442 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



FEBRUARY 3. 



The Retail Trade. 



Not nuK'li change since I wrote you 

 last. There is no special rush, and I 

 have not heard of any moi'e delivery 

 wagons being put on. Trade is "fair 

 lO middlin'," as one of the prominent 

 men of the trade remarked. 



Novelties are somewhat scarce. It 

 is a wonder to me that something 

 striking is not invented, some new fad 

 introduced. The dry goods houses, the 

 jewelers and the confectioners all 

 have their novelties. I wonder if this 

 is the reason why the retail florist does 

 not more than jog along. True, there 

 are novelties introduced in decora- 

 tions, and so forth, but is there no use 

 to set the pace and make a special 

 tlower fashionable? It is remarkable 

 what few are worn by my lady and 

 liege. Violets used to be "la mode." 

 Did the artificial kill them, or did they 

 die a natural death? 



Is there no Beau Bruramel that can 

 be induced to wear a cattleya? They 

 are very handsome and would help the 

 market wonderfully. If some of the 

 leading tlorists don't suggest it. I 

 think I'll go and see some of the "yel- 

 low journals" and get them to use 

 some of their influence. 



I notice a few novelties in the win- 

 dows. Acacia pubescens is very pretty 

 and graceful. Then I saw some plants 

 of laurestinus. "a wee, modest flower,' 

 but exceedingly chaste; then in an- 

 other I noted some boxes of tulips tied 

 with crepe paper and ribbon to match, 

 one especially handsome box of yel- 

 low and another of lily of the valley. 



To-night as I write Governor Black 

 is being entertained by his staff at the 

 ■Waldorf-Astoria. The decorations 

 are by J. H. Small & Sons and are ex- 

 ceedingly rich and simple. Only about 

 twenty people will sit down to dinner, 

 the table decoration consisting of one 

 large oval basket of red and white 

 tulips interspersed with galax leaves 

 and two round baskets on either side 

 of same: tricolor ribbon, red. white 

 and blue, draped with flowing smilax, 

 gave it a pretty finish. The grand ball- 

 I'oom where the reception is held is 

 hung with the stars and stripes en- 

 twined here and there with southern 

 smilax. In the other reception rooms 

 tall, graceful palms stand here and 

 there, and red and white roses in vases 

 on tall pedestals do sentry duty. 



It being a state affair, the color plan 

 of red. white and blue was adhered 

 to as much as possible. It was diffi- 

 cult, however, to secure blue flowers 

 of an appropriate color, which shows 

 the necessity of a blue rose on such 

 occasions. Won't some one please 

 oblige? 



Next week is the Arion ball — but of 

 this later. 



New York Market Florists. 



At the regular meeting of the New 

 York iVIarket Florists' Association, 

 held at Leach's restaurant. Tuesday, 

 the principal business was the report 

 of the committee on constitution and 

 by-laws to be adopted by the associa- 

 tion. Owing to the blizzard and in- 



clement weather, there was but a small 

 attendance. In the absence of the 

 president and vice-president. Mr. Chas. 

 Deitz was elected to the chair. Mr. .1. 

 P. Cleary, chairman of the committee, 

 then read his report on the constitu- 

 tion and by-laws. He reported that 

 the committee had held two meetings, 

 January 12 and 19. The constitution 

 was adopted, with several ■ amend- 

 ments, and reported hack to the com- 

 mittee, who is empowered to send 

 copies to all members before final ac- 

 tion is taken, and, if necessary, to em- 

 ploy legal aid to perfect the constitu- 

 tion in case the association might wish 

 to acquire a charter at some future 

 day. The following new members were 

 elected: R. Drever. R. Whitman. P. 

 O'Mara. A. Reis. H. Kuhl. J. W. With- 

 ers. Harry A. Bunyard. 



Several members expressed a wish 

 to take stands, which now makes a to- 

 tal of 23 taken. They also furnished a 

 guarantee fund of $5 each, so that the 

 association is now fairly started, and 

 the committee was empowered to see 

 the city authorities to secure a definite 

 understanding with regard to the rent- 

 ing of stands. 



Mr. P. O'Mara then addressed the 

 meeting in regard to the senate bill 

 No. 2, mentioned elsewhere in our col- 

 umns, and Mr. C. H. Steinhoff and him- 

 self were empowered to go to Trenton 

 and protest against the bills as affect- 

 ing florists. On a motion, the secretary 

 was ordered to notify the New .lersey 

 horticultural societies and clubs of the 

 action taken and ask them to use their 

 influence in protesting also. 



■Various Notes. 



Mr. Robert W. Clucas, of the firm of 

 Clucas & Boddington, will return next 

 Saturday on the steamship "Lucania" 

 from "Yurrup." where he has been on 

 an extended business trip. Welcome 

 home, brother "Bob." 



The horticultural section of the 

 American Institute held an orchid ex- 

 hibition Wednesday, February 9, com- 

 mencing at 2 p. m. In the evening 

 Mr. Chas. H. Atkins, of Madison, N. 

 J., will deliver a lecture on "Mimicry 

 and Fertilization of Orchids," illus- 

 trated by over 400 colored charts. 

 These exhibitions and lectures are free 

 to all. 



Owing to the date of the New York 

 Florist Club's dinner, February 19, 

 conflicting with the carnation meeting 

 in Chicago, several members having 

 decided to visit your city, the date has 

 been changed to Saturday, February 

 2G. — P. S. : The price of tickets remains 

 the same, $5. 



Mr. G. A. I^odewyks, who has leased 

 the greenhouses of Mr. A. Brown, of 

 Blissfleld, L. I., will move there at an 

 early date, and will grow plants and 

 cut flowers for the New York market. 



WASHINGTON. 

 Free Distribution. 



Despite the stormy evening there 

 was a good attendance at the last semi- 

 monthly meeting of the Commercial 



Florists' Association. Two new mem- 

 bers were enrolled, who wish to take 

 an active part in our fight against the 

 free distribution of flowers by the Na- 

 tional Government. 



Letters were read from several clubs 

 asking information as to the kind and 

 quantity of plants grown in the gov- 

 ernment greenhouses, and to reply in- 

 telligently and fairly a committee of 

 three — your correspondent being one — 

 was appointed to visit the greenhouses 

 and make a list of what was being 

 grown at the present time. The com- 

 mittee called upon Colonel Bingham 

 the following day and stated their 

 wishes, and for what it was wanted, 

 and were turned down by that official 

 by refusing necessary permission. 

 Among other things the colonel said 

 that he did not propose to furnish us 

 with ammunition to bombard him with 

 and would have to refuse the commit- 

 tee permission to visit the green- 

 houses. It was explained to him that 

 we were in possession of necessary in- 

 formation as to what was being grown, 

 Init to avoid mistakes and to be abso- 

 lutely correct was the reason for wish- 

 ing to go again. Having done the po- 

 lite thing, the committee on being re- 

 fused permission, claiming the right 

 as American citizens to enter any pub- 

 lic building, proceeded to the grounds, 

 and were refused admittance to either 

 the grounds or buildings. Finally we 

 were admitted to the office of the Pub- 

 lic Gardener, who explained that he 

 had received an order from Colonel 

 Bingham that morning to close the 

 grounds and buildings to all visitors. 

 The committee felt very much pleased 

 to think the club had actually caused 

 an order closing the buildings to the 

 public, an evidence of headway. 

 Whether such an order will stand re- 

 mains to be seen. 



It is said on pretty good authority 

 that great activity prevails there just 

 now, and that shovels are busy throw- 

 ing out carnation and violet plants, 

 getting the houses ready for other 

 services. I do not give this as being 

 strictly accurate, though my informant 

 ought to know. I only give it for what 

 it is worth, since I am not permitted 

 to see for myself. 



The short visit revealed an immense 

 ice box in use, also a quantity of wire 

 designs for funeral work. Right here 

 I would like to ask the person, who 

 signed himself "Washington" in a 

 communication to The Review, and 

 who seems to have the inside track for 

 information, how that refrigerator was 

 purchased. Not out of the appropria- 

 tion for the "fiTe distribution of valu- 

 able seeds!" Was the law interpreted 

 to include refrigerators, also funeral 

 designs, and all the necessary para- 

 phernalia for making funeral designs, 

 or are the designs to be used for deco- 

 rating the public reservations, etc.? 



Trade Looking Up. 



Trade has increased 200 per cent the 

 past week, and entertaining is ^t its 

 height. All the stores report good bus- 

 iness, and prospects for a continuance 

 of it. Bulbous stuff is selling well 



