December 27, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



551 



HOLIDAY TRADE BIG. 



Changing Tendencies Discussed by 

 Henry M. Robinson. 



"It has been a record-breaking 

 Christmas." So said Henry M. Robin- 

 son, of Boston, who is as familiar with 

 trade conditions as any man in the 

 country. "In spite of the high prices," 

 continued Mr. Robinson, "people have 

 bought freely." 



"Have you noticed any changing 

 tendencies this season?" was asked. 



"Why, yes," was the reply. "Popu- 

 lar favor seems to have turned largely 

 from wreaths to baskets filled with, 

 greens. In former years we sold from 

 eighteen to twenty thousand wreaths 

 of one kind or another. This year we 

 have sold hardly more than half as 

 many, but the difference has been 

 more than made up by the call for bas- 

 kets. With this demand for baskets 

 has come a largely increased call for 

 cones, which we brought by the barrel 

 from Georgia. Never, I think, have so 

 many cones been used. They are not 

 dyed or silvered, but used in their 

 natural state to decorate baskets." 



Mr. Robinson is one of the most ex- 

 tensive dealers in artificial goods in 

 the Eastern States, and has a reputa- 

 tion which reaches all over the coun- 

 try. It was interesting for that reason 

 to get his view about the growing 

 popularity of baskets in general. 



"You must understand," said Mr. 

 Robinson, "that before the war we got 

 our baskets largely from Germany. 

 Now. on the contrary, we make all our 

 own. They cost more than the German 

 product used to, but they are worth 

 the difference and I doubt if German 

 baskets ever have an extensive sale 

 again in this market. There is no 

 doubt about the favor in which bas- 

 kets are held. This is true not only at 

 Christmas time, but throughout the 

 year. The popularity of the basket is 

 likely to last a long time, too. At least 

 that is the indication as I see it, and 

 I am preparing for big sales to come." 

 "Another result of the war," re- 

 marked Mr. Robinson, turning to a 

 huge pile of Cycas leaves, "is found in 

 the fact that we now buy these leaves 

 direct from Japan. In former years 

 we got them from Germany in a pre- 

 pared state. As we buy them from 

 Japan now, they are in the natural 

 state, having the color of straw, and 



HOLIDAY DECORATIONS 



Holly, XXX Quality Holly Wreaths 



Mistletoe Cut Boxwood 



Prince's Pine Japanese Roping 



Laurel Wreathing Immortelles 



RAFFIA — Fresh shipment just arrived 



Write for Special Christmas Circular 



SPRING BULBS — Gladiolus, Tuberoses, Caladiums. Ask 



for prices 



Chicago VAUGHAN'S SEED STORE New York 



THIS SEASON'S NEW ROSES 



PILGRIM CRUSADER PREMIER RUSSELL HADLEY 



We are receiving dally shipments of these new Roses, In large quantities, and 



M %V. r tave S na%g. n s S t h o e r k t aTa\rt.m«sof choice CARNATIONS. CHBY8ANTHB- 

 MUMS, ORCHIDS, VALLEY and AMERICAN BEAUTIES. 



Te ... Mam ».i WE LCH BROS. CO. 262 de b\,°s n t s o h n ,r ma 8 sI reet 



we prepare them ourselves." 



There is no doubt about the quality 

 of these Cycas leaves under the new 

 arrangement. In appearance they are 

 equal if not superior to the old Ger- 

 man product. The number of Cycas 

 leaves used in this country is enor- 

 mous. Mr. Robinson's firm alone dis- 

 poses of about three million every 

 season. 



According to Mr. Robinson there has 

 been a largely increased demand for 

 red roping, probably on account of a 

 shortage in immortelles which come 

 from France and have been high. Of 

 course, too, a great amount of ruseus 

 has been sold. The holly coming into 

 Boston has been better in quality than 

 that reaching some cities, apparently, 

 and Mr. Robinson says he was able to 

 get all he needed. 



Altogether there was a great Christ- 

 mas trade, with an especially large 

 demand for greens and prepared foli- 

 age. It is not surprising that the 

 holiday left the Robinson family in a 

 pleasant frame of mind. 



NEWPORT HORTICULTURAL SO- 

 CIETY. 



The Newport, R. I.. Horticultural 

 Society has elected the following 

 officers and committees for the ensu- 

 ing year: 



President — Arthur W. Potter, Jr. 



First Vice - President — Andrew J. 

 I'orward. 



Second Vice-President — Charles W. 

 l'hilpott. 



Recording Secretary — Fred P. Web- 

 ber. 



Financial Secretary — William Gray. 



Treasurer — Richard Gardner. 

 Sergeant-at-Arms — William F. Smith. 



Executive Committee — The officers 

 and Andrew S. Meikle, Bruce Butter- 

 ton, John B. Urquhart, William Mac- 

 Kay, Frederick Carter, Alexander Mac- 

 Lellan, William F. Smith, James Rob- 

 ertson. 



Auditing Committee — Herbert Bliss. 

 Bruce Butterton, Andrew S. Meikle. 



Entertainment Committee — Herbert 

 Bliss, Andrew J. Dorward, Parker L. 

 Thurston, Howard G. Ward, Robert 

 Dunn. 



DREER'S 



FLORIST SPECIALTIES 



N«f* Brand New Stria 



.RIVBRTOIT BOSB 



Furnished lengths n» 

 to 500 ft, without seam or 

 joint. 



Tin HOSE fir thl FL8RIST 



-inch. 



per ft., 



Reel of 500 ft. " i8Wc. 

 * Reels. 1000 ft. " 18 C. 

 Winfli, " 16 C. 



Heels, 500 ft., " isHc 

 Couplings furnished with- 

 out charge 



HENRY A. DREER 



714-716 Chest nut S«. 

 Philadelphia, Pa 



DESTROYED BY HAIL 



Last Summer s florist who had imagined 

 be was outside of the hail section lost 

 upwards of 50,000 square feet of glass 

 by hall with no Insurance to recom- 

 pense him. 



He is now a member of the Florists* 

 Hall Association of America. 

 Profit by experience and join the Asso- 

 ciation now. Address 



JOHN G. KSLKK, Secretary 

 Saddle River New Jersey 



