26 



The Rorists^ Review 



December 29. 1921 



of course, be protected from the sun and 

 from drafts and be carefully watered. 

 Given thgse conditions, they are always 

 found quite easy of propagation. 



C. W. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Christmas Business. 



Florists of the national capital are 

 practically unanimous in their state- 

 ments that 1921 will rank at the top of 

 the list in the matter of Christmas busi- 

 ness. There is a great deal of complaint 

 among the retailers because of the pre- 

 vailing high prices. The main complaint 

 is on carnations. Because of the fact 

 that the wholesalers were improperly 

 informed as to the probable number of 

 carnations that would be on the market 

 Christmas week, prices reached famine 

 levels, the demand for red carnations, 

 including some Wards, being $20 per 

 hundred, others moving at $12 and $15. 

 To come out even on this basis, the re- 

 tailers were compelled to ask $5 and $6 

 per dozen and the people balked at those 

 figures. 



What appeared to be a shortage of 

 carnations resulted, when coupled with 

 the high prices, in a considerable quan- 

 tity of really salable stock being left 

 over. American Beauty roses sold well 

 at high prices and there was the usual 

 excellent demand for potted plants. 



William F. Gude believed that the 

 Christmas business of Gude Bros. Co. 

 would show fully ten per cent increase 

 over the same period of last year. "Our 

 American Beauty business was good," 

 he said. "I believe we sold in excess 

 of 2,000 at retail, to say nothing of our 

 wholesale business. Beauties brought 

 up to $36 per dozen at retail and many 

 were sold at that figure. The demand 

 for potted plants was exceedingly good. 

 In fact, to sum up the situation, I would 

 say that everything that took the shape 

 and form of a flower sold well. There is 

 every indication also that we shall have 

 a good business here in the national cap- 

 ital during the coming twelve months." 



"Business was exceptionally good at 

 our store," said Z. D. Blackistone. "It 

 was a good thing for us that we had the 

 added space at our store gained by the 

 recent improvements. Even at that we 

 were crowded with buyers. We found 

 business good in novelties, such as made- 

 up baskets, and we sold out completely 

 on novelty candle designs that we had 

 prepared beforehand of preserved flow- 

 ers. We could have sold more had we 

 been able to fill orders. I am sure that 

 1922 will be a very prosperous year in 

 Washington, particularly as there will 

 be a great deal of entertaining early in 

 the year." 



"We had the best Christmas business 

 in the history of the Washington store," 

 said Otto Bauer, manager of the S. S. 

 Pennock establishment on H street. 

 "We cleaned up nicely on everything." 



"Our business this year was most sat- 

 isfactory," said George C. Shaffer. 

 "For one thing, we made preparations 

 in advance that permitted us to handle 

 an increased volume of trade in a far 

 more orderly manner than ever before. 

 We had the usual number of extra clerks 

 and extra delivery facilities. We had a 

 branch store across the street, where we 

 handled a lot of extra stock, and every- 

 thing was handled more efficiently. The 

 one comment I would make of this 

 year's business is on prices. They will 

 have to come down. People are kick- 

 ing and you cannot blame them. Car- 

 nations could not be purchased at whole- 

 sale for less than $20 per hundred and 

 we had to ask $5 and $6 a dozen for 

 them — prices that the average person 

 would not pay. Lots of people declared 

 they would buy candy instead and we 

 know they did." 



"We will go ahead of last year by 

 about ten per cent, I should say," re- 

 marked David G. Grillbortzer, president 

 of the Washington Floral Co, "though 

 we have not had a chance to look at 

 the books yet." "We were busy up to 

 the last minute," said J. Harper Hether- 

 ington, manager of the concern's retail 

 store. "Everything sold up well both 



in our wholesale and retail departments 

 and we have, nothing to complain about. 

 Beauties dragged a little bit on account 

 of the price and there was a slowing,- 

 down of sales of carnations for the sam 

 reason. Potted plants sold well at fror.i 

 $2 to $15. It was a good Christmas froip 

 the standpoint of the florist." 



"We did a nice business," said Elme; 

 C. Mayberry, of the Dupont Flower 

 Shop. "We sold" lots of high-pricen 

 flowers and had good stock to offer." 

 A. E. G. 



WINDOW OF WREATHS. 



Eealizing the various demands a; 

 Christmas time, one of which is for 

 wreaths which will stand exposure to 

 the freezing temperature at the holiday; 

 Charles Henry Fox devoted his window 

 display shortly before Christmas to 

 wreaths. "The Sign of the Eose," as his 

 store is called, always attracts passers 

 in Philadelphia, for his windows are in 

 variably interesting. And this display 

 of wreaths, shown in the illustration on 

 this page, proved a magnet. Each 

 wreath was priced so that a prospective 

 customer might see what his money 

 would buy. Mr. Fox's supply was ex- 

 hausted ere the holiday shoppers ceased 

 calling. 



NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW. 



Contributions for Rose Classes. - 



As chairman of the committee on com- 

 mercial cut flower interests, I am pleased 

 to report the following cash contribu- 

 tions to the American Eose Society 

 schedule for the national flower show 

 at Cleveland: 



Robert Simpsoti, Clffton, N. J $ 60.00 



New Brunswick Nurseries, New Bruns- 

 wick, N. J 10.00 



S. A. Anderson, Buffalo, N. Y 25.00 



Joseph Heacock Co., Wyncote, Pa 25.00 



Bobblnk & Atkins, Rutherford, N. J BO.OO 



8. S. Pennock Co., Philadelphia BO.OO 



Duckham-Pierson Co., Madison, N. J 50.00 



Jos. H. Hill Co., Richmond, Ind 60.00 



Thomas Roland, Nahant, Mass 50.00 



Robert Pyle, West Grove, Pa BO.OO 



Benjamin Hammond, Beacon, N. Y 40.00 



Foley Greenhouse Mfg. Co., Chicago.... 10.00 



A. L. Miller, Jamaica, N. Y 15.00 



Elmer J. Weaver. Ronks, Pa 25.00 



Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y.. 125.00 



Henshaw Floral Co., New York 25.00 



Lord & Bumham Co., Irvlngton-on-Hud- 



son, N. Y BO.OO 



Harry 0. May, Summit, N. J 25.00 



E. O. Asmus' Son, Closter, N. J 50.00 



Rose Plant Growers, Springfield, 250.00 



A. N. Plerson, Inc., CromweU, Conn.... 50.00 



$1,115.00 



It is very gratifying, indeed, to re- 

 ceive such generous support from the 

 commercial rose growers. 



Wallace B. Pierson. 



Display of Christmas breaths, Tagged with Prices, Brought in Buyers. 



BUSINESS EMBARRASSMENTS. 



Fort Dodge, la. — E. E. Nordwall has 

 made a common law assignment to G. 

 W. Gadd as trustee, the reason being 

 that Mr. Nordwall is unable to meet his 

 past due obligations. Mr. Gadd has 

 written the creditors to extend the time 

 of their payments for five or six months. 

 The plan is to reduce immediately the 

 expense of continuing the business. The 

 stock being perishable, it seems most de- 

 sirable that the business be continued. 

 Mr. Nordwall is willing to assist in this 

 at nominal salary. It is the plan of the 

 trustee to get as much as possible out of 

 the business and to distribute it ratably 

 among the creditors. According to the 

 trustee 's statement, assets exceed liabili- 

 ties by several thousand dollars. 



