S'. 



20 



The Florists^ Review 



Afbil 24, 1919. 



except where 'a price of 25 cents was 

 obtained. The latter quotation was 

 anything but common. As a result, 

 retailers turned their efforts toward the 

 selling of other flowers and shortly after 

 noon on the day before Easter the un- 

 loading of accumulated stocks com- 

 menced. Prices dropped quickly to 

 25 cents, then to 20 cents, and finally 

 to 15 cents. However, a huge supply 

 was left over. This miscalculation has 

 proved that there is a limit to the price 

 of lilies, even at Easter. 



Carnations were in somewhat limited 

 supply, a condition which kept prices 

 at the top line, 10 cents to 12 cents for 

 ordinary stock, with specials bringing as 

 much as 15 cents. The clean-up of ar- 

 rivals was good, few flowers being left 

 over, excepting those of inferior grade. 



Eoses were fairly plentiful and in 

 good demand, prices not advancing to a 

 higher point than has been reached once 

 or twice since the beginning of the 

 year. American Beauties were in fair 

 supply, with special grades moving eas- 

 ily at $1.25 to $1.50 per flower, while 

 a few extra specials sold at a slightly 

 higher figure. 



Orchids were in excellent demand, 

 with a supply not altogether sufficient. 

 The best cattleyas brought $1.50 each; 

 others sold down to 75 cents. Spray 

 orchids, such as phalacnopsis and odon- 

 toglossums, shared in the general de- 

 mand, but were rather limited in supply. 

 An unusually heavy shipping business 

 was done. This cut into the supply for 

 local consumption. 



Bulbous stock was not available in 

 a quantit}' to meet the great demand 

 for it. Tulips of good quality sold for 

 $1 to $1.25 per bunch. Some heavy 

 supplies of well grown Emperor nar- 

 cissi came in the day before Easter 

 and cleaned up easily at $1 to $1.25 per 

 bunch of twelve flowers. A few late 

 freesias, some Lilium candidum, Span- 

 ish irises, hyacinths and a plentiful sup- 

 ply of callas made up "the rest of the 

 bulbous material. A limited supply of 

 lily of the valley moved at $2 to $15 

 per hundred. 



Pansies, daisies, primroses, sweet peas, 

 lilacs, mignonette, myosotis, wallflowers, 

 calendulas and peach blossoms moved 

 well at substantial prices. Gardenias 

 sold well at $1 to $9 per dozen. 



At this writing the supply and the 

 demand are both short, a condition al- 

 ways to be found immediately follow- 

 ing Easter. Prices, generally speaking, 

 ha^'e gone back to figures more nearly 

 normal. 



Retail florists appear to be well satis- 

 fied with the holiday trade, a complete 

 sell-out being the experience of most 

 of them. One had only to watch the 

 Fifth avenue crowds after church on 

 Easter Sunday to get an idea of what 

 the cut flower business must have been. 

 Never on a similar occasion were so 

 many corsage bouquets in evidence. 

 Their use was as common this year as 

 in other years it has been rare. 



A new bouquet, worn as a girdle, was 

 strongly in evidence. Many of these 

 were seen composed of cattleyas, gar- 

 denias, sweet peas and roses. Violets 

 were not conspicuous. It was also 

 pleasing to note a much greater use of 

 boutonnieres by men. 



Various Notes. 



The New York newspapers of April 

 19 gave lengthy notices of the death 

 of Harlow N. Higinbotham, former 

 principal owner of a large carnation 



growing establishment' in Joliet, 111., who' 

 was accidentally killed the previous day 

 by an army ambulance near his hotel. 



Curt Thimm, the carnation grower, 

 of Eoslyn, N. Y., has just completed the 

 erection of a new Lord & Burnham 

 greenhouse, about 41x300, and has it 

 ready for the benches, which are to be 

 installed as quickly as possible. 



Morris Cohen, buyer for Joseph Tre- 

 pel's Brooklyn stores, is receiving con- 

 gratulations on the arrival of a baby boy 

 at his home. 



The Victory loan drive is in active 

 progress. A meeting of the New York 

 Florists ' Club 's loan committee has been 

 called for April 22, and a call has gone 

 out for a special meeting of the club 

 on the evening of April 28. 



Harry L. Eowe, manager for Mann 

 & Brown, Eichmond, Va., was in town 

 April 18, making flower purchases. 



Notice of the death of James M. Buist, 

 formerly a florist of this city, who died 

 in Milford, Pa., April 18, will be found, 

 on the obituary page of this issue of 

 The Eeview. 



The board of managers and the wom- 

 en's auxiliary of the New York Botan- 

 ical Garden have issued invitations for 

 the annual spring inspection of the 

 grounds, buildings and collections of 

 the garden the afternoon of May 1. 

 During the afternoon q tablet will be 

 unveiled at the new greenhouses pre- 

 sented by Daniel and Murray Guggen- 

 heim. 



Samuel Redstone has been appointed 

 superintendent of the Beechwood 

 Heights Nurseries, Boundbrook, N. J., 

 and has begun his duties. 



Recent visitors were L. B. Coddington, 

 of New Providence, N. J., and B. A. 

 Snyder, of Boston, Mass. J. H. P. 



ST. LOUIS. 



The Market. 



From reports that were gathered 

 Easter Sunday it is certain that this 

 year 's Easter business was large. Every- 

 body was surprised at the volume of 

 business done in all parts of the city: 



The weather was fine all the week, 

 with clear skies, especially on Holy 

 Thursday and Good Friday, when plants 

 were much in demand for church deco- 

 rations. 



Easter is recognized as the one holi- 

 day when plants easily lead cut flowers 

 in popularity and this year was no ex- 

 ception to this rule. 



Lily plants were much in demand and 

 only a few were to be had. Hydrangeas 

 took the lead in demand in the absence 

 of azaleas. Eamblers, Tausendschoen 

 and Perkins roses came next in favor. 



Dutch bulbs in pots and pans were 

 scarce this year, owing to the lateness 

 of Easter. There were fine spiraeas and 

 the supply of these was large. White 

 and yellow marguerites and lilacs came 

 in for a big demand. 



As to cut flowers, there was a large 

 supply in almost everything seasonable, 

 while the demand was much better than 

 in any of the previous years, but prices 

 were not so high as usual for Easter. 

 Eoses, in all varieties, were of fine 

 quality and the demand favored Rus- 

 sell, Ophelia, Stanley and Sunburst. 

 There were many Killarneys among the 

 consignments. Carnations were as popu- 

 lar as ever and the supply was quite 

 large all through the week. During the 

 first part of the week these flowers were 



|ly all cut out, 

 he season, 

 ame in for a 

 ere enough to 

 ging from 35 

 iom. 



priced at 2 cents, but by the end of tl>e 

 week they were up to 6 cents and 8 cents 

 for choice. 



Sweet peas had the greatest demand 

 in years and the big crop came in just 

 right. The large supply early in the 

 week was jobbed off after morning sales 

 at $1 per thousand, in 10,000 and 20,000 

 lots. During the last few days they 

 went up to 50 cents to 60 cents for 

 choice and all cleaned up fairly well at 

 those prices. 



Bulbous stock had a remarkably large 

 demand, with hardly enough to go 

 around, as it was n " 

 owing to the lateness 



Cut lilies, as usu: 

 large demand and the: 

 go around at prices 

 cents to 50 cents per 



Among the other flowe?s that sold well 

 were calendulas, Spanish irises, snap- 

 dragons, daisies, valley and orchids. 

 Asparagus plumosus sold better than any 

 other green. Smilax and Sprengeri 

 moved well. 



It is safe to say that, everything con- 

 sidered, including the weather, the sup- 

 ply of plants and cut flowers, and the 

 demand, this year's Easter business 

 was ahead of any in previous years. 



Retailers' Association. 



The Eetail Florists' Association held 

 a meeting April 14. The attendance was 

 poor. According to President Weber, 

 considerable important business had to 

 be laid aside until the next meeting. 

 The few who did attend discussed Easter 

 prospects and "publicity. It was de- 

 cided that strong efforts will be made to 

 obtain a large attendance at the next 

 meeting, which will be held April 28. 

 At the next meeting all the postponed 

 business will be given attention and a 

 review of the Easter business will be a 

 subject for discussion. It is hoped that 

 the full membership will be in attend- 

 ance and help to dispose of the business 

 that will come before the association. 



County Growers. 



The St. Louis County Growers' Asso- 

 ciation's monthly meeting will be held 

 May 7, at the Eleven Mile House, at 

 which meeting Easter business, from a 

 grower's standpoint, will be discussed, 

 as well as publicity. The trustees of the 

 association are perfecting arrangements 

 for the big "get-together" meeting 

 April 30, at the W. A. Eowe greenhouse 

 establishment. 



Association of Gaitteners. 



The St. Louis Association of Gar- 

 deners will meet May 7, at the Forest 

 park greenhouses. Secretary Hugo 

 Schaff has announced that an interesting 

 discussion on "Outdoor Bedding" will 

 be led by Mr. Giebel and Mr. Baumann. 

 A large attendance is expected. 



Ladles' Florists' Olub. 



The Ladies' Florists' Club will meet 

 at the Y. W. C. A. rooms. Fourteenth 

 and Locust streets. May 6. Mrs. Bern- 

 ing, secretary of the club, says all ladies 

 in the trade are invited to attend. 



Various Notes. 



F. C. Weber, Sr., spent a few days 

 in Chicago, visiting his son, Herman, 

 and buying for the Easter rush. Eudolph 

 Nickel, until recently with Keller, of 

 Eochester, N. Y., has taken a position 

 with Mr. Weber as designer. 



The St. Louis Wholesale Cut Flower 



