104 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



UKL'KMBER 28, 1S99. 



coming in a little later this season 

 with most growers. 



Paper whites anil Romans are en- 

 tirely too plentiful and, as is always 

 the way, when a thing is plentiful the 

 people don't seem to want it. Good 

 lily of the valley comes in very regu- 

 larly still from cold storage stock. The 

 Cut Flower Company handles much 

 Asparagus Sprengeri and strings of 

 plumosus. 



The commission house of G. L. Hus- 

 croft has heen purchased by Mr. John 

 B. Ferguson, the East End florist and 

 landscape gardener, Mr. Huscrott sell- 

 ing on account of poor health. 



Mr. W. Beissner, the grower at Car- 

 rick, near this city, died last Sunday 

 morning, aged 65 years. 



Mr. C. Blind. West View, is building 

 a new house 25x150 for bedding stock. 



BAER. 



ST. LOUIS. 



Christmas Trade. 



Christmas trade was never better, 

 and, from all the reports that I can 

 gather at this early date, everybody 

 had all they could do. All hands were 

 at work early and late and, as there 

 was plenty of funeral work, many had 

 to work all night Saturday in order to 

 fill their orders for Sunday delivery. 

 A good thing for the retailer was that 

 white stock of all kinds was plentiful 

 and prices not too high. The retailer, 

 grower and wholesaler say they have 

 not had a better trade at Christmas in 

 years. 



The rose stock that came in was 

 more of the second quality, although 

 good prices were obtained. Carnations 

 were plenty and of good quality, espe- 

 cially white, with prices up to the 

 average year. Violets were scarce and 

 brought top prices. Bulb stock was a 

 great glut and lots of it will be dumped 

 by the wholesalers. Romans and pa- 

 per whites could be had at your own 

 price. Valley held its own and calla.-; 

 sold well. Those who handled plants 

 report an exceptionally good demand 

 both for green and flowering plants. 

 Quite a lot of ferneries were filled and 

 sold. 



Prices. 



Prices on stock were as follows: 

 Select Beauties, very scarce, $18 per 

 dozen; .second choice, $12; Maids, 

 Brides, Meteors, Perles and Carnots, 

 first choice, $18 to $20 per 100; sec- 

 onds, $8 and $12; Woottons, $10. They 

 were not so scarce as expected, yet the 

 demand was great and satisfactory to 

 the wholesaler. Carnations, fancy, $8 

 per 100: others from $4 to $5. Some 

 were sold as low as $2 and $3, but these 

 were very poor. Good reds were 

 scarce, but Scotts, Daybreaks and 

 white plentiful. Bulb stuff, Romans 

 and papers, sold at from $1 to $3, and 

 hard to sell at that. From the looks 

 of the fX)mmission houses every grow- 

 er must have gone in heavy on bulbous 

 stock. Violets, California, brought $2 



and $3 per 100; small, single, 75 cents 

 and $1. 



Not much is expected in the way of 

 business for New Year's, but no doubt 

 the prices will remain up until after 

 the first of the year. 



We were too much confined to busi- 

 ness the past week to give any news 

 notes and will close my letter for this 

 week by wishing all the readers of The 

 Review a "happy New Year." 



J. J. B. 



CINCINNATI. 



The Christmas Trade. 



Up to the 18th of December we had 

 dark, rainy weather and the wholesale 

 men were afraid to q\iote roses and 

 carnations for holidays at any price. 

 However, during Christmas week, with 

 the exception of Saturday, we were 

 favored with bright, clear weather, 

 and our growers were able to cut near- 

 ly twice as much stock as they had an- 

 ticipated. 



Poinsettias were largely grown this 

 year and sold well. The majority of 

 the blooms were medium sized and 

 brought $25 per 100. Harrisii were 

 limited and went slow at 15. cents. 

 Bulbous stock was plentiful, of good 

 quality, and sold fairly well at $3 to .*4 

 per 100. Saturday was a miserable 

 day. rain falling from morning till 

 night, just enough to keep the flower- 

 buying people at home. 



Christmas falling on Monday kept 

 the commission men guessing a.s to 

 just when they would want the bull; 

 of their stock. Friday proved to be 

 the best day, although considerable 

 shipping was done on Saturday and 

 Sunday. Christmas morning was clear 

 and cold, the thermometer registering 

 18 degrees above at 8 a. m. — not ex- 

 actly the weather desirable for deliver- 

 ing plants. 



Your scribe called at the down 

 town stores on Monday, and after 

 waiting 15 or 20 minutes to see the 

 boss, secured the following informa- 

 tion; 



,1. A. Peterson reports business very 

 good, considering the weather. The 

 sale of cut flowers equals that of last 

 year, which is saying a good deal. 

 Plant sales beat anything on record, 

 cyclamen, azaleas and poinsettias sell- 

 ing best. Foliage plants, such as 

 palms, dracaenas, etc., went slow. 



A. Sunderbruch's Sons: Christmas 

 trade almost double that of last year. 

 They had fine stock and plenty of it. 

 With them plants went very slow. 

 Prices were about the same as last 

 year. 



B. P. Critchell: Broke even with 

 last year. If the weather Saturday 

 had been favorable, would have run 

 way ahead. Had stock enough except 

 Beauties. Did well with holly and fes- 

 tooning. 



E. G. Gillett: Sales short of former 

 years. Prices as a rule were better ex- 

 cept on bulbous stock, which was a gliii 

 with him. Could have sold more 

 fancy carnations and good roses. 



J. M. McCuUough's Sons: Sales 

 about 25 per cent better than last 

 year. Could have sold more colored 

 flowers. Bulbous stock sold readily, 

 but cheap. 



Ohio Cut Flower Co: Sales fell short 

 of previous years. Bulbous stock 

 went slow. Don't know if we could 

 have sold more roses it we had them. 

 Prices realized were about the same 

 as last Christmas. 



Cincinnati Cut Flower Co.; Business 

 and prices about the same as last 

 year. Plenty of stock, with the ex- 

 ception of colored roses, especially 

 Beauties. Romans the only thing 

 that went slow. "Glad Christmas is 

 over." B. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



Christmas, the season of all sea- 

 sons, has rolled around again, and 

 finds the florists very busy all over 

 town in all kinds of work. The grow- 

 er is also busy holding back his 

 stock of flowers. As a consequence, 

 carnations are scai-ce this week. Very 

 few fancy carnations are to be seen at 

 the stores. Roses are more plen- 

 tiful, because they refuse to be canned 

 or pickled like the carnation. Holly 

 wreaths are in great demand and sell 

 at a nice profit to the makers. The 

 rains have stopped and the weather 

 looks as if it will be a Christmas of 

 sunshine instead of snow and storm. 



Prices are advancing on all kinds 

 of stock and the florists' and growers' 

 harvest has begun. Portias, 25, 30 and 

 35 cents per doz.; Scotts, 30 to 40 

 cents per doz.; Fancies. Flora Hill, 

 Triumph, 50 cents to $1 per doz. Rose 

 prices are slightly higher than last 

 week. Violets are of good quality 

 and about equal to the demand. Cali- 

 fornias, $1 to $1.50; Princess of Wales, 

 $1.50 to $2 per dozen bunches. Freesias, 

 25 cents; Roman hyacinths, 3 dozen 

 for $1; paper whites. $1.50 per 100. 



J. P. Roller has opened a store at 

 902 Broadway, Oakland. The stand 

 looks like a gaod one and it is hoped 

 that he will meet with success. 



George N. Miller, florist, on New 

 Broadway, Oakland, is thinking of re- 

 tiring from business. Old age is the 

 cause. Mr. Miller says he had an offer 

 from one of Oakland's dry goods stores 

 to pose as Santa Clans. "What does 

 the public want?" Is the florist's art 

 not enough for them? 



Asparagus Sprengeri as a basket 

 plant sells readily and many fine spe- 

 cimens are to be seen at the various 

 stores. 



The little baby rose, Cecil Brunner, 

 is a good seller in this market and is 

 always in demand. 



.\ntonia & Figona have opened a 

 store on Sutter St.. near Kearney. The 

 location is a good one. It is a good 

 move. 



Mr. Peter Nicholson, our Haywards 

 grower, is bringing in some of the 

 finest .\merican Beauties ever seen in 

 this market in a long time, and shows 

 the great care Mr. Nicholson has taken 



