228 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



Decembek 3^), 1897. 



att.ick. It is the hour of relaxation and 

 jokes and stories are in order. Mr. Earl 

 asks that s;race be said by the newest 

 married man at the table, whereat a youth 

 nearby lilushes furiously. Mr. Smyth 

 notes that some have not visited the bar- 

 ber of late and asks if the price of shaves 

 has jione up. Suddenly one bright youth 

 wishes everybody a merry Christmas, 

 liav,ingjust noted that it is now Christ- 

 mas day. The lunch disposed of. all 

 return to work, and it is 5 a. m. before the 

 orders are all disposed of. .Somethinj; 

 over 500 different cut flower ortiers have 

 been selected, packed, and placed ready 

 for delivery. 



A few hours later the force is at it 

 again, some having had no opportunity 

 to close their eyes in sleep. The stock 

 that remained after filling the orders is 

 sorted over, ])lacerl in suitable jars, and 

 brought up and set on the counter for the 

 morning sales, while the five wagons are 

 busv making their deliveries. Sales are 

 good, thougli prices on some lines of 

 stock are not so stiff as the night before. 

 The best has been selected out, and the 

 salesmen are more generous with stock 

 of which there seems to be a surplus. 

 More stock could have been sold on or 

 ders earlier in the week, but the lookout 



for supply was not the best, and orders 

 were taken cautiousl}-. When the stock 

 came there was more of it than antici- 

 pated, yuite a lot of violets are left, but 

 they g > fast in the morning. An arrange- 

 ment that appeals to customers is a little 

 hamper of violet colored wicker work, a 

 piece of crepe paper with purple figures 

 on it placed loosely in, and nestling in 

 this ihree bunches of violets. These ar- 

 rangements go at #3.75; #3 for the violets 

 and 75 cents for the hani]ier. 



The best Beauties, with stems thirty- 

 si.x inches and over in length, are billed 

 at $iS a dozen, the next best at $12 to $15 

 a dozen, the next at $<) and still shorter 

 at $6. Extra Maids, Meteors and Brides 

 go at $5 a dozen, good quality at $4, 

 while .some are sold at I3. Carnations 

 are 75 cents to $1 a dozen, Harrisii, f4 a 

 dozen, narcissus $1 a dozen, Roman liya- 

 cinths 75 cents a dozen, stevia, 50 cents a 

 dozen sprays. But this stevia is fine. 

 Grown as this is it is a beautiful and \ery 

 graceful thing. It is not to be compared 

 with the "hay" so often seen. 



A few belated plants are being sent out. 

 A popular thing was an S-inch pan into 

 whicli four primulas of different colors had 

 been placed. These are grown in separate 

 pots aird placed in the pans as ordered. 



It is toward noon and time for closing. 

 Trade has been belter than expected. 

 There has been more stock to sell than 

 was anticipated. The sales have been 

 good and but little stock remains. But a 

 few kicks come in to mar the happiness 

 of the florist. A lady to whom Meteor 

 roses were sent with the thought that a 

 special favor had been done her, returns 

 the roses with an indignant message. 

 She preferred Brides. The Brides are 

 now all gone. They were "worked off" 

 in boxes of mixed flowers. The Meteors 

 could have been placed to advantage a 

 dozen times the night liefore, but it is 

 now too late. A deliveryman returns 

 with two bo.xes he cannot deliver. "No 

 such parties live at those addresses," 

 says he. Both had been ordered by one 

 person, to be sent to another one, some 

 friend to be remembered, and when or- 

 dering had given the wrong address. On 

 consulting tlie directory the correct ad- 

 dress of one was discovered and the de- 

 liveryman started off again, but the other 

 could not be located and the flowers re- 

 mained on hand with visions of a dissat- 

 isfied and disappointed customer in the 

 mind of the florist. 



And so closed the Christmas trade of 

 1897 for Mr. Wienhoeber. 



NEW _ FRENCH CHRYSANTHE- 

 MUMS. 



We are pleased to be able to present 

 herewith a page group of M. Calvat's 

 new chrysanthemums which have been so 

 well received in England. But few Ameri- 

 can growers have yet had opportunity to 

 test them, but those who have seem very 

 much impressed by them and believe the 

 collection contains a number that will 

 be exceedingly valuable. 



Mr. C. Harman Payne, secretary of 

 the English National Chrysantheniimi 

 Society, writingtothe English (iitnlincr.'-' 

 Chronicle, has this to say about them: 



"The season of 1897 will be remarkable 

 for the large number of very fine, large 

 flowering, Japanese chrysanthemums of 

 h'rench origin and the absence of any- 

 thing like serious competition from the 

 other side of the Atlantic. The number 

 is considerable and it seems scarcely 

 likely that all the novelties can remain 

 with us for long, but that we shall be 

 compelled to make our selection of the 

 best and leave the remainder to their 

 fate. 



' 'There are several new whites of prom- 

 ise, Mme. Deis, Fee de Champsaur, and 



Mme. J. Smeers, being of that color. 

 Topaz Ctriental is a fine pale yellow; M. 

 W. H. Fowler, pale pearl)', silvery pink. 

 One of the finest and best is undoubtedly 

 Mile. Lucie Faure, a big, solid, incurving 

 Japanese of great size ami substance, 

 color purest of whites faintly tinted in 

 the center. Mme G. Bruant is a large 

 white, tinted purple, Mme. Ed. Roger is 

 a pale sea-green incurved Japanese, very 

 distinct and curious; Princess de Galles 

 is also a big white flower with long flor- 

 ets; Werther, Surpas.se Amiral, Souv. de 

 Molines, Congres de Bourges, Iserette 

 and Mme. Rev Jouvin are several more 

 that will be met next year. M. Massange 

 de Souvrex is a pure yellow and a large 

 bloom; Souv. de M. F. Rosette, deep 

 plum colored amaranth. * * * * 

 Another fine Japanese, globular incurved, 

 is Mme. I'erlat, pure white. 



"N. C. S. Jubilee is everywhere good 

 and of a peculiarly soft lavender pink, 

 with broad incur\'ing florets, having a 

 reverse of silvery pink; Directeur Le- 

 bert, large lilac-mauve; Mile. L. Zede, a 

 big solid violet with silvery pink reverse, 

 was very fine on the continent last year 

 and promises well here; Mme. A. Rous- 

 seau, rosj'-mauve, reverse silver}-; Mme. 



R. Grenier is pure white. 



"From the above brief description it 

 will be seen that good crimson and rich 

 purples are not much in eviilence this 

 vear, but otherwise there .should be a 

 very extensive selection for those desiring 

 to increase their collections. * * *'' 



In the English O'ai-dcners' Magazine ' 

 appear the following descriptions of some 

 of the varieties illustrated: "Pre.sident 

 Nonin is a grand flower of chamois yel- 

 low color and long curling petals; cri.sp 

 and full. The plant dwarf and vigorous. 



"Beaute Grenobloise may be compared 

 to Lady Byron; the color is pure white 

 on early buds but tinted blush on late 

 ones. 



"Secretary Fierens is a good variety 

 and likely to become popular; the color 

 is a gold-.shaded crimson and the flower 

 of a drooping habit, large and full. Souv. 

 de Mme. F. Rosette is a ver)- dwarf plant 

 with good flowers of purple amaranth; 

 for October blooming Mme. G. Bruant 

 will be a first rate exhibition variet}', it 

 has broad, flat and drooping petals, color, 

 a warm rosj- shade and a white ground." 



"This year, as before, the Calvat race 

 seems to embody those massive propor- 



