18 



The Florists^ Review 



January 9. 1919. 



MILWAUKEE. 



The Market. 



Tlu'- first cold A\;ive of tlie season 

 struck Mihvjuikt'o .lami.Try 2 and put a 

 crimp in business jreuorally. Stock has 

 bci'U none too ]ilentiful up to now and 

 a shortaj^e exists on roses. The stock 

 is in ;i()()il slia|H>, but it takes sunshine 

 to ]>r(iiluce ;inytliin<j; in (jiiantily. The 

 official weather report for December 

 shows one day clear and nine days part- 

 ly cloudy; this is the best explanation 

 th;it can be jjiven for tlie shortage of 

 roses. Carnations, wliich liad been 

 scarce up to Christmas, bej^an at that 

 date to increase in nuiiiV)ers and this, 

 cimpled with the cess.alion of the "flu" 

 t])ideiiiic, has liad a tendency to make 

 the su|iply balance the demand. So far 

 this year the florists' business has gone 

 tliniiinji an unusual era of ])rosperity, 

 uilh indications that conditions will 

 iidt cliaiij,^' mu(di until latt; spring, at 

 .any rate. We can see luiw th(> reduc- 

 tion (if the areas devWed to the pro- 

 duct ion (if flowers has afl'ccted tlie mar- 



IsCl. 



X'idiets arc cxt i(Mii(ly scarce, orders 

 for them being ict'used daily. Sweet 

 peas ;ii-e coming in laiger numbers, but 

 the supply is still far froTu ade()uate 

 and til" (piidity is not so good as it 

 shduld lie. 'J'lierc are pi'actically no 

 lilies or v.alley on the m.-irkid. Cal- 

 tleyas were in good supply for the >«'ew 

 Year's trade and there was also a good- 

 ly ci(i]i of oncidi'ims; these, with short 

 roses, lieljied to fill the shortage of 

 flowers for Xcw Year's e\'e coi'sages 

 caused by the lack of sweet jieas and vio- 

 lets. There are ]iractically no Paper 

 Whites in the iii;nket and only a few 

 freesias ha\e been seen so far. Stevi.a 

 w;is ]ilentiful during the holidays and 

 still is, for that matter. The demand, 

 however, has kept up nicely, clearing 

 flu^ cut d;iily ;it .$M per hundreil. The 

 outlook idr .lanu.ary business is good 

 .and, even with a decrease in funeral 

 work, should be far better than the 

 pre\ious ye;ir. 



Various Notes. 



The Wisconsin State i'lorists' As- 

 sociation, oi-^.anized last f.all, still has a 

 nuiMlii r of florists in the state to hear 

 fidiii. but it> inenibershiji is increasing 

 nicely. In \ iew of the \alu(> of its 

 activities as a trade associ.ation, every 

 florist in the st.ate should become afhl- 

 inted ^\itll il. Any wlndesaUr in Mil- 

 waukee will be glad to take care of 

 a]i]ilicat ions. 



The local Florists' Advertising: Club 

 did not r(>duce its activities during the 

 late shortage of stock and the scope of 

 its cam|iaiL;n h;is broadened so that real 

 results .'III- to lie anticii)ated. Florists 

 in gener.al in this community .'ire en- 

 thusiastic o\ cr its achievements to date. 

 The annual meeting will be h(>ld some- 

 time in I'ebruary, which will be the 

 close <)( file first year's work of the 

 associ.ation. 



II. W. KoeriK^r, the w(dl known dahlia, 

 gladiolus .'ind peony sjiecialist, h.as sold 

 his ( iiiiic business to K. F. .St .abelfeldt, 

 his neiilieu. mIio will follow Mr. Kocr- 

 ner's motto, "Quick s(u-\ice, good goods 

 and light ]iacking. " Mr. Koerner has 

 retii'cd nnd his home is at .'')4fir) Wash- 

 ington boulevard. Tic started in the 

 florists' liusiness in bSDO in a small way. 

 He worked u\) a good ret.ail business in 

 a short time and the second ye.ar began 

 to urow gladioli. lie 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 

 liis 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 

 exce])ti()nal sales of which made this a 

 plant Christmas. 



However, considering all conditions, 

 this was by far the greatest Ciiristmas 

 l)usiness ever ex])erienccd by the local 

 trade, both as to the amount of flowers 

 .•ind jilants sold, and also as to the high 

 piices obtained for them. The fact that 

 the high ])rices did not deter the general 

 ])ul)lic from ])urchasing flowers is of 

 much significance 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 f.air margin of 

 I)rofit. 



( "arnat ions sold at jiriccs 100 per cent 

 higher than other years, wholesaling for 

 ^\u and $12 per hundred. Roses sold at 

 an advance of from fifty to lUO jicr cent 

 over iirevious years. Cattleyas were in 

 fine sujiply at 7') cents and $1 each and 

 vi(dets sold at $2 j)er hundred. Sweet 

 peas lirought $2 to $4 per hundred. All 

 other flo\\crs showed an ;id\';nicc of fifty 

 to I'H) ]ier cent over other years. 



There w;is an except ioiia II v tine va- 

 liety of blooming jil.ants, with cy(damens 

 heading the list, at $.'! to .$•"> ea(di. Fine 

 specimens of' .azaleas and Cincinnati be- 

 yonias were priced se.\'enty-fi\'e per cent 

 liiiilier th.MU at other ludidays. .Teru- 

 s.'ileni clieiries. freesias, primroses, ii;ii'- 

 cissi, spirteas, Scotch heather, celestial 

 peppers ;iiid |ioinsett i;is nunle up the \'a 

 i-iety offei-ed. In Christ ni.as gr(>ens the 

 demand was unusu.ally heavy. lIoll\' 

 sold for .-fS a case and was <leci(|"dly 

 sc'irce. Huscus, boxwood, California 

 redwood and other greens were entirely 

 (dc'ined up. 



The New Year's demand centered 

 (diiefly in blooTuing ]il;ints. although 

 there Was ;i brisk c;ill for cut flowers. 

 The bright weather, coupled with the 

 slow dem.'ind for cut flowers after the 

 Christ ni.Ms trade, filled ujt the market so 

 that the sujijily was more satisfactory 

 for the New' Year's tr.ade. The demand 

 has been below nornuil since Xcw 

 Year's, with only an occasional wed- 

 ding. Funeral work, however, keeps 

 stock on the move. 



■Various Notes. 



Clem l.anteriiier and Koy I'.roun, of' 

 .\. J. Lanternier i*c Sons, are suffering 

 from iiiflu'n/.a. Mr. L.anternier was 

 t.'iken ill Christinas aft(>rnoon and Mr. 

 P.rown December 28. I'.ofh are reported 

 to be recovering. This firm reports this 

 vear's bii'^iiu^ss the hirgest in its history. 

 Ft 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. 



Miss 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. 



CLEVELAND, O. 



The Market. 



New Year's business was good. Vio- 

 lets and sweet peas were cleaned up 

 (piickly and all cut flowers seemed to 

 nu)ve well. Carnations are arriving in 

 heavier supply, but roses continue on 

 the short side. Narcissi are plentiful. 

 Calendulas cle.ar well, but freesias are 

 not in demand. Valley moves slowly. 

 American IJeauties of all grades are to 

 be had. Greens are in good supply. 



Various Notes. 



A. Wilhehu}' has been ill, but is at 

 work again. 



A. li.arber 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. 



Th^', wholesale houses all closed New 

 Year's dav. W. F. B. 



TOLEDO. O. 



Mrs. J. B. Freeman reports December 



a;^ 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 i>repared by H. E. Klunder, designer 

 tor the Patten Flower Store, for the 

 \\;ir 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 liolidny season, iu(duding Frank 

 S(hramin, whose illness developed into 

 jinenmonia. Friends in the trade helped 

 out during the rush and did nuudi to 

 retrieve the situation, for which the 

 meml)ers of this firm are most grateful. 

 ^ Miss Marie Rex, of the Bowling (ireen 

 Flor.al Co., Bowling Green, Ky., who 

 liou;^l't stock for the holiday trade 

 here, rejiorts an excellent business for 

 the season. 



J. A. Lambert, who \ isited different 

 points in search of stock for the holi 

 d.ays, found sucli a shortage everywhere 

 that it looks as though it might take 

 se\er;il weeks of favorable weather to 

 get back to normal conditions. Mr. 

 Lambert believes the prices of flowers 

 (luring the holidays drove many people 

 who orilinarily 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, 

 tlie retailers might have made many 

 more sales and I hertdiy retained their 

 clientele of moderate spenders. 



J. A. L. 



Columbus, O.— The Ohio State Vegc- 

 i;ilile Crowers' Association will hold its 

 nieetini: here .January 28 to 30. 



