16 



The Florists^ Review 



Januabt 2, 1919. 



to get people to shop early than for them 

 to find things all sold out occasionally, 

 if this does not happen too often. 



The feature of the stock was the large 

 number of high-class cyclamens. Our 

 growers have been showing improve- 

 ment in their cyclamens for several 

 years. This year there were hundreds 

 that were fit to exhibit in any show in 

 the land. They sold well, too, many of 

 them bringing as high as $3 and even $4 

 apiece. But these were specimen plants, 

 with half a hundred blooms 'on a single 

 plant. 



There was practically no valley and 

 few sweet peas. There were orchids in 

 abundance and they retailed readily at 

 $2 each. We saw one plant a few days 

 before Christmas that had twelve good 

 blooms on it, not a bad profit for one 

 plant. There will be more orchids grown 

 here as soon as the stock can be secured 

 at a reasonable price. Though a few 

 years ago the demand for orchids was 

 small indeed, this has now grown to be 

 decidedly an orchid town. 



Both roses and carnations were in 

 abundance, and the quality of both was 

 good. We saw a few Killarneys, silent 

 witnesses to the rapidity with which 

 new plants are being produced and used 

 these days. It was a distinct surprise 

 to see any at all. 



There were few bulbous plants this 

 Christmas. There were plenty of Paper 

 Whites, of course, and a few Grand 

 Soleil d'Or, but no hyacinths at all. 

 The trade surely is finding that it can 

 do business without these items if neces- 

 sary. 



One surprising thing noted in recent 

 visits to the growers is that there are 

 not so many sweet peas growing here 

 this season as usual. One would have 

 thought that this would have been a 

 sweet pea year. Violets also are few 

 and far between. The American Bea,uty 

 rose is another flower that is passing. 

 There are still a few and they command 

 the highest price of all roses, but few 

 growers feel that they can afford to grow 

 them, at least in quantity. 



Various Notes. 



Miss Louise Sloan, who had been out 

 of the Joy store for a number of weeks 

 caring for her sick mother, was able to 

 get back in time to help with the Christ- 

 mas rush. Her mother is improving, but 

 is still far from well. 



Mr. Johnson, who grew roses for the 

 Joys for a number of years, but has been 

 in Illinois for the last three years, is 

 with the Joys again. Of course he has 

 charge of the roses. 



S. S. Skidelsky, of Philadelphia, was 

 in the city a few days ago looking after 

 the interests of his firm. He reports that 

 the trade in general is looking forward 

 to a heavy business the coming year. 



Geny Bros. -had the best lot of sola- 

 num this Christmas that we have ever 

 seen grown in Nashville. These are 

 proving better sellers here every season. 



Now that the holiday rush is over, Leo 

 Geny, president of the Tennessee State 

 Florists' Association, is trying to get 

 things in readiness for the coming meet- 

 ing. The date and place of meeting will 

 be given in our next report. F. B. 



Huntington, Ind. — A. G. Bieberich 

 says he has no reason for complaint over 

 business, but he says not all florists 

 with whom he comes in contact seem 

 to have awakened to the present values 

 of flowers; some of his neighbors still 

 care more for sales than for profit. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



Never in the recollection of the old- 

 est wholesaler was there a Christmas 

 market like the one just passed into his- 

 tory. As was expected, the supply of 

 flowers was, vdth one or two exceptions, 

 short, and would have been short even 

 for an ordinary Saturday trade. Con- 

 sequently, how to make a holiday mar- 

 ket with it was a problem. Prices ad- 

 justed themselves under the rule of sup- 

 ply and demand. Only a small bundle 

 of roses could be bought for $100 and, 

 while the retailers mourned their sale 

 prospects, they could not hold out, and 

 the buying was brisk. Carnations were 

 the weaklings of the market. Towards 

 afternoon they were arriving in quan- 

 tity, with whites in great majority. 

 Prices took a tumble on all colors but 

 red; whites were borne down to 4 cents. 

 American Beauty roses were not in 



The Editor U pleased when 

 a Reader presents his Ideas 

 on any subject treated in 



gf^SES 



KT 



As experience is the best 

 teacher, so do we learn 

 fastest by an exchange of 

 experiences. Many valuable 

 points are brought out by 

 discussion. 



Good penmanship, spellinK and 

 grammar, though desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when doing your best. 



WE SHALL BE GLAD 

 TO HEAR FROM YOU 



J 



heavy supply, but, in spite of limited 

 quantity, brought no more than their 

 customary Christmas top price of $125 

 per hundred. Other varieties forged 

 ahead of records, and the lowest grade 

 could not be bought at less than $15, 

 with little available stock in the grade. 

 There was an unusually good supply of 

 cattleyas, but the demand was not 

 heavy, and prices in few cases ex- 

 ceeded the dollar mark, with small flow- 

 ers bringing as little as 20 cents. Vio- 

 lets were particularly scarce, but the 

 price of the early part of the week only 

 was maintained, and sales above the 

 $3 mark were not heard of. Easter lilies 

 were in adequate supply, without change 

 in price. Godfrey chrysanthemums 

 were in good supply at one or two estab- 

 lishments and cleared quickly at 50 

 cents for six sprays. 



It was a high-priced market on a 

 short supply of stock, rather than a 

 good business with a plentiful supply. 



The plantsmen cleaned up their stocks 

 long before the actual holiday buying 

 set in, and the plant business was prof- 

 itable, according to reports. 



The end of the week saw a settling 

 back of conditions to those of just be- 

 fore the holiday. Boses are not in heavy, 

 supply, but heavy enough for the de-i 

 mand, which really is light. It is not 

 e^^peoiied that there will be much change 



in the rose supply for some weeks. The 

 quality of arrivals generally is excel- 

 lent. 



Carnations are in fair supply only 

 now, after passing the holiday cut, and 

 there has been a reaction in prices, the 

 range now being 8 cents to 12 cents, 

 the latter figure for the finest quality 

 only. 



The supply of cattleyas is not so good, 

 but 75 cents per flower is the limit. The 

 supply of gardenias has declined con- 

 siderably, consequently the best grade 

 brings as much as $9 per dozen. Oncid- 

 ium splendidum is available in small 

 quantities and of good quality; 3 cents 

 per flower is the price. 



Violets are scarce, due to diverted 

 shipments; but sweet peas are in better 

 supply and of finer quality, so they 

 are largely taking the place of the vio- 

 lets. 



There are plenty of Easter lilies, al- 

 though the quality as a rule is poor. 

 Arrivals consist of small, green flowers, 

 fit for nothing but funeral work. The 

 top price is still 20 cents per flower. 



Calendulas, bouvardia, forget-me-not, 

 pansies and other such flowers are in 

 good supply and move well. Paper 

 White narcissus, strange to say, is not 

 greatly in evidence, although usually 

 common at this season. Spanish iris 

 has put in an appearance and sells well 

 at rational prices- 

 Retailers, with few exceptions, did a 

 fairly good business, but are unani- 

 mously of the opinion that trade v*dth 

 them would have been heavy had they 

 been able to supply flowers at prices 

 normal for the Christmas season. The 

 retail price of $5 per dozen for short 

 roses turned away many buyers, and 

 customary profits had to be severely cut 

 to make sales. 



Various Notes. 



A fire December 26 above the store 

 of George C. Siebrecht, 109 West Twen- 

 ty-eighth street, did considerable dam- 

 age, but the store was not greatly 

 harmed. 



W. H. Coldwell, of the Coldwell Lawn 

 Mower Co., Newburgh, N. Y., died De- 

 cember 26. He was a member of the 

 S. A. F. and was greatly respected and 

 esteemed by the oflScials of the New 

 York flower shows as a stanch sup- 

 porter of the trade sections of these ex- 

 hibitions. He was of a cheery disposi- 

 tion, and will be generally missed at 

 future shows. He was 55 years of age. 

 Thomas F. Galvin, Inc., 561 Fifth 

 avenue, furnished several handsome 

 pieces for the funeral, which took place 

 at Newburgh. 



Richard Wenham, 76 East Ninety- 

 third street, had the decorations for a 

 dinner party at the home of Mrs. W. 

 K. Vanderbilt, Jr., 666 Fifth avenue, at 

 Christmas. The style of decoration was 

 unique and supposedly emblematic of 

 the times. The motif was "The World 

 Upside Down," consequently the dec- 

 orations were, as far as possible, in 

 reverse order. Trees were suspended by 

 the roots, and the other decorative fea- 

 tures were in harmony. 



C. H. Totty, Madison, N. J.; Major 

 O'Keefe, Boston, Mass.; W. R. Pierson, 

 Cromwell, Conn,, and John Young, of 

 New York, are arranging to attend a 

 meeting of the Florists' Club of Phila- 

 delphia January 7, to take part in the 

 proceedings of the evening, which are 

 to be devoted to a boost for the pub- 

 licity campaign. J. H. P. 



