22 



The Florists^ Review 



January 30, 1919. 



NEW ORLEANS. 



The Market. 



The month of January has been one 

 continuous rush for all catering to the 

 demand for floral designs. The locally 

 grown bulbous stock is taken before it 

 comes into full bloom and out-of-town 

 shipments scarcely fill requirements. 

 Only one local firm grows cut roses un- 

 der glass and the cut is used in the 

 retail store of this concern. The De- 

 cember frost killed nearly all the early 

 outdoor-grown sweet peas, especially 

 those ready to bloom, and only a few 

 florists are growing them under glass, 

 and this year the best crops will not be 

 ready until the latter part of February. 

 Large decorative plants are taking an 

 unwonted rest. The usual social func- 

 tions have not been resumed, to the dis- 

 may of the trade. No outdoor flowers 

 of any kind can be cut at present and, 

 with such untoward weather conditions, 

 rainy, cold and cloudy, weeks may pass 

 before any cutting may be done, even 

 if February leaves the plants untouched 

 by frost. Pansies, sweet alyssum and 

 marigolds ordinarily are to be seen in 

 bloom at this season, but none 

 are in evidence now. It seems to the 

 florists, at any rate, as if our southern 

 winter is becoming more inclement 

 every year that passes. 



Wholesale and retail plant growers 

 report a strong demand for all kinds of 

 stock, especially flowering plants, with 

 a marked increase in the shipping trade. 

 The sale of bulbous stock for garden 

 planting is still small, as compared with 

 that of other southern cities. Although 

 only the different varieties of narcissus 

 bring satisfactory results planted out- 

 doors, there is a great demand for this 

 flower here, developed by timely and 

 persistent advertising in the local pa- 

 pers. 



Landscape gardeners are at the 

 point of despair. They all have large 

 stocks of fine bedding plants of all kinds 

 on hand and hundreds of beds all over 

 the city are ready for plantinjg, and 

 every florist in town is wishing and 

 waiting for sunshine and dry weather 

 to start things going. 



Club Meeting. 



The New Orleans Gardeners' Club 

 held its annual meeting and election of 

 officers at 419 St. Cnarles street, Janu- 

 ary 2, with a fair attendance. Treas- 

 urer .T. H. Kinck reported the financial 

 condition as satisfactory. Financial and 

 Recording Secretary Richard Eichling 

 stated that all meetings had been well 

 attended, with an increase of three ac- 

 tive members during the last six months 

 and a total active membership of twen- 

 ty-seven. On motion of Joseph Stock- 

 ier, all the present ofiicers of the club 

 were unanimously reelected for the 

 coming year. They are: President, Paul 

 Abele; vice-president, Henry Kraak; 

 treasurer, J. H. Rinck; secretary, Rich- 

 ard Eichling. After the installation of 

 officers, supper was served. The long 

 table was decorated with roses and nar- 

 cissi. Joseph Steckler acted as toast- 

 master. The arrangements committee 

 consisted of Robert Reinecke, chairman; 

 Otto Abele and Henry Kraak. 



Various Notes. 



Henry Kraak 's range is filled with 

 all kinds of plants and trees for the 

 shipping and home trade. Judging by 

 the orders being made ready for ship- 

 ment, he is doing a land-office business 



and his cut flower trade also has in- 

 creased greatly this winter. Frank 

 Broker, his head gardener, is recovered 

 from his recent illness and is about 

 again. 



J. A. Newsham has the finest stock 

 of Phcenix Roebelenii and orchids in 

 town. Both find ready buyers, his cat- 

 tleyas being especially in request. As 

 he isMoe^ted near the principal ceme- 

 teries, his cut flower sales are enor- 

 mous. 



Max Scheinuk's place is steadily im- 

 proving. It is well filled with strong, 

 healthy plants of all kinds, including 

 a large assortment of outdoor roses. He 

 reports the best business on record in 

 all departments. 



The Metairie Ridge Nursery Co., Ltd., 

 Harry Papworth, president, is a large 

 and modern establishment. A large 

 range of houses here is planted with 

 Radiance and Red Radiance, Ophelia 

 and Kaiserin. A seedling raised here. 

 Climbing Radiance, of which there are 

 1,000 young plants, is bound to make a 

 hit. All the roses grown here for cut 

 blooms are strong and clean, with long 

 stems and well set with buds. Most of 

 them are disposed of at the retail store 

 of this concern. Orchid-flowering sweet 

 peas, snapdragons and an immense 

 amount of bulbous stock are coming into 

 flower. Climbing hybrid bush roses, as 

 well as a house of Creole Easter lilies 

 for Easter, look promising. Mr. Pap- 

 worth reports the wholesale and retail 

 business the largest in years. 



Several sad events took place in the 

 homes of some of our local florists dur- 

 ing the latter half of this month. Peter 

 Kaul lost his wife and daughter within 

 one week. John H. Rinck lost his 

 youngest daughter. Both have the 

 heartfelt sympathy of their colleagues 

 in the trade. 



Abele Bros., whose greenhouses and 

 coldframes are well stocked with all 

 kinds of salable plants, report excellent 

 business in all lines. One house of 



Creole Easter lilies looked promising 

 and the Freesia Purity seen here is the 

 best possible. Henry Cook had his usual 

 fine stock of home-grown hardy ever- 

 greens and pot roses. A house of strong 

 callas in bloom is worth noting. Sales 

 both at the nursery and the store are 

 better this season than for years. R. E. 



CINCINNATI. 



The Market. 



Everything that comes into the mar- 

 ket cleans up. Occasionally stock must 

 be held over one day, but this is the ex- 

 ception rather than the rule. 



The rose supply continues short of 

 actual needs. Carnations are plentiful 

 and find a good market. Easter lilies, 

 rubrum lilies and callas are each in fair 

 supply. The list of offerings in bulbous 

 stock includes Paper WMte narcissi, 

 yellow narcissi, f reesias and Dutch hya- 

 cinths. Sweet peas have become plenti- 

 ful. Other offerings are orchids, vio- 

 lets, snapdragons, calendulas, wallflow- 

 ers, baby primroses, forget-me-nots and 

 mignonette. 



Various Notes. 



Paul Naber, who was with C. E. Crit- 

 chell before entering the service, has 

 been mustered out of the army. 



E. G. Gillett and C. E. Critchell are 

 going to Cleveland for the meeting of 

 the Carnation Society this week. The 

 former will stop at Springfield, O., on 

 his way to the Forest City. 



The William Murphy Co. has been get- 

 ting in Spencer sweet peas in quanti- 

 ties, which sell readily. 



The list of recent visitors includes 

 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Friedley, Cleveland, 

 O.; Samuel E. Quint, AUston, Mass.; 

 C. Meinann, New York city; Earl Mann 

 and Fred H. Lemon, Richmond, Ind.; 

 Albert A. Kramer, Dayton, O., and 

 David S. Geddis, of the St. Louis Whole- 

 sale Cut Flower Co., St. Louis, Mo. 



C H. H. 



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MOTT-LY MUSINGS 



ir/s\ir/stir/stir/SYirrs\itrsvir)rsvir;rsvirrsviri«(irirs\iri^ 



Cleveland is justly proud of "Mac," 

 whose "Buckeye Bull's-Eyes" surely 

 hit the mark and are fired from a rapid- 

 firing gun. He has lots of ammunition 

 in reserve. 



William Honeysett, of Erie, Pa., ob- 

 served that the proverbial bee aptly 

 typifies the busy condition of their busi- 

 ness right through the season, which has 

 been a regular buzzer. 



Secretary Williams, of the Cleveland 

 Cut Flower Co., Cleveland, 0., is of the 

 opinion that, until the cost of material 

 is considerably lowered, few houses will 

 be built, even at the prevailing high 

 prices of flowers, which, however, are 

 uncertain and unsteady. 



The Harvey Seed Co., of Buffalo, N. 

 Y., lost a genial managef when C. H. 

 Manly recently retired from the business 

 to turn to the farm. The management 

 is now in the hands of George B. Eger- 

 ton, who was associated for many years 

 with Mr. Manly. 



The Wilson Florist Co., of Cleveland, 

 O., has closed down its houses for the 

 winter and will rebuild in the spring 

 four houses, with an office and salesroom 



at the front entrance. "Meanwhile," 

 observed James Woodruff Wilson, "we 

 will depend upon the commission houses 

 for our supply. Unfortunately, how- 

 ever, prices asked by them for carna- 

 tions and roses around the holidays 

 forced us to push sales on plants in 

 preference. We were asked 15 cents 

 apiece for carnations and roses. Christ- 

 mas day carnations were offered at $40 

 per thousand, with no takers. It seems 

 the commission men had no discretion- 

 ary powers, but were forced to ask 

 prices fixed by the growers. Now sev- 

 eral of the retailers are trying to bring 

 back the flower buyers who were fright- 

 ened away. They may return. Much 

 pickled stock was sent out. For in- 

 stance, one dozen roses sold for $22 went 

 to pieces as soon as they were placed. 

 While we are endeavoring by means of 

 publicity to educate the public to in- 

 creasing use of flowers, it seems that, •on 

 the other hand, the goose which lays the 

 golden egg is being killed. There must 

 be a more sympathetic understanding 

 between all concerned to bring about 

 the desired results." W. M. 



