198 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



Dk<;embeu 23, 1897 



fool yourself, stuff is not so scarce; we 

 are lo'cating all the stuff we can use, and 

 at prices which woulil surprise you, but 

 we want to do what we can for you, so 

 take this part of my order, and say, you 

 won't go back on nie, will you, as I will 

 lie in a hole if vou disappoint nie. See!" 

 There appears a little surface bluff in the 

 game. 



Notes. 



Our department stores are enjoying 

 simply green decorations, which with the 

 aid o'f electric lights, and mammoth 

 Santa Clans, attract the public. The 

 plant and flower features do not figure 

 nuich at this time, later on we will hear 

 from them. 



The commission men here are generous 

 in their calendars, which are acceptable 

 to their customers. S. S. Pennock and r 

 Edward Reid have sent out very pretty 

 reminders. 



A New Wagon. 



Messrs. Joseph Kift ^: Son have flashed 

 upon us a brand new wagon, wh.ch is the 

 t.ieau ideal of our Bob. The acconipanj- 

 ment to this new one includes the pair 

 of attendants in fresh livery. Of course 

 there are large coach lamps attached, abso 

 rubber tires. 



A Bowling Benefit. 



The Florists' Bowling Club, of this city, 

 managed a benefit at the Walnut Street 

 Theater, on the 15th inst., which was a 

 decided success financially. The pro- 

 ceeds are to be used by the bowlers. 



Mr. John Shelleni,' Seventeenth and 

 Tasker streets, has taken to the fashion 

 and turned into bed, threatened with 

 pneumonia. 'VVe hope he can avoid 

 a serious turn. 



Mr. B. F. Dorrance, of Dorrancetou, 

 Pa., is in town. Mr. D. thinks business 

 might be worse. 



Meeting of Hort, Society, 



The regular monthly meeting of the 

 Penna. Horticultural Society occurs on 

 Tuesday evening, 2ist inst. .^mong the 

 other exhibits promised for this time is a 

 number of cypripediums from the famous 

 private establishment of Mr. Roebeling, 

 Trenton, N. J. The devotees to orchids 

 are not numerous, but it is pleasant to 

 note that we have a few in and about this 

 city who spare no expense when gather- 

 ing together their pets, "the arislgcracy 

 of the floral kingdom." ^ 



F. 



CHICAGO. 



Among the Wholsalcrs. 



The dark, gloomy weather has cut the 

 supply ver\- short, and a lot of flowers 

 are evidently being held back for Christ- 

 mas, both factors creating a serious 

 shortage the early part of the week. That 

 there is a real shortage cannot be denied, 

 but it looks very much as though the 

 experience of previous years is going to 

 be repeated, and a lot of held back stock 

 dropped on the market at the last 

 moment, to the loss of both grower and 

 dealer. The bright sunshine that 

 gladdened the grow-ers' hearts Tuesday 



and Wednesday helped a little, though 

 too late to do a great deal of good. 



Sam Rubens, formerly with Kenuicott 

 Bros. Co. and At G. Prince ^; Co., is still 

 in the Alexian Bros.' Hospital. He has 

 submitted to several operations, and is 

 now reported improving. 



Larry Kelly, of Kennicott's, has been 

 placed on ice since the recent holdup, 

 anil it is thought he will now keep till 

 after the holidays 



Vaughan, McKellar & Winterson are 

 doing "a rushing business in green and 

 are finding it difficult to keep up wdth 

 their orders. W. W. Winterson, father 

 of Ed. Winterson, is now on a trip to the 

 Pacific coast, and will inridentally look 

 after the interests of the above firm 

 while on the trip. 



Bassett S: Washburn report a serious 

 shortage in roses, but a good suppl\- of 

 bulbous stock. 



E. H. Hunt is doing a brisk business in 

 green and holly, but finds flowers scarce. ' 



E. C. Amling is now- established in his 

 new quarters at 51 Wabash avenue. They 

 are much more roomy than at his old 

 place, and he is having them fitted up in 

 first-class shape. 



Reinberg Bros, are still cutting those 

 fine La France, and from the way they 

 sell at high prices it would seem that the 

 old La F'rance has not lost its 

 hold on popular favor. It is only 

 the extra grade stock, however, that 

 finds such ready sale. George Rein- 

 berg had a serious misfortune last 

 I'riday night. A fire destroyed one of 

 his boiler nouses, resulting in the burn- 

 ing of the ends of three houses of Met- 

 eors and chilling the plants so that the 

 crop for Christmas is valueless, and the 

 total destruction of a crop of sinilax in 

 another house. The total loss will run 

 from fSoo to |i,ooo. 



W. E. L)'nch is getting some good 

 ro.ses in spite of the shortage, but would 

 like more. 



Geo. Piepgras can't make up his mind 

 which he dislikes most: An ice box full 

 of flowers and no orders, or a big bundle 

 of orders and an empty ice box. Mr. 

 Winter, of Winter & Glover, says "both." 

 Mr. Winter has met a grower who "is 

 not holding back his flowers," and he 

 trembles for the result. 



The Rogers Park Floral Co. show some 

 excellent Meteors, of good color in spite 

 of the dull weather. They find that 

 Beauties suffer in color froui dark weath- 

 er more than the Meteors. They have 

 been trying some of the new carnations 

 and are much impressed with Triumph. 

 They believe it is the winning pink va- 

 riety and will plant several houses with 

 it another season. Thej' have one flower 

 which has been left on the plant for 

 about a month, which has grown to an 

 enormous size, fully four inches in diam- 

 eter, losing but little of its color. They 

 have a sport from Triumph, about the 

 color of Tidal Wave. 



The}' will remove their wholesale store 

 to 51 Wabash avenue, room 210, in Janu- 

 ary. They also intend to build a range 

 of twenty new houses, each 20x250, at 

 Rogers Park next summer. The new- 

 glass will be devoted mainly to roses 

 though several houses will be planted 

 with carnations. 



A. L. Randall looks for a larger supply 

 of roses at Christmas than generally an- 

 ticipated, but fears a .shortage of carna- 

 tions. 



Next Club Meeting. 



A very attractive program is being ar- 

 ranged for Ladies' Night at the Florist 

 Club, Jan. 13. Every member should be 

 present, and bring his wife, sister or 

 sweetheart. 



BUFFALO. 



Bright Prospects for Christmas. 



For once in quite a while we are going 

 to have seasonable weather for Christmas. 

 The ground is covered several inches 

 deep with its white overcoat, sleigh bells 

 are tinkling, everybody buj-ing presents 

 for everybody else, and all feeling good, 

 including the florist, if the sun will only 

 shine. As remarked last week, the 

 demand for plants is going to be good, 

 and now it looks as if everything in the 

 way of a prett)' plant in flower would be 

 picked up. Ruljbers, araucarias and palms 

 are in good demand. Flower orders 

 always c onie late, and the best are often 

 the very latest. 



Stock Likely to be Scarce, 



It seems at this moment that the lead- 

 ing flowers are going to be quite scarce. 

 We shall see, I trust, for those who 

 have to buy, that the prices will not be 

 such that customers will have a fit 

 at the very quotations. Violets are sure 

 to bring a ^ood price for there are 

 not many grown round here, and when 

 they come from a distance they have 

 lost the charm that makes a flower 

 buyer value them. The leading churches 

 are decorating about as usual, and every 

 night for a week or two to come, our 

 fashionable Twentieth Century Club 

 rooms are engaged for our 400 to shake 

 their light fantastic toe. 



At Corfu. 



We went to Corfu a few days ago and 

 found T. A. Webb with a fine lot of car- 

 nations showing up, mostly Daj'break, 

 Scott, his sport of White Daybreak and his 

 Seedling Scarlet. He has almost a house 

 of it and it improves on acquaintance. 

 It began to snow heav\- and I had to run 

 for shelter but I did find that Oasis men- 

 tioned in a previous number and the spot 

 of joy was covered with 5,000 or 6,000 

 fine Marie Louise violets of .\ i quality. 

 Thev will rank with those that one of 

 our local commission men calls in his 

 Christmas list "Hudson .Specials," J4.00 

 per hundred. The same list has "carna- 

 tions fancy, |S.oo per hundred." This 

 may do for Tremont street, F'ifth avenue 

 or Washington, D. C, but is too rich for 

 rural New York. What's the retailer go- 

 i ng to charge ? 



A Swindler Visits Our City. 



A swindler has been round among the 

 florists and victimized one of our leading 

 retailers. His plan of campaign has not 

 fully reached me. He asks for a loan of 

 a dozen palms, averaging in value $4 to 

 $6. As the boss of the store is very busy 



