APRIL L'S. IS'JS. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



871 



Spring auctions have now got start- 

 ed in good sliape. N. F. McCarthy is 

 selling three times a week, mostly 

 hardy stock from Holland, and has 

 been averaging from $~ to $S for bud- 

 ded roses, other stock in proportion. 



The war scare is causing some anxi- 

 ety among growers of spring plants, 

 especially among those that have their 

 establishments at or near the lieaches. 

 The exodus of city people will proba- 

 bly be to the mountains this year. 



Seedsmen report business as good, 

 fully equal to a year ago. 



Weather cold and backward. P. 



TORONTO. 



Signs of Spring. 



Spring is allowing itself both to hi' 

 felt and seen now. The weather hav- 

 ing been quite mild and balmy, with 

 good rain lately, trees and shrubs and 

 herbaceous plants are pushing ahead 

 at a great rate. The parks are look- 

 ing very pretty now, with the bulbs 

 all in bloom and the grass so vividly 

 green. Probably spring seems a more 

 delightful season in Canada than in 

 many other places on account of tae 

 contrast to the long period of severe 

 winter weather. 



Cut flowers are very plentiful and 

 of good quality now, but prices have 

 slid away down. People are begin- 

 ning to talk about plants for their 

 gardens a good deal and there is quite 

 a trade being done down at the mar- 

 ket on market days. 



Notes. 



Mr. Fred Bromham, late of the ex- 

 hibition park greenhouses, has decided 

 to try his luck on the Pacific coast and 

 will start this week. He should suc- 

 ceed well there, being a first-class 

 grower of stove and green house 

 plants. 



At the May meeting of the Horti- 

 cultural Society the details of the 

 public school children's Chrysanthe- 

 mum show will be gone into and a 

 paper on "Bedding Plants" will be read 

 by Mr. A. H. Ewing. 



The prize list for the ninth aunual 

 chrysanthemum show, held by the 

 Gardeners' and Florists' Association, 

 has been published. Any one requir- 

 ing a copy should apply to E. H. Car- 

 ter, Riverdale Park, Toronto. B. 



WASHINGTON. 



The florists are now directing all 

 their energy to getting their carna- 

 tions and other plants in the field. The 

 season is backward; we usually have 

 them planted by the first of April in 

 this section. 



The retail trade has been extremely 

 quiet, the only work done being in the 

 funeral line. The store men say that 

 they are doing as much business this 

 year as was done the year before, 

 same date. The weather has not been 

 favorable for a good plant trade, either 

 too cool or too wet. 



During the visit of Wm. J. Bryan to 

 this city a couple of weeks ago. he was 

 presented by the president of the Lake- 

 land Democratic Club with a floral de- 

 sign of a cross which measured four 

 feet wide and seven and a half feet 

 high. The center work was of Perle 

 roses bordered with two rows of daf- 

 fodils. The base represented draptd 

 American flag. The union was made 

 of Lady Campbell violets, the stars of 

 white azaleas, the stripes of red and 

 white carnations. A crown of thorns 

 made of Gleditschia triacanthos across 

 the arm and a nine-pointed star, rep- 

 resenting Bryan's propositions. 



Mr. Bryan wrote a personal letter 

 to Mr. Freeman, the designer, saying 

 that he had received many floral 

 pieces, but this was not only the pretti- 

 est but the best made piece he had 

 ever received. W. H. K. 



MILDEW IN SUMMER. 



The application of sulphur to large 

 numbers of rose plants in summer, to 

 prevent mildew when artificial heat is 

 discontinued and it is no longer possi- 

 ble to secure results by applying sul- 

 phur to the heating pipes, is quite a 



serious task, and with the average 

 bellows much of the sulphur is wasted 

 by not reaching the desired places on 

 the foliage. 



These difficulties have been over- 

 come by a florist of an inventive turn 

 of mind, who has produced a blower 

 that will do the work in much less 

 time and more effectively. Wit'n this 

 blower the force is so strong and 

 steady that the sulphur is distributed 

 with remarkable evenness and speed. 

 It promises to be an important labor 

 saving device for the rose grower in 

 summer. The inventor is Mr. H. Mac- 

 Michael, 956 N. Leavitt street, Chi- 

 cago, who is now putting it on the 

 market. 



KANSAS CITY, MO. 



Desirable Easter Trade. 



For Easter, weather was all that 

 could be desired. Two of the leading 

 florists report 15 per cent increase. In 

 cut flowers the demand was good and 

 prices up to former years. No trouble 

 to sell first-class roses, especially Gon- 

 tiers and Bridesmaids. Bulb stock 

 was plentiful and good. 



In plants Harrisii was the principal 

 article. Plants at $1 to |3 were the 



ones that went, fancy prices getting to 

 be a thing of the past. Hydrangeas 

 and hyacinths were in brisk demand, 

 especially the latter, 25 and 35 cents 

 each being the price. Pans with two 

 and three dozen in each sold fairly 

 well. Pans and pots of valleys sold 

 well and at good prices. 



There was less dem:ind for palms 

 and ferns. Blooming plants are what 

 take at Easter. On account of weath- 

 er, delivery of lilies was excellent, and 

 as a result less complaining than any 

 year since the writer has been here. 

 One thing to be remembered is, that 

 good stock in plants and cut flowers 

 will always sell. Also that the popular 

 price is $1 to $3; and with war in 

 Cuba, would advise for next year 50 

 cents to $1 as the price to be most 

 available, unless the Klondike next 

 fall sends her tons of precious yellow 

 metal to our shores, for this war talk 

 is certainly affecting business. 



■We have had a visit from Mr. Nick- 

 elson, of the Texas Seed & Floral Co., 

 a bright and intelligent Scotchman. 



Report has it that A. Newell will 

 lipcome a major in the army. S. 



MILWAUKEE. 



Easter trade was fully -'•'> per cent, 

 larger than last year. All stock sold 

 well, with the exception of bulbous 

 stuff. Tulips and hyacinths were sold 

 at any price obtainable at the last day, 

 as much of that class of stock was held 

 back and then dumped on the market 

 too late to dispose of the larger quan- 

 tity coming in, 



Harrisii lily plants found ready sale, 

 good plants bringing at wholesale 15 

 cents per bud. There was also a fine 

 lot of spiraeas, azaleas, cinerarias and 

 mignonette plants on the market, 

 which found ready sale. 



In cut flowers, carnations led with a 

 large and early demand, ranging in 

 price from $2 to $4 per 100. Roses 

 also sold well, prices ranging from $4 

 to ?S per 100. Smilax was scarce, sell- 

 ing as high as 20 cents per string, and 

 not extra large at that figure. Weather 

 was fine for delivering plants. 



GEO. WASHINGTON. 



HUNT'S REVIEW OF THE CHICAGO 

 MARKET. 



The past week failed to show the im- 

 provement we looked for, perhaps clue in 

 part to the war excitement. Prices have 

 ruled low, the demand having been so 

 lisrht tha.t only a small part of the best 

 stock has brought fair prices, the bulk 

 going very cheaply. 



Lilac is coming irregularly and selling 

 fairly well. Valley becoming scarce, and 

 price considerably advanced. Within a 

 few days, however, the out-door product 

 should begin to appear, when price will 

 take a drop. Paeonies are looked for 

 within a week, and we will soon be in the 

 midst of the usual spring supply of out- 

 door stock. 



The main stocks, roses and carnations, 

 have fared about alike during .the last 

 few days, there being an occasional day 

 when the market cleaned up pretty well, 

 followed by a day absolutely lifeless from 

 a business standpoint. 



