Mr. Baker, 

 and a party was lately looking about Mt. 

 Washington for a suitable site for a large 

 florist's plant. There is consequently no 

 probabilitv of a dearth in the flower mar- 

 ket. ■ R. 



BOSTON. 



Trade Conditions. 



The general run of retail trade was 

 very quiet for Easter w-eek up to Satur- 

 day morning. This is especially true of 

 classes of goods not usable in funeral 

 work. But of course all were busy in an- 

 ticipation of a rush the latter part of 

 the week. Many branched out into tem- 

 porarily enlarged quarters. All put in 

 a heavy stock of potted plant life, and 

 all salesmen of cut flowers hustled to 

 obtain orders ahead. When at last they 

 got their feet placed business did not 

 open iip and the lowering skies pro- 

 claimed a rain storm, which began Thurs- 

 day. 



Saturday morning a boom opened like 

 the polar current rushing through the 

 Straits of Belle Isle. It was felt first 

 at the wholesale establishments where 

 things jingled merrily in the morning. 



The witches of Macbeth seemed to have 

 control at the Co-operative Market. It 

 was surely "Bubble, bubble, toil and 

 trouble." To this add equal parts Don- 

 nj'brook Fair and Baltimore riot, ad lib., 

 and move the decimal point twenty places 

 to the right. "Sooch a pecsness!" But 

 all kinds of goods were plentiful enough 

 to fill all orders at low prices even 

 though there was a demand for some- 

 thing all day long, because at the retail 

 stores it soon became almost as chaotic. 

 Toward night it began to rain again and 

 Saturday night was one of the juciest 

 ever known. But traffic kept right on, 

 even the unprotected street fakirs push- 

 ing their sales among the home-going 

 after-theater people in the downpour. 

 There was quite a little left to attend 

 to on Sunday, but not so much as usual, 

 I have an idea. 



Double violets were disgustingly plen- 

 tiful. Roses came in a mighty close sec- 

 ond. Prices on unengaged pinks fell 

 from twenty-five to fifty per cent. Good 

 lilies soon became very scarce and toward 

 night poor ones did also, and prices ad- 

 vanced on them every hour of the day. 

 Single violets were scarce. The new con- 

 tinuous performance theater near Cal- 

 vin's store is all right. The average of 

 the lilies at Easter was rather poor. 

 They had to be rushed too fast the last 

 few weeks of their growth. 



J. S. Maxter. 



INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



Meeting of State Society, 

 The State Florists" Association held 

 its .\pril meeting at the Denison House, 

 and by request of President William J. 

 Berterman of the Carnation Society the 

 consideration of and laying plans for 

 ne.xt year's carnation convention was 

 made the chief order of business of the 

 evening. There was a good attendance 

 and every member seemed anxious to 

 help make the very best convention in 

 the history of the society, and if the 

 present interest is kept up it surely will 

 be, as we have the men to do it. Presi- 

 dent Haugh was in the chair and after 

 the matter was thoroughly discussed 

 he appointed^^ a nominating committee 

 consisting of Messrs. E. G. Hill, F. Dor- 

 ner, Jr., H. W. Reiman, J. S. Stuart 

 and J. Bcrtermann, with instructions to 

 appoint other committees as they deemed 



This committee was afterwards made 

 an executive committee. They appoint- 

 ed the following committees to arrange 

 for the convention: Finance, H. W. 

 Ricman, J. Evans, M. Heller, F. Cor- 

 ner, Jr., Geo. Weigand. Exhibition, J. 

 S. Stuart, F. Lemon, E. A. Nelson, J. 

 Hartje, J. Bertermann. Entertainment, 



E. G. Hill, J. A. E. Haugh, Ervin Ber- 

 termann, Wni. Billingsley, H. Junge, 

 Reception, R. ^McKeand, F. B. Alley, A. 



F. J. Baur, F. Huckreide, W. W. Coles. 

 Every member present agreed to be- 

 come a member of the Carnation Society 

 and we hope to have a good many more 

 throughout the state within a month or 

 two. 



President Bertermann read a commu- 

 nication from the German House Society 

 offering part of their clubhouse for the 

 meeting and exhibition, and several who 

 have attended various conventions say 

 that it would .make an ideal meeting 



