Mabch 3, 1921 



The Florists^ Review 



37 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



The Market. 



Business was generally slack last 

 week, with the exception of George 

 Washington's birthday, when there 

 were a number of dinners and dances. 

 Stock continues to be plentiful in all 

 lines, with the exception of roses and 

 sweet peas. The demand for these still 

 exceeds the supply. American Beauties 

 are still scarce and hard to get at $15 a 

 dozen. Good lilies can be had at $12 

 per hundred. Freesias are $10 per hun- 

 dred. 



Various Notes. 



On Washington's birthday the Wash- 

 ington Monument Association held its 

 annual celebration at the Washington 

 monument. Representatives of all the 

 civic and patriotic organizations were 

 present and many wreaths were placed 

 there. The ceremony was impressive 

 and the wreaths that lined the base of 

 the monument were from ten to twelve 

 feet in diameter. Among these was one 

 from the citizens of Washington, placed 

 there by William F. Gude. 



Z. D. Blackistone is away at present, 

 spending a week on his farm at Fort 

 Washington, Md. 



The yenate has appropriated $20,000 

 for the purpose of fighting the straw- 

 berry beetle, rose midge and other in- 

 door greenhouse pests. At first the bill 

 didn't have a chance, as Congress has 

 been cutting down all appropriations, 

 but William F. Gude went to see Sen- 

 ator Gronna and received encourage- 

 ment provided he could show how the 

 money should be spent. So the bill 

 finally passed the Senate. Mr. Gude is 

 now working to see that the bill passes 

 the House and becomes law. This is 

 the first appropriation to be made for 

 these items. G. A. E. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



The market continues on the dull 

 side, in spite of the fact that arrivals 

 are not heavy in any line. Bulbous 

 stock seems to be taking a breathing 

 spell, shipments being lighter than for 

 many days, although large quantities 

 of stock are still to be accounted for. 

 The line of argument pursued by the 

 reitailcrs is that the small demand for 

 flowers has been due to the high prices 

 asked by the wholesalers. Arrivals 

 Monday, February 28, seem to clear 

 fairly well, because they are not heavy. 

 All last week the demand was spas- 

 modic. The heavy snow Btoni Sunday, 

 February 90, resulted in fe^jjiihipments 

 Monday, February 21, and Tuesday, 

 February 22, being a holidaji^ there was 

 not much in the way of extra demand 

 for flowers. A surplus to clear February 

 23 did not help arrivals on that day, 

 and clearances at the week-end were 

 accomplished only by concessions to 

 buyers. The week of February 28 may 

 see a change in conditions. The weather 

 is mild and promises to continue so, and 

 mild weather means considerable to re- 

 tailers, as #owers may be worn an the 

 streets and a vast quantity is con- 

 sumed in this way. 



^e market is well supplied with 

 roses excepting American Beauties, ar- 

 rivals of which are light. There ii 

 always a light cut preceding inaugura- 

 tion day, which is at hand, and flowers, 



no doubt, are being held for Washing- 

 ton, D. C., requirements. Hybrid teas 

 are in good supjjjy and the quality is 

 fine. 



Carnations are in plentiful supply 

 and the quality shows an improvement. 

 Growers report a pretty large crop in 

 sight for Easter 



Orchids continue in bountiful supply 

 and cattleyaa move well. Easter lilies 

 meet a fair demand. Formosums are 

 now coming in. Lily of the valley is in 

 large supply, and moves within n. price 

 range of $1.00 to $6.00 per 100 sprays. 

 Gardenias are in such small supply as 

 to be almost out of the market. 



Sweet peas are abundant, with few 

 fine-grade flowers coming in. The cut 

 from early plantings is of short- 

 stemmed stock. Violets are of poor 

 quality. 



Miscellaneous flowers are in heavy 

 supply, but they move fairly well. Myo- 

 sotis is plentiful, as also are calendula 

 and primula in two or three varieties. 

 Tulips have shortened up a little, but 

 arrivals cover a lot of poor quality 

 flowers. There are plenty of pansies, 

 snapdragons, lilacs, cornflowers, free- 

 sias, alyssum, wallflowers, mignonette, 

 stocks and daisies. 



Executive Meeting. 



A meeting of the chairmen of the 

 different sections of the Allied Florists' 

 Trade Association of New York, acting 

 as the executive board of the organiza- 

 tion, was held at the office of the 

 New York Florists' Club, 43 West 

 Eighteenth street, Thursday afternoon, 

 February 24, with A. M. Henshaw pre- 

 siding. The resignation of John Young, 

 secretary, was accepted with regret, but 

 it was realized that Mr. Young's many 

 other duties would not permit his 

 attention to the affairs of the new or- 

 ganization in a manner satisfactory to 

 him. Aubrey S. Nash, of Hentz & Nash, 

 .55 West Twenty-Sixth street, was 

 chosen secretary, and Frank H. 

 Tracndly, of Traendly & Schemck, 436 

 Sixth avenue, was chosen treasurer. The 

 only branch of the retail trade repre- 

 sented at the meeting was that of the 

 Greek-American Florists' Association. 

 It was reported that funds already 

 available for publicity purposes 

 amounted to about $3,600 and after con- 

 siderable discussion it was decided to 

 commence local advertising at once. 

 Several plans for a beginning were 

 given consideration, and it was decided 

 to run a display advertisement of good 

 size some day this week in seven New 

 York dailies, the matter to be used, and 

 other details, being left to an adver- 

 tising committee. The committee was 

 directed to meet for this purpose Mon- 

 day afternoon, February 28. 



Spring Flower Show. 



Interest now centers upon the spring 

 flower show, which opens at the Grand 

 Central Palace, March 14. Everybedy 

 is enthusiastic over the prospects for the 

 success of the exhibition, and the pub- 

 lic is beginning to sit up and take 

 notice of the show dates, lit is expected 

 that the commercial exhibits will be 

 larger in number this year than for 

 some years. Notwithstanding that the 

 opening occurs on the regular meeting 

 day of the New York Florists' Club, the 

 meeting will be held as usual in the 

 club 's quarters in the Engineering So- 

 cieties ' building, 25 West Thirty-ninth 

 street. 



Hugh Findlay, lecturer in horticulture 



at Columbia University, is to present, 

 under the direction of the Columbia 

 department of extension teaching, 

 eight biweekly lectures, from March 1 

 to Maych 29, on vegetable and fruit 

 growing. O. S. Morgan, professor of 

 agriculture, also of Columbia Univer- 

 sity, urges the resumption of war- 

 garden work. The average American 

 family, he states, can grow one-eighth 

 of its food and save at least $100 a 

 year by planting a home garden. If we 

 can believe a writer in the last issu^ of 

 Printers' Ink, the enthusiasm for 

 gardening already has begun, and tho 

 biggest season ever is expected by the 

 seedsmen and others, but he attributes 

 this condition entirely to advertising. 



Various Notes. 



The store of R. J. Rogers, 75 Main 

 street, Hempstead, L. I., has been re- 

 modeled and a bulb window display 

 featured. 



C. H. Totty, of Madison, N. .!., and 

 L. B. Coddington, of Murray Hill, N. J., 

 are touring the middle west and Canada, 

 visiting various growers' establish- 

 ments. 



The partnership of Costas N. Sakelos 

 and Nicholas J. Pallas in the retail flo- 

 rists' business at 4259 Broadway has 

 been dissolved. The business will in 

 the future be conducted by Mr. Pallas. 



J. H. P. 



The Greek-American Florists' Asso- 

 ciation has completed arrangements for 

 its annual ball, which will be held in 

 the grand ballroom of the Hotel Com- 

 modore, March 2. 



• CHICAGO. 



The Market. 



Growers and wholesalers who compare 

 their February sales with those of a year 

 ago experience a sinking sensation in tho 

 pit of the stomach, but retailers are able 

 to view the situation with equanimity; 

 they did not sell so much in dollars and 

 cents as in February, 1920, but in quan- 

 tity of stock they sold considerably more 

 and gave the public much better value, 

 the lower purchasing coats going a long 

 way toward offsetting such decrease in 

 retail sales as occurred. Many small 

 dealers who couldn't do business at the 

 high prices are back in the market. 

 They may not bring big money, but their 

 presence indicates that there are a great 

 many people whose desire for flowers 

 has not been gratified under previous 

 conditions. 



Wholesalers' sales for February show 

 a tremendous shrinkage, but in most 

 eases remain well above the record for 

 the month in 1919. The decrease was as 

 much as a quarter, a third or even nearly 

 a half, and was largest with those who 

 did the biggest business last year. It 

 was due to much lower prices, because 

 greater quantities of stock were han- 

 dled. Flowers at wholesale participated 

 in the general readjustment process 

 along with otfrer commodities. Retailers 

 never come down on their selling prices 

 as fast as the market falls, feeling, no 

 doubt, that they would have difficulty 

 getting Mp again. 



The ultimate week of the month was 

 not in any way better than the penulti- 

 mate week, and neither approached the 

 antepenultimate quarter of the month, 

 in which the good St. Valentine's day 

 business was done. The month ended 

 [Continued on page 42.1 



