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The Florists' Review 



3 



y 



September 7, 1916. 



HIGHER PRICES NEEDED. 



P. M. Read, secretary of the Pot 

 Makers' Credit Association, Sharon, 

 Pa., has undertaken a campaign to in- 

 duce florists to raise their prices. Be- 

 «cause The Review believes that higher 

 prices are necessary, the following com- 

 munication in Mr. Read's series is given 

 place here. He says: 



"Can any grower give a good reason 

 ■why he should continue to sell gera- 

 niums at the old established price of $7 

 per hundred in 4-inch pots (and give 

 the pots), a price which was one of the 

 customs in use fifteen or twenty years 

 ago, at which time he paid between $6 

 and $9 for his labor and all supplies 

 used were purchased at less than half 

 the present prices? For instance, one 

 grower pointed to a pile of old news- 

 papers used in packing, for which he 

 paid $15, just three times the cost two 

 years ago and just twice the cost two 

 months ago for the same quantity, and 

 he says that, $7 per hundred for 4-inch 

 geraniums being an established price, 

 he fears that with an advance he would 

 be unable to move his stock. 



"I suppose he and all other growers 

 will agree that the market value (so 

 advertised) of geraniums out of 2i4-inch 

 pots is $25 per thousand whether he 

 buys or sells, and he will also agree to 

 figure the 4-inch pot at 1 cent, making 

 ' 3% cents indisputable cost. He must 

 |hen figure nine or more ofcer items of 

 expense before th#. 4-inch^eranium is 

 sold, viz.: Labor, coal, BOiT, water, fer- 

 tilizer, rent, taxes, interest on invest- 

 ment, delivery, and perhaps some will 

 also figure tools, implements, repairs, 

 etc., all of which are sure expense. In 

 labor and coal we find the greatest ex- 

 pense, while the raw material, such as 

 soil and water, is small. Under the 

 head of labor can be figured time spent 

 in growing the plant for market, usu- 

 ally from October until spring. 



"To sum the above, I believe the 

 grower does nftt obtain a new dollar for 

 the old one on 4-inch geraniums at $7 

 per hundred. 



"I also gather from talks with repre- 

 sentative geranium growers that none 

 of them will ever pay a large income 

 tax if they continue to sell at such low 

 prices, i am not a florist, but, coming 

 in daily contact with them and watch- 

 ing their troubles, I should like to have 

 some geranium grower explain how they 

 do it." 



BUFFALO. 



The Market. 



Now that there has been a let-up in 

 the heat, flowers arrive in better con- 

 dition, especially roses. Beauties are 

 small and the daily consignments are 

 rather insignificant, but there is a brisk 

 demand for them. Other roses are ar- 

 riving in larger quantities. Francis 

 Scott Key, Ophelia and Mrs. Russell 

 now are about the best in the market. 

 Some, of course, as yet are short of 

 stem, but they nevertheless are perfect 

 flowers. The short roses come in handy 

 for funeral work. 



Asters are becoming more abundant, 

 but their quality remains about the 

 same, all of them seeming to be more or 

 less inferior. Occasionally some extra 

 fine asters arrive, and then there is a 

 •wild scramble. Gladioli are plentiful 

 and of good quality. There always 

 seems to be a demand for these flowers. 

 The supply of valley continues inade- 



quate, as. usual. The same is true of 

 cattleyas at present. Daisies and sweet 

 peas are done for this season and snap- 

 dragons are rapidly going the same way. 

 The Easter lilies are tightening some- 

 what in supply. There has been a steady 

 demand for them throughout the season, 

 the prices averaging good. Golden Glow 

 chrysanthemums are again with us. 

 They moved somewhat slowly, as they 

 usually do until the public becomes used 

 to them. 



Various Notes. 



Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Suchy, of San 

 Antonio, Tex., stopped off at Buffalo 

 on their way to New York. They mo- 

 tored to New York, but will return by 

 water. 



It becomes our sad duty to record the 

 death of Mrs. Catherine Legg, wife of 

 William Legg. She is survived by Mr. 

 Legg, two sons, "William J. and Thomas 

 Arthur, and one dai^ghter, Mrs. A. J. 

 Bingham. The deceased was a member 

 of the Queen Alexandria lodge. Daugh- 

 ters of St. George and other orders. 

 Members of the trade extend their sym- 

 pathies to Mr. Legg. 



The Schultz Flower Shop, of Tona- 

 wanda, reports a heavy run of funeral 

 work. Since the opening of the new 

 store business has been satisfactory. 



Miss M. Roth has returned from her 

 vacation. Joseph Speidle found it diffi- 

 cult to stay awav f rom vhis friends any 

 longer. Both aigof #<%W.J| t Palmer & 

 Son store. Several leW^rrftave been 

 received from W. J. Palmer, who is 

 spending his vacation in northern points 

 of Canada. A. E. 



night temperature of 60 degrees. 

 Spiraeas want an abundant water sup- 

 ply at all times and liquid manure 

 when well rooted. Do not fumigate 

 with tobacco stems, as the foliage is 

 easily scorched. C. W. 



DENVER, COLO. 



The Market. 



Market conditions remain unchanged. 

 Gladioli and asters are plentiful and 

 carnations are improving. Roses are 

 good and the supply equals the demand. 

 The shipping business is unusually good. 



Various Notes. 



A new store is being fitted up at 20 

 Twentieth avenue and will be known 

 as the Astor Flower Shop. J. D. Wilmot 

 is the proprietor. 



Fred Hall and family spent a week 

 at Estes Park and another week at 

 Evergreen recently. Mr. Hall and his 

 daughter are motoring through Ne- 

 braska this week. 



Harry Collins, of the Park Floral Co., 

 has returned from a month's visit with 

 relatives at Boston and Washington. 

 From what I ""know of Harry, I will 

 wager that most of his vacation was 

 spent in the big league ball parks. 



R. S. 



SPIR^AS FOR EASTER. 



How shall I handle spiraeas to have 

 them in- bloom for Easter? 



W. C. H.— Pa. 



Allow the plants of old Spiraea 

 Japonica eight weeks; grandiflora and 

 Gladstone, nine weeks; Queen Alexan- 

 dra, pink, ten weeks in an average 



Des Moines, la. — A handsome store 

 was opened September 2 on the corner 

 of Walnut and Fourth streets, the sign 

 over the door giving the business title 

 of Kirkwood Floral Co. The new estab- 

 lishment is but an enlarged edition of 

 the Kirkwood Florist store, which was 

 owned and operated by Mrs. Ray Holt, 

 at 404 Walnut street, who is part owner 

 of the new store. O. Chrisman, for 

 years associated with the Iowa Seed Co., 

 is the other head of the concern. A 

 department for birds and goldfishes will 

 be managed by Miss A. Place, who has 

 had twelve years' experience in this 

 line with the Iowa Seed Co. 



Fairmont, Va. — In the flower and 

 plant classes for professionals at the 

 recent show the H. Weber & Sons Co. 

 was awarded eleven firsts and two 

 seconds. 



Hillsboro, Tex.— Philip Foley, of the 

 Foley Greenhouse Mfg. Co., Chicago, re- 

 cently was in town to confer with the 

 M. C. Wood Seed & Floral Co. regarding 

 the erection of a greenhouse. 



Eureka Springs, Ark. — The business 

 of C. I. Poor has been acquired by A. 

 Woerner, who formerly operated houses 

 at Clinton, Mo., and until recently was 

 occupied at Pleasant Hill, Mo. 



Asheville, N. C. — Allison 's Drug Store 

 has become Allison's Flower Shop to 

 a number of its customers. The flower 

 department is operated in connection 

 with the West Asheville Greenhouses. 



Norman, Okla. — A greenhouse to cost 

 $4,000 is being erected here for W. A. 

 Rowe, who formerly was associated with 

 an Oklahoma City florist. 



Bumside, La. — Wm. Green has re- 

 turned from his annual midsummer va- 

 cation trip and is busy getting things 

 into shape for active autumn business. 



Ada, Okla.— W. E. Pitt says that last 

 year he bought fifty Godfrey callas, 

 which he divided this year in changing 

 the soil. He found the increase had 

 been so rapid that now he has 278. He 

 says that not only do they multiply 

 fast, but they bloom more profusely 

 than the old .^Ethiopica. Mr. Pitt 

 learned of the Godfrey calla through an 

 article in The Review and says, "If a 

 man will read The Review he will keep 

 posted; I cannot do without it." 



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