J 90 



The Weekly Florists' Revie\^^» 



Jaxl.iuv 2. ino2. 



cided increase in the demand for tlieir 

 hampers of plants, made up with cycla- 

 mens, begonias, crotons and ferns. These 

 baskets could be shown to customers 

 when they called and then put away till 

 time for delivery, and on that account 

 were considered preferable to cut Howers. 



Charles Fox did a large busines's in 

 poinsettias in made up j^ans by them- 

 selves or with a variety of plants. He 

 also used a great variety of greens, such 

 as gala.x leaves, made up into wreaths, 

 etc. He also did extremely well with 

 cut flowers. A feature was 100 es- 

 pecially fine Liberties from Stephen 

 Mortenson, which brought $1 each. 



Much controversy has been aroused 

 on Christmas cut flower prices. The 

 following letter on the subject is a fair 

 statement of the case from the grower's 

 standpoint. It would undoubtedly be 

 better were prices more even through- 

 out the year, but Christmas is the grow- 

 er's opportunity to make up his losses 

 in the dull season: 



"Christmas has come and gone. 1 

 think that everyone has cause to be 

 satisfied with the business. All my 

 Beauties sold (and I could have sold 

 more of them if I had had them ) at from 

 $5 to $15 per dozen. The best buyers 

 do not object to paying a good price for- 

 the best that can be had. I have heard 

 some complaint by those 'I did not sup- 

 ply about the Christmas prices, but that 

 we must expect. As long as all the 

 flowers are sold at Christmas prices it 

 is proof that it is the market price and 

 that there is no extortion to it. — Joseph 

 Heacock." 



Prices have fallen since Christmas. 

 The special Beauties bring $6 to $9 a 

 dozen; the best tea roses $10 to $12, 

 with a few at $15; carnations $2.50 to 

 $6, with a few fancies higher. The de- 

 mand throughout the holidays was ex- 

 cellent. Greens became extremely scarce 

 Christmas eve. 



Notes. 



Many retailers with little green- 

 houses forced their own paper whites 

 and Romans. Blester, of Susquehanna 

 avenue, had a nice lot. 



A. M. Lawson, florist, of Wissahickon 

 Heights, died on Dec. 20. He was for 

 many j-ears gardener for the late H. II. 

 Houston and was much respected. 



The Florists' Bowling Club have won 

 the firemen's team tournament at the 

 Academy alleys. They tied with two 

 other teams for first place, defeating 

 one. the Pan-American, by thirty pins, 

 and the other, Franklin, by 170 pins in 

 the play-off. In the latter game the 

 Florists scored 936 pins, an average of 

 187 1-5 pins per man, a splendid score 

 at a critical time. 



William Wundcr obtained $8 and $10 

 a hundred for Carnation Kstelle last 

 week. 



Henry F. Jlichell did a very heavy 

 seed business in December. 



Riverton. 



I had the pleasure of a visit to Riv- 

 erton this week. It was a real pleasure, 

 doubly enjoyed after the long hours and 

 lost sleep of the last week. I was most 

 kindly received by J. D. Eisele and 

 George A. Strohlein in a spirit of fra- 

 ternal brotherhood that gladdens the 

 heart of the visitor, convincing him 

 that those who know most are often 

 most modest. 



Pandanus Sanderi was first visited. 

 The plants are a sight worth seeing; 



there is a life and vividness about the 

 coloring that appeals irresistibly to the 

 enthusiast. This pandanus is pro- 

 nounced a more finished plant than P. 

 Veitchii by the critics, and a more rapid 

 grower with stronger constitution than 

 the older variety by those who cultivate 

 it. The plants brought over on the 

 27th of last January in 3A-inch pots 

 are now 30 inches high and 4S inches 

 across in G-inch pots. Certainly one 

 could hardly grow P. Veitchii to that 

 .size in a 6-inch, nor could it be grown 

 so rapidly in good condition. Mr. Eisele 

 said that until a couple of months ago 

 he had felt some doubts about Pandanus 

 Sanderi. but now he was sure it was a 

 plant of sterling merit, destined to have 

 a great future. 



Coleus thyrsoideus has been sent out 

 before as a summer flowering sort. Here 

 it is thought that its proper llowering 

 time is in winter. Mr. Eisele believes 

 the deep blue flowers of this coleus will 

 make as fine a showing at the Christ- 

 mas holidays as is now made by the 

 pink of Begonia Lorraine. Four or five 

 rooted cuttings should be bunched in 

 somewhat the same way as arecas and 

 started in a 3-inch pot about September 

 1 ; they should be shifted as fast as 

 necessary and not pinched. Of course 

 this plan has not stood the test of thor- 

 ough trial, but there is good reason to 

 believe it is pretty near the right treat- 

 ment, coming from the source it does. 



A beautiful novelty is the new sport 

 from Begonia erecta compacta. The 

 sport has a leathery, durable-looking 

 leaf that promises well, with blooms 

 fully twice as large as the parent and 

 much brighter in color. This begonia 

 will surely prove a winner. 



The pale pink Lorraine is considered 

 more durable than the Lorraine. To 

 illustrate the faith felt in Lorraine it 

 may be mentioned that a clever grower 

 has just placed an order with the Dreer 

 company for 1,500 plants, to be deliv- 

 ered in July. 



Dracaena Goldieana is a beautiful va- 

 riegated plant of charming habit, which 

 has always pleased Mr. Eisele. Quite 

 a nice stock has been gathered. 



Arecas and kentias in medium sizes 

 have been very popular. Kentia San- 

 deriana is being grown to replace Cocos 

 Weddeliana in large sizes. A fine lot 

 of Phoenix canariensis in 12-inch tubs 

 were growing in one house. 



Azaleas looked well. One house was 

 tilled with Madame Van der Cruyssen, a 

 variety which will be scarce for some 

 jears to come. 



A good demand has been found for 

 Thuvopsis borealis, Thuyopsis dolabra- 

 ta. Thuya Lobbi and Cupressus Lawson- 

 iana. which are cultivated abroad with 

 a hoe and not injured by horse cultiva- 

 tion as in this country. Phil. 



CLEVELAND. 



Christmas Trade Report. 



After a week of zero weather Christ- 

 mas week opened up very warm indeed. 

 the thermometer ranging from 28 to 40 

 degrees, beginning on Monday, therebv 

 relieving the trade of the necessity of 

 wrapping all plants before delivery. I 

 have not heard from all the stall own- 

 ers at the market, but those whom I 

 have talked with report trade >-ery sat- 

 isfactory. The sales seemed to be very 

 largely of cut flowers, although nice 

 plants that could l>e sold for 25 cents 

 to $1 each foimd ready sale. It is a 



hard matter to say what plants sold best, 

 although primroses, cyclamen, rubbers, 

 Boston ferns and beriied plants for 

 market sales w-ere not in much demand. 

 Decorated wreaths sold well, as did loose 

 holly, but holly wreaths were almost a 

 dead letter. The demand for holly 

 seems to be on the wane. Ground pine 

 was used extensively for wreaths and 

 when decorated with cape dowers, pom- 

 pons and well-berried holly sold well. 



Most all the stores did a rushing 

 plant business, azaleas and poinsettias 

 seeming to be in the lead as to call and 

 quantity, although large, well-berried 

 solanums sold well. Begonia Gloire de 

 Lorraine was a good seller, but could 

 not be had in quantity, a great many 

 being shipped in. In decorative plants, 

 Pandanus Veitchii, araucarias and Bos- 

 ton ferns took the lead. 



There was a great deal more plant dec- 

 orating done this Christmas than ever 

 before, and it took verv well. Some 

 stores used a great deal of Porto Rican 

 matting, while others confined •■" them- 

 selves to crepe paper. There have been 

 a great many large receptions this win- 

 ter that have called for the use of a 

 great many poinsettias and American 

 Beauty roses in order to get the desired 

 effects. At the majority of these recep- 

 tions artificial flowers were used, and in 

 a great many instances they passed for 

 the '"real thing." 



A. Graham & Son report a large trade 

 in pot plants, Azaleas, three varieties 

 in full bloom, and poinsettias in pots 

 and pans from eight inches to two and 

 one-half feet high. They had a great 

 many carnations, but not" enough for the 

 demand. 



11. Hart reports large sales in plants; 

 liis primroses and cyclamen were extra 

 line. He also had a good sale for Bos- 

 ton Ferns in all sizes. 



A. Schmitt, of Glenvillc, had a gen- 

 eral line of plants and was well cleaned 

 up on salable stock; he had the largest 

 display of mums seen here. 



The J. M. Gasser Co. report large 

 sales on all kinds of stock, both plants 

 and cut flowers. Their carnations were 

 just right, and one house of Beauties 

 was a sight; every plant had from three 

 to five shoots and each had produced a 

 flower, most of them being long 

 stemmed. 



William Brinker reports all cleaned 

 up on greens and holly; also pretty well 

 sold out of capes, immortelles and pom- 

 pons. 



A. Tilton & Son had a big run on 

 wreaths and laurel roping, and also on 

 imported green wreaths; in fact, they 

 are cleaned up on all imported stock. 



S. N. Pentecost had a tine lot of very 

 large, well berried solanums, which sold 

 at sight. Also azaleas that were well 

 bloomed and some very nice primroses. 

 His two houses of carnations gave a very 

 good account of themselves, furnishing 

 all the Howers he could handle for hi's 

 retail trade. 



Prices ranged here about as elsewhere. 

 The general opinion is that there was 

 an increase of 20 to 35 per cent in the 

 volume of business done. 



Fred Aul was taken to a hospital, 

 where an operation was performed for 

 appendicitis. He is getting along nicely. 



Beno Hart, son of H. Hart, is improv- 

 ing: verv slowlv. 



The Cleveland Florist Club will give 

 a banquet to the members next Monday 

 evening, January 6, to which all are in- 

 vited. , 



