APRIL 10, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



631 



View in the New Store of Mr. John C. Hatcher, Amsterdam, N. Y. 



CaCCAGO. 



The Easter Trade. 



All the leading retailers agree that 

 the Easter trade was decidedly the 

 best in years. On Thursday and Fri- 

 day some of them were feeling rather 

 doubtful in view of the weather, which 

 was gloomy and unfavorable for shop- 

 ping, but Saturday was pleasant and 

 the business done on that day was 

 enormous. Those w'ho handle plants 

 say that this department developed 

 wonderfully this year, but that sales of 

 cut flowers increased, too. The plant 

 men had their difficulties increased hy 

 the large number of plant orders that 

 had to be delivered on Saturday, but 

 fortunately the weather was favorable 

 and little packing was required. 



The majority report that customers 

 didn't figure quite so closely on price 

 as last year, though medium priced 

 plants went most readily as usual. 

 Nevertheless, more of the expensive 

 arrangements were sold. All say they 

 could have sold more good lilies had 

 they had them. Of other plants and 

 cut flowers there was no marked short- 

 age, and the universal report is that 

 it would have been impossible to han- 

 dle any more business had it come. 

 Prices ruled somewhat higher than 

 last year, especially on extra select 

 stock. 



The wholesalers all report an enor- 

 mous business, far ahead of last year. 

 The only limit to business was hav- 

 ing stock with which to meet demand. 

 The only really serious shortage, how- 

 ever, was in lilies. Of these none had 

 enough. And, curiously enough, there 



was not the serious shortage of carna- 

 tions that was anticipated. At the 

 close rose orders had to be cut more 

 than those for carnations. General 

 bulbous stuff went better than ever be- 

 fore and practically everything was 

 well cleaned up. 



By the way white carnations mate- 

 rialized at the last moment, it was 

 plain that many had been held on the 

 plants for some time. This works 

 fairly well at Easter, but when done 

 for Christmas, generally results in a 

 surplus of white for that holiday. 



Taken all in all. the Easter trade, 

 both local and shipping, was a record 

 breaker, and both retailer and whole- 

 saler are exceedingly well satisfied 

 with it. At the leading wholesale 

 places there were several all night ses- 

 sions at the work of packing and ship- 

 ping, and the boys look a little worn 

 and weary, though contented and 

 happy. 



Since Easter, demand and supply 

 have maintained very satisfactory re- 

 lations, and prices are very good for 

 the season. 



Seen at the Rctai'ers, 

 At Sanuielson's: Many egg shaped 

 birch bark baskets of various sizes, 

 filled with plants and flowers. Of the 

 smaller ones, some were filled with 

 pansies and mignonette, some with 

 mignonette and Roman hyacinths, 

 some with mignonette and violets. The 

 medium sized and larger ones were 

 filled, many with baby primroses, some 

 with single daffodils and mignonette, 

 some with yellow tulips and yellow 

 Marguerites, some with various ferns 

 only. Many pans of Dutch hyacinths 



with various colored crepe paper cov- 

 ers and sashes of ribbon to match or 

 contrast, all harmoniously. A few of 

 these pans had birch bark pot covers. 

 A few pans of grai)e hyacinths that 

 made a pleasant variety. Many birch 

 bark boxes or jardinieres filled with 

 hyacinths and blooming plants. Ham- 

 pers of birch hark decorated with 

 green luffa and filled with various 

 plant combinations, one especially ef- 

 fective one being of Empress of India 

 azaleas and Clothilde Soupert roses, 

 the hamper being decorated with a 

 sash of open work pink shot ribbon 

 and chiffon. Braid hampers filled simi- 

 larly with plants of American Beauty 

 and Soupert roses witli various sashes 

 diagonally across the fronts and with 

 rosette of the same ribbon at one end. 

 Similar hampers filled with short lilies 

 or with azaleas. Small, round birch 

 bark boxes filled with pansies. 



At Wienhoebers': Many pans of hya- 

 cinths and single yellow daffodils and 

 Horsfieldii daffodils with pot covers 

 or crepe paper. Many low baskets 

 filled with short lilies, light colored 

 cinerarias, Horsfieldii daffodils and 

 Primula obconica. The yellow Primula 

 vulgaris worked into a number of 

 plant baskets. Many fine lilies and 

 azaleas. Baskets of plants of Soupert 

 and Crimson Rambler roses. A plant 

 basket containing a lily, a Marguerite, 

 numbers of Horsfieldii daffodils, Prim- 

 ula obconica and P. vulgaris. Many 

 birch bark eggs filled with small plants 

 and flowers. Quite a few white cine- 

 rarias. Some remarkably well bloomed 

 azaleas. Empress of India being par- 

 ticularly showy. 



At Smyth's: Many pots and pans 

 of bulbous stuff and miscellaneous pot 

 plants in bloom. Handle baskets filled 

 with combinations of plants and sash 

 of chiffon on the handle. Many boxes 

 or jardinieres of blooming plants 

 trimmed with crepe paper and sash. .\ 

 box filled solely with Primula obco- 

 nica. Heaths in variety. Large pots of 

 swainsona, four plants in a pot. Birch 

 bark eggs, baskets and jardinieres. A 

 profusion of miscellaneous blooming 

 plants. 



At flange's: Blooming plants of 

 Dendrobium Wardianum and Anthu- 

 rium Scherzerianum in decorated pots. 

 Pans of small plants of maranta. Ota- 

 heite oranges. Cut spikes of large 

 flowered antirrhinum, and the usual 

 run of blooming plants and flowers. 



.\t Schubert's: Many azaleas, lilies 

 and flats of tulips and other bulb stuff, 

 in addition to the usual display of cut 

 flowers. 



At Friedman's: A big display of 

 fancy blooming plants. Among th' 

 plant arrangements a big pink rhodo- 

 dendron in a basket decorated with 

 asparagus and which sold for the mod- 

 est price of $75. 



At Wittbold's: Pots containing three 

 or four red tulips with small ferns in- 

 terspersed. Egg shaped birch bark 

 baskets filled with metallica and ar- 

 gentea guttata begonias and ferns 



