12 



The Florists^ Review 



August 14, 1918. 



large output cause difficulties here also. 

 An even grade, without spots that will 

 play havoc with the plants in the 

 benches beneath, is hard to secure, even 

 from the better factories. Carloads 

 must be examined with great care, for 

 sometimes, after an order has been filled, 

 the glass is not suitable for greenhouse 

 use. In addition, a strike of warehouse- 

 men, which compelled the glass dealers 

 to refuse carloads from the mills, for 

 fear of damage in attempting to unload 

 it, has held up orders. 



Pipe is taking a turn for the better. 

 A few months ago it soared to $105 a 

 ton. Now it is approximately $77, about 

 twice the cost, $39, in 1916. The out- 

 look for deliveries is much better, also. 



Hinges Not to Be Had. 



Hinges are small things, but quite es- 

 sential in greenhouses. Last year, when 

 it was uncertain what conditions would 

 be in another twelve months, no one 

 cared to invest heavily in them, and 

 hardware concerns did not stock up in 

 greenhouse sizes. Now stocks continue 

 short, because the manufacturers give 

 large orders of common sizes preference, 

 and because labor conditions have 

 caused a decrease in productions. De- 



liveries are from three to four months 

 behind. 



Cement is now $3.90 a barrel, as com- 

 pared with $2 in 1916. As building ac- 

 tivities increase, the demand for it 

 grows and lately has been heavy indeed. 



The item, of paint is no inconsiderable 

 one, when one compares a present cost 

 of $3.50 a gallon with that of $1.70 in 

 1916. These prices, like all those in this 

 article, are not exact to the cent, but are 

 approximately correct, precise enough 

 for comparison, which is the purpose of 

 quoting them. 



The light that these facts give the 

 grower who has been unsure on the score 

 of erection plans enable him to see what 

 conditions control the present situation. 

 There is no escape from the high cost of 

 living -and the high cost of building. 

 The only solution to the latter is fore- 

 thought — getting plans under way 

 promptly and putting one's order in 

 early. Then there is time to spare for 

 unavoidable delays. From present pros- 

 pects there is little likelihood of low- 

 ered prices, and delay aggravates rather 

 than assists matters. "Watchful wait- 

 ing" is riot so popular or profitable a 

 slogan as some have thought. Prompt 

 action has supplanted it. 



out under his direction by the L. Bemb 

 Floral Co. 



THE RETAIL FLORIST 



HEBE IS ONE OF THEM. 



Showing his response to. the front- 

 page article in The Eeview for July 24, 

 headed "Where Are the Summer Win- 

 dows?" H. L. Thompson, of New 

 Brighton, Pa., sends in the description 

 of his summer window which appeared 

 in the Beaver Valley News August 8: 



"H. L. Thompson, the Third avenue, 

 New Brighton, florist, has one of the 

 most unique, to say nothing of beauti- 

 ful, displays of the florists' art, in the 

 display window of his store, that has 

 delighted the eye of passers-by for many 

 a day. The display fills the entire win- 

 dow and represents a country estate, 

 with a nice bungalow home,' summer 

 houses, pergolas, driveways, lakes, 

 woods and flower gardens, bridges and 

 all that goes into the making of a rural 

 estate. Flowers and plants are used 

 profusely in the construction of the dis- 

 play and it is attracting much favorable 

 comment. 



"On the left of the lake is a complete 

 reproduction of a greenhouse with grow- 

 ing flowers and plants inside. 



"One of the most interesting features 

 is the Italian garden with its formal 

 hedges and flower beds, its miniature 

 seats and rose-covered trellises. Tht 

 g^ene is completed by the rock garden 

 and bridge and the miniature Swiss 

 summer house on top of the hill." 



AUTO MEN EAT AT AQUABIUM 



At the annual banquet of the officers 

 of the Dodge Bros. Motor Car Co., De- 

 troit, the table decoration was in the 

 novel form of an aquarium. The center 

 of the table was a tank, sixteen feet in 

 diameter and two feet deep. It held 

 approximately 500 gallons of water and 

 contained nearly 500 fish of various col- 

 ors and sizes, loaned by the city aqua- 

 rium. Several ducks maneuvered about 

 the surface of the tank. The guests 

 were able to look into the mirror-like 

 aquarium. 



A beautiful effect was created by an 

 electric fountain of various colored 

 lights in the center, embellished with 

 orchids, water lilies, ferns and cyperus. 

 Surrounding the aquarium was a table 

 about three feet wide artistically ar- 

 ranged with red roses, pansies and mai- 

 denhair ferns. 



Inside the table, surrounding the tank, 

 was a miniature automobile drive of 

 crushed stone, on which were miniature 

 automobiles and dolls representing pe- 

 destrians. Inside tlio drive was a 2-foot 

 slope of green moss, on which were 

 groups of dwarf euonymus representing 

 shrubbery. Illuminating the automobile 

 drive were small Japanese lamp-posts 

 and at 2-foot intervals were candles. 

 In addition to this lighting effect, four 

 large calcium lights, hidden behind 

 screens of latticework covered with 

 wild smilax, cast different colored lights, 

 proving a wonderful adjunct to the suc- 

 cess of this unique decoration. The 

 flashing of the lights was carried out by 

 a telephone system under the direction 

 of the fliief lighting director of the au- 

 tomobile company. The ceiling was 

 practically invisible, being covered with 

 smilax, lyrata branches and palm leaves. 



The side walls were screened with lat- 

 ticework covered with the same mate- 

 rials. Statues, loaned by the art mu- 

 seum, and several boxwoods were used 

 to good advantage. Overhead were 

 hung several Japanese lanterns, giving 

 the whole scheme an oriental effect. 



To Albert (F. T. D.) Pochelon belongs 

 the credit of the conception of this 

 unique decoration and it was carried 



F. T. D. TO MEET AT DETROIT. 



The Florists' Telegraph Delivery As- 

 sociation will hold a meeting Tuesday, 

 August 19, at 9:30 a. m., at the Arcadia 

 Auditorium, Detroit. The chief topic 

 will be the program for the annual busi- 

 ness meeting of the association, to be 

 held in Buffalo^ October 14 and 15. 

 Three special prizes for the best F. T. D. 

 window displays at Buffalo are already 

 listed, two $100 cash prizes and a $150 

 electric fountain as the third. 



Aquarium Table Decoration, the Conception of Albert Pochelon. 



