20 



The Florists^ Review 



SnprkMBBB 25, 1019. 



BAIiTIMOBE. 



The Market. 



Toward th^ end of last week the mar- 

 ket took quite a jump; there was a 

 large demand, but for only the best 

 stock. There was the usual supply of 

 poor and average stock, but the market 

 is beginning to take on a different tone. 

 Vacations are over and, while business 

 has not yet reached anything like nor- 

 mal, a bint of winter business is to be 

 seen in the stock purchased. 



Roses are fast coming into good shape 

 and the outlook for the season is good. 

 Never has the rose crop, as far as I 

 have seen, looked more promising. One 

 thing hard to understand is why grow- 

 ers will persist in growing single White 

 Killarney. Last week I saw thousands 

 of this variety go to the street men and 

 was told that the retailers would not 

 have it at any price. Good pink roses 

 were especially scarce at the end of the 

 week. 



Miscellaneous stock of all sorts was 

 plentiful. The gladiolus glut is now 

 over, yet there were enough of these to 

 take care of the demand. 



Various Notes. 



On a recent visit to the range of 

 Stevenson Bros. I found it looking bet- 

 ter than ever. Columbia, Premier, Kil- 

 larney, Shawyer, Richmond and Ophe- 

 lia are there in all their glory. This 

 firm has its usual house of Sweetheart 

 and Ward. Never have I seen a clean- 

 er or healthier range of roses for the 

 beginning of the season; 2,500 Colum- 

 bia were especially noticeable; the foli- 

 age is wonderful. Another thing bound 

 to attract the attention of a visitor is 

 a house of Ophelia. The house was just 

 ready to break into full bloom, and 

 what a crop they will have! This will 

 make the fifth year for this house and 

 there is no doubt about its being a 

 wonder. Something I saw out there 

 may be of use to someone else; they 

 were glazing the side of one of their 

 roofs with Permanite, the regular Per- 

 manite gun being used for putting it 

 on, and the point I wish to call atten- 

 tion to is the mode of handling the 

 guns. An old runabout wagon, long 

 since discarded, was used to haul the 

 barrels; two men were at work on the 

 roof and a boy on the ground was filling 

 the guns. I havo seen lots of glazing 

 done, but this beat anything I have 

 ever seen for speed. As I stood and 

 admired the system, Edward Stevenson 

 told me that he thought he knew some- 

 thing that would go this one better, ,if 

 he had much glazing to do. As I have 

 never seen this idea advertised, it may 

 be 3 tip for the manufacturer. Ed says 

 there is no good reason why pressure 

 could not be put on the barrel and the 

 Permanite forced through a half-inch 

 hose direct to the roof, and he feels 

 sure an automobile pump would furnish 

 the pressure. For a large range, or even 

 a house, this would be a time-saving 

 expedient. I was there September 12, 

 the day after there had been a heavy 

 hail storm in the neighborhood, and the 

 day was cold, and Mr. Stevenson told 

 me he thought he would put some fire 

 on that night. Stevenson Bros, are 

 mighty careful about mildew. 



Robert Johnston, who made quite a 

 study of the retail stores of France and 

 Germany during the eighteen months 

 he spent with the A. E. F., had quite an 



attractive window last week. It was a 

 miniature rock garden built around a 

 lake, and it attracted a great deal of 

 attention. Robert says he has a num- 

 ber of ideas which he intends to work 

 out during the coming season, in the 

 window as well as in the interior of the 

 store. 



A window which attracted much at- 

 tention last week was that of John 

 Cook. At first sight one would suppose 

 that native wild flowers were used, but 

 upon closer investigation one found this 

 was not the case. Small pink native 

 asters and Japanese lilacs with golden- 

 rod were used in baskets. A large vase 

 of deep maroon dahlias and some fine 

 specimen plants of Boston fern were so 

 arranged as to make the window es- 

 pecially attractive and one that, in my 

 judgment, counted most because it was 

 out of the ordinary. Mr. Cook told me 

 of a decorating job they had done at 

 the cathedral for the mass celebrated 

 by Cardinal Mercier. The only cut 

 flowers used were large cardinal red 

 dahlias. These with the plants, and 

 many lights, made a beautiful effect. 



Out at the Cook range they have 2,000 

 vigorous young plants of their new 

 white rose, Mrs. John Cook, which 

 promises well for this season. Another, 

 of which a large stock is being grown, 

 is My Maryland, which originated at 

 this range and always does well there. 

 Cook's was always noted for good vio- 

 lets, but this year, if the present appear- 

 ance of the plants is a prophecy of 

 what the crop will be, will surpass any- 

 thing they have ever done. 



In talking to several florists recently 

 about the past summer's business I 

 learned that a good deal of stock went 

 to waste. This may be true, but, hav- 

 ing made it a point to visit the retail 

 stores each week, I am in a position to 

 say that never in the history of the 

 trade has there been such a summer 

 business. The public wanted nothing 

 but the best in flowers — that which 

 went to waste did not come under this 

 head. The florists will have to wake 

 up to the fact that good stock is al- 

 ways salaible. This applies to mid- 

 winter as well as midsummer. Tate. 



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MOTT-LY MUSINGS 



In Des Moines, la., the Sunday clos- 

 ing movement is agitating the trade, 

 who are exceedingly interested in the 

 steps taken in some of the larger cities. 

 T^he Alpha Floral Co., which has the 

 last word in store creation and equip- 

 ment, is willing to take the lead and 

 will doubtless get the others to follow, 

 "since," observed the lady assistant 

 at Trillow's Flower Store, "the 

 churches, formerly the chief reason for 

 our being open, to supply them with 

 fresh flowers on Sundays, are now in 

 favor of our closing." Funerals are 

 less numerous, and a little effort on the 

 part of the salesmen can help in favor 

 of delivery only. The same argument 

 applies to hospitals. 



* « * • 



J. S. Wilson, of the J. S, Wilson Flo- 

 ral Co., returned from his ' ' swing 

 around the circle," as he described it, 

 in time to give ideas in decorating for 

 the reception of President and Mrs. 

 Wilson. Owing to the drought, outdoor 

 flowers were scarce, and artistic cam- 

 ouflaging was resorted to. 



• • • • 



Hess & Swoboda, Omaha, are busy 

 getting their greenhouses into shape 

 following the disastrous storm in June. 

 Fine decorative plants especially show 

 the effect of the hail. The store window 

 has an artistic arrangement in Adian- 

 tum gloriosum and Livistona rotundi- 

 folia, with a vase of Tritoma Pfitzeri. 

 The store is being redecorated and will 

 appear in its new dress in time for the 

 annual ak-sar-ben, which brings big 

 business into the city. Touching the 

 help problem, J. J. Hess observed they 

 "are getting the best they can, even 

 from the Salvation Army home, and will 

 not object to having the band accom- 

 pany the workers, provided it does not 

 interfere with work during working 

 hours." 



Lewis Henderson, of Henderson's 

 Flower Store, Omaha, notes a scarcity 

 of stock, from which all are suffering 

 more or less, but he is sanguine as to 

 future business. 



"Say It with Flowers" is conspicu- 

 ously displayed upon the delivery cars 

 of Chapin Bros, and Frey & Frey, Lin- 

 coln, Neb., so that the students who 

 are arriving to fill the college and 

 schools will not fail to become famil- 

 iarized with the slogan. The flower 

 stores are in keeping with the opening 

 term. The window at the store of 

 Chapin Bros, is a creation in green with 

 white latticework, showing fine speci- 

 mens of Cibotium Schiedei, Phoenix 

 Roebelenii and Nephrolepis Scottii. 

 The window of Hiltner Bros, is arranged 

 to show a lily pond in the background, 

 with a sign announcing that goldfish 



are for sale. 



• • • • 



The Eiche Floral Co. has large double 

 windows well arranged, showing palms 



and ferns. 



• • • • 



The window of C. H. Frey's store 

 shows some well grown plants of fancy- 

 leaved caladiums. The tables in the 

 store are arranged to allow ample space 

 between for the purpose of handling 

 plants which, especially ferns, are be- 

 ing featured in the sales. Cut flowers 

 are too scarce yet to display in win- 

 dows. 



» « * • 



Frey & Frey have a deep single win- 

 dow, set low, so that an attractive dis- 

 play can be made at little cost of ma- 

 terial. An aquarium is attached to the 

 rear of the window, running almost the 

 entire length, and makes a fine finish, 

 with the goldfish and fixings. The orna- 

 mental overhang affords perpetual 

 shade to the window and protection to 

 the "lookers." W. M. 



