548 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



FEBRUARY 24, 1S9S. 



a little later. The few coming in find 

 a ready sale at $1.50 to $2 for ordi- 

 naries, and $3 to $4 for fancies. Bulb- 

 ous stock is held at the following 

 prices: Romans. $2 to $3; valley, $3 to 

 $4; daffodils. $3 to ?4; tulips, ?4; cal- 

 las, $8 to $10, and Harrisii, $12.50. 

 Violets seem to be the only flowers 

 that are not "in it." as they are going 

 slow — anywhere from 50 cents to $1 

 per 100. 



Our old friend, M. Rice, of Philadel- 

 phia, was a recent caller. B. 



NEW YORK. 



In the Flower Pit. 



Last week was not one of surprises 

 in any line. It rained Saturday, which 

 was not a surprise, either, as it has 

 raine<l now for eight consecutive Sat 

 urdays. much to the chagrin of ••.he 

 "craftsmen" on the street. A good, 

 bright Saturday is always hoped and 

 earnestly prayed for — if wholesalers 

 were ever known to pray, and I have it 

 on good authority they do, sometimes. 

 "It clears up the icebox ready for Mon- 

 day," said one man; "that is, a good 

 Saturday, and we do not have to carry 

 any goods over." 



The crop of roses is falling off slow- 

 ly, before the final spurt for Easter, 

 which is getting very, very near. Prices 

 remain, though, about the same as last 

 week. The best Beauties realize 75 

 cents apiece, while Bridesmaids, extra 

 selected stock, command $15 per 100; 

 Brides, a little less, $12, and they are 

 not quite so plentiful as Maids. Fancy 

 Meteors sell for $12 and a few very 

 choice touch the $15 mark. This, how- 

 ever, is exceptional. Morgans and 

 Cusins sell equally well, though there 

 are not many of the latter grown in 

 proportion, and $S is the top notch tor 

 these. The Perle sells in limited quan- 

 tity, while Sunset is scarcely seen any 

 more and rarely realizes more than $4 

 per 100 at the best. 



Valley was a shade better this week; 

 that is, there was not the quantity to 

 be had; price ruled about the same, 

 though extra graded stock sold a trifie 

 higher. This commodity has suffered 

 very much this winter. There is a 

 plethora of bulb stuff of all grades, 

 tulips selling about as well as any- 

 thing, while Harrisii was hammered 

 down to $5 per 100. Smilax— that is, 

 good smilax — sold as high as $15. anc 

 poor as low ;is $6. 



The demand for orchid flowers is 

 jerky and erratic. There are not so 

 many cattleyas as heretofore, but the 

 demand is light; retailers do not seem 

 to like to invest in this stock unless for 

 orders. Quite a number of the Dendro- 

 bium Phalaenopsis are seen and realize 

 25 cents a flower. It is one of the pret- 

 tiest and most graceful of the Den- 

 drobes. 



I spoke just now of the retailer in- 

 vesting. The retailer invests very lit- 

 tle in flowers; that is to say. he lays in 

 no specially large stock. He does not 



speculate. The telephone, the galaxy 

 of wagons used on any possible occa- 

 sion, and the "flower buyer," all mili- 

 tate against this. The majority of the 

 large florists are nearly all located 

 about and around the wholesale dis- 

 trict, ajid if a rush order comes for 

 anything special, the "buyer" and the 

 telephone are immediately brought in- 

 to play. 



One large retailer keeps his buyer 

 almost the day long among the whole- 

 sale houses and directly in touch with 

 the "home office." He knows imme- 

 diately where to lay his hands on l.OOO 

 Bridesmaids or 100 cattleyas, as the 

 case may be, and so it is, the icebox 

 contains just samples, so to speak, and 

 the "hand-to-mouth" system is thus 

 carried on; so the wholesaler does not 

 know from one minute to the other 

 when his stock may be decreased. Of 

 course, in the early hours the big buy- 

 ing is done, but it usually covers the 

 whole day, more or less, according to 

 the demand. 



This has a tendency to "bear" prices, 

 it seems to me, for it is always proble- 

 matic what the day will bring forth. 



Lent is right at our door, but this is 

 only a temporary check, now, lasting 

 about two weeks, after wh ch things 

 again commence to find their level. 

 Taken as a whole, though, trade has 

 been fair. At no time can it be record- 

 ed, however, that stock has been 

 scarce, except about three weeks ago, 

 and that lasted but a few days. Are 

 the growers satisfied? We take it some 

 are not, for they are continually chang- 

 ing their wholesaler, only to go back 

 at some future date to their "old love," 

 with burnt fingers and a mental re- 

 solve that they will not leave him 

 again. "What, never? Well, hardly 

 ever." 



The Club Dinner. 



The event of the year, the dinner of 

 the New York Florists, takes place at 

 the "Arena" next Saturday, the 26th, 

 and the banquet hall is expected to be 

 filled. Many gentlemen from out of 

 town, besides the members, are ex- 

 pected to be present. Mr i'alrick 

 O'Mara. of toastm.Tster fame, will as- 

 sume the honors on this occasion, ar d 

 a very successful and enjoyable even- 

 ing is anticipated. 



The decorations will be in charge 

 of Mr. Lawrence Hafner and contribu- 

 tions should be sent to the secretary, 

 Mr. John Young, as early as possible 

 Saturday morning. The hail will not 

 hold more than seventy, so intending 

 subscribers should send in their appli- 

 cations immediately. 



The Retail Trade. 



I scoured the town the other day for 

 a few novelties, but did not meet with 

 much success. Violets in pots are sel- 

 ling very well and are quite pretty. 

 Genistas are to be seen in several 

 stores and remind us that spring and 

 Easter are not far away; also such 



forced shrubs as forsythias, spiraeas, 

 almonds, etc. 



Big events there are none and but 

 a few ordinary social functions, and 

 by the by, a "vegetable dance" last 

 week where folks were supposed to 

 go garbed as "garden truck" (im- 

 mensely elevating. I should thiuk) 

 However, I hear the ladies appeared 

 as roses, paeouies, pansies, carnations, 

 etc., wliile the men wore headgear of 

 cabbages (very appropriate), pump- 

 kins, etc. 



The Donohoe-Ehret wedding was 

 quite a brilliant affair anu was hand- 

 led by Hanft Bros. Bridesiut»id roses, 

 lily of valley and cattleyas v/ere used 

 very extensively. It was a house dec- 

 oration, and a short description would 

 not go amiss. Thc> iiliar was an Egyp- 

 tian canopy nine feet high. con\pos,'d 

 entirely of valley and bridesmaid ro- 

 ses, from which hung a bell composed 

 of the same. From the top of the 

 canopy to the walls of the room gar- 

 lands of asparagus, roses and valley 

 gave it a light and pretty fluish. 

 Banked on either side were azaleas and 

 white lilac, and at the base were boxes 

 of red :ind white tulips. On either side 

 were two immense baskets on stand- 

 ards of pink roses and valley with 

 streamers of the same. The mantel 

 and mirror were tastefully decorated 

 with cattleya, the outline of a star be- 

 ing designed in cattleyas hung on the 

 face of the mirror, the reflection 

 caused thereby making an exceeding- 

 ly pretty effect, and garnished here 

 and there with sprays of Asparagus 

 Sprengerii and plumosus. 



In the library I'aere was a bank 

 of genistas and Marguerites and on the 

 mirror in this room was a circle of cat- 

 tleyas. In the bane.uet room Valley and 

 Bridesmaids predominated. Azaleas 

 in flower and graceful palms did duty 

 here and there, but space will not al- 

 low me to go into further detail. 

 Enough to say that the whole arrange- 

 ment was pretty, light and graceful, 

 and a credit to the decorators. 



Seed and Bulb Trade. 



A large wholesale man told me to- 

 day he had received information that 

 a syndicate had been formed in Hol- 

 land by some of the largest dealers 

 to raise the price on hyacinths and 

 tulips 20 per cent, and had held out 

 special inducements to growers to sell 

 to them. It is not likely, though, that 

 it will prove a successful combination, 

 as several large handlers of bulbs have 

 refused to enter the combine's ranks. 

 As flowers in this line are selling to- 

 day, it would be far more desirable to 

 reduce the price 20 per cent if they ex- 

 pect to secure any orders in this vi- 

 cinity. 



The spring bulb trade is opening 

 up pretty well. Tuberoses, however, 

 are moving somewhat slowly. Jaoan 

 bulbs are selling better and there have 

 been several calls from Europe for 

 large sizes. The demand for begonias 

 and gloxinias increases every year and 



