NOTKMBBB 11. 1020 



The Florists' Review 



31 



William Plumb. 



William I'lunib, president of the New 

 York Florists' Club for two terms, 18!)8 

 and 189!), died at the Hotel' Breslin, 

 New York, on the eveninfj of November 

 6, of heart failure 8U|)erinduced by an 

 attack of pleurisy. Durinjj the last few 

 years he had been cnjj;a<i;ed in landseajjo 

 work in Cuba, making his headquarters 

 at Havana. 



In the early days of tlio New York 

 Florists' Club's history he was one of 

 its stanch sujiporters, and figured in 

 the flower shows of those times as a 

 capable manager, particularly in the 

 shows lield at Madison Square Garden, 

 then and now one of New York's great- 

 est exhibition halls. He was well quali- 

 fied as a gardener and horticulturist for 

 his undertakings, which included the 

 development of both private estates 

 and- commercial establishments. When 

 I)repa rations were in progress for the 

 big I'anatna-Pacific exposition, at San 

 Francisco, he was appointed superin- 

 tendent of the department of horticul- 

 ture. 



Mr. Plumb was j)osscssed of a most 

 charming personality, which endeared 

 him to a host of friends. He arrived in 

 New York from Havana Tuesday, 

 November 2. He had not been feeling 

 well, and remained in seclusion until 

 November 6, when he felt somewliat 

 Ix'tter and entertained liis nephew, 

 CliJirles Plumb, to whom he ex])laiu('(l 

 hi.s unannounced visit as due to the fact 

 that linaucial conditfions in Cuba made it 

 possible for him to come north to renew 

 ac(|uaintance with his friends. When he 

 retired to liis room, his'Wlness asserted 

 itself to such an extent that lie died be- 

 fore medical aid could reach him. He 

 was born seventy years ago, in Hunting- 

 don, Hants county, England, the birth- 

 place of Oliver Cromwell. Tlie deceased 

 wasa n'cmber of the S. A. F., F. & A. M., 

 Knights Templar, Shriners, Odd Fellows 

 and KIks. He leaves a widow and one 

 daughter, Mildred, both residents of 

 Boston. The body was taken to Boston 

 Monday, November 8, where intertnent 

 was made. J. H. P. 



George Williams. 



George Williams, a veteran florist of 

 India najiolis, Ind., died Saturday even- 

 ing, Nd\eniber (i. Several years ago he 

 organized the firm of George Williams 

 & Son, but recently he relinquished 

 active participation in the business. 

 His son, Earle, now manages the busi- 

 ness. 



Augiist F. Hoflfmeister. 



Aiigust F. Ilnffmeister died at the 

 home of his sister, Mrs. William San- 

 ders, at Westwood, Cincinnati, 0., 

 Wednesday, November 3, after a linger- 

 ing illness. He was 55 years of age. 



Mr. Hofl'mcister and his two sisters 

 organized the Hoffmeister P'loral Co. 

 twenty-five years ago. Later they spe- 

 cialized in the growing of Easter lilies 

 and were one of the largest concerns of 

 lliat nature west of New York. Mr. 

 Ili^ffmcister was known as the "Ohio 

 ily king." During the last year ho 

 had been residing on his farm near 

 Amelia, O. He was a member of the 



William PItimb. 



Cincinnati Florists' Club, the Society 

 of American Florists and the .\uu'ricau 

 Forestry Association. 



IJesiili's -Mrs. Sanders, three sisters, 

 Mrs. i;mnia Wendland and the Misses 

 Margaret and Car(dine Hoffmeister, and 

 the deceased's mother survive him. The 

 funeral ser\i<'cs were held ;it Spring 

 Gro\e ci'Mietery. G. H. K. 



TORONTO, ONT. 



The big event of the week was the 

 flower show conducted by Toronto retail 

 florists. This annual mum show is held 

 in the individual flower shojjs. There 

 were some beautiful window displays. 

 The usual immense exhibition mums were 

 missing, but there were thousands of 

 other kinds, including beautiful Turners, 

 for which there was a grxxl sale. The 

 show ha<l the effect of making all flo- 

 rists make use of their windows and 

 make sjiecial decorations. Some of 

 these wimlows were arranged with 

 baskets of mums and others contained 

 banks of mums, these banks extending 

 into the stores in some cases. 



The demand for wedding decorations 

 has fallen off considerably during the 

 last week, but there are many requests 

 for decorations for teas, whicli appear 

 to be the order of the day. These deco- 

 rations consist chiefly of palms, ferns 

 and mums. 



The cut flower trade is good and the 

 demand for design work continues. 



A. W. Doughty has rei'utered the flo- 

 rists' trade after an absence of a year. 

 His new store is on Dan forth avenue. 



J. P. McCarthy, of the M. Rice Co., 

 Philadelphia, was in town last week. 



George Mjintun, for many years a 

 grower in Toronto, dii'd November 5. 



Mr. and -Mrs. .1. .\.. Neal have moved 

 to the city I'cir the winter, after sjiend- 

 ing the snnuiier at their farm. 



J. J. II. 



CHICAGO. 



The Market. 



Last wi'ek's tdeetiiiii excitement had 

 nil sooner subsided than the market ex- 

 perienced a iii'-e little boom. The reason 

 seemed to be tiiat nearly all the retailers 

 who draw stock from ChicaLTo's whole- 

 sale district had carrieii as little as pos- 

 sible o\er the days of tln' lanilslide and 

 its afterm.'ith; as soon ;is the distraction 

 l>assed the stores all stocked up again 

 and made of the end of the week a veri- 

 table little holiday. As the supply of 

 lliiwers was not large, prices were ini- 

 ]iro\ed and jiractically everything was 

 cleaned up Saturda\- night. 



Business not only is good, but it is 

 running uji sales totals ahead of the 

 record for the same time last year. In 

 October this result was attained on 

 quantity sold at low prices, but now it is 

 the result of small sujiply sold at better 

 prices than pre\ailed last year. In 

 no line is the supjdy large. Dur- 

 iiit,' the chrysanthemum se.-ison none 

 of the growers cares to bring in 

 a hea\>- crop of anything else and 

 this \ear there are not many mums. 

 Last year's oversupply and low jirices 

 had the usual result; for this market 

 not nearly so many mums or pomjions 

 were idanted as in 1919. Consequently, 



