APRIL 7, 1S98. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



777 



Free Cuba in Flowers. 



Gentlemen I have already taken up 

 much of your time, probably to little 

 account, as I have already said, the 

 subject cannot be given justice in such 

 a paper as this. I have told you noth- 

 ing new, perh.-ips have not even put it 

 in a new light, but I trust enough has 

 been said to warm some hearts to this 

 delightful, profitable and healthy 

 study, and perhaps to give renewed 

 impulse to those who may have alieady 

 given the matter consideration. 



NEW YORK. 



FREE CUBA IN FLOWERS. 



The accompanying engraving is 

 from a photograph of a display rcent- 

 ly made in the window of Mr. J. M. 

 Gasser, the florist. Cleveland, O. It at- 

 tracted crowds of admirers and ex- 

 cited much favorable comment. The 

 local Cubans marched up in a body 

 and voted it the finest display they 

 had ever seen. 



At the left appears the portrait of 

 General Maceo in a frame of green 

 galax leaves, with crossed sabres at 

 top and crossed scabbards at bottom, 

 with two large American flags as a 

 background. At the right is a plaque, 

 26x30 inches, of green galax leaves 

 bearing the Cuban flag. The star, three 

 white stripes and flagstaff are of white 

 carnations, the field for the star is 

 made of red carnations, and the two 

 blue stripes are of blue Dutch hya- 

 cinths. The plaque rests on a stack of 

 guns with sword bayonets, the style 

 used by many of the insurgents. The 

 vases in the center contain Pingree 

 carnations and Bridesmaid roses. The 

 frame and back of the window had a 

 covering of gray moss. 



The arrangement was conceived and 

 executed by Mr. O. A. C. Oehmler, for- 

 merly of Pittsburg and now with Mr. 

 Gasser. 



On Change. 



The early part of last week was un- 

 interesting from any point, except to 

 the Greeks, who take immediate ad- 

 vantage of a glut of stuff and low 

 prices. The latter part of the week, 

 however, the market improved some- 

 what, though prices remained about 

 the same. 



The glut of Beauties is still on. the 

 highest price for the most select long- 

 stemmed flowers being 25 cents each, 

 while some have been sold as lo^x as 

 $15 per 100. 



A noticeable shortening in the sup- 

 ply of good carnations on Saturday 

 sent the price up to $3 per 100 for 

 select Scotts, the best all 'round seller 

 in the market, w-hile fancy varieties 

 stiffened to $4. 



Ordinary varieties of roses, like 

 Brides. Maids, Testouts, sold from $1 

 to $6 per 100. A great many Jacks 

 are coming in, which displace the Me- 

 teor at this season of the year, and 

 realize from $4 to $S, according to 

 stock. 



Cattleyas are getting to be scarce 

 as the proverbial hen's teeth, and most 

 any price can be asked, though 50 

 cents is about the limit for fine flow- 

 ers. A few Cypripedium Lawrencianum 

 and miscellaneous orchids are to be 

 seen, but not enough to quote prices. 



Violets continue plentiful an(^ the 

 cold snap still here will help them con- 

 siderably for Easter. Bulb stuff is still 

 suffering, the price for lilies being a 

 shade better, however. Adiantum is 

 here in force, w'ith smilax getting 

 scarcer and more valuable daily. 



For average prices, see New York 

 market report. 



Easter Forecast. 



If the florists can induce the Presi- 

 dent to hold his war message over till 

 after Easter, business will very likely 



exceed expectations; as it is, one 

 might as well guess about the millen- 

 nium. 



Beauties will be here in unprece- 

 dented quantities, and there will be 

 no scarcity of any rose stock, from 

 present indications. Carnations are 

 the qnly thing likely to be at all 

 scarce, with violets and bulb stock in 

 plenty. The quantity of lilies will 

 depend largely on the weather and 

 price on the demand. 



As I mentioned before, business is 

 entirely problematical, and there are 

 no indications to work on at present. 

 There have been no orders placed so 

 far; the usual inquiries are prevalent, 

 and a few outside buyers are here in 

 person. 



Various Items. 



The regular monthly meeting of the 

 New York Florists' Club will be held 

 next Monday. April 11. and Mr. G. W. 

 Watson, of Philadelphia, is slated to 

 give an interesting talk on "The Flor- 

 ist Versus the Flower Show." The 

 competition for the club's medals and 

 certificates will also be held, and some 

 interesting exhibits are already en- 

 tered. 



Mr. J. W. Scallen opened his new 

 store last Saturday, though the formal 

 opening will not occur till Wednes- 

 day, in time for the Easter trade, 

 which promises to be fully up to pre- 

 vious years. He will also retain his 

 old store till May 1. I noted in his 

 store some of the old favorite rose. La 

 France, large flowers and excellent 

 color. 



Among the Retailers. 



I noted some very pretty Wisteria 

 sinensis in one window, decked with 

 narrow lavender ribbon to match; also 

 some handsome growing hybrid roses 

 Mrs. .John Laing and others, in boxes 

 garnished with crepe paper and rib- 

 bons, which looked very rich. Pots of 

 growing violets sell exceedingly well, 

 and a few Crimson Ramblers in pots 

 are to be seen. This rose is grown very 

 largely now for Easter and is becom- 

 ing very popular. Heaths and azaleas 

 in variety are to be seen everywhere 

 and make the stores very bright and 

 attractive. 



I dropped into the Bridgeman Co.'s 

 store the other evening, and Mr. 

 Bridgeman, who is a past master in 

 the art of floral decorative art, showed 

 me some examples of his handicraft. 

 It was a souvenir night of the play, 

 "Monte Carlo," and the stars were to 

 be presented "with appropriate gifts. 

 One was a Dolly Varden hat, trimmed 

 with sweet peas, swainsona (white) 

 Bridesmaid roses and pink ribbon, on 

 which were worked gilt letters. This is 

 done by writing the motto in plaster 

 of paris and gilding same. The other 

 was an immense horseshoe, composed 

 of leucothoe sprays for a background 

 and lilies. Meteor roses. Maids, narcis- 

 sus and maidenhair fern, and across 

 the face was a broad ribbon upon 

 which were five playing cards, "three 



