DKCEMBEIt iS, l.stH. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



103 



Christmas Window Decoration of Mr. C. A. Samuelson, Chicago. 



grower it is a matter of right or wrong 

 judgment in selection. If the public 

 refuse to purchase all the Bridesmaids 

 and Brides we can grow, then we ought 

 to try them with something else, al- 

 ways remembering that good bright 

 colors are the most populai' in this 

 country. 



American Beauties brought big prices 

 except in some cases where prominent 

 retailers demanded them for their own 

 figures, and the dealers had to comply 

 in order to retain their trade; this was 

 not fair to do on limited stock. Me- 

 teors and extra good Maids went satis- 

 factorily, but the rest of the stoclv 

 could be bought at your own figure. 

 Cypripediums were kept at the set fig- 

 ure of 12 1-2 cents: valley, violets and 

 bulb stock were sold in large quantities 

 as cheaply almost as any other time of 

 the year. Red carnations sold well, as 

 did well grown poinsettias. The peo- 

 ple seemed to have been more particu- 

 lar than ever and the best went Srst. 

 There was quite a brisk cut flower 

 trade all Christmas day. 



Dealers in greens report a specially 

 fine trade. Good holly sold well; ev- 

 erybody cleaned out. Some very poor 

 holly was seen: 'twas fit for nothing; 

 but anyone having good stock got rid 

 of it without much trouble. Mistletoe 

 was very unsatisfactory and was in de- 

 mand, too. Princess pine brought a 

 good price: in fact, there was a general 



clearing out of anything that was pre- 

 sentable. 



Reed & Keller report an immense 

 Christmas trade in baskets and general 

 supplies; they sold over 50.000 wreath 

 rings. 



Thomas Young had an unusually 

 large amount of shipping orders. His 

 high-grade stock and novelties seemed 

 to have been in demand from all sec- 

 tions. 



There we^e numerous new stor?s 

 opened in time for Christmas and all 

 seemed to have been well patronized. 



J. I. D. 



CHRISTMAS WINDOW DECORA- 

 TION. 



We present lierewith an engraving 

 from a photograph of the Christmas 

 window decoration of Mr. Chas. A. 

 Samuelson, Chicago. The decoration 

 was an exceedingly handsome one and 

 the photograph does not give the 

 slightest idea of its beauty. It may 

 serve, however, to make plain to the 

 professional eye what the actual effect 

 was. 



The window space was canopied 

 with wild smilax, which was studded 

 with branches of the winter berry. 

 From the canopy were suspended by 

 red ribbons of varying lengths many 

 small bells of red immortelles. 



At the right of the window is seen a 

 gracefully built up bank of poinsettias, 

 while the main space is occupied by 

 baskets of plants (of which some ex- 

 amples are given in other engravings 

 in this issue) and various other (Christ- 

 mas specialties, including small rustic 

 logs filled with holly sprays inter- 

 spersed with twigs ot the winter berry. 



The general color scheme was green 

 and red. the only important variation 

 being the light colored (lowers of cy- 

 clamens, of which many were used. 

 Kililion was very sparingly used. 



PITTSBURG. 



Christmas business was very satis- 

 factory to the florists here. Some re- 

 port an increase of 50 per cent over 

 last year, others 25 per cent, and a few 

 the same amount as last Christmas. 



There was a very large quantity of 

 greens handled and most of it cleaned 

 up, trees as well as holly, etc. 



The two commission houses did a 

 big business. The Pittsburg Cut 

 Flower Company handled 50 per cent 

 more stock this year than last, espe- 

 cially carnations. Their new location, 

 with about three times the room they 

 bad in their old place, made it easier 

 to handle the increasing trade. 



The retailers are very well satisfied 

 with their Christmas business. Prices 

 ruled about the same as last year, al- 

 liiough New York offered stock at vei-y 

 low rates on Saturday. 



Breitenstcin & Flemm, who have 

 Patterson's old stand, corner of Market 

 and Liberty, have been very busy for 

 the last three weeks, mostly orders on 

 account of social affairs. 



The market florists did a very large 

 business Saturday, though they did not 

 sell out as clean as in former years, 

 especially in Allegheny. The weather 

 was miserable Saturday evening, and 

 bad weather always hui-ts the market 

 people more than the stores. A driz- 

 zling rain fell all the evening. Sunday 

 we had alternate snow flurries and 

 sunshine. Christmas morning the 

 ground was covered with snow, and 

 more snow and more sunshine during 

 the day. with a clear, cold night, the 

 temperature down to 10 degrees. It 

 was lucky for the plantsmen that the 

 cold did not come on Saturday, which 

 was mild enough to expose plants and 

 flowers. 



There did not seem to be much pickl- 

 ed stuff coming in this year, except 

 from a few of the smallest growers. 

 Carnations were much more plentiful 

 than expected, no doubt owing to the 

 mild sunny days just before Christ- 

 mas. 



Burki sent in a large lot of White 

 Cloud and Victor. C. Blind had a big 

 cut of Mrs. Fisher carnation, which is 

 still grown here to a considerable ex- 

 tent. 



Roses were not so plentiful. Grow- 

 ers complained of much dark weather 

 the last two months. Harrisiis were in 

 fair supply, though there was not 

 enough to go round. They seem to be 



