124 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



June 27. 1001. 



Plants. 

 Year after year we find a remarkable 

 decrease in the value of the small plant 

 trade in New York, particularly from a 

 retail standpoint. The profits, if any at 

 all, from that end of the business, have 

 become so very small that the majority 

 of store florists only buy to fill some 

 order, or carry a small stock just for ap- 

 pearance sake. There are two great rea- 

 sons for this, the auction room and the 

 peddler's cart. We have a shed for a 

 market where the growers assemble at 

 dawn and clear away by 8 a. m. The 

 place is a gigantic disgrace. We often 

 go there to watch the evolution of the 

 plant trade. A few years ago every 

 florist with a store in and about the 

 city could be met there at daybreak 

 buying his wagonload of plants, but now 

 it is all changed. The retail florists are 

 scarcely seen there — no one but the ped- 

 dler, the fishmonger, the butcher, or pro- 

 fessional speculator. This means a very 

 serious loss to the grower, prices have 

 gone downward and instead of there 

 being an increase in the number of plants 

 grown it appears to us the reverse is the 

 fact. 



There is something very remarkable 

 about all this. At the auction rooms last 

 week coleus from 2i-ineh pots, brought 

 an average price of IJ cents each, and 

 geraniums could be bought at from li 

 cents up to 5. On Saturday last the res- 

 idential section of the city was kept in- 

 terested by the peddlers, who offered 

 fine geraniums in 3^-inch pots for 5 cents 

 each. What must they have paid for 

 them? And can they be grown at that 

 with any profit? It is apparent to all 

 at any rate that the retailer cannot 

 compete with such a condition, and it 

 would be wiser and better for the future 

 of the plant trade were a suitable mar- 

 ket provided where the public could go 

 and purchase direct from the grower. 



The day is fast going, if it has not 

 already gone, when the average store 

 man can aflford to carry a respectable 

 stock of bedding plants, for in the first 

 place it must be always in bloom and 

 in tip-top condition, and the expense of 

 keeping it so far exceeds the recompense. 

 'Tis only where one has vase or box 

 trade that any profit can be made, and 

 they are foolish who make up such an 

 order at the actual value of the plants, 

 as we know many are guilty of doing 

 without any reason. 



We notice a great transformation in 

 the material and make-up of summer 

 vases. This year more palms and foliage 

 plants are being used. They look richer 

 and more substantial than where flower- 

 ing plants only are in evidence. 

 ■Window Displays. 

 There has been nothing very remark- 

 able seen in the New York florists' win- 

 dows of late. When the weather gets 

 any, way warm, windows become neglect- 

 ed and are often discreditable. One 

 Broadway store has a bark-covered tank 

 with fountain in center ; several varieties 

 of cut water lilies float in the water, 



and altogether the exhibit looks cool ancl 

 otherwise attractive. That is Small's 

 window. Thorley for the past three 

 weeks has been displaying a vase of very 

 fine while rlir\^anthemunis; the blooms 

 arc :ih'Mil liM' inrhes in diameter, of the 

 Qiiicii l\ |.. ; liny lire the greatest curios- 

 ity un the niiuket just now; of course 

 tlie stock is exclusive, there is not much 

 call for it, all the same they are very 

 fine for bunch or vase work, and it goes 

 to prove that there will soon be no 

 season for any kind of flower, which is 

 rather a detriment to the business. 



Shakespeare gladiolus. Hydrangea 

 Otaksa, centaureas and a general assort- 

 ment of outdoor flowers constitute the 

 majority of window stock. Summer win- 

 dows are easily kept creditable by a sen- 

 sible se'eetion of material. The florist's 

 store, particularly on hot days, is gener- 

 ally considered by the public to be re- 

 freshingly cool ; the sight of a few green 

 plants in your window alone is often 

 capable of producing that effect. There 

 is nothing that will stand better than a 



wealthiest summer resort in the world, 

 something in the shape of a floral fete 

 cannot be gotten up. We are under the 

 impression that it would require very 

 little exertion on the part of the local 

 society to get up an annual floral af- 

 fair that would do more good in one year 

 than all the shows they have held for 

 the past (liTiiile. AiiiiTican floriculture 



values. I ',. .;.. ' l!'' ■• - -I 111- i.iiiirc 



must Ilrr,!- ■.,. ,, . . I ,U.\ V, III, -,.|-ir Irst- 



of adornment, will ijiing pleasim^ mid 

 profit to all. Florists are on tiic wrong 

 track when they stick a few flowers in 

 buttles on a bench and get hutly and 

 ugly because the American public don't 

 rush in to fall in rapture before the 

 queenly splendor of their pets. Times 

 and peoples have changed; they look 

 for entertainment and are willing to pay 

 for high quality. If the same amount of 

 money and energy were put into summer 

 floral fetes as is put into winter .shqws 

 results would be far more profitab'e. It 

 is a question that deserves consideration. 



The occasion of the convention at Buf- 

 falo in August should and could be made 

 an eye-opener as a floral event at small 

 cost. At least something should be done 

 to have the retailers add whatever they 

 can to the beauty and impressiveness of 

 the floricultural display there, be it only 

 in an inexpensive display of artistic 

 ability. 



Business is almost at a standstill in 

 all the eastern cities. Flowers are cheap 

 and abundant, the street stands are 



few good aspidistras, although alnKHt 

 anything green wall do well if properly 

 cared for. A mistake is made in having 

 an empty window or filling it with bas- 

 kets or paper boxes. There is nothing 

 like letting people see you are alive and 

 in business; there are always some good 

 flowers to be got, and there is no telling 

 who may come along. 



The Summer Resorts. 



There promises to be some good big 

 floral decorations at the summer resorts 

 this season, and we will deal with that 

 subject next week. Pity it seems that in 

 a place like Newport, which is the 



doing the most of the cut flower trade. 

 Funeral work consists mainly of wreaths 

 and loose bunches. At the high school 

 and college graduating exercises so far 

 large bunches of roses, carnations and 

 sweet peas were the principal floral 

 tokens seen ; very few baskets. Many of 

 the stores will no doubt be closed on 

 the Fourth of July; all of them should 

 be. Put the American flag in your win- 

 dow and let all enjoy the great day. 



IVEU.\. 



Pecatonica, III. — Winchester & Son 

 report that business has been very sat- 

 isfactory with them the past season. 



