18 



The Florists^ Review 



Jandaey 9, 1919. 



MILWAUKEE. 



The Market. 



The first cold °wave of the season 

 struck Milwaukee January 2 and put a 

 crimp in business generally. Stock has 

 been none too plentiful up to now and 

 a shortage exists on roses. The stock 

 is in good shape, but it takes sunshine 

 to produce anything in quantity. The 

 official weather report for December 

 shows one day clear and nine days part- 

 ly cloudy; this is the best explanation 

 that can be given for the shortage of 

 roses. Carnations, which had been 

 scarce up to Christmas, began at that 

 date to increase in numbers and this, 

 coupled with the cessation of the "flu" 

 epidemic, has had a tendency to make 

 the supply balance the demand. So far 

 this year the florists' business has gone 

 through an unusual era of prosperity, 

 ' with indications that conditions will 

 not change much until late spring, at 

 any rate. We can see how the reduc- 

 tion of the areas devoted to the pro- 

 duction of flowers has affected the mar- 

 ket. 



Violets are extremely scarce, orders 

 for them being refused daily. Sweet 

 peas are coming in larger numbers, but 

 the supply is still far from adequate 

 and the quality is not so good as it 

 should be. There are practically no 

 lilies or valley on the market. Cat- 

 tleyas were in gqod supply for the New 

 Year's trade and- there was also a good- 

 ly crop of oncidiums; these, with short 

 roses, helped to fill the shortage of 

 flowers for New Year's eve corsages 

 caused by the lack of sweet peas and vio- 

 lets. There are practically no Paper 

 Whites in the market and only a few 

 freesias have been seen so far. Stevia 

 was plentiful during the holidays and 

 still is, for that matter. The demand, 

 however, has kept up nicely, clearing 

 the cut daily at $3 per hundred. The 

 outlook for January business is good 

 and, even with a decrease in funeral 

 work, should be far better than the 

 previous year. 



Various Notes. 



The Wisconsin State Florists' As- 

 sociation, organized last fall, still has a 

 number of florists in the state to hear 

 from, but its membership is increasing 

 nicely. In view of the value of its 

 activities as a trade association, every 

 florist in the state should become affil- 

 iated with it. Any wholesaler in Mil- 

 waukee will be glad to take care of 

 applications. 



The local Florists' Advertising Club 

 did not reduce its activities during the 

 late shortage of stock and the scope of 

 its campaign has broadened so that real 

 results are to be anticipated. Florists 

 in general in this community are en- 

 thusiastic over its achievements to date. 

 The annual meeting will be held some- 

 time in February, which will be the 

 close of the first year's work of the 

 association. 



H. W. Koerner, the well known dahlia, 

 gladiolus and peony specialist, has sold 

 his entire business to E. F. Stabelfeldt, 

 his nephew, who will follow Mr. Koer- 

 ner 's motto, "Quick service, good goods 

 and light packing." Mr. Koerner has 

 retired and his home is at 5405 Wash- 

 ington boulevard. He started in the 

 florists' business in 1896 in a small way. 

 He worked up a good retail business in 

 a short time and the second year began 

 to grow gladioli. He soon came to be- 



lieve that this was a flower of great 

 possibilities. In 1902 he purchased fif- 

 teen acres of the best soil he could find 

 and began to specialize in the three 

 flowers mentioned. He worked up a 

 good trade and always produced high- 

 grade cut flowers and bulbs. H. J. S. 



FORT WAYNE, IND. 



The Market. 



Although we had favorable weather 

 for several weeks before Christmas, the 

 heavy demand for flowers throughout 

 the three months preceding the holiday 

 absorbed every flower and it was a ques- 

 tion of the florist either substituting 

 something for cut flowers or closing 

 his doors to the public. Hence the use 

 of artificial flowers was general, espe- 

 cially for funeral work, which was more 

 in evidence this holiday than in any pre- 

 vious year, and the general advertising 

 and display of fine blooming plants, the 

 exceptional sales of which made this a 

 plant Christmas. 



However, considering all conditions, 

 this was by far the greatest Christmas 

 business ever experienced by the local 

 trade, both as to the amount of fiowers 

 and plants sold, and also as to the high 

 prices obtained for them. The fact that 

 the high prices did not deter the general 

 public from purchasing flowers is of 

 much signiflcance to the florist, as, of 

 course, he can no longer do business at 

 the old prices and break even, to say 

 nothing of making a fair margin of 

 profit. 



Carnations sold at prices 100 per cent 

 higher than other years, wholesaling for 

 $10 and $12 per hundred. Hoses sold at 

 an advance of from fifty to 100 per cent 

 over previous years. Cattleyas were in 

 fine supply at 75 cents and $1 each and 

 violets sold at $2 per hundred. Sweet 

 peas brought $2 to $4 per hundred. All 

 other flowers showed an advance of fifty 

 to 100 per cent over other years. 



There was an exceptionally fine va- 

 riety of blooming plants, with cyclamens 

 heading the list, at $3 to $5 each. Fine 

 specimens of azaleas and Cincinnati be- 

 gonias were priced seventy-five per cent 

 higher than at other holidays. Jeru- 

 salem cherries, freesias, primroses, nar- 

 cissi, spiraeas, Scotch heather, celestial 

 peppers and poinsettias made up the va- 

 riety offered. In Christmas greens the 

 demand was unusually heavy. Holly 

 sold for $8 a case and was decidedly 

 scarce. Ruscus, boxwood, California 

 redwood and other greens were entirely 

 cleaned up. 



The New Year's demand centered 

 chiefly in blooming plants, although 

 there was a brisk call for cut flowers. 

 The bright weather, coupled with the 

 slow demand for cut flowers after the 

 Christmas trade, filled up the market so 

 that the supply was more satisfactory 

 for the New Year's trade. The demand 

 has been below normal since New 

 Year's, with only an occasional wed- 

 ding. Funeral work, however,' keeps 

 stock on the move. 



Warlous Notes. 



Clem Lantcrnier and Roy Brown, of 

 A. J, Lanternier & Sons, are suffering 

 from infiuenza. Mr. Lanternier was 

 taken ill Christmas afternoon and Mr. 

 Brown December 28. Both are reported 

 to be recovering. This firm reports this 

 year's business the largest in its history. 

 It has sold more high-priced roses than 

 in previous years. 



Word has been received here that Pri- 

 vate George Pandell, of the Fort Wayne 

 Flower Shop, suffered the loss of an arm 

 while fighting on the French front the 

 day before the armistice was signed. 



MiSb Martha Knecht, of the F. J. 

 Knecht Co., is slowly recovering from a 

 severe attack of influenza. 



Miss Helen F. Patten, of the Patten 

 Flower Shop, Toledo, O., visited here sev- 

 eral days with relatives and friends 

 after the holiday rush. Miss Patten 

 reports a fine holiday trade. R. F. B. 



OI^VEIiAND, O. 



The Market. 



New Year's business was good. Vio- 

 lets and sweet peas were cleaned up 

 quickly and all cut flowers seemed te 

 move well. Carnations are arriving in 

 heavier supply, but roses continue on 

 the short side. Narcissi are plentiful. 

 Calendulas clear well, but freesias are 

 not in demand. Valley moves slowly. 

 American Beauties of all grades are t» 

 be had. Greens are in good supply. 



Various Notes. 



A. Wilhelmy has been ill, but is at 

 work again. 



A. Barber had the New Year's deco- 

 rations at the Cleveland hotel. 



Thomas Lisy has been ill. 



The Daisy Hill Farms are sending fine 

 carnations to the market. 



The Friedley Co. is cutting good Eas- 

 ter lilies. 



The wholesale houses all closed New 

 Year's day. W. F. B. 



TOLEDO, O. 



Mrs. J. B. Freeman reports December 

 as the best month in the history of her 

 business. There were fewer charge ac- 

 counts, but "much cash business. 



Hundreds of baskets of artificial flow- 

 ers prepared by H. E. Klunder, designer 

 for the Patten Flower Store, for the 

 war mothers during the holiday season 

 created an immense demand for this 

 class of work. 



Schramm Bros, have been having a 

 siege with influenza, five of their force 

 being absent from this cause during 

 the holiday season, including Frank 

 Schramm, whose illness developed into 

 pneumonia. Friends in the trade helped 

 out during the rush and did much to 

 retrieve the situation, for which the 

 members of this firm are most grateful. 



Miss Marie Rex, of the Bowling Green 

 Floral Co., Bowling Green, Ky., who 

 bought stock for the holiday trade 

 here, reports an excellent business for 

 the season. 



J. A. Lambert, who visited different 

 points in search of stock for the holi- 

 days, found such a shortage everywhere 

 that it looks as though it might take 

 several weeks of favorable weather to 

 get back to normal conditions. Mr. 

 Lambert believes the prices of flowers 

 during the holidays drove many people 

 who ordinarily were patrons of the 

 flower shops to turn to other lines for 

 gifts and that if the wholesalers had 

 not charged such high prices for stock, 

 the retailers might have made many 

 more sales and thereby retained their 

 clientele of moderate spenders. 



J. A. L. 



Columbus, O.— The Ohio State Vege- 

 table Growers' Association will hold its 

 meeting here January 28 to 30. 



