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TRADE CELEBRATES <^ 



s^ BIG CHRISTMAS 



lAUU affected hy general business apathy, florists enjoyed excellent 

 Christmas trade in both plants and cut flowers. The supply of the former 

 was not so large or varied as previously and the weather hindened the latter, 

 but sales were large. To get the stock desired was more difficult than to sell it. 



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OW independent is the 

 flower business from the 

 general depression that af- 

 fects other lines was dem- 

 onstrated in the Christmas 

 trade last week. A hesi- 

 "^ ^ tancy on retailers' part to 

 (^"^Oti^ prepare for a large busi- 

 ness indicated two weeks 

 ago their opinion that the 

 public would curtail its holiday 

 purchases in the same spirit that 

 it bore, and bears, toward merchandise 

 lines in general. But the "buyers' 

 strike" did not extend to flow- 

 the trade now well 



less careful florists a part of their 

 otherwise good profit in replacing 

 frozen plants and flowers. Thursday, 

 December 23, was none too mild, the 

 temperature hovering close to freezing 

 in the north central states, though it 

 was generally higher and more favor- 

 able in the east. 



Weather a Handicap. 



Friday brought a drop of from a dozen 

 to a score degrees, necessitating more 

 care and greater wrapping. The snow 

 and cold, too, kept indoors many who 



ers, as 



knows, for Christmas sales, as a 

 general rule, were not far be- 

 hind the record set last year, a 

 fact that may be considered re- 

 markable in view of the lack of 

 holiday buying in other lines. 

 Not only has the trade reason 

 for satisfaction in an excellent 

 Yuletide business, but it may 

 also congratulate itself on hav- 

 ing so firmly established the de- 

 sire, if not need, of its commod- 

 ity in the public's mind that the 

 demand therefor holds strong 

 though other lines feel general 

 depression. 



Close to Becord. 



From all parts of the country 

 reports agree that this holiday's 

 business was one of the best the 

 trade has had. Few ^orists as- 

 sert that it was a record-break- 

 er, though in some places it was 

 exceptionally good. But in many 

 localities this year's sales were 

 so close to last year's high mark 

 that the trade feels elated. 

 Many florists had anticipations 

 of much less and were therefore 

 agreeably surprised by the last- 

 hour tide of buying that brought 

 the total so high. Of course, 

 there were localities where the 

 shutdown of factories and mills 

 cut down the buying capacity of 

 the local trade to a marked de- 

 gree; in those places this Christ- 

 mas has been far behind the 

 profitable pitch of some other 

 years. But these places are not 

 so numerous, nor is the slump 

 so notable as many believed it 

 would be. 



The sudden descent in tem- 

 perature which took place the 

 day before Christmas in certain 

 sections of the country cost the 



Send a 



Gift of Flowers 



c^ 



— Blooming Plants or Cut Flowers tastily 

 arranged in baskets 



GIFT having the distinctive 

 quality of really pleasing the 

 recipient. 



It is an ideal Friendly Greeting 

 and an intimate personal gift 

 as well. 



Christmas Cheer and Flowery 

 are synonymous. 



would otherwise have been out shopping 

 that day and deprived florists of much 

 counter trade. 



Some districts were better favored 

 and florists in those places experienced 

 good cash sales and little difficulty in 

 delivering orders. From those sections 

 reports of the holiday's business are 

 brightest. 



To the growers, of course, the weather 

 of the preceding month had been a 

 handicap, though whether more than 

 usual is liard to say. The effects were 

 most marked in cut flowers. The variety 

 was notably small this year, and 

 good stock was not overabun- 

 dant. All of the best that could 

 be had found a ready sale, but 

 some poor stock could not be 

 moved. Beauties were not plen- 

 tiful. Carnations felt the effects 

 of the weather, and the small 

 supply available brought excel- 

 lent prices. Red, naturally, was 

 all too scarce. Violets were not 

 in their usual supply and were 

 missed in many stores. Sweet 

 l)eas, because of the weather, 

 cut less figure than usual. Paper 

 Whites and Soleil d'Or helped 

 out in some places, the former 

 being quite abundant in some 

 places. Other items did not cut 

 much figure. Eoses were the big 

 item and, as always, were too 

 few in the good grades and too 

 many in the poor. These condi- 

 tions, one slrould remember, are 

 generally stated, though some 

 items varied widely in different 

 localities. 





'kwcMm 



Heavy Advertising Aided Christmas Sales in Chicago. 



Plants Not Plentiful. 



In plants the supply was not 

 the most favorable. The variety 

 on hand seemed less than in 

 former years. For a second sea- 

 son that Christmas stand-by, the 

 cyclamen, was far from plentiful 

 enough. Nor were any other 

 items in markedly large supply. 

 The opinion was general among 

 retailers that there were not 

 enough of the handsome speci- 

 mens that appeal to the best 

 trade. In place of such offer- 

 ings were substituted baskets of 

 ]ilants in which the artistry of 

 the arrangement was made to 

 supply what the culture failed 

 to furnish. Some large poinset- 

 tias and some fine ericas were 

 seen here and there, as were a 

 few of other kinds of plants, but 



