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HORTICULTURE 



April 18, 1914 



THE SURPLUS DEVIL. 



A Reverie by George C. Watson. 



One is Inclined at times to take a 

 rather iiessimistic view of things. 



One talks to a retailer and finds 

 he has little regard for anybody but 

 himself. 



One talks to a grower and usually 

 iinds that he thinks he is always get- 

 ting the worst of the deal. 



One talks to a commission man and 

 learns that he gets no sympathy from 

 either side — and thinks himself lucky 

 if he breaks even. 



Isn't all this enough to make any- 

 one, even an optimist like the writer, 

 a little bit pessimistic? Wouldn't 

 preaching a little about cultivating 

 the spirit of give and take on both 

 sides help some? We believe it would, 

 if it wasn't for that surplus! That 

 pestiferous surplus brings every bit 

 of latent selfishness out from the pro- 

 ducing end. If there are more flowers 

 in any one day than the market can 

 absorb or, in other words, than the 

 retailer cares to buy, what happens? 

 The surplus is shoved aside from day 

 to day, from Monday to Friday. On 

 Friday it is offered at bargain figures 

 to the retailer or the fakir, and then 

 the howl begins. But in that case the 

 retailer has his protection. "Those are 

 not fresh flowers." He has that slogan 

 and can hold his customers easily. So 

 he is really not greatly harmed, if he 

 would only calm down and consider 

 that every cheap posy is a missionary 

 for him. 



But with Easter or Christmas plants 

 it is different. In that case devil sur- 

 plus is a genuine devil. The grower 

 sells all he can at good ))rices to the 

 retailer, and if he has grown too 

 many — they go to the department 

 stores and the street — with no stipula- 

 tion as to prices — and take back any 

 unsold. This is no fairy tale. It's a 

 fact, and here's where the retailer has 

 a real grievance. He does not have 

 an equal chance as with cut flowers. 

 The plants are not stale. They are 

 just as good as he is selling. He is 

 stung and there is no redress. We 

 cannot see any reason why a depart- 

 ment store is entitled to any better 

 terms on plants or on anything else 

 than a regular retail florist. 



The surplus devil often blinds tlie 

 fair-mindedness of the grower just as 

 shortsightedness and narrow-minded- 

 ness often blind the retailer. If both 

 sides would cultivate the spirit of tol- 

 eration, of reciprocity, of justice, of 

 square dealing, and not let a penny 

 now kill a future dollar, one would be 

 more optimistic. Let us all try to be 

 a little more decent^ to each other 

 from now on. 



VISITORS' REGISTER. 



Boston — D. Cameron, representing 

 Sander & Sons, St. Albans, Eng. 



Cincinnati, O. — P. O. Mumma, Lees- 

 burg, O.; Jacob Guenther, Piqua, 0.; 

 Mr. dinger, Aurora, 111.: Wm. Gard- 

 ner, New Castle, Ind. 



New York — C. L. Humphrey, Zanes- 

 ville, 0.; L. J. Renter, Westerly, R. 

 I.; S. S. Pennock, Phila., Pa.; Benj. 

 Hammond, Beacon, N. Y. 



Chicago — Mrs. Kirby E. Boerstler, 

 Little Rock, Ark.; E. .7. Coster of 

 Saskatchewan Greenhouses, Prince Al- 

 bert, Saskatchewan; Edward G, Lau- 

 terback, Bushnell, 111.; Mr. and Mrs. 

 W. C. .lohnson, Memphis, Tenn. 



CHICAGO NOTES. 

 Easter Plants. 



Plant sales predominated as in form- 

 er years and plant growers were most- 

 ly sold out a week or more before 

 Easter. There was nothing strikingly 

 new among the offerings, but the ar- 

 rangements were more artistic than 

 ever before and prices did not run 

 quite so high as has sometimes hap- 

 pened. More pains were taken with 

 the small offerings and it is safe to 

 say that the number of plants sold was 

 larger than ever, although the total 

 may not reach a larger figure than in 

 former years. 



Rain fell on Good Friday but Satur- 

 day was clear and bright and trade 

 quickly responded. Repeat orders 

 began to come in but were often 

 turned away because of lack of stock 

 and retailers turned to cut flowers. 

 There seem to have been fewer plants 

 from the East this year. Azaleas, as 

 was predicted, were not equal to the 

 demand and were hardly up to their 

 usual degree of excellence owing to 

 their poor condition when imported. 

 A bright Saturday was followed by an 

 Easter Sunday of ideal weather and 

 the florists generally are pleased with 

 their Easter business. 



I For Easter llowoi' ri'|iort. see usu.^l mar- 

 Ivet ruhinms.i 



Trade Notes. 



The department stores are again of- 

 fering trees to the school children at 

 one cent each, for Arbor Day, April 

 17. Three hundred thousand white 

 birch trees, approved by the official 

 forester J. H. Prost are included. 



The Foley Greenhouse Manuf. Co. is 

 this week shipping some of their mal- 

 leable iron s|)ecialties for greenhouse 

 construction, to A. N. Pierson, Crom- 

 well, Conn. Mr. Foley says business is 

 starting out very nicely in the new 

 factory this spring. 



Harry Rowe made a record hard to 

 beat. The large store on the north- 

 west corner of Wabash avenue and 

 Washington street was vacant and Mr. 

 Rowe secured the key on Thursday 

 morning, had his stock in place and 

 was doing business in the afternoon. 

 Monday the store is empty again and 

 a neat sum is the result of three days' 

 efforts. 



At Wm. .T. Smyth's, corner of Mich- 

 igan avenue and 31st street, a very 

 satisfactory business is reported. 

 Something is lacking, however, when 

 an automobile fails to crash through 

 a window, as has happened twice be- 

 fore, or the wind to blow in one of 

 the big sheets of plate glass. The em- 

 ployees say they miss something when 

 no accident occurs at Easter time. 



At Wietor Bros, this week, a house 

 of 8000 Sunburst and another of Kill- 

 ainey Brilliant are being planted, the 

 former having proved a good commer- 

 cial variety and the latter, Mr, Wietor 

 believes will do so. Carnation Bon- 

 fire is now seen here and is fine in 

 color and form, while the three whites. 

 Perfection, Wonder and Enchantress 

 would be hard to excell, as grown at 

 this place. 



The annual Easter sale for the ben- 

 efit of the Home of Destitute Crippled 

 Children, given at the Congress Hotel, 

 netted an enormous sum of money. 

 Many of the florists who have 

 donated to this worthy object in 

 the past, felt it unwise to do so longer. 



A CORDIAL INVITATION 



Is extended to the trade te visit and 

 inspect our new establishment. Fifth 

 Avenue at 46th Street. Ne'w York City. 



IMSF'EFR 



by Telegraph or otherwise lor delivery 

 of Flowers to Steamers, Theatres, or 

 Residences in New York and vicinity 

 executed in best manner. 



Thos. F. Galvin, Inc. 



Establiahed 1847 



Fifth Ave., at 46th Street, NEW YORK 



THREE STORES IN BOSTON 



CHICAGO 



And Neighboring Toivns 



Are Tboroocbly Csiered by 



SCHILLER, THE FLORIST 



(Member Florists Telegraph Delivery). 



Flowergram or Mail Orders from florist* 

 anywhere carefully filled and delivered 



tiniler the superviuion of 



GEORGE ASMUS, Mgr. 



2221-2223 W. Madison SL, CHICAGO. 



'Phone West 822 



REUTER'S 



Members Floriitf 



Telegraph 



Delivery 



STORES IN 



New London and Norwich, Conn. 

 and Westerly, R. I. 



We cover the territory between 



New Haven and Providence 



P. McKENNA & SON 



(EaUoUahed 1851.) 



770 St. Catherine St.. West 



MONTREAL, CANADA 



H^£ give Special Attention to Telegraphic 

 Orders 



CLEVELAND 



A. GRAHAM & SON 



5523 Euclid Ave. 



Will take good care of your orders 



Members of F. T, D, AssociaiiQn, 



NEW YORK CITY 



AND VICINITY 



^K. '\A/>K*9E:I>JC3^I9F-F- 



Artistic Work. F.easonable Prices. 

 Prompt Delivery of Steamer Orders. 



1193 Broadway, My Only Store 



as the amount of money taken in by 

 the society annually has now reached 

 proportions that make deep inroads 

 into the florists' Easter sales. 



Personal. 



Christ. Blaumeiser of Niles Center, 

 111., has the sympathy of the trade in 

 the loss of his father. 



Fred Strail leaves Friday for Twin 

 Lakes, Mich., where Mrs. Strail will 

 soon follow him. They will spend the 

 summer on a fruit and poultry farm. 



