66 



The Florists^ Review 



Jdw« 7, 1917. 



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Pacific Coast D epartment 



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LOS ANGELES, CAL. 



The Market. 



A combination of circumstances led 

 to a shortage of some lines of stock this 

 week. The demand from out of town 

 was unprecedented, and there is no 

 questioning the fact that the territory 

 served by Los Angeles is every year be- 

 coming larger and better developed. 

 Small towns that a few years ago were 

 hardly on the map now are supporting 

 a flower store or two, and people who 

 formerly had all they could do to scrape 

 a living now are looking for the luxur- 

 ies of life. The excellent stock shipped 

 by the wholesalers of late years has 

 greatly helped to make flowers popular 

 and possible in the desert towns. At 

 any rate, whatever the cause, the re- 

 sult is here, and a most satisfactory re- 

 sult it is. 



The scarcest article in the market was 

 indoor-grown carnations, and order after 

 order for these had to be turned down. 

 Fortunately, the field crop was fine and 

 in many cases could be substituted at 

 a far lower price, which gave the re- 

 tailers a chance for better profits. 

 Roses, while not so good as those a few 

 weeks ago, are in fair condition and 

 there were about enough to go around. 

 Many more gladioli could have been sold 

 had they been on hand, but the cool 

 weather has held this stock back. 

 America, Panama and Mrs. Francis 

 King are the headliners. 



Orchids and valley are both on the 

 short side, and Cecile Brunner roses are 

 poor. Sweet peas are arriving satisfac- 

 torily, the newer Spencer types being 

 particularly attractive and good. A 

 remarkably good line of purple statice 

 is in and sells freely. 



There is little demand for plants at 

 this time, or the fine hydrangeas now 

 being shown would meet with more 

 favor. Greens are plentiful and of good 

 quality. 



Various Notes. 



At an executive committee meeting 

 hurriedly called by President Taylor of 

 the Los Angeles County Horticultural 

 Society for May 29, a most remarkable 

 condition was brought up. Place of 

 next meeting, speakers, etc., had been 

 arranged, but a member who holds no 

 office whatever had given orders for 

 notices to be printed, containing state- 

 ments to the press altogether diiferent 

 from the society's arrangements. Natur- 

 ally, President Taylor decided to ignore 

 these, and instructions were given to 

 the secretary to give correct data to 

 the press and have corrections printed. 



Henry Kuntz, long known in horti- 

 cultural circles in this city, has returned 

 here from Arizona. He is speaking of 

 an eastern trip. 



Fred Hills, of Hills' Nursery, pre- 

 sented Mrs. Hills with a fine birthday 

 present recently, in the form of a new 

 automobile. With their usual good 

 nature, the couple are taking their 

 friends out for rides around the coun- 

 try. Mr. Hills reports the biggest 

 year's business he has ever had and 

 says that it probably will be necessary 

 to build another greenhouse this year. 



to take care of the increasing trade in 

 ferns alone. 



J. Eolleri, of the California Cut 

 Flower Co., reports a bigger and better 

 shipping business than ever before for 

 Memorial day. Frank Nelson, of this 

 firm, was called east by wire to see his 

 mother, who was seriously ill in Chi- 

 cago. This doubtless interfered with 

 his plans for a vacation trip. Harry 

 Hansen, formerly of this city, and B. 

 W. Perks, more recently of Berkeley, 

 have joined the staff here. 



The cashier's funds at the S. Murata 

 & Co. place will be seriously depleted 

 to pay the month's electric light bill. 

 The staff has had to get down extra 

 early and stay until late at night to 

 handle the shipping business for Me- 

 morial day. 



Fred Sperry, manager of the L. A. 

 Floral Co., was found in somewhat the 

 same position as the O. Henry character 

 who would not take has feet from the 

 cold bed-rail for a fortune. It is true 

 that Fred was using the desk, but he 

 said that both feet and brain required 

 the respite after the big rush at Me- 

 morial day, and he absolutely refused to 

 talk. 



For direct, forceful advertising, the 

 windows of the Germain Seed & Plant 

 Co. are hard to beat. Whoever has 

 charge of this has not only an artistic 

 way of producing a practical effect, but 

 also has the knack of hitting off the 

 situation in a timely manner. For in- 

 stance, the window showing a mountain 

 scene, with fire signs and natural 

 shrubbery, is great. It may not apply 

 directly to the seed or nursery business, 

 but the natural effect produced draws 

 the crowd and familiarizes possible cus- 



tomers with the firm's staple lines. M. 

 L. Germain, president of the company, 

 says that the wonderful amount of busi- 

 ness done in the vegetable seed end has 

 not had any reflex action on the busi- 

 ness of the flower seed and nursery de- 

 partments; in fact, it has been rather 

 the reverse. 



Frank Lichtenberg reports several big 

 decorations and the usual amount of 

 good funeral work. 



E. W. Saake has returned from a few 

 days* vacation in the country. Some 

 excellent stock was shown for the holi- 

 day. 



W. Armacost & Co. are still sending 

 in valley, but apparently not enough to 

 take care of the demand. Mr. Armacost 

 says that his company will probably 

 postpone building on the newly acquired 

 land for this season at least, probably 

 growing a vegetable crop for one sea- 

 son and using the top soil, if needed, for 

 the benches. The rose stock is still 

 coming in finely. 



W. W. Felgate, of Sierra Madre, gave 

 a talk at the Forty-ninth street school 

 under the auspices of the home gardens 

 committee. May 29. He illustrated his 

 remarks with some fine potatoes and 

 other vegetables. 



H. B. Bichards. 



TACOMA, WASH. 



The Market. 



Memorial day was dark, but all of 

 the florists did a good business and 

 some were hampered by the scarcity of 

 select stock. The lack of peonies was 

 most felt. Wreaths and sprays sold 

 well, as did carnations, snapdragons and 



GLADIOLI 



We have secured the entire crop of the famous Riverside 

 Growers of Gladioli and the flowers are extra fine this year. 

 We can ship any quantity, at any time. Send your orders 

 along and say whether you wish the flowers shipped tight 

 or open. 



■ $3.00 per 100 ■ 



S. Murata & Co. 



380-386 So. Los Angeles St., LOS ANGELES, CAL. 



Oldest and Most Experienced Shippers in Southern California 



WE NEVER MISS 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



|L. A. FLORAL CO.| 



g The House of QUALITY and SERVICE ^ 



H LONG DISTANCE SHIPPING A SPECIALTY ^ 



I 407 So. Los Angeles Street, LOS ANGELES, CAL. | 



