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Fbbbuaby 12, 1920 



The Florists^ Review 



33 



saler should charge the retailer, I want 

 to say that during my ten years as a 

 retailer there were times when the 

 prices were so high it almost seemed as 

 if the wholesaler were trying to put me 

 out of business (though I knew his de- 

 sire was far from that). Then, again, 

 there were times when flowers were so 

 cheap it was just like taking milk from 

 a baby — and we all took it; so it seems 

 to me it 's just about a fifty-fifty propo- 

 sition. 



Demand Ctovems Price. 



The price of cut flowers seems to me 

 to be governed more by the law of sup- 

 ply and demand than that of any other 

 commodity. It is my opinion that a 

 better arrangement for price fixing can- 

 not be found. 



Speaking of demand, gentlemen, has 

 it ever occurred to you what has caused 

 the unusual demand of the last twelve 

 months or more? I claim that it is co- 

 operation and with a little more of it 

 you can double the supply of flowers 

 and the demand will take care of it. 

 If I remember correctly, and I think I 

 do, just a few months before this un- 

 usual demand began, florists started a 

 national campaign of cooperative adver- 

 tising in which both the wholesaler and 

 the retaUer united in pushing "Say It 

 with Flowers." T. D. Smedley. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



New York and vicinity have expe- 

 rienced one of tlie worst snow storms in 

 history. In some respects it outdid the 

 blizzard of 1888. It started early 

 Wednesday, February 4, and continued 

 throughout the next day, the snow al- 

 ternating with hail and sleet and some 

 rain to finish it. The result has been a 

 general tie-up of transportation facili- 

 ties. Under the circumstances the cut 

 flower market has been poorly supplied, 

 many growers finding it impossible to 

 get their product into the city. After 

 bright weather Saturday and Sunday, 

 February 7 and 8, conditions are some- 

 what improved. The market is well 

 supplied now and the demand is suffi- 

 cient to take all arrivals. Bulbous 

 flowers predominate and some fine stock 

 is arriving. Tulips and narcissi are in 

 heavy supply and move well at good 

 prices. 



Freesias are generally of high quality 

 and bring 35 cents to 75 cents per 

 bunch. There is a big supply of hybrid 

 freesias available in different shades of 

 color, but they do not appear to excite 

 much interest. Eoses are in short sup- 

 ply. American Beauty is scarcer than 

 any other and prices remain at the high 

 point that they reached two or three 

 weeks ago. Hybrid teas are in some- 

 what better supply, but in the short 

 grades continue scarce. Carnations are 

 in better supply, but the price of the 

 best stock is still high, $15 per hundred 

 being the top price now, with Laddie 

 and selected flowers bringing as much 

 as $20. 



Cattleyas are in larger supply, but 

 the demand for them is not particu- 

 larly active. Cypripediums are plenti- 

 ful. There is a fair supply of gardenias 

 and the quality was never better; in 

 fact, more magnificent flowers have 

 seldom been seen. 



Valley is abundant and moves slowly. 

 It is evident that the extreme shortage 

 of the last several months has been over- 



t^WWl^WWWWWW[«^WWt^l^ 



GEORGE C. WEILAin). 



OF course you know Evanston, 111. It is Chicago's highbrow suburb, seat of 

 Northwestern University. George C. Weiland is a hard-headed, hard-working 

 florist; he hasn't been spoiled by living his entire life in the rarified atmosphere 

 of Evanston. He was born there in 1880, the same year that his father, Matt 

 Weiland, established the business of which the son now is the head. In addition 

 to conducting a downtown retail store, Mr. Weiland has a range of glass in 

 Evanston, devoted to carnations and miscellaneous stock, also a new range at 

 Niles Center, 111., where roses are grown. Mr. Weiland was one of the organ- 

 izers and now is president of the Chicago Flower Growers' Association, the whole- 

 sale outlet through which some sixty growers sell their stock on the Chicago market. 

 He is a life member of the S. A. F., a member of the F. T. D., the Chicago Florists' 

 Club and many other trade organizations, besides being a fourth degree member 

 of the Knights of Columbus. He is married and there are six Weilands of the 

 third generation to become florists. 



come and we are not likely to have a 

 repetition of it, at least in the near fu- 

 ture. Easter lilies continue scarce and 

 bring as much as $40 per hundred for 

 the best. A few rubrums are to be had 

 at 10 cents to 12 cents per flower. 



There is a good supply of miscellane- 

 ous flowers, including calendulas, wall- 

 flowers, pansies, mignonette, bouvardia, 

 primulas, violets and snapdragons. 



Sweet peas are plentiful and move 

 well. Lilac is in small supply. Acacias 

 are to be had at $2 to $4 per bunch and 

 there is a quantity of forsythia 

 branches, which move at prices accord- 

 ing to quality. Callas are in better 

 supply. 



Various Notes. 



The storm of last week seriously af- 



fected the florists' business, curtailing 

 the supply and making express ship- 

 ments impossible. While most of the 

 near-by growers managed to get ship- 

 ments in, it was only by personal effort 

 and in many cases consignments were 

 brought in as emergency baggage. Many 

 growers report breakage of glass during 

 the storm, but, with a mild temperature 

 prevailing throughout the storm, there 

 was little damage to the stock. By the 

 orders of Mayor Hylan, the only trafSc 

 allowed on the street was that in con- 

 nection with the food supply and the 

 preservation of the public health. This 

 hampered business because of the with- 

 drawing of the express and teaming 

 service. Never before were the streets 

 of New York in such a deplorable con- 

 dition and only by the suspension of 



