March 27, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



259 



HAS THE FLORIST BUSINESS 

 COME BACK? 



Canadian florists have been discuss- 

 ing the question, "Has the Florist 

 Business Come Bacit?" through the 

 columns ot their trade paper. A. S. 

 Jennings & Co., of Toronto, considers 

 the matter as follows: 



The question as to whether or not 

 the florist business has come back 

 since the war does not require a 

 lengthy answer. I would like to meet 

 the legitimate florist who would want 

 to return to pre-war conditions with 

 its 25 cents a dozen daffodils, or 75- 

 cent carnations and 75-cent roses, and 

 the accompanying newspaper adver- 

 tisements of thousands of cut flowers 

 at slaughter prices. Those were the 

 days when the average florist and 

 grower were working for somebody 

 else and paying for the privilege as 

 well. There may or may not be the 

 same quantity of flowers handled to- 

 day as then, but I cannot see how any 

 florist could possibly be in doubt as to 

 which condition he would rather face. 



I hear of some who are complaining 

 about the high prices that the poorer 

 classes are unable to purchase flowers 

 to-day. What of it, if they can't? 

 There are many necessities of life 

 that are beyond their reach because of 

 prohibitive prices, and I don't think 

 this class is worrying very much about 

 flowers at any price. There's no stock 

 being thrown out for lack of buyers. 



It seems to me that since 1914, a 

 good many growers and retailers have 

 profited by the constantly increasing 

 cost of everything they handle in this 

 way. The high price of coal, build- 

 ing materials, la'bor, etc., has com- 

 pelled them to take greater care of 

 cost than ever before, with the result 

 that nowadays some figuring is 

 usually done before prices are fixed. 

 The old way was to take a guess and 

 trust to luck. To that condition I 

 don't think any florist wants to return. 



My own opinion is that the florist 

 business has come back, and come 

 hack to a healthier and more profit- 

 able standard than the most of us 

 ever dreamed of. There's a chance 

 nowadays to get a little laid aside for 

 the proverbial rainy day. 



Prank P. Sawyer, florist of Clinton, 

 Mass., has moved from the Pierce block 

 to the Cannon block. The new store 

 has been completely renovated and 

 presents a most attractive appearance. 



At a meeting of the Hartford Flo- 

 rists' Club on March 18th, George T. 

 Ryan, a florist of Waterbury, Ct., made 

 the statement that the wage earners 

 were buying the bulk of the flowers 

 these days. Mr. Ryan is planning to 

 form a florists' club in Waterbury, Ct. 



i\/iiome:i-l.'S ime\a/ oroi 



ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS NANUS 

 GREENHOUSE GROWN SEED 



1000 Seeds $3.50 



5000 Seeds 16.25 



LATHHOUSE 



1000 Seeds $2.00 



5000 Seeds 9.75 



10,000 Seeds $30.00 



25,000 Seeds 68.75 



GROWN SEED 



10,000 Seeds $18.50 



25,000 Seeds 43.75 



Special prices on larger qaantitiei. 

 Also ail otiier Seasonable Seeds, Bulbs and Supplies. SEND FOB OUB NEW 

 WHOLESALE FBICE UST IF YOV HAVEN'T A COPY. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO. 



518 MARKET ST., PHILADELPHIA 



CALIFORNIA PRIVET 



100 lOflO 



3-4 ft *6.00 $50.00 



S-3 ft 5.00 40.00 



18-24 in 4.00 30.U0 



BARBERRY Tbunbergii, 4 yr., vety heavy 



2-3 ft 15.00 140.00 



18-24 in. 14.00 120.00 



AMPELOPSIS Veitchii, for potting or planting in nursery rows 



Strong, 1 jr., 18 in 15.00 



Strong, 1 jr., 12-15 in 12.00 100.00 



Above prit'es F. O. B. Mancliester, Conn. Boxing extra. 



Seud for bulletin cohering a complete line of Fruit and Sbade Trees. Ever- 

 greens, Ornamental Shrubs, H. P. and Climbing Roses. 



C. R. BURR & COMPANY, Manchester, Conn. 



DAYLIGHT SAVING. 

 To the Editor of Horticultuke. 



Dear Sir: — In reply to Mr. Craig's 

 letter on daylight saving, I may be con- 

 sidered one of those who show effront- 

 ery and ignorance truly pitiful, never- 

 theless I am from Missouri. 



Undoubtedly Mr. Craig is no differ- 

 t'lit from many others who want 

 things different from what they are 

 just for the sake of being different. 



He does not enter into any detail 

 what advantages we as tillers of the 

 soil have derived from it. 



What we have seen of it has not 

 impressed me as being of any advan- 

 tage to this line of Industry, and the 

 result of it has been the placing of 

 more handicaps in the management of 

 our business. 



I do not see that daylight saving 

 harms a crop at all, or has anything 

 to do with plant life. 



The question is, can we as agricul- 

 turists manage our business better or 

 as well by commencing work at 6 a. m. 

 instead of 7 a. m. and ceasing work at 

 4 p. m. instead of 5. 



I am convinced that the working 

 hours 7 to 5 suit our needs better than 

 from 6 to 4. 



I could state many disadvantages 

 which daylight saving has placed upon. 

 • ho grower and will state them when 

 I hear the advantages. Many people- 

 advance the daylight saving scheme 

 through selfish motives, namely, that 

 it is pleasanter and more congenial to- 

 work in their gardens an hour in the 

 evening rather than an hour earlier in 

 Hie morning. 



In other words the conditions are- 

 better because the plant and ground 

 is dry and the air cool. 



With the grower he is obliged to 

 start early whether conditions are 

 right or not and he gets no benefit 

 from the cool of the afternoon being 

 obliged to cease work at 4 p. m. 



I am your very truly, 



William Sim. 



The Jackson and Perkins Nursery 

 Company, of Newark, N. Y., has nego- 

 tiated a five-year lease on the farm of 

 E. F. VanHoesen, and will use the 

 property in the development of their 

 nursery business and the growing of 

 roses, in which they will specialize 

 heavily this season. In the farm 

 proper there are more than 100 acres 

 and it is planned to propagate more 

 than 1,000,000 roses on the place this, 

 season 



