DECEMBER 21, 1S99. 



The Weekly Rorists' Review, 



75 



Christmas Suggestions. 



A Merry Christinas and a better 

 New Year to all. We hope all ot you 

 have had a fair share of orders and 

 that business has been better than in 

 recent years. Florists richly deserve 

 whatever success they can wring out of 

 trade, for theirs is largely a life of spe- 

 culation and anxiety, handling the 

 most perishable of goods, dealing with 

 the most exacting parts in human na- 

 ture. Yes. boys and girls, some there 

 are who think all in it is gold and sun- 

 shine, but we ourselves know there is 

 lots of misery and hard work. 



Christmas is mostly an awe inspir- 

 ing event in floriculture. It is a tug 

 of war for existence with many a flor- 

 ist. The public begrudge him his due, 

 aye, even the grower considers that 

 the retailer is getting the best of him 

 at Christmas. 



We were just thinking what a vast 

 change has come over our business, 

 anyhow. Up to a very few years ago 

 every one used to work days and 

 nights for weeks before Christmas 

 getting greens ready, preparing boxes 

 and baskets, and clearing the decks 

 for the great rush. Everyone would 

 surely have to work all night Christ- 

 mas Eve. Nowadays there are scarce- 

 ly any preparations made at all, and 

 very few have to work all night. 

 Four or five hundred boxes of flow- 

 ers used to be a feature in the Broad- 

 way stores then, but now 'tis rarely 

 if ever the case. Yet the volume of 

 business is forever increasing: many 

 do not see it so, because it is scat- 

 tered. 



Even at this late date we are not 

 able to say what this year's trade will 

 be. Weather has been against cut 

 flowers, though good for plants. The 

 general feeling is for a very good 

 business. Prices will not differ very 

 much from other years, unless they be 

 a shade lower. Good Beauties will, 

 as usual, be scarce, and will probably 

 retail at from $18 to $24 per dozen- 

 that is, for top grades; others, of 

 course, will run from these figures 

 down to $.5. No Hybrid Perpetuals 

 are on the market, which fact is to 

 be regretted. Meteors come next, 

 and the finest of these will sell at 

 from $6 to $10; Brides, Bridesmaids, 

 Morgans, Testouts and Victorias will 



bring $.5, a few $11, most of them $4 to 

 $3. Of carnations, ordinary ones will 

 be plentiful and will be sold for from 

 $1 per dozen up; fancy varieties will 

 be popular and good prices will be 

 asked — that is, from $2.50 up to $5. 

 There will not be much of a raise in 

 bulbous stock; narcissus $1 per doz.; 

 valley, from $1.50 to $2.50 per bunch 

 of 25; Romans, 75 cents per doz.; vio- 

 lets will be the most unsatisfactory 

 flower — yes. more so than ever 

 this time; there are a quantity of 

 good ones, but not sufficient to go 

 'round. This will hurt the violet, for 

 the most ardent lover of that flower 

 grumbles if asked to pay more than 

 $5 per 100, even for the best. They 

 will run from that to $3. Harrlsiis 

 are expected to bring about $5 per doz. 

 Mignonette is grown in too many 

 sizes to fix a price on, but the big 

 spikes will sell at $2 to $4. Poinset- 

 tias are of many grades in quality and 

 can be sold from 35 cents to 75 cents 

 each; Eucharis amazonica, $5 per doz.; 

 sweet peas, $1.50 per bunch of 25; 

 gardenias. 75 cents to $1.25 each; 

 Japan quince, $1 to $1.50 per branch; 

 Cypripedium insigne. $4 per doz, fancy 

 varieties, $5; other flowers at prices 

 quoted last week. 



Every retailer knows or should 

 know that prices are largely a ques- 

 tion of circumstance; the higher 

 prices can only be gotten for very su- 

 perior grades of stock and from the 

 high class trade. There are many 

 who will sell — aye, be compelled to 

 sell — for very little higher prices 

 than they themselves paid for the 

 stock, and in some cases this has to 

 be done in the grandest of stores and 

 to the richest of people. Every store- 

 keeper has more or less trouble to put 

 up with; none entirely escapes the 

 suspicion of being an extortionist. 



If there is anything we can put up 

 a price on, it is either quality of work 

 or novelties; with novelties of course 

 are included rare or very scarce flow- 

 ers. Take, for instance, a pretty 

 bunch of sweet peas, clover, quince, 

 lilac, cherry, extra fine orchids, or 

 any such flowers; you are justified in 

 demanding good big prices for such 

 stock, just the same as other lines of 

 business ask fancy figures for ex- 

 clusive patterns or designs. Whilst 

 almost any kind of flowers are accept- 



able to the recipients on iiic • i 

 morning, still it is not always safe to 

 do as we please, throw anything Into 

 a box and fire it out; if we do so we 

 either lose that customer or hear un- 

 pleasant things from them. 



There are many who expect the best 

 from you, even if the sender refused 

 to pay the price, and these very same 

 senders know that you dare not send 

 this particular person anything but 

 your best; in such cases it is always 

 best to' either substitute or send less in 

 quantity but more in quality. 



Delivery of goods is a mighty Im- 

 portant matter. Don't pick up any 

 badly dressed sloven; get the neat- 

 est and most intelligent messengers 

 you can and compel them to carry the 

 flowers carefully. All your "flxin's" 

 can be spoiled by one rude shake of 

 the box. 



When arranging flowers in a box or 

 tying them into a bunch, use as much 

 care as possible in the matter of bar 

 mony. Of course you can use con- 

 siderable latitude in the case of what 

 are called spring flowers. The follow- 

 ing are a few combinations which go 

 well; Scott carnations and yellow 

 daisies; cypripediums, mignonettes 

 and Meteors; valley and forget-me- 

 not; or valley and sweet peas; Test- 

 outs or La France and white lilac; 

 Beauties and lilies; Meteors and Jes- 

 samine; pink, yellow, and crimson 

 carnations. Most perfect flowers will 

 look best by themselves. A bunch of 

 valley is permissible in almost any 

 box of flowers. Care should be taken 

 not to have white in the majority 

 where flowers are sent to a sick per- 

 son. 



Cut the ends of all bunched stock. 

 They will look fresher, and be care- 

 ful what kind of string they are tied 

 with. Bunches of flowers such as 

 valley, myosotis, sweet peas, etc., will 

 look all the better if wrapped corner- 

 wise-end-open in white or tinted paper 

 and tied with No. 1 ribbon of the same 

 color; this is, of course, for special 

 boxes. Many special boxes are this 

 Christmas being tied with silk ribbon, 

 spray of holly or mistletoe in the bow. 

 New Y'ear's Day, which used to be 

 even better than Christmas, is now 

 no better than an average good Sat- 

 urday to the trade. Remember, suit- 

 able greens in a box is a great help 

 when flowers are scarce. Cut some 

 Boston ferns for the big ones, such 

 as lilies, etc. IVERA. 



TOBACCO ASHES. 



Would the ashes from burned to- 

 bacco stems be beneficial as a top 

 dressing between bench roses? Would 

 they be good for carnations? 



Which method is best to sweeten 

 soil on rose benches — lime water or a 

 sprinkling of air-slaked lime? 



ENQUIRER. 



Have never used tobacco ashes as a 

 top dressing, but believe it would be 

 beneficial if not overdone. There is 

 nothing injurious in tobacco. Have 

 seen the decayed stems plowed in as 

 manure and productive of fine crops. 



