MARCH 17. 1S9S. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



649 



Hugh Graham has a superb stock 

 at his greenhouses to supply his own 

 trade, which promises to be as large, 

 if not larger, than usual. He has. I 

 believe, the only big stock of Acacia 

 pubescens in the Union. They are 

 noble plants. A fine lot of Acacia ar- 

 mata at H, A. Dreer's Riverton place 

 is lu fine shape for Easter, also aza- 

 leas in various sizes. A big batch is 

 set aside for orders booked ahead. I 

 am much interested in the acacia, and 

 learned from Mr. Eisele (whom I found 

 looking anything but "dreary," owing, 

 no doubt, to the splendid shipping 

 season the firm is passing through), 

 that this plant has a most interest- 

 ing history, being used in connection 

 with some function during the reign 

 of Hiram, king of Tyre. It makes a 

 grand plant for Easter, and will 

 doubtless be grown more extensively 

 in connection with the heath family 

 than it has hitherto been done here. 



I bandied Mr. Eisele on those pretty 

 arecas. of which I saw a big supply in 

 the store of "Our John" — "Holy 

 John," as he is described by the news- 

 papers, for the reason, I suppose, that 

 he does not advertise in their Sunday 

 issues — but was informed that al- 

 though he had several tempting offers 

 to supply such stock, he had refused 

 the tempters' charms, and really be- 

 lieved the trade appreciates this fact. 

 On my return I priced more closely 

 and found Mr. Wanamaker made quite 

 a profit upon the deal — much more 

 than the grower who supplied the 

 plants, and whose price I had. Aza- 

 leas, for instance, are priced at $1.25 

 and $1.50, ordinary size, which is sold 

 at wholesale for $35 per 100. Is it the 

 charms of the sweet dames employed 

 as salesladies that act as incentives? 

 I inquired of this particular charmer 

 how long and how often the plant 

 which I was examining, and which 

 was in extremis, would bloom. She 

 replied it would continue to bloom 

 about eight weeks, and flower every 

 year and every other year, at which 

 remark I was puzzled, and presumed 

 to tell her she must mean every other 

 year, if at all, at which she waxed in- 

 dignant. But seriously, I do not be- 

 lieve it affects the legitimate trade to 

 any appreciable degree; rather it 

 should help it along. The opinion of 

 our friend, E. L. S. Dale, upon this 

 point would be valuable. M. 



CHICAGO. 



Club Meetin!^:. 



Roses and violets were the subjects 

 of discussion at the last meeting of 

 the Florists' Club, Extracts from the 

 paper, by Mr. Fred Hills, on growing 

 tea roses for profit appear elsewhere 

 in this issue. In the discussion that 

 followed Mr. Chas. Held spoke of the 

 wisdom of providing for a crop for 

 the latter part of June when there is 

 a good demand owing to the numerous 

 school closings at that time. Mr. 

 Anthony thought it would pay growers 

 to carry a few houses of plants in solid 



beds in the old-fashioned way and 

 bring in full crops at periods of great 

 demand. Mr. Stollery said his expe- 

 rience with carried over plants had 

 been very unsatisfactory, but they had 

 been on raised benches. 



In his paper Mr, Hills had referred 

 to the statement made in Mr. An- 

 thony's paper at last meeting that ful- 

 ly 40 per cent of the flowers cut by the 

 grower never reached the consumer, 

 and it brought out a lively discussion, 

 and many good natured retorts be- 

 tween the retailers and the growers, 

 Mr, Hauswirth taking good care of the 

 retailers' side of the question. 



In the center of the room stood a 

 vase of magnificent Bride, Bridesmaid 

 and Morgan roses brought by Mr. 

 Hills, and they were substantial evi- 

 dence that the methods of the essayist 

 were decidedly successful at his place. 

 No paper on violets had been pre- 

 pared but there was a very interesting 

 discussion. Mr. G. Swenson, of Elm- 

 hurst, brought to the meeimg a bunch 

 of superl) Marie Louise violets which 

 excited the admiration of all present. 

 Mr. Swenson says he grows all his vio- 

 lets in frames. He propagates his 

 plants in August, winters them in 

 frames, grows in the field the following 

 summer and the second winter gets his 

 flowers in the frames. When picking 

 flowers in cold weather he uses a light 

 box frame covered with canvas, the 

 frame of a size to fit over one sash and 

 tall enough to allow him to stand in- 

 side. Under this cover he can pick 

 the flowers under one sash without ex- 

 posing the whole frame to the weather. 

 He has never had any trouble from 

 disease. 



Mr. Stollery related his experience 

 with violets as follows: One year he 

 had space to spare at the end of a car- 

 nation bench and he filled it with vio- 

 lets. During the season he cut from 

 his 275 plants 12.197 violets which rea- 

 lized $121.72. He concluded that vio- 

 lets were just what he wanted, so next 

 year he put in a whole house, and gave 

 them special attention. During the 

 season he cut from his 900 plants a 

 total of 5,445 flowers which netted him 

 $44.15. That settled the violet for him. 

 He felt it was too uncertain a quan- 

 tity to take chances on, 



Mr. Rudd gave a humorous account 

 of his attempts to grow violets. He 

 had heard a good deal of "the violet 

 disease," as though there was but one. 

 He was of the opinion that there were 

 eight or nine different diseases and was 

 sure his plants had them all. 



Geo. Baldwin, of Oak Park, displayed 

 at the meeting a Chinese primula in a 

 6-inch pot bearing nine trusses of 

 flowers. Also a pot of narcissus, re- 

 markably well flowered, and cut 

 blooms of narcissus in variety.* free- 

 sias, triteleias, and other flowers. 



Messrs. G. Swenson, Elmhurst, 111., 

 and D. F. Hawkes. Wheaton, 111., were 

 elected to membership. 



At the next meeting. March 24, Li- 

 lium Harrisii and other bulbous flow- 

 ers will be discussed. A feature will 



be a paper on the Harrisii disease by 

 Mr. E. Buettner. 



The committee of arrangements for 

 the recent carnation convention has 

 issued to the contributors to the fund 

 a printed itemized statement of all re- 

 ceipts and disbursements. Accompany- 

 ing same was a check for 25 per cent of 

 the amount subscribed. This is certain- 

 ly a remarkable record and the com- 

 mittee will be fully warranted in shak- 

 ing hands with itself. Certainly the 

 donors to the fund feel like shaking 

 hands with the committee. 



The Market. 



The supply has shortened up some 

 and prices are stiffer. Extra teas go as 

 high as $6, and good ordinary go at $4 

 to $5, with seconds at $3. Beauties are 

 in heavy demand, especially the extra 

 long grade. Everything seems in good 

 demand, even in liulbous stock there is 

 no surplus. Violets seem the only ex- 

 ception, these being dull. Smilax is 

 scarce. Bassett & Washburn are 

 cutting some extra Beauties, but all 

 go quickly. Carnations hold stiff, and 

 sales below $2 a hundred are rare. 



All the wholesalers seem well satis- 

 fied with trade this winter. There have 

 been no gluts at any time so far, and 

 there is no indication of any at this 

 time while the outlook for Easter is 

 excellent. Kennicott Bros. Co. report 

 business so far this month as a very 

 marked increase over the same period 

 a year ago. 



■Various Items. 



E. H. Hunt has reopened his old 

 stand at 68 Lake St. for the retail 

 seed business during the spring 

 months. 



Fred Ostertag. of St. Louis, is in 

 town, with the view of locating here if 

 a suitable opening can be found. 



Lloyd Vaughan, of Vaughan. Mc- 

 Kellar & Wlnterson, has returned 

 from his trip on the road, but will 

 start out again next week. He re- 

 ports good business. 



Recent visitors were E. H. Baker, 

 Goshen, Ind., and Miss Coulter, of 

 Valparaiso, Ind. 



Sam Reiser, the north side florist, 

 has been spending a few weeks at 

 West Baden, Ind. 



Walter Kreitling says he is like a 

 chrysanthemum — pretty to look at but 

 without a cent. 



W. W. Barnard & Co. have opened 

 a branch store at 191 W. Randolph 

 St. (Hay Market Square) for the ac- 

 commodation of the market gardener 

 trade. 



Samuel Rubens, for many yeais 

 with Kennicott Bros. Co., died at his 

 mother's home, 35 Milton avenue, at 

 6 p. m. last Tuesday. The funeral 

 will be held at 1 p. m. today (Thurs- 

 day). 



The firm of Winter & Glover, whole- 

 sale commission florists, was dissolved 

 March 16, Mr. Glover retires and the 

 business will be continued by Mr. 

 Blair Winter, the senior member of 

 I the former firm. 



