148 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



DECE3IBEI! 18. 1902. 



slide up, down or side wise? There is 

 a fortune and everlasting gratitude due 

 the man that invents a practical, easy 

 to open ventilating sash. 



There are extremists in glazing. All 

 will agree that the use of small glass is 

 a back number. We do not think that 

 very large glass is the best to use either 

 • — 16 or 18x24 is large enough and we 

 may say a popular greenhouse size. 

 Very large glass is not advisable, chiefly 

 because, strange as it may seem, it leaves 

 a very large hole if a pane gets broken. 

 We still cling to the old-fashioned way of 

 bedding glass in putty and cannot see 

 enough advantage in other methods to 

 make us want to change. 



It would seem unnecessary to tell you 

 to get the best of cveiything in build- 

 ing — best seasoned cypress for frame 

 work, best paint, putty and, in fact, 

 everything I can think of except for the 

 benches, and that brings me to another 

 disputed part of our subject. Raised or 

 solid beds? Our friend. Jablonsky. has 

 this subject well in hand, and will tell 

 you all about it. All we want to say 

 is that cypress known as "pecky" is 

 much cheaper than the clear, and an- 

 swers the purpose just as well. For a 

 raised bench we like our pattern very 

 well. The bottom cross piece of 2x4 is 

 dove-tailed into the legs, as sho\vn in 

 drawing. A bench built in this way is 

 substantial and easy to construct. 



Section of Beach. 



I promised to say something more 

 about wheeling out soil. We hope the 

 day is not far distant when this bar- 

 barous custom in our hot summer weath- 

 er will be a thing of the past, but who 

 can suggest a remedy? Tliose who build 

 in a large way could save handling the 

 soil many times by building a passage 

 way through the center crossing all the 

 houses so that a team and wagon could 

 drive through and load or empty as the 

 case might be. This passage way could 

 be filled with movable benches during 

 the greater part of the year. However, 

 this won't help us much, and the soil is 

 still in the benches. Wc trust you will 

 give this matter the thought it merits 

 and hope these few remarks will be the 

 means of benefitting at least a few of 

 you. 



NEW YORK. 



' The Coming Carnation Convention. 



The Brooklyn Horticultural Associa- 

 tion held its regular meeting at the Ger- 

 mania Club rooms, Brooklyn, last 

 Wednesdaj' evening. About twenty 

 members were present. An informal 

 discussion about carnations of the past, 

 present and future, took place before 

 the "quorum" arrived. Tiiis was of 

 great interest. Tlie general opinion of 

 the growers as to the "holding" from 

 year to year of the size of the carna- 



tions Bradt, Lawson and Prosjierity was 

 particularly commented upon. Gi-ent 

 expectations as to the future of "Fian- 

 cee" were expressed, and the decadence 

 of the oldest and gieater favorite, the 

 •"Scott." was much regretted. 



ilr. C. W. Ward, the president, was 

 in the chair; full of enthusiasm as to 

 the convention, and of good advice as 

 to the means and wajs of accomplishing 

 success. Mr. \Vallace, the secretary, 

 read over the contract as to the banquet, 

 and also the menu, which his knowledge 

 of French enabled him to decipher glib- 

 ly. I noticed several mouths watering 

 during its progress. Mr. Langjahr, 

 chairman of the entertaimnent commit- 

 tee, reiwrtetl considerable progress, in- 

 cluding an item for music, which will 

 make the gathering a harmonious one. 

 A trade exhibit of palms and decora- 

 tive stock, which will be utilized in add- 

 ing to the decorations of the hall, has 

 been arranged for. It is possible, also, 

 that opportunity may be found for an 

 exhibit of flowering plants, as well. 

 This exhibit will include Lager & Hur- 

 relTs display of orchids, and a goodly 

 bank of the Xephrolejjis Piersoni. Mr. 

 W. Siebrecht has also indicated a de- 

 sire to display his special valley and 

 otlier bulb stock. 



]Mr. Plumb has been appointed gen- 

 eral manager of the exhiljition. and is 

 believed to be "tlie right man in the 

 right place." The two large rooms to be 

 devoted to the exhibit arc 85x42 and 65 

 .x45 feet; 3,500 yards of decorative cloth. 

 150 evergreens ami twenty cases of 

 smilax, have already Ix-cn arranged for. 

 If any of the visiting conventionists are 

 members of the "Elks" and will write 

 immediately to Ijodge Xo. 22, Brooklyn, 

 they can secure excellent accommoda- 

 tions directly opposite the Germania 

 Club building. At the club, also, meals 

 can be procured at any hour, so that 

 visitors may have every comfort while 

 in the city. Good hotels are numerous 

 in Brooklyn, and further particulars 

 concerning these will follow later. 



Mr. .John V. Philips, retail florist, 

 will have charge of the decoration of 

 the banquet hall.. Ilerr Kuenstler, of 

 the Germania Club, is a banquet adept, 

 and a most genial fellow who will make 

 evcrylK)dy feel at home. The T>ong Island 

 florists are responding generously; and 

 the suggestions for taking interest in 

 the meeting, and the prophesy made by 

 Mr. Hartshorne as tn this being the ban- 

 ner convention, will undoubtedly be re- 

 alized. Tlie association will not be dis- 

 appointed if the banquet finds 500 par- 

 ticipants. 



The Market. 



The past week has been one of vicis- 

 situdes; almost zero weather at its be- 

 ginning, snow and slush in the center, 

 and a miniature blizzard at its close. 

 Up the Hudson the temperature was be- 

 low zero, and many of the shipments of 

 violets were frozen. This week opens 

 better. The weather is cool and sea- 

 sonable, and stock of all kinds may be 

 safely shipped without fear of frost. 



The inevitable dullness of the holi- 

 day season is upon us. The Cliristmas 

 shoppers are too busy purchasing Christ- 

 mas presents and sending them, to give 

 time to the .Tsthetic. and so it will 

 be very nearly Christmas day before the 

 lethargy departs. In the meantime the 

 plantsmen are taking advantage of the 

 milder weather to stock the retail stores 

 with their blooming products, and grad- 

 ually the retail display is assuming its 



old time holiday attractiveness, and it 

 will undoubtedly be a great plant 

 Christmas, the only trouble being the 

 shortness of superior goods, the demand, 

 not only here, but from out of town, 

 having been enormous. 



The record prices on loses and car- 

 nations of two weeks ago have not held 

 as was anticipated. Our quotations in- 

 dicate the average prices that are now 

 received, although here and there in 

 smaller quantities some extra fine or 

 "special" stock, as we call it, may de- 

 mand very nearly what the wholesaler 

 may decide to ask for it. Tlie queen of 

 autumn has resigned her throne for the 

 season. Orchids maintain their value, 

 and the supply is not too great for the 

 demand. Fancy carnations, and in fact 

 all good stock, in this line, command 

 fair prices, $2 per 100 being about the 

 lowest asked for anj-thing respectable. 



The present week opened with a slight 

 appreciation in prices of some things, 

 which ilondays invariably show, to be 

 followed doubtless by depression and 

 waiting. Xext Monday will undoubtedly 

 see a change for the lietter. The whole- 

 salers are quietly preparing for the an- 

 ticipated rush and the indications are 

 of no serious shortage for the holidays 

 and no unreasonable prices. 



T^ast week the New York market re- 

 port was accidentally omitted and it 

 contained some items that are needed 

 to keep our record accurate. It told of 

 an almost 50 per cent drop in violets 

 and roses. Also an explanation of some 

 of the quotations. Occasionally I have 

 noted especially high prices for some 

 things, away above the average. It is 

 hardly necessary to say that such quo- 

 tations occur with reference to so small 

 a quantit}' of flowers that they could 

 easily become misleading, and while they 

 may, with perfect truth, be announced, 

 the small selection of such "specials" 

 place them apart from the general mar- 

 ket entirely, while their sale depends 

 on special holidays, or some entirely un- 

 expected demand. The general market 

 has its average — always below an acci- 

 dental development. 



Notes. 



Mr. Ward's new book on the carnation 

 will be published in .January, and will 

 be a most exhau.stive work. Inquiries 

 and orders are already numerous. 



Papa Zeller. of Flatbush, is not as 

 well as usual and much anxiety is felt 

 as to his condition. 



Some of the giowers of this suburb 

 during the extreme cold weather of last 

 week decided to utilize the oil-heating 

 system, and serious results arc reported. 



The coal question in the East is a very 

 serious one: in Xew York and its sub- 

 urbs especially, the short supply is 

 mainly felt. 



A scarcity of the Boston fern is in 

 evidence and not half enough to supply 

 the winter demand is to be found in 

 this vicinity. Quite a large numlier of 

 the Anna Foster fern in and V-inch 

 pots are Ijeing used, the two making 

 fine companions, one hel])ing to sell the 

 other. 



Mr. Ward has a specialty this Christ- 

 mas. Begonia Gloire de Lorraine bas- 

 kets, at $5 each : and to demonstrate 

 his ability as a salesman he came to 

 town last week and sold his entire stock 

 in two hours. 



Warren Sanders. .Jr.. who came from 

 St. Louis to New York a few months 

 ago to enter the employ of .J. H. Small 



