JANDAKY 16. 1919, 



The Florists^ Review 



65 



i 



PACIFIC Coast Department 



SAN DIEGO, CAL. 



Business has kept up well since New 

 Year's, but flowers have been scarce. 

 There has not been such a shortage of 

 flowers since 1913, the year of the frost 

 in California. 



Eoses received from northern markets 

 have been disappointing in respect to 

 both quality and prices. Good roses 

 have been selling at a premium, long- 

 stemmed Columbia having brought as 

 high as $25 per dozen. No roses were 

 sold at less than $5 per dozen. 



The local florists would like to have 

 our friends in the east know that while 

 it is true that this is a land of flowers, 

 most of the cut flowers, except violets, 

 are grown indoors, and labor and other 

 expenses are higher here than in the 

 east and flowers as a consequence are 

 not grown in great quantities. We say 

 this because we have received F. T. D. 

 orders from eastern houses for roses for 

 $2 and $3 per dozen, some of them to be 

 delivered to points a good distance out 

 of town. We lost money on these or- 

 ders, but filled them to encourage the 

 movement. 



All the florists here report good busi- 

 ness and everything going well. 



The death of Mrs. George F. Otto is 

 noted in another column of this issue. 



A.D. 



LOS AKOEIJIS. 



Tlie Market. 



The abnormally high prices have acted 

 as a check to business. In the last few 

 days a number of roses have been used 

 in funeral work which a week before 

 could not be obtained for any price. 

 Carnations were reduced in price some- 

 what, but still remain extremely high 

 and in good demand. Greenhouse carna- 

 tions are selling at prices hitherto un- 

 heard-of in the surrounding towns. The 

 city retailers are still busy with funeral 

 work, of which there seems to be no end. 

 I Outside of this there is little doing. Be- 

 M sides the two principal items of stock, 

 i there are good small flowers of all kinds, 

 I but in limited supply. Freesias are com- 

 I ing in, but they are few in number and 

 high in price. The run on strawflowers 

 and other everlastings continues, Callas 

 are scarce, owing to frost in some of the 

 northern localities. They are in good 

 demand, owing to the shortage of Easter 

 lilies. Greens as a rule are on the short 

 side also. 



The nurserymen all report an awaken- 

 ing of interest in their stocks and all 

 are looking forward to a great season's 

 business. Already nursery stock is mov- 

 ing freely and inquiries from other sec- 

 tions show that the demand is good. The 

 fruit tree men are well sold up, although 

 the retail trade has hardly started, and 

 It looks as though it will be hard to ob- 

 tain the popular varieties in these lines. 

 I As the weather becomes warmer there 

 ' "Will be a movement of palms to the 

 east, several growers having sold car- 

 load lots. The frost reported from some 

 localities does not appear to have 

 harmed lath-house stock, while in the 

 more favored spots Cocos plumosa is 

 green and looks as well as in Septem- 



ber. Well developed plants fit for ship- 

 ping are likely to be in short supply. 



Various Notes. 



By a recent arrangement, Tony Tas- 

 sano becomes sole proprietor of the busi- 

 ness of Tassano Bros,, on Wall street, 

 also of the nursery and growing grounds 

 at Glendale. Angelo, his brother, is tak- 

 ing over the place at Artesia and 

 will grow stock there for the firm. He is 

 considering the erection of a large range 

 of glass there, 



W. Armacost & Co. are showing the 

 finest Bussell roses ever seen on this 

 market, their grower evidently having 

 hit upon the right treatment for this 

 magnificent rose. The new rose Colum- 

 bia also is exceptionally fine, not only in 

 the flowers but in the foliage as well, 

 which is of a hard, healthy appearance 

 and free from blemish of any kind. 

 Naturally such stock commands high 

 prices. 



F. Sperry, of the L. A. Floral Co., 

 started on a business trip to Bakersfield, 

 January 6. 



F. Howard, of Howard & Smith, is in 

 San Diego this week. 



J. Austin Shaw, who is visiting in 

 Hollywood, is an occasional caller and 

 reports having experienced much relief 

 from his lameness since coming to Cali- 

 fornia. 



A. F. Borden, of the Redondo Floral 

 Co., is quarantined at home on account 

 of Mrs. Borden being ill with influenza. 

 Mr. Borden had a slight attack of the 

 disease a week ago, but recovered 

 quickly. 



On account of many of the men promi- 

 nent in the trade being out of town or ill, 

 the meeting of the Florists' Club called 

 for January 8 was postponed. This was 

 the more unfortunate as the meeting 

 was to have included the election of 

 officers, which now must stand over until 

 a future meeting. 



Albert Morris, son of O, M. Morris, of 

 the Morris & Snow Seed Co., Inc, is the 

 latest victim of influenza in the trade, 

 Mr. Morris is one of the biggest hustlers 



in a hustling firm and everyone con- 

 nected therewith hopes to see him back 

 shortly in his usual good health. This 

 store has been repainted and put in 

 readiness for what is likely to be a ban- 

 ner season 's business, 



S, Murata is settling down to work 

 after his trip and is busy meeting old 

 friends and customers, all of whom com- 

 pliment him on his healthful appearance 

 after his sea voyage. 



An immense basket of Columbia roses 

 in F. Lichtenberg's store this week has 

 caused much favorable comment, and it 

 is generally conceded that a finer display 

 was never seen in this city. Among the 

 orchids shown were some superb flowers 

 of Lsalia anceps alba, which, with good 

 Phalsenopsis amabilis, made a choice 

 showing, 



Mrs. Edith Brewer, of Dinuba, Cal., 

 was in the city this week on a business 

 trip. H. B. Richards. 



SAN FBANCISCO. 



The Market. 



This is decidedly a growers' market, 

 all available stock cleaning up at higher 

 prices than were ever known in San 

 Francisco at this time of the year. 

 There have been no recessions since the 

 holidays and the present ratio of sup- 

 ply and demand does not give promise 

 of lower prices in the immediate future. 

 The retailers rebel more or less at pay- 

 ing the ruling prices, on the ground that 

 their customers are educated to getting 

 a big showing for their money, which 

 it is impossible to give them with whole- 

 sale quotations so much higher than 

 usual. Funeral work is the principal 

 feature of the demand, and it is par- 

 ticularly hard to obtain cheaper grades 

 of stock for moderate-priced floral 

 pieces. To further complicate matters, 

 galax leaves are hard to obtain. The 

 wholesalers complain that eastern ship- 

 pers not only do not fill their orders, but 

 a good part of the time do not even an- 

 swer their letters and telegrams, indi- 



Cyclamen Plants 



Fine plants, splendid folias^e, well set with buds and flowers 



4-inch , 25c to 35c 



5-inch 50c to 75c 



6-inch 75c to $1,00 



8-inch , $1.25 to $1.50 



9-inch $2.00 to $2,50 



Packing at cost 



WALTER ARMACOST & CO., 221 E. 4th Street, Les Angeles, Cal. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



-WHOLESALE EVERGREENS- 



Garland Roping. HoUyberry. English Holly, Cal. Peooer Boughs, Desert Holly, Smilax. 

 Asparagus plumosus. Huckleberry, Hard and Soft Brake, Maidenhair, Mexican Ivy and 

 all other classes of evergreens and similar stock. 



For best prices, write 

 TASSANO BROS., 422 South Wall Street, Los Antfeles, Cal. 



