878 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



April 16, 1903. 



store being most especially remarkable, 

 partly due, of course, to the facilities 

 there for such a display. But they hit 

 upon a very fine effect, which was much 

 heightened by the costly mirror work of 

 the place, maldug a display well worth 

 a good, long railway ticket to go and 

 inspect. But all these displays at the 

 different stores were sadly disarranged 

 and depleted before Saturday arrived. 

 And the weather man deserves a word 

 for the most excellent day provided for 

 delivery. It was no small contract to 

 get all the goods into the city and get 

 them properly distributed, and the 

 weather makes a vast difference. 



All was serene at 161-3 Columbus ave- 

 nue, even if the quarters are in a totally 

 unfurnished condition. And there was 

 a crowd there and business done there 

 which would have sorely puzzled the old 

 market to accommodate, and the in- 

 creased space was much appreciated. 

 J. S. Manteb. 



NEW YORK. 



Club Meeting. 



The regular monthly meeting of the 

 New York Florists' Club was held in the 

 new rooms in the Grand Opera House 

 building on Twenty-third street and 

 Eighth avenue, Monday evening, and 

 about thirty members were in attend- 

 ance. Everybody was delighted with the 

 cozy and luxurious quarters — by far the 

 best the club has ever occupied, and a 

 very harmonious evening inaugurated 

 the "new departure." Tlie chrysanthe- 

 mum committee suggested the club's 

 practical interest in the fall show and 

 the giving of prizes, competition to be 

 open to members of the club, the rec- 

 onunendation being unanimously adopt- 

 ed. 



Vice President Traendly, chairman of 

 the outing committee, reported progress 

 and celebrated the advance of the pros- 

 pective reimion by disposing of a large 

 number of tickets, announcing at the 

 same time a well patronized souvenir 

 book by the advertising members of the 

 club. Jos. Millang, manager of the Cut 

 Flower Co., was proposed for member- 

 ship. 



All arrangements for the complete 

 payment of premiums for the fall show 

 were confirmed and a vote of thanks was 

 tendered Mr. John N. May for the lib- 

 eral donation of $.50 to the club's ex- 

 chequer in favor of the same. 



Several inquiries were here interpo- 

 lated as to the presence of "Job" in the 

 room, but no response was elicited. John 

 Birnie was present with a good sized 

 chip on his shoulder, but if "Job" was 

 on hand he wisely hid his identity. 



Mr. May informed tlie club of a cable- 

 gram announcing the death on Monday 

 morning of James W. Withers, of Ameri- 

 can Gardening, at Jamaica, W. I. Tlie 

 sad intelligence was unexpected, the last 

 news from him giving encouragement as 

 to his ultimate recovery. A committee 

 was appointed to draw up resolutions of 

 condolence and forward to the bereaved 

 family. 



Mr. Wallace, of the executive commit- 

 tee of the Society of American Florists, 

 gave a very interesting report of his 

 visit to Milwaukee, describing the im- 

 mense bviilding where the convention is 

 to be held and its conveniences; the 

 bowling alleys. 16 in number; the en- 

 thusiasm of the Chicago florists; the 

 generous receptinn pivon by the Mil- 

 waukceans, and the beauty of the eitv. 



and predicted the largest convention ever 

 held by the society. 



The president ap[X)inted as the trans- 

 portation committee Messrs. John N. 

 May, Walter Sheridan and S. S. Butter- 

 field. Mr. May suggested the route via 

 Detroit and Bay City, Mich., and thence 

 by boat to Milwaukee, which seemed de- 

 sirable to many, a few perennial vic- 

 tims of seasickness objecting. The trip 

 to Buffalo via the West Shore R. R. 

 under the personal supervision of Mr. 

 Louis Hafner, brother of Lawrence Haf- 

 ner, one of the club's members, was so 

 enjoyable that many seemed to be in 

 favor of "letting well enough alone" and 

 going by the West Sliore to Chicago and 

 thence by boat to Milwaukee. Mr. Haf- 

 ner makes a splendid chaperone and 

 looks after the comfort of everybody on 

 his "special" trains so faithfully that 

 it is a picnic to be under his super- 

 vision. 



Mr. Herrington was present and is 

 very enthusiastic as to the mum exhi- 

 bition in November. The Morris County 

 Gardeners' and Florists' Society has sig- 

 nified its intention of duplicating Tarry- 

 town's prize offers. The Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society will compete and 

 will give $100 in prizes, and altogether 

 seven societies have already assured the 

 president of their co-operation, with sev- 

 eral more to hear from. 



The only rose on exhibition was a 

 handsome pink, very similar to La 

 France in color, concerning the name of 

 which there seemed to be some doubt, 

 so that no oflicial opinion as to its value 

 was given. The president believed it to 

 be Killarney, while others knew it as 

 Mrs. Westinghouse, and so its identity 

 was left for further consideration. 



Tlie commissariat department did 

 nobly and the social and convivial re- 

 union after adjournment attested to 

 John Birnie's sage solution of the most 

 desirable method of maintaining good 

 fellowship. Easter memories and story 

 and song ended happily the first night 

 of what promises to be a most interest- 

 ing year in the club's history. 



Easter Trade. 



Easter has filled all hearts with hope 

 and pocketbooks with the "one thing 

 needful." The profits in many cases 

 have been inspiring; the losses must 

 have been limited. 



Every store from the least to the 

 greatest was a "wreck" when the Sun- 

 day deliveries were over. Here and there 

 a retailer was able to make presentable 

 windows on Monday with left over aza- 

 leas, genistas and Ramblers, but these 

 will all be needed for the decorations 

 that are to follow. 



All things considered, it was a glori- 

 ous Easter for the retailer. Weather 

 confirmed the optimistic predictions. 

 Friday and Saturda.y were charming, 

 sunny days; nothing interfered with the 

 buyers until nearly midnight Saturday, 

 and Easter Sunday found the storm over 

 and the great parade in full swing on 

 Fifth avenue. 



The wholesale cut flower men who 

 handled plants seem to have made their 

 venture pay, very few plants of value re- 

 maining unsold. Here and there some 

 lilies in pots indicated an over supply. 



Tlie following firms indulged in the 

 "side issue" and made their "flyers"' 

 profitable: J. K. Allen. W. Ghormley, 

 John Young. Bradshaw & Hartnian. Alex. 

 Cuiiniaii. Cha<;. 'Millang. .Tas. IMcManns. 

 •T. .T. Perkins. .T. Hnnimond and Juliu- 

 Lang. The wholesale cut flower men 



who- have retail departments were Thos. 

 Y'oung, Jr., Young & Nugent and the 

 New Jersey Cut Flower Co. 



Some of the prices asked and obtained 

 for specimen plants at the Broadway 

 and Fifth avenue "palaces" seem incred- 

 ible to those living in the smaller cities. 

 Some large pots of Crimson Ramblers 

 retailed at $40; azaleas, $50 to $100; 

 bougainvilleas, $25 to $35, while as- 

 sorted baskets of plants artistically ar- 

 ranged were in demand at $50 each. So 

 you jierceive the assertion that some 

 stores disposed of $20,000 worth of 

 plants during Easter week does not seem 

 at all improbable. 



Jas. McManus had a fine lot of white 

 orchids for Easter, which were all spoken 

 for. 



The Cut Flower market in the Coogan 

 building. Twenty-sixth street and Sixth 

 avenue, on Saturday morning, was an in- 

 teresting study. Several hundred grow- 

 ers and buyers were on hand at 5 a. m. 

 when the doors were opened and the 

 crowd did not lessen for two hours. 

 ]\Iany of the familiar faces of years ago 

 and hundreds I had never seen before 

 were there, and many of the unpleasant 

 features of the old market — the crowding 

 and noise and confusion — have been elim- 

 inated. At 8 o'clock not a flower re- 

 mained. 



M. Gotlieb, of McConnell's, returned 

 from a ten days' rest at Hot Springs, 

 Va., in time for the strenuous Easter 

 rush. 



In nearly all the large stores sleep 

 was unknown Saturday night and many 

 of the proprietors as well as the em- 

 ployes were obliged to hustle from dark 

 to dawn. It was long after noon on Sun- 

 day in most establishments before rest 

 was possible. 



The window displays everywhere were 

 artistic and beautiful. Many novelties 

 in vases, baskets, bells, chariots, Easter 

 effects, etc.. wore in evidence. It was the 

 Easter of the century. 



Items. 



The event of the week is the Nielson- 

 Vanderbilt wedding at Ne\\'port. A full 

 description of its best features will be 

 given next week. 



Many social functions are arranged for 

 in the near future, and a brilliant spring 

 season for the retail florists seems as- 

 sured. 



Young & Nugent had an exciting ex- 

 perience on Saturday morning. A light- 

 ed cigarette thrown on the awning 

 (which had been used to cover their an- 

 nex) at the back of their store on West- 

 Twent,y-eighth street, set it on fire and 

 threatened to destroy plants, customers 

 and clerks for a while. Tlie firemen 

 were much disappointed on arrival to 

 find all danger over. The damage, apart 

 from the destroyed awning, was for- 

 tunately very light, but it was a "bad 

 half hour" for Mr. Nugent while it 

 lasted.' 



Alex. Burns, of Woodside. has the con- 

 gratulations of his friends on the re- 

 covery of his wife, whose severe accident 

 of nearly a year ago was here recorded. 

 Recovery then seemed impossible. 



A. H. Langjahr. the wholesale florist 

 of Brooklyn, recovered from a severe 

 bronchial attack just in time to attend 

 to his Easter business. 



Hicks & Crawbuck had their hands 

 full with their two stores, and realized 

 rnme fine prices for their extra carna- 

 tion*. Their business continues to grow 

 rapidly, and their two-citv venture 

 )iinvo^tn have been n happy insniration. 

 .1. Austin Shaw.. 



