698 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



MAY 3. 1900. 



being decorated with Asparagus plu- 

 mosus. Wlien filled the pUitedus were 

 20 to 24 inches in diametei- and 15 in 

 height. The effect was very pleasing 

 and Phil thinks it was one ot the 

 prettiest decorations he ever arranged. 

 The cx>nimittee complimented him 

 warmly. 



He also had a dinner decoration last 

 Monday evening for an affair connect- 

 ed with the Dewey reception at the 

 Auditorium, and for this he used pla- 

 teaus of sweet peas with asparagus for 

 green. In the asparagus he prefers 

 the paler color noticeable in the 

 younger fronds. 



The decorations for Admiral Dewey's 

 breakfast at the Auditorium Annex on 

 his arrival last Monday morning con- 

 sisted merely of palms and ferns. P. 

 J. Hauswirth banked the windows and 

 Walter Retzer & Co. arranged groups 

 in the room. The mantel in the suite 

 of rooms reserved for the admiral and 

 his wife was handsomely banked with 

 plants and flowers also. 



Word from St. Louis is to the effect 

 that the bowlers will be unable to 

 visit Chicago until May 13. 



Mr. W. Hizer, Rockford, 111., was in 

 the city last Tuesday. 



Mr. E. R. Tauch, foreman for Wal- 

 ter Retzer & Co., will leave May 12 for 

 a three months' vacation in Europe. 

 He will visit the Paris Exposition. 



BALTIMORE. 



Personal and Trade Items. 



Trade for the week up to date of 

 writing (April 30) has been moderate- 

 ly active, the usual procession of wed- 

 dings and mild social festivities mak- 

 ing a fair and steady demand for cut 

 flowers. These events, with the usual 

 commencement requirements and per- 

 ennial funeral necessities have kept 

 up a moderately well distributed busi- 

 ness. As is ever the case, a good deal 

 of stuff, belated for Easter, has come 

 into the market, especially callas and 

 Harrisii lilies, and run prices down. 

 Violets are about over. Good roses 

 have kept steadily^ selling and carna- 

 tions have not been much in excess of 

 demand. Of course, with the freer 

 supply prices relax somewhat all 

 around. 



Many roses and carnations are be- 

 ing pulled out now to give room for 

 bedding stuff, and florists who provide 

 this material are busy and expecting 

 to bo more so. The weather here con- 

 tinues cool, especially at night, and 

 those who dread the invasion of mil- 

 dew in their rose houses keep np light 

 firing. The season is still behind hand 

 and many outdoor flowers usually seen 

 on May day will not be in evidence 

 tomorrow. Carnations are being plant- 

 ed out, sweet peas are generally sown, 

 and on every side are seen evidences 

 ot the bustle and progress ot spring 

 work. Indeed, everyone is so busy 

 now that items of news are scarce and 

 difficult to find. 



The handsome palms and other fine 

 foliage plants which have been in the 

 collection of Mr. Wm. W. Spence for 

 many years, and lately under the 

 charge of .lohn Donn. it is reported 

 have been purchased in a block lot by 

 Dr. Douglas H. Thomas, president ot 

 one of the largest banks here, who 

 will erect for their accommodation a 

 conservatory at his own residence. 



At the Gardeners' Club meeting Mr. 

 George O. Brown, who is a newspaper 

 man. with a great fondness for flori- 

 culture, read a paper which was ex- 

 ceedingly well received by the mem- 

 bers, who hope to see it published in 

 full. He dealt with florists and gar- 

 deners as the ministers to refined 

 tastes and quoted from the poets to 

 show the influence for good which 

 their occupation and labors exerted. 



The business of the retail florist is 

 one which, it is assumed with reason, 

 requires some training or apprentice- 

 ship, that it may be carried on profit- 

 ably, but occasionally an instance oc- 

 curs when a person without training 

 lor it, and experienced only in an en- 

 tirely different occupation, makes it a 

 success. In these cases the traditions 

 of the trade are neglected, but with- 

 out seeming to lessen the returns. 



An illustration Is found here in the 

 case of Mr. J. A. Ritter, who for many 

 years carried on a tonsorial establish- 

 ment on one of the main thorough- 

 fares uptown. In some way he got 

 into keeping a few violets for sale. 

 From this beginning his customers be- 

 gan to inquire for other flowers, and 

 in a year or so he used a room adjoin- 

 ing his barber-shop for the sale of 

 plants. The venture grew, and now 

 he has a neat store room on Charles 

 street and is doing a thriving busi- 

 ness, having associated his son with 

 him. He is fortunate in having little 

 competition, and in being located in a 

 very desirable residential part of the 

 city, where a good class of purchasers 

 abounds. He is a judge of flowers, 

 knows just what will please his cus- 

 tomers, is enterprising and accommo- 

 dating, and will build up doubtless a 

 fine business. His Easter trade was 

 phenomenal. RIX. 



ST. LOUIS. 



The Market. 



The cut flower trade the past week 

 was fairly good and all kinds of flow- 

 ers were plentiful. The glut is on 

 good and strong. Stock comes in by 

 the wagon load and there is no possi- 

 bility of selling it all at any price. 

 The street fakirs are having great 

 times now as to who can sell the 

 cheapest and are crowding the down- 

 town street corners with all kinds ot 

 good stock. 



It's very hard to quote prices of late, 

 as you can buy at your own price. 

 Every grower seems to be in full crop 

 just now and is sending in a fine 

 quality of stock. Maids, Brides. Perles 



and Meteors, the standard varieties, 

 are selling for $5 for first grade, and 

 from that down to $1 per 100. Some 

 very good stock was bought at the lat- 

 ter price. Fancy Beauties are not so 

 pTentiful, but enough of them are in 

 just now. They bring $2.50 to $3 per 

 dozen. A great lot of short-stemmed 

 ones come in, which sell for $1 per 

 100 up, and are mostly sold to the 

 street fakirs, as the store men have 

 little use for them. Carnations the 

 past week have been a great glut, and 

 are at this writing. Nevertheless some 

 fine Enquirer from Witterstaetter 

 brought ft! per 100. and were worth 

 every cent of it. The old varieties, 

 such as Scott, Daybreak, Portia and 

 all white, went at ?1, and much cheap- 

 er in 1,000 lots. 



Lilacs from the South made their 

 appearance early in the week and sold 

 at ?5 per 100 sprays; later in the week 

 $3 was asked. Of Harrisii we have 

 more than enough, and lots of them 

 are going to waste; ?6 per 100 is the 

 price asked in dozen lots and $4 in 

 100 lots. Callas about the same, with 

 plenty of them. Other bulb stock is 

 about cut out and very little of it is 

 coming in now. Tulips are bringing 

 $1 per 100. Sweet peas bring from 25 

 cents to ?1 per 100, and are becoming 

 very plentiful. Violets are about gone 

 and very few can be seen. Smilax is 

 also plentiful and seems to sell well. 



The demand for flowers at funerals 

 seems to be on the increase, as nearly 

 all the florists reported plenty of work 

 in that line the past week, and the 

 man with a big job was in his glory, 

 as the prices on stock were low and he 

 bought at his own figure. 



'Various Items. 



Our visitor last week was Mr. Fore- 

 man, ot Ijouisiana, Mo. Mr. Foreman 

 reports that he will build a few new 

 houses this summer. 



The Junior Florists' Bowling Club 

 have given up rolling for the summer, 

 but by fall they wiii be at it again. 



The Florists' Club meeting on next 

 Thursday afternoon. May 10, will be a 

 big one and all members are requested 

 to be present. President Amniann says 

 it will be a personal favor to him if 

 they would attend. We expect to have 

 a big show of miscellaneous flowers on 

 exhibition; also interesting arguments 

 on rose grafting. A box of fine cigars 

 will also help a little. So if you don t 

 want to miss a good time, come. 

 Three o'clock is the time for opening 

 the meeting and it's held at the same 

 old place, so you can't miss it. 



We are pleased to learn, through the 

 Review, that our old friend and club 

 member, Walter Retzer, has branched 

 out for himself in Chicago. We all 

 wish you well, Walter, in your new 

 venture. 



. The Florists' Bowling Club have 

 been doing but very little rolling of 

 late, owing to sickness and business, 

 and it has been decided that we would 

 not he able to do business with the 



