June 23. 1906 



a O RTICU LTU RE 



r99 



The Breitmeyer Flower Store 



Frontispiece. 



Detroit may well claim the credit of 

 having the finest flower store on this 

 continent. John Breitmeyer & Sons 

 have set the pace that will mark a new 

 departure in the building, equipment 

 and appointments of flower stores. 

 The establishment, illustrated in our 

 frontispiece and on this page, is in the 

 Breitmeyer Building, an office struc- 

 ture, on the ground floor of which the 

 store is located. 



The first impression upon entering 

 the place is that of elegance, grandeur 

 and good taste. Trie main room, 

 50x70, is designed after and carried out 

 in the style of the Italian renaissance. 

 The lofty ceiling, supported by four 

 immense columns of Verde antique 

 marble, represents a sky of the richest 

 blue, such as one may see only in 

 sunny Italy. The floor is of pure 

 white Italian mosaic, fan-like in de- 

 sign, with a key border in black. 

 Broad marble shelves at a height of 

 four feet and resting upon marble 

 wainscotting, surround the entire room. 

 Immediately above these and extend- 

 ing up to the ceiling are heavy French 

 mirror plates, each imbedded in a sort 

 of Verde antique gold frame. The 

 general effect is heightened by the 

 four capitals of the columns, support- 

 ing the ceiling, being finished in Ro- 

 man gold. 



The east end of the room is taken 

 up by the "ice chest" — a large marble 

 and plate-glass room, brilliantly illum- 

 inated by the touch of a button. The 

 ice is invisible and the room is per- 

 fectly ventilated. There are marble 

 shelves and table, also an invisible 

 sink used for the emptying and filling 

 of vases — a unique convenience. 



Several bronze urns, especially de- 

 signed, scattered here and there 

 through the room lend a charming ef- 

 fect. A balcony above and covering 



the entire width of the marble and 

 plate-glass room (ice chest) provides 

 spacious quarters, ample light and all 

 the comforts necessary for a good- 

 sized orchestra. The office is located 

 on the north side. Here also every 

 minutest detail to insure comfort and 

 system have been carried out to the 

 fullest extent. 



Especial ingenuity is shown through- 

 out in the blending of the useful with 

 the ornamental. A brilliant light is 

 shed from an antique bronze and 

 crystal chandelier of great beauty, and 

 massive antique bronze torches fas- 

 tened here and there to the walls 

 throughout the room. 



The show windows, facing two 

 streets, while in nowise copied from 

 an "Italian palace," possess neverthe- 

 less some attractive features calcu- 

 lated to soften in a degree the matter- 

 of-fact commercialism of the average 

 display window. Here plants are not 

 stored merely, but are displayed so 

 that the decorative feature is pre- 

 dominant. A beautiful Carrara marble 

 fountain at the southwest corner of 

 the main window lends additional 

 charm. 



The furniture well harmonizes with 

 the general surroundings. Three 

 Verde antique tables, one 5x10 and 

 two circular ones, each 4 feet in di- 

 ameter, are works of art, sculptured 

 at Florence under the supervision of 

 Ninchelini. Numerous marble benches 

 are scattered through the room. 



In the work, storage and stock 

 rooms — all located in the "nether" 

 region — every imaginable comfort and 

 convenience have been well studied 

 out and provided for. 



Wm. Wright & Co., the Detroit 

 decorators and designers, executed the 

 contract. 



S. S. SK1DELSKY. 



Cut Flower Market 

 Reports 



Business is very flat in the 

 BOSTON wholesale establishments 

 although the retail dealers 

 i airly busy with school work and 

 wedding occasions. So much out-door 

 material is used that the wholesale 

 market, overstocked as it is, gets but 

 little benefit from the business. Roses 

 are away down as to quality. Brides 

 and Bridesmaids, the last of the sea- 

 son's crop, are covered with mildew 

 and useless to any critical buyer. 

 Beauty is selling fairly well. Liberty 

 and Jacq. are also enjoying a good 

 sale. Carnation are in very bad shape. 

 The supply is larger than at any time 

 during the entire season and there is 

 no call whatever for them. Peonies 

 had their career cut short by the spell 

 of cold rainy weather and are now 

 practically down and out. Sweet peas 

 are in heavy over supply. The lily 

 of the valley supply is much too large 

 for the needs of the market. 



It may be said that the 

 BUFFALO past week has been a 



busy one for all, and 

 will continue for the balance of the 

 month. Stock of all kind has been 

 plentiful, in fact too plentiful to hold 

 the prices firm. Carnations have 

 diminished in size and some varieties 

 are no larger than out-door pinks, 

 Lawson being the leader in quality, 

 together with Flora Hill. Enchant- 

 ress, Marquis and other varieties are 

 pretty much on the sleep list, but Red 

 Lawson is holding well and is the lead- 

 er in red. An over-supply of all kinds 

 was had the past week up to Friday, 

 when a good quantity was in waiting 

 for the cemetery florists, but again 

 cloudy weather and rain checked mov- 

 ing. Roses were also plentiful, espe- 

 cially the ordinary, selects selling well 

 at good prices. Peonies selling well 

 under normal supply. Lily of the val- 

 ley, peas and other flowers are of fine 

 quality and demand good. 



The market for the past 

 CHICAGO two weeks has been en- 

 tirely in the hands of 

 thn retailers to get stock at their own 

 will and price, but the tables turned 

 Saturday, and the wholesalers re- 

 gained the lead and brought the retail- 

 ers to a halt, prices having increased 

 a few notches. This week bids fair to 

 be a busy one. as the last of the com- 

 mencement exercises will be held. 

 While stock in general is not at its 

 best, some good carnations and roses 

 are to be found, sweet pea stock is 

 shortening a little, and the peonies are 

 holding forth in full blast, all hands 

 on deck, the long and the short, the 

 large and small, and all bringing good 

 prices. The Beauties are causing a 

 world of trouble; not a first-class 

 bloom to be had from anyone. The 

 retailers have been forced to substi- 

 tute Richmond and Liberty roses. A 

 few Beauties are to be seen here and 

 there, but the flowers look like col- 

 ored peanuts on Beauty stems, and the 

 price for them is almost doubled. 

 Green goods are in a normal condition 

 and bringing the usual price. 

 (Continued on page 805.) 



