8 



The Florists^ Review 



Decembeb 31, 1914. 



TRADE REPORTS ARE GOOD 



Vicksburg, Mich. — Mrs. E. J. Reed 

 reports that the Christmas business 

 was the most successful of the three 

 since she opened the Flower Shop. 



Kansas City, Mo. — Joseph Austin re- 

 ports trade as quiet from Thanksgiving 

 to December 24, when sales broke all 

 records. He notes that plant sales led 

 by a long way and finds cut flowers 

 falling farther behind every year, 

 which he attributes to the plants mak- 

 ing the most show for the money. 



Cheyenne, Wyo. — Capt. Arthur A. 

 Underwood, who last August purchased 

 the Swayger Greenhouses, says the rec- 

 ords show fifty per cent increase in 

 Christmas sales; sixty per cent com- 

 pared with 1912. He pushed roses be- 

 cause they give greater satisfaction to 

 his trade and better returns for the 

 seller. He believes it pays to push 

 the best at all times, including Christ- 

 mas. 



Allentown, Pa. — John F. Horn & Bro. 

 estimate the Christmas trade as short 

 of 1913 but equal to 1912. They 

 pushed blooming plants because they 

 were fine and sold as many as ever. 

 Azaleas were specially well liked. They 

 comment: "We grow about the same 

 quantity each year. There is always 

 something that sells out first every 

 year, but if you add to that line next 

 season you seldom sell everything 

 clean." 



Bloomington, IlL — A. Washburn & 

 Sons say Christmas sales were a little 

 ahead of last year, carnations being 

 the leader because pushed on account 

 of a big cut in their own greenhouses. 

 "Emphasis," they say, "might be laid 

 on the necessity for making careful ad- 

 vance preparations for the rush; we 

 try to do this, but usually find some 

 things left undone that add materially 

 to the night work that comes at the 

 last. Business in all lines has been 

 rather quiet this fall, but the flower 

 business has been fully up to others." 



Springfield, Mass. — Everyone reports 

 a fine Christmas trade, as many of the 

 better class of spenders bought plants 

 and floral gifts instead of jewelry and 

 other expensive articles. Business in 

 other lines has been dull for several 

 months, the florists' trade being better 

 than in many lines, and Robinson the 

 Florist thinks it helped Christmas 

 sales, which were better than last year 

 and better than two years ago. Baskets 

 and hampers were pushed and sold well 

 until the larger sizes were reached. 

 Robinson had success with a large batch 

 of Proserpine tulips, French Golden 

 Spur narcissi and Campernelles. Many 

 or the Petrick azaleas shed a large part 

 of their foliage. Apparently novelty 

 is a g^eat help on the holiday sales. 



Salt Lake City, Utalt^All the flo- 

 rists here had a merry Christmas, ac- 

 cording to H. F. F. Thorup, who says 

 they all made deliveries with smiling 

 faces in spite of the cold. Roses were 

 in good supply, but carnations were 

 scarce and commanded high prices. 

 Plants of all kindd sold fast. 



Bacine, Wis. — The Racine Floral Co. 

 says the Christmas trade was the best 

 ever known, both blooming plants and 

 cut flowers selling well, but notes a spe- 

 cial increase in the sale of baskets and 

 artificial stock, boxwood, statice, red 

 berries, etc. A nice business was done 

 on fern dishes in which sprays of red 

 berries were mixed. 



Fort Dodge, la. — R. P. Atwell is well 

 satisfied: Christmas sales increased 

 twenty-five per cent, fifty per cent as 

 compared with 1912. He pushed plants 

 from his greenhouses, together with 

 his poinsettias and carnations grown 

 on the place, but cut* down on roses, 

 which he has to buy. He says: "It 

 certainly does not help the trade in 

 small towns to quote prices based on 

 the prices in wholesale centers; we 

 small growers simply have to be con- 

 tent to sell what we have on our 

 places. ' ' 



Ashtabula, O. — The Tong & Weeks 

 Floral Co. reports: "Supply this season 

 has been far ahead of the demand and 

 low prices have prevailed. This had 

 a tendency toward the lowering of 

 Christmas prices to move the stock. We 

 sold as much stock as usual, but the 

 prices were not so good. We pushed 

 both plants and cut flowers, but 

 kept away from the artificial stuff as 

 much as possible, due not only to the 

 fact that we had plenty of plants and 

 cut flowers, but also that we do not 

 like artificial florists. Not only flower- 

 ing plants, but ferns seemed stronger 

 in demand this, year than cut stock. The 

 lesson of the Christmas trade is that flo- 

 rists should learn to advertise." 



Lima, O. — Eggert N. Zetlitz says 

 business the three days before Christ- 

 mas was better than expected, espe- 

 cially when weather conditions are 

 considered. He pushed blooming 

 plants and made up baskets and sold 

 more azaleas, Cincinnati begonias, 

 cyclamens and primroses than ever be- 

 fore. Cut flowers received less atten- 

 tion because of predicted high prices. 

 Sales totaled about the same as last 

 year and better than two years ago. 

 He comments: "I believe a big busi- 

 ness can be worked up on cheaper 

 plants and flower baskets, articles run- 

 ning from $1 to $3. If customers have 

 to pay more, the majority prefer to 

 buy more substantial articles." There 

 has not been much social work here 

 this season, but funeral work has kept 

 florists busier than their neighbors. 



New Castle, Pa. — Fischer & McGrath 

 say the early outlook was not bright, 

 but there was a tremendous rush the 

 last two days and everything cleaned 

 up, making a Christmas increase of fif- 

 teen per cent. They pushed wreaths, 

 baskets and boxes of artificial and 

 preserved stock on account of the bet- 

 ter profit than could be made from 

 cut flowers at the anticipated prices. 



EvansylUe, Ind. — The Wm. Blackman 

 Floral Co. says the florists' trade this 

 autumn has been better than the gen- 

 eral business condition and notes that 

 quite a few people bought plants this 

 year who usually buy more expensive 

 merchandise. They pushed plants, 

 plant baskets and carnations because 

 they had plenty without buying. 

 Plants and baskets are gaining in 

 popularity, violets losing. They com- 

 ment that the majority of customers 

 do not like the advance in cut flowers, 

 but that some insist on having them. 



Coffeyville, Kan. — From the Forest 

 Park Floral Co.: "We wish to state 

 that, as far as we were concerned, busi- 

 ness showed an even fifty per cent in- 

 crease over last year. Plants, such as 

 cyclamens, poinsettias made up with 

 other plants, azaleas and Cincinnati, 

 took the lead. Our trade in baskets 

 both of fiowers and plants was much 

 beyond any former demand. The 

 beauty of the whole thing is that cash 

 was much in evidence. With wheat at 

 $1.10 and an enormous harvest behind 

 it, everybody seemed to have money 

 and to be willing to pay for good stock. 

 We noticed a decided dropping off this 

 Christmas in telegraph orders, both in 

 and out. We trust and hope that the 

 business over the country was as good 

 as with us." 



Bryan, O. — This comes from the Won- 

 setler Greenhouse: "Our Christmas 

 business totals a trifle less than last 

 year. The weather was unfavorable 

 up to December 24, when it moderated. 

 We had a fine lot of plants, which sold 

 out clean at fair prices, with a heavy 

 call for cyclamens, azaleas and prim- 

 roses. Poinsettias did not sell well. It 

 seems people know how unreliable they 

 are and, after buying them once, will 

 not have them again. Giganteums sold 

 well, as did carnations, of which we 

 had a heavy crop, especially of Beacon, 

 which is so prolific with us as to make 

 red carnations cheap. There was a 

 heavy call for roses of all colors, of 

 which we did not have any too many. 

 In Christmas greens, boxwood was an 

 easy winner. Owing to the poor condi- 

 tion of holly, it was a poor seller and 

 will soon be a thing of the past in our 

 market. Boxwood wreaths sold on 

 sight. Moss wreaths sold well for ceme- 

 tery purposes. Ruscus does not sell so 

 well as formerly." 



9^ 



