924 



The Weekly Florists* Review. 



1903. 



sublime isolation. Quarters in the base- 

 ment have been rented to a hardy fern 

 and other "green goods" dealer, and to 

 a wire worker, so that trips up town for 

 goods in their lines will hereafter be 

 imnecessarj'. J. S. Manter. 



OBITUARY. 



James W. Withers, whose death was 

 announced in our New York notes last 

 week, died as the result .of chronic 

 nephritis. 



For the past year there had been 

 marked symptoms of failing health, 

 which culminated into incapacity for 

 business about the first of October of 

 last year. His condition became pro- 

 gressively worse and on the advice of 

 his medical attendants he left the 

 United States in order to secure 

 warmer climatic ' conditions, sail- 

 ing for Jamaica on January 

 24th. With the exception of a slight 

 rally immediately on his arrival at his 

 destination, no beneficial results were 

 attained, and, the heart and lungs be- 

 coming finally involved, he succumbed 

 to the inroads of the organic disease 

 April 13. 



Mr. Withers was born in Welchpool, 

 Montgomeryshire, Wales, forty-two years 

 ago and was the son of the steward 

 and factor on the estate of the Earl of 

 Powis. At an early age he was ap- 

 prenticed to the gardening profession 

 at Vaynor Hall, one of the old-time 

 famous gardens of Great Britain, and 

 he evinced such aptitude in his chosen 

 work that at the early age of twenty-one 

 he found himself in charge as head 

 gardener at Cructon, near Slirewsbury, 

 England. Shortly after this he was en- 

 gaged in the produce business in Eng- 

 land, but soon returned to his regular 

 work and for a time was in charge of 

 the begonia, propagation in the nur- 

 series of John Laing & Sons, Forest 

 Hill, near London. 



He came to the United States in 1891 

 and after spending a short time in the 

 Oasis Nurseries, Westbury Station, L. I., 

 he became associated with the then firm 

 of Pitcher & Manda at Short Hills, N. J. 

 He represented this firm during a large 

 portion of the time that tlie World's 

 Fair was running in Chicago. During 

 this period he suffered from a seizure of 

 rheumatic fever which left its traces in 

 the system and led to the organic trou- 

 bles in his more recent sickness. 



Returning from Chicago, he went to 

 IvOndon to arrange for the closing up 

 of the European branch of the United 

 States Nurseries, and shortly after his 

 return became associated with the Flor- 

 ists' Exchange. The owners of. that 

 paper had also purchased American 

 Gardening, and part of his time was 

 devoted to the interests of the lat- 

 ter paper. He did very meritorious 

 work in connection with the Exchange. 

 In '1898 he purchased American Garden- 

 ing from the old firm and ojierated it 

 on his own account until April of 1901, 

 when he formed the American Gardening 

 Publishing Company. 



Before his health began to fail so 

 perceptibly Mr. Withers was known 

 throughout the horticultural arena for 

 his great energy and untiring devotion 

 to whatever cause he had in Iiand at the 

 moment. The long, lingering disease 

 was practicallv unsuspected by many of 

 those who had ample opportunities for 

 association with him. and the news of 

 his collapse and ultimate death comes 



as a shock to many who knew him as 

 a man of exceptionally vigorous appear- 

 ance, until a vear ago or so. 



LOWELL, MASS. 



Eastor business was extraordinarily 

 good when everything is considered, be- 

 in" in the midst of a strike — 2.000 mill 

 operatives on strike. Most all of the 

 shops were well stocked witli the finest 

 array of blooming plants and cut flow- 

 ers, with the exception of a few small 

 dealers who lacked the courage to fill up. 



Lilies were in abimdance — none better 

 seen here for a long time. Twenty-five 

 cents a bud was tlie prevailine- price. Of 

 course we have "Cheap Johns" as every- 

 where else, who cut tlie price to 15 cents. 

 The last few days previous to Easter 

 were very rainy and anything but en- 

 cour.aging to tho.se who were well 

 stocked, but the last three days were all 

 that could be asked for. Business started 

 with a rush and continued to keep up 

 until Sunday noon in good style, wlien 

 all closed up at 1 p. m. 



The blooming plants that were ofi'ered 

 for sale were all well grown stock — aza- 

 leas, spireas, American Beauties in 5- 

 inch pots. Crimson Ramblers and hy- 

 drangeas, with plenty of bulbous stock 

 in pans, all of which was disposed of at 

 good figures. 



The supply of cut flowers was good 

 both in quality and quantity. Roses and 

 carnations were tlie predominating flow- 

 ers sold, with a sprinkling of sweet peas, 

 wall flowers, valley and mignonette, and 

 great quantities of hyacinths, tulips and 

 daffodils. The supjdy of violets was a 

 little .shy, both single and double, but 

 the blooms were very good — that is, the 

 double ones were, when the lateness of 

 the season is taken into consideration; 

 the single ones all went to sleep, owing 

 to the heat. 



Everything taken into consideration, 

 business was good and almost everyone 

 reports satisfactory returns. 



Arthur Mellor. 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY. 



President Rackhani has called a meet- 

 ing of the Board of Directors, to be held 

 in Detroit on 'May tith for tjie purpose 

 of preparing a premium list for the next 

 meeting and for the transaction of other 

 business, and would like to hear from all 

 interested before that date as to their 

 views regarding the premium list, in or- 

 der that the matter may be considered. 

 Several of the directors have signified 

 their intention of being present. 



UTICA, N. Y. 



On the evening of April 8 only a 

 very small number of bowlers turned 

 out. as I suppose most of the boys were 

 busy, it being so near Easter, but on 

 April 15 they turned out in good num- 

 bers and we had a very fine evening of 

 it. They had all got well rested up 

 after the Easter trade, which was the 

 best that we have ever seen — from 25 

 to 40 per cent better than last year. 

 Nearly everything sokll well and we 

 are all well pleased. Lilies had first 

 call and were followed closely liv azaleas. 

 We bad fine weather on Saturday and 

 Sunday. Carnaiions were somewhat 

 scarce. 



You will notice by the list of bowlers 

 at the last meeting, April 15, that 

 Rowlands was absent. I have just heard 

 that he has gone fishing, and the boys 

 are anxiously awaiting for liis return. 



hoping it will mean a trout dinner. 



One more Dutchman to-day. When 

 -xvill the end come? It does seem al- 

 most as if they had one for every bulb 

 grown in Holland'. 



I hear of one florist who already lias 

 Jiis carnations planted out. Rather 

 early, as we had a very hard frost on 

 the ioth. The first of May is quite 

 early enough in this climate. 



Score for April 8, J 903. 



12 3 4 Tot. 



Cramer 140 134 1.12 1.36 ,=;82 



Spencer l.^S 135 121 113 007 



Harmes 12.-. 99 1.16 1.39 499 



Hoftman 12(1 123 IS.'i KiO 4S4 



McGowan ml 1.34 97 107 439 



ML-Lane lull 7.1 71 IdS 302 



Rowlands 124 lln 11.1 ... 349 



Score for April 15, 1903. 



12 3 4 Tot. 



P.alcor 141 1.3S 146 177 602 



Pfeifler 155 142 13S 136 571 



.Spencer 1.3S 87 146 136 507 



Hoffman 1.33 107 125 135 50O 



Harmes 116 1.3S 110 1.36 500 



Cramer 1.36 12.S 117 105 486 



Mcl.ane 112 119 152 92 475 



MoOowan 91 06 91 lull 378 



Brame 76 106 88 108 378 



Dav 109 112 109 ... 330 



S. 



SYRACUSE, N. Y. 



Fine weather prevailed for Easier and 

 trade was good, considerably greater 

 than last year. Prices were about the 

 same except on carnations, which aver- 

 aged .$1.50 to .$2 per dozen, with some 

 selected fancy stock at $.3. Tliere was 

 an ample supply of plants except lilic'^ 

 only one florist reporting enough of 

 these. Azaleas sold readily and good 

 bulbous stuff, including datTodils, which 

 never sold so well. Sale on palms and 

 Bostons was quite limited. Crimson 

 Ramblers were picked up eagerly. 



There was a great demand for cheap 

 flowering plants, in fact an increased de- 

 mand for plants rather than cut flowers. 

 Cinerarias and spireas sold poorly. They 

 are evidently "back numbers." Baskets 

 of miscellaneous flowering plants sold 

 readil}-. Violets were in demand, but no 

 stock here. The greatest demand wos 

 for carnations, as usual. Some Beauties 

 sold as high as $2 each. 



L. E. IMarquisee. 



THE BUFFALO SHOW. 



Editor The Florists' Review: I 

 would be glad if you would publish tlie 

 following for the benefit of the florists of 

 western New York : 



The H. A. Mcldrum Co. department 

 store on Main street, Buffalo, held last 

 fall a chrysanthemum show. The classes 

 were limited but suflicient to draw out a 

 really fine show, the cash premiums 

 amounting to .$400 w-ere promptly paid 

 and many thousands of people were at- 

 tracted to the store. Free shows are 

 usually very popular. 



This year they have asked the Buffalo 

 Florists' Club, to get up a schedule of 

 prizes amounting to $1,000 in cash 

 prizes. The individual prizes will bo 

 large, for the exhibition is to be con- 

 fined to chrysanthemums and a very few 

 roses. 



Mr. Charles Keitseh has been appoint- 

 ed to manage the exhibition, which is a 

 guarantee that it will lx> carried out in 

 a systematic and businesslike way. 

 WiLii.^M Scott, 

 President Buffalo Florists' Club. 



Columbus, 0. — Tlie Franklin Park 

 Floral Co. reports Easter trade as mucii 

 larger than last year, with a good sup- 

 ply of stock to do it with. 



