18 



The Florists^ Review 



May 24, 1917. 



hibition and asking them how much the reist, sending the flowers to the and also of the flowers, appeared in the 

 space th6y would like. Those who en- stores and removing them at their own windows, so that no one needed to ask 

 tered the show with their flowers did expense. The names of the exhibitors, questions." 



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HOLLAND HOUSE BUYS AMERICAN FARM 



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WILL GROW GLADIOLUS BULBS. 



Bandall Sells His Farm. 



A. J. Pruyser, a member of the firm 

 of Westerbeek & Klyn, of Sassenheim, 

 Holland, and the firm 's principal Ameri- 

 can representative, authorizes the an- 

 nouncement that he has completed ar- 

 rangements for taking over July 1 the 

 gladiolus farm of A. L. Eandall, at Ben- 

 ton Harbor, Mich. 



Westerbeek & Ellyn, while they handle 

 Dutch and French bulbs of all kinds, 

 have made a specialty of the gladiolus. 

 It is reported that their purchases of 

 gladiolus bulbs in Holland this season 

 practically cornered the market there, 

 and against these purchases they made 

 sales to a large number of customers 

 in America, having at one time as 

 many as seven men traveling here. 

 When it began to be doubtful if the 

 Holland stock would arrive in time for 

 delivery, Westerbeek & Klyn went into 

 the American market and bought great 

 quantities of gladiolus bulbs with which 

 to protect themselves with their cus- 

 tomers. Among their purchases was 

 the entire stock of the Cushman Gladio- 

 lus Co., at Sylvania, O., where they al- 

 ready had a considerable acreage being 

 grown on contract from bulbs supplied 

 by themselves the season before. 



The Uncertainty of Importing. 



The uncertainty which must surround 

 the importation of stock as long as 

 the war lasts has been the principal 

 reason why Westerbeek & Klyn decided 

 to establish a growing farm of their 

 own, centrally located in America. The 

 Cushman property was not available, 

 nearly all the real estate having recently 

 passed into other hands, which was the 

 reason why E. H. Cushman retired from 

 the gladiolus business. The Eandall 

 property seemed well adapted to the 

 needs and offered the great advantage 

 of being a going concern. 



A. L. Randall, while a Chicagoan, 

 has made his summer home at Benton 

 Harbor, Mich., for many years. Through 

 several purchases he has acquired a 

 property of seventy-five acres practical- 

 ly all within the city limits. He has de- 

 veloped one of the largest stocks of 

 gladiolus bulbs in the country; 1,500,000 

 America have been planted this spring, 

 and, in addition, he has peonies and 

 a considerable quantity of nursery 

 stock on the property. Farm buildings 

 and stock all are included in the pur- 

 chase. No announcement is made of 

 the consideration in the deal, but it 

 is understood to be in the vicinity of 

 $30,000. 



Three Million Bulbs. 



Westerbeek & Klyn, according to Mr. 

 Pruyser, will ship what is left of the 

 Cushman stock and plant it at Benton 

 Harbor. This is said to include a num- 

 ber of new, scarce and high-priced 

 varieties. They contemplate an output 



of 3,000,000 bulbs for next season's 

 delivery and it is understood that Ralph 

 Cushman, son of E. H. Cushman, will 

 have charge of the oflS^ce and shipping 

 at Benton Harbor. 



Westerbeek & Klyn believe that the 

 success of the Holland bulb dealer lies 

 more in his alertness and hard work 

 than in the soil or climate of Holland. 

 They believe that a large number of 

 other bulbs can be grown in America 

 with the same satisfactory results as 

 are obtained with the gladiolus. They 

 believe that the business can be con- 

 ducted in this country with as much 

 economy as in Holland except for the 

 higher cost of labor, and they believe 

 that the labor cost will be repaid by 

 certain other advantages. For instance, 

 with gladiolus bulbs losses have oc- 

 curred in both early and late ship- 

 ments, sufficient in their opinion to 

 cover the difference in the cost of 

 growing in this country. With peonies, 



NOTICE 



Will go to press Tuesday, May 29, 

 one day earlier than usual. 



This is because the regular press 

 day, Wednesday, is a legal holiday. 

 Consequently, those who want things 

 printed in the issue of that week 

 should see to it their letters reach 

 the office of The Review 



MONDAY, MAY 28. 



shipments frequently arrived too late 

 for fall planting, and the losses which 

 have ensued will pay the difference in 

 the cost of production in America. In- 

 cidentally, a part of the stock acquired 

 with the Randall purchase is a fine lot 

 of Peony Jules Elie, of which no large 

 stocks are said to exist either in this 

 country or in Holland. 



Westerbeek & Klyn look forward to 

 the day when they can grow hyacinths 

 and tulips as well as narcissus bulbs 

 in this country, and they believe that 

 the establishment of the industry here 

 on a commercial basis will be by men 

 of experience in the business in Hol- 

 land. 



Will Try to Grow Valley Pips. 



An attempt will be made to grow lily 

 of the valley pips at Benton Harbor. 

 Soil and climatic conditions are con- 



sidered to afford hope of success. In 

 Holland it is said that the area planted 

 to lily of the valley pips in the Ham- 

 burg, Germany, district this year ap- 

 proximates only one-fourth of what was 

 a normal acreage before the war. It 

 is reported from Germany that lily of 

 the valley flowers have, during the win- 

 ter just passed, brought prices consid- 

 erably better than those which pre- 

 vailed before the war and the growers 

 of pips have planned to maintain the 

 supply for the home market. Because 

 of the lack of any prospect of being 

 able to export and because of the need 

 of food crops, the production of pips 

 has been cut down to the extent of the 

 quantity previously exported and the 

 plowed ground has been put in food 

 crops. 



Even if the war should end tomor- 

 row, it will be several years before the 

 supply of German valley pips equals 

 that of normal seasons and anyone de- 

 veloping an American supply will be 

 assured good prices for at least three 

 to five years, with the prospect that a 

 protective tariff would be put on as 

 a further assistance as soon as an 

 American supply is assured. 



Mr. Randall's Reservations. 



It is understood that one of the terms 

 of the sale of the Eandall gladiolus 

 farm is that a certain quantity of cut 

 spikes of America be shipped to Mr. 

 Randall's wholesale cut flower house in 

 Chicago this season, but Mr. Pruyser 

 states that this was agreed to only as 

 a means of putting the deal through, 

 and that it will not be the firm's policy 

 to cut and ship flowers after the com- 

 pletion of the present contract. 



Mr. Eandall owns another tract of 

 five acres a little farther out from Ben- 

 ton Harbor, which he will retain as a 

 summer home. 



BRIEF ANSWERS. 



H. B., Wis. — Brodifoa Howellii lila- 

 cina. 



F. McC, Minn. — The parties are re- 

 liable. 



S. & B., Va.— Try B. J. Passmore, Mal- 

 vern, Pa. 



M. B. H., Ala. — John Scheepers & Co., 

 2 Stone street, New York. 



C. E. S., D. C. — Montgomery on 

 Grafted Eoses, 25 cents; Commercial 

 Eose Culture, Holmes, $1.50. The Re- 

 view will send them postpaid on receipt 

 of price. 



W. C. E., N. Y. — The specimen was too 

 withered to identify; pack one so it will 

 arrive in fresh condition. 



M. F. C, S. D. — An article is in prepa- 

 ration, dealing comprehensively with 

 the subject. 



Allentown, Pa. — John F. Horn & Bro. 

 look for a share of Bethlehem steel 

 stock in trade. Prosperity is rampant 

 in Bethlehem and the surrounding coun- 

 try is having its share. 



