54 



The Rorists^ Review 



May 12, 1921 



of the Gay Street Floral Co., 

 of the Detroit-McCalliim 



Co- 



Co., 



Mr. Ziihn, 

 lumbuH, U. 



R. H. Wells, 

 Detroit. 



James Jackson, of Kjilamazoo. Mich. 



A. C. Reicher. of Michigan City, Ind. 



J. D. Burks, of the Los Angeles Gera- 

 nium Co., Los Angeles, Cal., passed 

 through Chicago May C, on his way east. 

 His concern roots geranium cuttings by 

 the million and sends them all over the 

 United States. 



PHILADELPHIA. 



The Market. 



Tlie llowcrs Hint lilooin in iIlc siiriiif, trala, 

 This weuli didn't do any siicli tliiiiK. trala. 



Never has the cut flower market seen 

 such a week in May. No flowers and 

 many orders. The thing seems impos- 

 sible, yet it really has happened. The 

 explanation lies in the weather. An 

 unusually mild March brought heavy 

 crops of flowers in April. Then came 

 the fir.st week in May, cold, dark and 

 stormy, and you have the story. 



The week opened quietly. There was 

 no especial demand. The rather light 

 supply was sufficient. But, as the week 

 progressed, a change came. The supply 

 did not increase. The demand did. It 

 kept on increasing until the close of 

 the week, when there was a perfect 

 whirlwind of business for Mothers' day, 

 Sunday, May 8. The effect on the 

 prices was extremely unfortunate. 

 Values rose to an extraordinary degree, 

 little short of phenomenal. 



The amount of business turned down 

 was simply staggering. One whole- 

 saler, who does a large business, 

 thought he had been obliged to decline 

 more business during the week than ho 

 had accepted. Others took an even 

 more gloomy view of the case. 



The retailers had a tough time. 

 Their orders were heavily cut and the 

 prices were advanced in a way that 

 was simply distracting. They endeav- 

 ored to protect themselves by overbuy- 

 ing, but they could not begin to get 

 enough stock. 



There were encouraging features — ■ 

 the strength of the demand and the 

 wide range covered. People wanted 

 flowers for Mothers' day. They did 

 not just want white carnations. They 

 wanted all kinds of flowers. It is most 

 unfortunate that they could not get 

 them. 



The supply of carnations was fair. 

 The average price was $12 to $15. A 

 few brought $20. The usual method of 

 selling was to make the white carry 

 the colored. In other words, better 

 average returns were secured by sell- 

 ing the colors together, instend of 

 separately. This also made possible a 

 fairer distribution of the whites. 



Roses brought surprisingly high 

 prices, $6 to $30. The short-stemmed 

 ones were most sought. Some whole- 

 salers did not sell short-stemmed roses 

 under $10 during the last three days of 

 the week. The supply was rather light. 

 Sweet peas did not amount to much. 

 The unfavorable weather affected them 

 more than anything else. While the 

 other flowers, save orchids, were eagerly 

 taken, their prices did not advance as 

 much as those of carnations or roses. 



The outdoor flowers were a disap- 

 pointment. Southern peonies and Span- 

 ish iris were scarce and, except a little 

 cornflower, there is little from nearby. 

 Outdoor valley is over. 



A Queer Sight. 



The unusual conditions which 



The Best in Cut Flowers 



We aim to have our growers produce the Best 

 to be had in the cut flower line, regardless of 

 the time of the season. There is an ample 

 supply of good flowers, and we especially 

 recommend to you during May: 

 Beauties of a quality as good as they can be 

 grown so late in the season. 



Russell Roses in any quantity. We will /' 

 be very strong on Good Russell during the 

 summer months. It is the Best variety of all 

 the Pink Roses known. 



Columbia, Hadley, Ophelia, Sun- 

 burst and Aaron Ward are varieties that 

 show very good quality. 



In Carnations, we continue to have a large 

 supply of C. W. Ward, the Best Rose-pink 

 Variety for size and keeping quality. 

 , The Peonies that we have had so far were 



very good, and we will continue to have them 

 in quantity until the end of the season. W^hite, 

 several shades of Pink and some Red. 

 Delphinium Belladonna, Valley, 

 Orchids, good yellow Daisies are other 

 good cut flower items. 



We devote our entire efforts to the selling of 

 cut flowers. That is a fact that you should 

 take into consideration when buying your cut 

 flowers. 



THE LEO NIESSEN CO. 



Wholesale Florists 



BnathtK 1201-3-5 Rae* St. 



WASHINGTON * rlll-fcAL/iiJL* ril^\ 



Mention The ReTlew when you write. 



BERGER BROTHERS 



Peonies, Carnations, Sweet Peas, 

 Valley, Lupines and Snapdragons. 



ORDER EARLY, PLEASE. 



1609 Sansom Street PHILADELPHIA 



pre- 



Roses, Snapdragons, 



Carnations, Siveet Peas 



THE PHILADELPHIA WHOLESALE FLORISTS* EXCHANGE 



Ot» Motto "The Golden Rule" 1615 Ranstead Street, PhlladcIphU 



vailed in the cut flower market just 

 before Mothers' day were provocative 

 of unusual happenings. In one of our 

 leading wholesale houses, Saturday 

 afternoon, a street merchant was busily 

 employed at a quiet counter in making 



up boutoiinicres. A cruel fate had de- 

 prived him of any stale or blown 

 flowers, so he had invested in some 

 muslin blossoms. He had wisely se- 

 lected white carnations of a size and 

 luster that suggested Timbale d 'Argent 



