22 



The Florists^ Review 



July 5, 1917. 



m 



Established, 1897, by O. L. GRANT. 



PublislieU every Thursday by 

 The Flouists' Publishing Co., 



620-660 Oaxton Bulldlnfir, 



608 South Dearborn St., Chicago. 



Tele.. Wabash 8195. 



Registered cable address, 



Florvlew. Chicai;o. 



T5ntered as second class matter 

 Dec. 3. 1897. at the post-office at Clil- 

 caKo. 111., under the Act of March 

 3 1879. 



Subscription price, $1.50 a year. 

 To Canada, $2.50; to Europe. $3.00. 



Advertielntr rates quoted upon 

 request. Only strictly trade ad- 

 yertlslng: accepted. 



NOTICE. 



It is impossible to g^uarantee 



the insertion, discontinuance or 



alteration of any advertisement 



unless instructions are received 



BY 4 P. M. TUESDAY. 



SOCIETY OF AMEBICAN FI.OSISTS. 

 Incorporated by Act of Congress, March 4, 1901. 

 Officers for 1017: President, Robert C. Kerr, 

 HonstoB, Tex.; yice-presldeat, A. L. Miller, Ja- 

 maica, N. T. ; secretary, John Young, 63 W. 28tb 

 St., New York City; treasurer, J. J. Heu, 

 Omaha, Neb. 



Thirty- third annual convention. New York. 

 N. Y., August 21 to 24, 1917. 



Results l)riiig advertising. 

 The Review brings results, 



"A KOLT>iNG stone gatliers no moss," 

 but there are lots of florists who do not use 

 moss in their liusines-s. 



One of the troubles is that in this trade 

 prices are made, not on what it H'osts to 

 })ro(iuce the stock, but based on the selling 

 prices of other people. 



It is not too late to plant some of that 

 surjdus stock on your own grounds and 

 thus convert it into an excellent advertise- 

 ment for next season. 



It is reported that Cincinnati begonias 

 liave been selling unusually well and cer- 

 tain dealers in young stock say they are 

 unable to supply tlie demand for ])lants 

 wanted for Christmas iiowering. 



Many ])eople have noted a distinct im- 

 provement in the practice of the trade in 

 tiie i)ayment of bills; one by one florists 

 are acquiring the means and the habit of 

 cleaning up all outstanding accounts each 

 month. 



TiiKRE is a strong and rapidly increas- 

 ing demand for wind storm insurance on 

 greenhouses. While a number of com- 

 l)anies write storm insurance, their re- 

 (|uirements are so severe that the ordinary 

 type of greenhouse establishment is not 

 acceptable. 



It seems clear that any falling off in 

 the flower buying of the well-to-do during 

 the war will be fully compensated for by 

 the increased use of flowers by the work- 

 ing people, whose incomes are likely to be 

 larger and steadier than ever before. The 

 florists' problem, as time goes on, wiU 

 become one of production rather than dis- 

 tribution. 



PLEASE NOTE. 



Each week a number of letters con- 

 taining advertising instructions reach 

 The Review while the paper is on the 

 press — Just a few hours earlier and they 

 would have had attention a week sooner 

 than is jjossible. 



It is the aim to give prompt service, 

 but to secure it advertisers should note: 

 ''It is impossible to guarantee the in- 

 sertion, discontinuance or alteration of 

 any advertisement unless instructions 

 are received by 4 p. m. Tuesday. ' ' 



TRADINa WITH THE ENEMY. 



Since the British navy blockaded 

 Germany it has been a more or less 

 popular pastime with the trade to un- 

 dertake, by arrangement with someone 

 in Holland or in Scandinavia, to obtain 

 German merchandise by indirection. 

 Many shipments of German flower seeds 

 have been made from Holland masquer- 

 ading as of Dutch origin. The same 

 with valley pips and other articles. 

 Some of these shipments have come 

 through safely, but many have been 

 confiscated by the British. It has been 

 a good game because the American did 

 not expect to pay unless he received the 

 goods, but now the United States gov- 

 ernment's preparing to take a hand and 

 a term in prison may be the penalty 

 which will follow conviction. 



The trading with the enemy bill will 

 be the last of the great war measures 

 Congress will consider, but in advance 

 of its passage the departments are 

 warning American merchants to avoid 

 any transaction which may develop un- 

 expected responsibilities. 



THERE IS A SURPLUS. 



Although there were considerable 

 quantities of surplus geraniums in the 

 east at the close of the 1916 season, it is 

 ])r()bable the arrival of tlie Fourth of 

 •July never has caught the trade the 

 country over with so much unsold stock 

 as is on hand today. There are locali- 

 ties in which practically everything has 

 ])een sold, and there are individuals 

 who have cleaned out ahead of their 

 •neighl)ors, but the majority of florists, 

 especially the bedding plant specialists 

 ill the cities, have more unsold stock 

 than ever before at this date. 



Usually the arrival of the Fourth is 

 considered as marking the end of the 

 bedding plant season. Perhaps it may 

 not be so this year, because the season 

 has been from two to three weeks late 

 from the start. 



The oversupply includes almost every- 

 thing, but consists principally of gera- 

 niums and cannas. Last year gerani- 

 ums were overdone in localities, princi- 

 ])ally in the east, and a few growers 

 cut down on them, but the majority felt 

 that last year's surpluses were only the 

 result of waiting for buyers instead of 

 going after them and there w^as suffi- 

 cient confidence so that unusually large 

 stocks were worked up for this season. 



How large a part of the present sur- 

 plus is due to increased production, 

 what part is due to the late, cold spring 

 and wet Decoration day, what part is 

 due to the unsettlement following the 

 declaration of war, what part to the 

 tidal wave of vegetable planting and 

 what part to the average florist's dis- 

 position to await rather than seek the 

 buyer, it is difficult to determine, but 

 a decision would not alter the fact that 

 the season leaves much to be desired. 



At the start there was a fairly well 

 concerted effort to get better prices, 

 but not for long. It did not take many 

 weeks of backward conditions to con- 

 vince some of th« plantsmen that half 

 a loaf is better tkan no bread and 

 prices asked became more irregular than 

 ever. Especially during June have 

 values shrunk. The continuous rain at 

 Memorial day, in many localities, hit 

 the plantsmen hard — a large percentage 

 of the sales lost at that time are gone 

 for the year. Consequently, much stock 

 has since been sold below the cost of 

 production. 



The outcome is especially unfortunate 

 because the trade will need better prices 

 next season even worse than it has 

 needed them this year. 



THE COST OF PRODUCTION. 



The uncertainty about the price of 

 coal has been turned into a certainty 

 that the grower's fuel bill will be about 

 double that of last year, by the action 

 of the mine operators in agreeing to a 

 scale of maximum prices for the prod- 

 ucts of various fields. 



Growers now can begin to figure what 

 it will be necessary to charge for stock 

 to make up for the increased cost of 

 production. Many who contract for 

 their fuel supply have already done so, 

 while others were uncertain what the 

 increased cost in their establishments 

 would be. It is certain, however, that 

 this fall must see better prices for the 

 grower if he is to realize a profit on 

 his labor and investment. 



It will not be necessary, perhaps, to 

 make a radical increase in the price of 

 stock. What increases are necessary 

 can easily be secured from the flower 

 buyer, as he is in the habit of paying 

 more for everything he purchases. Con- 

 sequently the same margin of profit will 

 be left for the retailer and the grower 

 will be able to live and pay his coal 

 bills. 



CHICAGO. 



The Market. 



With the setting in of warm weather 

 the wholesale cut flower market has 

 resigned itself to the regular run of 

 summer business. Trading last week 

 was slow, stock plentiful and prices 

 low. A slightly improved tone was 

 noted June 30, but demand was not 

 active enough to clean up the market 

 for the week end. July 2 found business 

 even a little better, with stock gener- 

 ally considerably shorter, but demand 

 was lethargic and buyers' prices pre- 

 vailed. 



American Beauties are not in large 

 supply, but there are enough to fill 

 buyers' needs. There is some good 

 stock, but, on the whole, quality is not 

 good. Other varieties of roses sold 

 poorly, although the quality, consider- 

 ing the time of year, is fairly good. 

 Prices were low and large numbers 

 were sold for nominal returns. Carna- 

 tions also move poorly. The quality 

 averages poor, although some good stock 

 is arriving. Their season is almost over. 



Even valley was plentiful last week, 

 but sold for fair prices. Easter lilies 

 have been difficult to move, but a 

 slightly improved demand was notice- 

 able towards the last days of the week. 

 The supply is large. Orchids enjoy the 

 distinction of being the only item on 



