JANIAUV 2. in02. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



191 



A. Graham is putting in a great deal 

 •of time curling these days. 



Tenep. 



THE CHRISTMAS TRADE. 



Utica, N. Y. — Christmas trade this 

 year was fully up to the standard of 

 other years. Supply generally below the 

 demand. Roses, carnations and violets 

 in short supply. Good fair-sized flower- 

 ing plants in good demand. Large and 

 high priced plants neglected. Holly short 

 of demand. Orcliids all retailed at high 

 prices. 



Peoria, III. — The fine warm weather 

 was perfect for a good Christmas trade, 

 and there was a heavy demand for pot 

 plants, which could be delivered in open 

 wagons. Holly was in heavy demand 

 and there was a good call for wild 

 smilax. In cut flowers roses were most 

 in demand, especially red. Libertv sold 

 for $2 to .$4 a dozen ; Beauties, ".$3 to 

 ■$15; tea roses, .$2»to $3; carnations, 73 

 cents to $1. Slow sale on bulb stuff. 

 The florists were all bus3' and happy. 



Spbixgfield, III. — Christmas sales 

 were at least 25 per cent larger than 

 last year, and not enough fiowers to fill 

 orders. First class roses were scarce, 

 but carnations were more plentiful and 

 of a better quality than last year. Bulb 

 stock was not so muclTcalled for, as the 

 demand is largely for colored fiowers. 

 Plants were asked for, but mostly in the 

 decorative line, though plenty of small 

 flowering plants could be sold liad we 

 had them. Could have sold twice as 

 many roses and carnations had we had 

 them. 



Sparta. III. — H. 0. Clendenin reports 

 Christmas trade as very good, even ex- 

 ceeding expectations. 



Sharon, Pa. — ;M. I. O'Brien reports 

 Christmas trade as very satisfactory. 

 Prices were about the same as last year, 

 but the demand \vas much greater, espe- 

 cially for carnations of good ordinary 

 grade, which sold at 73 cents to $1.00 a 

 dozen. Brides, Maids and Perles were 

 $2.00 to $3.00 a dozen. The demand for 

 lioUy was double that of any previous 

 year, particularly for wT-eaths. Plant 

 trade was not so good as last year, 

 though the weather was all that could 

 be desired for the purpose. Sharon has 

 nearly 100.000 square feet of glass, de- 

 voted mostly to carnations, some roses 

 and general stock, and with a popula- 

 tion of 13,000 is mostly a wholesale town, 

 shipping to Pittsburg and Cleveland, 

 hence during holidays like Christmas, 

 Easter, etc., there is usually a flower 

 famine, as the regular wholesale trade 

 must get its visual quantity of flowers, 

 leaving only the ordinary every day 

 quantity to supply home trade. 



Springfield, Mass. — Mark Aitkin re- 

 ports the Christmas trade in cut flowers 

 as about equal to last year excepting 

 violets, of which he sold 2,000 more than 

 last year. In flowering plants sales 

 were more than doubled, which was 

 quite an item, making up an increase of 

 20 per cent in the total business done. 

 Fairfield reports business about the 

 same, with plant trade not so heavy 

 and more call for large flowers, such 

 as mums, lilies, etc. Schlatter says 



there was more call for plants with him 

 and about the same number of cut flow- 

 ers as last year. Murphy Floral Co. 

 our new florist, says he did a better 

 trade tlian he expected. In fact every 

 florist reports cut flowers cleaned out 

 and not much left over in plants. All 

 are satisfied. 



Waynesboro, Pa. — Henry Eichholz re- 

 ports the best Christmas trade in plants 

 in the history of the town, but cut 

 flower sales were slow on account of 

 high prices. Everybody sold out clean 

 hereabouts. Well flowered azaleas, Lor- 

 raine begonias and primroses were the 

 favorites, while ferns, palms and aspara- 

 gus were in brisk demand. 



New London, Conn. — The .lohn Spal- 

 ding Co. report: ''Christmas trade with 

 us was very good, having sold many 

 more flowers and plants than ever be- 

 fore here at any Christmas. The call 

 for flowers and plants was about equal, 

 with Begonia Lorraine leading in plants, 

 and Boston fern a close second. Large 

 funeral orders in addition on Tuesday 

 kept all hands busy until long after 

 midnight. Holly wreaths sold out clean; 

 could have sold many more at good 

 prices." 



EicHMOND, Va. — M. A. Whitty re- 

 ports Christmas trade very satisfactory. 

 Cold weather and rain kept back orders 

 until the last day and caused something 

 of a rush in deliveries extending into 

 Christmas morning. Jlore plants were 

 seen — azaleas, begonias, cyclamen, etc., 

 and one prominent store sold Gloire de 

 Lorraine begonias at 50 cents, while 

 others asked $2.50. Beauties brought 

 from $4 to $6, other roses $1.50 to $2.50 

 per dozen. Carnations 75 cents to $1.00 

 per dozen. Violets $1.50 to $2 per 100. 

 Only one store made a specialty of the 

 fancy carnations and sold nearly 2,500. 

 The market trade ran heavier than last 

 year, and almost as many plants were 

 sold as at the stores. 



Fargo, N. D.— Shotwell &. Graver re- 

 port the Christmas demand as fully 

 equal to that of last year, with about 

 the same prices. They noted an in- 

 creased demand for primroses, ferns and 

 palms. 



' Elmira, N. Y. — H. N. Hoffman re- 

 ports Christmas trade as showing an 

 increase of perhaps 10 per cent over 

 last year, mostly in cut flowers. All 

 good violets, carnations and roses moved 

 freely at good prices. Not much increase 

 in the sales of plants. Primro.ses, cy- 

 clamen. Begonia incarnata and Gloire 

 de Lorraine, Romans in pans, poinset- 

 tias and a few azaleas sold readily. 



Huntington, Ind. — George Pastor 

 reports Christmas trade as excellent, 

 with a notable increase in sales of 

 plants. 



Aurora, III. — J. M. Smely reports 

 Christmas trade as very satisfactory, 

 and about 20 per cent larger than last 

 year. Prices about the same, except 

 on carnations, which sold at higher 

 prices, and they were of better quality 

 than ever before. Estelle brought the 

 highest price, selling for the same price 

 as roses. Everything salable was sold, 

 in both cut flowers and plants. 



Hastings, Neb. — Tlie Christmas trade 

 in cut flowers was exceptionally good, 

 but owing to the extreme cold weather 



(20 degrees below zero at one time) 

 the plant trade has been only fair. The 

 Dillenbeck Sisters, who are just start- 

 ing in the business here, have built a 

 greenhouse 16x70 and are now putting 

 in the heater. Charles Winkler reports 

 trade as very satisfactory. He contem- 

 plates a trip to Chicago in the near 

 future. 



jMacomb, III. — Christmas trade here 

 was the best we have ever had. Plants 

 sold better than ever before. Koses and 

 carnations were in good supply, although 

 the death of a prominent citizen on the 

 23d ran us a little short. We cannot 

 get city prices here, so have to depend 

 on our own crops principally. Roses 

 sold at $1.50 per dozen ; carnations at 

 75 cents and $1. F. E. Bonham has pur- 

 chased the greenhouses and ground 

 which he has been conducting on a lease 

 for three years. He has taken a partner 

 and the firm will be hereafter known 

 as F. E. Bonham & Co. The new firm 

 has purchased glass to build two new 

 houses the coming summer. 



Fairmount, W. Va. — H. Glenn Flem- 

 ing reports a very good Christmas trade. 

 Sales of pot plants were very large, es- 

 pecially of palms and ferns. Owing to 

 its being very cold (at about zero for 

 three days) Just before Christmas, it 

 was difficult to deliver, but sold all that 

 we could offer. Cut flowers sold well, 

 and, though the people here don't call 

 for 3(i-inch stem Beauties, many fine 

 ro.ses and carnations were sold, 



Syracuse, N. Y. — L. E. Marquisee re- 

 ports Christmas trade as at least 25 

 [ler cent larger than last year. Carna- 

 tions were in greatest demand, with 

 short supply, and they sold at $1 to 

 $2.50 per dozen, the latter being the 

 highest price ever obtained in this citv. 

 Violets sold readily at $3 per 100. Brides 

 and JIaids averaged $3 per dozen, and 

 Beauties $1 to .$2 each. The supply of 

 blooming plants was not equal to' the 

 demand. Azaleas were soon cleaned out 

 and what little bulbous stuff was in 

 sold readily. The greatest demand for 

 any single flower was for red carna- 

 tions, which sold at $2 per dozen. 



Freeport, III. — Louis Bauscher re- 

 ports Christmas trade brisk, with an 

 increasing demand for both plants and 

 cut flowers. He received a profitable 

 Christmas gift in the opening of a new 

 street car line which runs by his green- 

 houses and which gives two lines by 

 which his place may be reached by pa- 

 trons from all over the city. He wishes 

 all in the trade a happy New Year and 

 a prosperous one for the Review. 



Savanna, III.— J. Y. Lambert reports 

 Christmas trade in cut flowers fully 25 

 per cent better than last year. A few 

 Iielated Marie Louise chrysanthemums 

 sold well. Little was done in greens. 



Dubuque, Ia.— W. A. Harkett reports 

 Christmas trade as 15 per cent better 

 than last year, with plenty of stock in 

 the leaders. Colored carnations were 

 most called for (a red Lawson is much 

 needed). The weather WMs favorable 

 for delivery (temperature 38 to 40 de- 

 grees) and saved much work. 



East W^eyjiouth, Mass. — J. P. Ford 

 reports Christmas trade as quite good 

 considering the times. A. A. Spear & 

 Son have just completed a new house 

 about 30x100. 



