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January 5, ld05. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



361 



used on boxes of growing plants sent 

 by express has led to an improvement in 

 the promptness with which these perish- 

 able goods are forwarded. Mr. Mills 

 states that on receiving a box with the 

 green leaf on it, the express companies 

 at once notify their agent at the point 

 of destination to be on the lookout for 

 the box and to forward it promptly. 

 Notices to the same effect are also posted 

 in the large express offices. It is grat- 

 ifying to know that this result of the 

 •combined effort of the leading shippers 

 has been successful in minimizing the 

 disastrous delays that now and then at- 

 tend the transportation of our perish- 

 able products. 



A Christmas Story. 



Phil has been a bit criticised now and 

 then for saying that the growers as a 

 class didn't know how to sell stuff. It 

 is absolutely true, nevertheless. Who 

 would think of contradicting the state- 

 ment that the wholesalers do not know 

 how to grow stuff? One statement is 

 quite as true as the other. A story told 

 the other day will admirably illustrate 

 the point. 



A certain grower had an exceptionally 

 heavy Christmas cut of, let us say. Pros- 

 perity. He carried the stuff to town 

 himself to his best customer, whom he 

 greeted with effusion. To his surprise the 

 retailer did not seem particularly glad 

 to see him, looked dubiously at his heavy 

 load and remarked several times that 

 business so far was not what it should 

 be. The grower felt very uneasy. What 

 if his Prosperities should be declined? 

 He had so many, no one else might want 

 them. He had intended asking, we will 

 say, $15 a hundred but decided that 

 $10 would be safe. The good ones were 

 all accepted, but the grower's satisfac- 

 tion was somewhat marred before he 

 left town. Business began to improve 

 at a lively rate and he saw his Prosper- 

 ities retailed at $3.50 a dozen. 



Various Notes. 



M. Rice & Co. are going to intro- 

 duce some high class novelties the com- 

 ing season, which no doubt will be win- 

 ners, and should be seen by all progres- 

 sive florists. 



William J. Muth, manager of the 

 Philadelphia C*ut Flower Co., was elect- 

 ed a member of the Morists' Club last 

 'l\iesday evening. 



The Pennsylvania Horticultural Soci- 

 ety has increased its dues for 1905 from 

 $3 to $5 per year. 



The Leo Niessen Co. is receiving fine 

 white sweet peas, also single daffodils. 



The Cut Flower Co. is receiving su- 

 perb mignonette. 



The H. F. Michell Co. is putting val- 

 ley in cold storage. Phil. 



DENVER. 



Christmas trade opened at a much 

 earlier date than usual and under more 

 favorable conditions. The weather was 

 all that could be desired and stock was 

 in the best condition, which resulted in 

 doin g th© best plant trad« ever known 

 here at holiday time. Probably three- 

 fourths of the Christmas iokens used in 

 the floral line out here are blooming or 

 attractive foliage plants and the more 

 attractive they become from year to year 

 the more they are sought after and ap- 

 preciated by the flower lover and valued 

 by the cultivator. In this department 

 the wholesale men were cleaned out early 



Maxillaria Luteo-AIba. 



in the week. Contrary to previous expe- 

 rience, Begonia Lorraine had a big run 

 and those who overlooked its value as 

 a holiday plant, and some who last year 

 were not satisfied with the results at- 

 tained, are now quite chagrined. There 

 is no question about its value as a 

 money maker when well done. Cyclamens 

 also have increased in popularity and 

 are more in demand every year. Few 

 plants have improved in variety more 

 than the cyclamen and few plants will 

 give better returns when well done. 

 Poinsettias had an unprecedented sale 

 and, although the stock was fully fifty 

 per cent more than previous years, the 

 most were disposed of. Those grown in 

 pans from the later propagations, 

 found ready sale. Azaleas sold readily, 

 some of the growers having the best 

 specimens ever seen here. Mardner, 

 when not over forced and allowed to 

 retain its beautiful color, is certainly 

 the best seller. Primulas, both Sinen- 

 sis and obconica, when grown in low 

 pans are quite aji acquisition at Christmas 

 time and sell fairly well. Bulb stuff 

 was rather scarce. There were some 

 good Harrisii lilies and Paper White 

 narcissi and some very unsatisfactory 

 valley. 



There was an ample supply of cut 

 flowers, excepting Beauties, which were 

 exhausted much earlier than other flow- 

 ers. Probably their cheapness created 

 the early demand. Top notchers sold for 

 $12 and shorter varieties went as low 

 as $5. Bride, Maid and Chatenay 

 brought from $2 to $4 and Liberty 

 slightly higher. In carnations, Enchant- 

 ress, Flamingo, Indianapolis and White 

 lawson brought $2 per dozen and or- 

 dinary good varieties went as low as 

 $1. Violets sold at $4 per hundred but 

 many^-a pnrebasep paid this price with 

 considerable reluctance. 



Christmas greens, such as holly, lyco- 

 podium and California pepper had an 

 enormous sale this year, the largest por- 

 tion of it being done by the street cor- 

 ner vender. 



Store window decorations, while not 

 showing much originality, were very at- 

 tractive. Scott showed what could be 



done in red and both his windows were 

 ela,borately arranged in this color. Bells, 

 poinsettias, natural and artificial, red 

 lights etc., in profusion had the desired 

 effect of attracting the masses. 



The Park Floral Co. 's window, while 

 not so elaborate, was neatly arranged 

 with poinsettias and California peppers 

 shaded with red lights. The pepper was 

 used as a drapery on the grill work sur- 

 rounding the upper portion of the win- 

 dow and held its foliage and berries 

 well through the week. This store was 

 completely lined with holly from ceil- 

 ing to wainscoting and looked fine when 

 seen under the influence of electric light. 



Great Divide. 



DES MOINES. lA. 



Ye scribe took a run among the craft 

 today and found them well satisfied with 

 Cliristmas sales; that is, they all sold 

 out what they had, and that is all one 

 could ask. In fact, Christmas trade was 

 better this year than last, with prices 

 about the same or better on some things. 

 Holly and greens were to be had at the 

 grocer and butcher and the florists here 

 do not expect much demand for them. 



I first stopped at J. F. Marshall 's to 

 see his new house. It is a beauty. He 

 has it planted with Prosperity and Mc- 

 (jowan. I expect some of you will laugh 

 at this, for we realize that McGowan is 

 a back number, but when it pays better 

 at $2 per hundred than Prosperity at 

 $5, then the laugh is on the other fel- 

 aT' ^^^ i* '^ dollars we are after and 

 Mr. Marshall grows that which produces 

 the most dollars. Just here let me say 

 that he has a new carnation grower at 

 his house, or will have in after years if 

 all goes wbH, but at this writing lie is 

 only one week and one day old. 



We next touched at Julius Ledig's 

 and the greeting we got was, "We aeU 

 all we can grow." His mums are fol- 

 lowed with a crop of lettnce and this to 

 be followed with bedding plants. His 

 carnations are fine, but his roses are 

 backward on account of mildew. 



J. T. D. P. 



