22 



The Florists^ Review 



JANUABZ 6, 1921 



year filled with pleasant memories, and 

 with cordial New Year greetings. 



Kathryn Beech Tracy, 

 Betiring President. 



BASMUSSEN'S PEOFIT-SHAMNa. 



The plan of Anders Basmussen, New 

 Albany, Ind., for operating his 300,000 

 feet of glass on a profit-sharing basis 

 was read with much interest by the 

 trade last spring. In carrying out this 

 plan. New Year gifts of a most substan- 

 tial nature were distributed January 1 

 by Mr. Basmussen to the employees in 

 his establishment. He has over fifty 

 employees on his pay roll and each was 

 the recipient of a cash bonus in recog- 

 nition of services during the last year. 



The bonuses ranged from $260 for 

 employees who have been on the pay roll 

 for one year to $560 for the oldest em- 

 ployee in point of service, who had been 

 on the pay roll for the last nineteen 

 years. The next highest has been in the 

 employ of Mr. Basmussen for seventeen 

 years, one for fourteen years, two for 

 eleven years, one for ten years, six for 

 seven years and the others for five years 

 or less. 



The money distributed represents all 

 the earnings for 1920 above six per cent 

 interest on the capital invested, based 

 on a pre-war valuation with allowance 

 of a reasonable amount for depreciation. 



Mr. Basmussen said that the same 

 profit-sharing plan would be carried out 

 in 1921. 



BIG CHRISTMAS BEGONIAS. 



The accompanying illustration is hon- 

 est evidence of Melior begonias such as 

 growers dream about but seldom pro- 

 duce. This picture was taken October 

 16, just at the time when the plants 



fer- to them as Mutt and Jeflf, Mr. Butz 

 being so much shorter than Mr. Lewis. 

 At these references the gentlemen 

 laugh, for Mr. Lewis says that Mr. Butz 

 is tall enough to grow begonias, while 

 Mr. Butz returns the compliment by say- 

 ing that he has no fear of being beaten 

 while under his big boss's protection. 

 But, casting the comedy aside, we must 

 mention the fact that all florists who 

 have seen the plants have admitted 

 frankly that never have they seen be- 

 gonias comparable to them. At the 

 stores of W. J. Palmer & Son, in Buffalo, 

 the plants were sold for from $10 to $25 

 each at Christmas. They were not put 

 in baskets, nor did they need much ar- 

 ranging to bring these prices. Mr. Butz 

 has now a 100-foot house filled with 

 Melior leaves, rooted and ready to pot. 



F. P. A. 



DEPARTS AFTER HOLIDAYS. 



Peoria "Florist" Disappears. 



About two months ago Alex G. Nagus 

 opened a flower store at Peoria, 111., 

 supposedly having come from Bockford, 

 111., and did business under the name of 

 the Peoria Floral Co. After selling 

 flowers at low prices for the holidays, 

 he failed to open for business after 

 Christmas. The Peoria Star December 

 30 printed the following in regard to 

 his departure: 



Alex O. Nagus, florist, said It with flowers. 

 He used forget-me-nots in tlie form of bills due 

 and unpaid, and from present prospects likely 

 to remain tbat way for a long, long time. 



A few montlis ago Nagus came to Peoria from 

 somewhere. He went to the Peoria Merchants' 

 Association to get fixed for a credit rating and 

 became very "hard-boiled" for a dealer In 

 blooms because he was asked some very perti- 

 nent questions at>out his financial past. 



Names and addresses of a few Chicago firms 

 were given by Nagus as references. Letters 

 from the association to these firms brought replies 



Big Begonias that Brought Banner Prices in Buffalo at Christmas. 



were commencing to bloom. The plants 

 in the illustration measured more than 

 three feet across the top, and from the 

 appearance of them one can easily 

 imagine their beauty and size when in 

 their prime, about December 25. 



The grower is Carl Butz, formerly 

 with the S. A. Anderson establishment, 

 Buffalo, and F. G. Lewis, of Lockport, 

 N. Y. Many friends of these men re- 



tliat Nagus was unknown to them and that none 

 liad ever extended credit to a man of his name. 



Upon tlie showing made, the association re- 

 fused to give Nagus credit stunding. Neverthe- 

 less, lie managed to get himself trusted. As yet 

 it is not known just how far lie got into various 

 reoria firms, as his departure from Peoria only 

 became known to the association yesterday. 



Nagus had a shop in the new Palace theater 

 building. Today a few faded blossoms and the 

 fixtures arc all that remain. Creditors anxious 

 to realize at least a little on their bills are 

 endeavoring to find out who owns the fixtures, 

 with the idea of levying on them. It was learned 



today that the , totures yrere botight from * CM; 

 cago concern, but It is not known yet whether 

 or not they are paid for. 



STUCK TO HIS POST. 



During the rire that destroyed the 

 store of the 0. A. Dahl Co. and the 

 floral department of the Nunnally Co., 

 at Atlanta, Ga., John A. Lambert, the 

 well known traveling representative of 

 the Ove Gnatt Co., performed a deed 

 which is well worth mentioning. It not 

 only was a heroic act, but also demon- 

 strated his love of his work. 



Mr. Lambert, while visiting his little 

 daughter, assisted in the Nunnally store 

 during the holidays. During the con- 

 flagration, while the smoke poured into 

 the building and the walls were becom- 

 ing hot, he completed the task which he 

 had begun. While I was gathering to- 

 gether the valuables, he stuck at his 

 post, making a corsage for a wedding 

 which was to take place immediately. 

 Upon completing the work he pinned it 

 on the bride and carried her into the 

 street to safety. 



Upon being congratulated for his dar- 

 ing work, he modestly made the reply, 

 "We have only made another heart 

 glad. ' ' George 8. Farr. 



CARNATIONS IN GERMANY. 



Light on florists' conditions in Ger- 

 many is given in a letter from Otto 

 Dellinger, who was formerly with the 

 Chicago Carnation Co., at . Joliet, 111. 

 He is now manager of the Nelkenkul- 

 turen von Curt Moll, Bergsdorf, Niedet- 

 barnim, near Berlin, Germany^,^ 



"I have sent through my bank $2, 

 which in German money is 170 marks. 

 It is a lot of money to send for The Re- 

 view," stated Mr. Dellinger, "but I 

 cannot be without the paper. I have 

 waited for our money to have better 

 value in the United States, but because 

 of the necessity of having The Review 

 I have sacrificed such gain in the value 

 of our currency. ' ' 



Mr. Dellinger is engaged in growing 

 carnations and says they are now sell- 

 ing for about 60 marks per dozen. He 

 states the firm has about 100,000 plants 

 under cultivation at the present time. 



"The best of all," he says, "is still 

 Enchantress, with its famous sport. 

 White Wonder is good, but Mrs. Ward, 

 which has been our best cerise, is now 

 smaii. Beacon we can grow finely. The 

 dark Carola, an English raised variety, 

 also thrives well with us. Alma Ward, 

 Gorgeous, Bassett, Superior, Perfection 

 and many others are gone forever." 



San Antonio, Tex.— H. J. Campiche is 

 preparing to open a retail store under 

 the title of the Art Floral Co., at 117 

 Avenue D. The store is now being fitted 

 up in fir.st-class shape and Mr. Campiche 

 hopes to have it ready to open about 

 February ]. The location is in the cen- 

 ter of the high-class retail district and 

 the equipment will be in keeping with 

 the location. 



St. Joseph, Mo.—' ' Christmas business 

 was a big surprise," says the Park 

 Floral Co. "Everything was sold at 

 good prices. The prices were about the 

 same as last year, but the total receipts 

 were fully seventy-five per cent better 

 than m 1919. F. T. D. orders were fre- 

 quent, both incoming and outgoing." 

 Mr. Kuhn, one of the proprietors, states 

 that prospects for Easter have never 

 been brighter; in fact, many orders for 

 that holiday have already been taken. 



