1382 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



APalL 27, 190S. 



PHILADELPHIA. 



Easter Trade. 



The volume of business in plants and 

 cut flowers at Easter was the largest 

 ever experienced in this city. The grow- 

 ers of blooming plants as a rule sold 

 their entire product, while the retailers 

 will require what little they have left 

 for decorations this week. The quantity 

 of cut flowers used exceeded expecta- 

 tions and prices were high and well main- 

 tained until Saturday, when the warm 

 weather of that and the day before 

 brought in an excess that could have 

 been used to advantage earlier in the 

 week. As it was, prices fell on Saturday 

 afternoon. 



The department stores made large ex- 

 hibits of all the standard blooniing plants 

 except azaleas, which undoubtedly stim- 

 ulated the demand in the florists' shops. 

 They feold their stock on a very small 

 margin, using it chiefly as an advertise- 

 ment. The street men bought heavily on 

 Saturday at unusually high (for them) 

 prices. The street buyers declined to 

 pay the prices asked, compelling many 

 of the Greeks to sell at a loss, a rare 

 occurrence. 



While an immense quantity of lilies 

 were used, both cut and in pots, the sup- 

 ply exceeded the demand. Select stock 

 for shipping brought 12 to 15 cents 

 per bud and bloom. Good stock brought 

 10 to 12 cents. Very large lots brought 

 9 cents and some ordinary stock 8 cents. 

 Leftovers were offered on the curb as low 

 as 5 cents on Saturday night. Azaleas 

 were not pushed, being in short supply. 

 Many were sold but they were not so 

 prominent as last year. Eamblers were 

 fine and in good supply. The proximity of 

 planting-out season seemed to increase 

 their popularity. The same, perhaps to 

 a lesser extent, is true of hydrangeas, 

 their popularity as porch and lawn 

 plants being markedly on the increase 

 of late years. Spirteas were well done as 

 a rule and in brisk demand, especially 

 for church and cemetery decorations. 

 The limited quantity of genistas grown 

 was eagerly bought. Their quality was 

 excellent. Daffodils in pans and in pots 

 seemed to sell better than usual. This 

 will give a general idea of our plant 

 situation. There was a variety of other 

 plants, including a few Baby Ramblers. 



The features of the cut flower market 

 were violets, valley and sweet peas. De- 

 spite the predictions that violets would 

 be very scarce, there were at least 100,- 

 000 doubles in the market, at prices 

 ranging from $1 to $1.50, a few fancies 

 bringing $2. More could undoubtedly 

 have been used, very many more, had 

 the price been lower. There were a few 

 singles, a rara avis, on Saturday at the 

 Leo Niessen Co., at 50 to 75 cents. It 

 was the greatest week this market has 

 ever had in valley. S. S. Pennock, as 

 usual, got 5 cents for his brother's royal 

 brand. Good stock brought 4 cents, ftr- 

 dinary, 2% to 3 cents. The demand was 

 brisk. The Leo Niessen Co. received 

 5,000 on Sunday morning when the mar- 

 ket was bare, a great godsend. 



Sweet peas were of fine quality and 

 very popular. Prices ranged from $1 

 to $2.50 per hundred. Gardenias were 

 more plentiful than anticipated. They 

 brought $2.50 to $4 a dozen, a few of 

 the best a little more. Good daflfodils 

 sold remarkably well at $4, daisies at 

 $1.50 and even $2. Tulips brought $3 

 and $4. Smilax was in short supply. 



Very light strings brought 20 cents. Or- 

 chids were scarce. 



Carnations did not equal the demand. 

 Fancy Prosperity and Enchantress 

 brought 8 and even 10 cents, Lawson 6 

 cents. Good ordinary stock brought 4 

 cents. The street men paid 2 and 2% 

 cents for culls to their sorrow. 



Until Saturday afternoon roses were 

 also scarce, except, curiously enough. 

 Brides, usually prized at Easter. A num- 

 ber of growers had houses of Kaiserins 

 in crop and both Bride and- Kaiserin 

 suffered, prices falling as low as 5 cents 

 for good stock, though much of it 

 brought 10 to 12 cents. Bridesmaids 

 were 12 to 15 cents. Beauties, specials, 

 brought $5 to $7 a dozen, with me- 

 dium grades hard to obtain; shorts 75 

 cents to $1. The street paid as high as 

 $4 a hundred for cull tea roses. They 

 won 't be so rash again. Liberty brought 

 $1.50 to $3 a dozen for fancies, a few 

 $4. J. William Colflesh is cutting a few 

 nice Jacqueminot. 



Personal Mention. 



Time and opportunity have admitted 

 of taking in only a few of Philadelphia 's 

 many florists. Their views and experi- 

 ences may be of interest. 



Godfrey Aschmann had a great Eas- 

 ter. He experienced a heavy demand 

 for azaleas and sold virtually every- 

 thing. 



William J. Baker was well pleased. He 

 did especially well with fine daffodils 

 and daisies. 



H. H. Battles did a very heavy business 

 in plants and flowers, both at "108" 

 and the Century. He has a number of 

 weddings this week. 



Berger Bros.' business far exceeded 

 that of last Easter. They had some of 

 the finest sweet peas in the city. 



William Berger grew and sold more 

 plants than ever before. A ' ' sold out ' ' 

 sign was posted Saturday. 



Eugene Bernheimer was well pleased. 



Robert Craig & Son did a great busi- 

 ness in plants. Everything sold well, 

 lilies, both cut and in pots. Ramblers, 

 azaleas, genistas, begonias, etc. 



George Craig had all he could do. A 

 large decoration on Wednesday cleaned 

 up the surplus plants. 



Robert Crawford, Jr., had as good if 

 not better Easter than ever before. 

 Plants were very fine and sold well. He 

 noticed an increased demand for daflfo- 

 dils and tulips. 



Fred Ehret was well satisfied. Every- 

 thing good sold well. 



J. J. Habermehl's Sons' business at 

 the Bellevue-Stratford exceeded their ex- 

 pectations. It was chiefly on choice cut 

 flowers. Violets were foremost. Haber- 

 mehls' bar" the handsome decoration for 

 the Knights of Columbus ball at the 

 Academy of Music Monday. 



Hugh Graham did an immense busi- 

 ness, using all his own and much other 

 stock, besides including Jacob Becker's 

 fine hydrangeas. He shipped a good lot 

 of plants and his product was seen all 

 over the city. 



William K. Harris had a great Easter 

 on every variety of his well grown stock 

 of plants. 



Julius Koehler & Son had some extra 

 fine hydrangeas. They did well on every- 

 thing. 



The Flower Market's business satisfied 

 the high standard of Charles E. Meehan. 

 They did well on Beauties, gardenias, 

 lilacs, carnations, valley, violets, etc. 



The Leo Niessen Co. was obliged to | 



refuse late orders on plants after filling 

 more orders than last year. Their cut 

 fiower business was the best they have 

 had, which is saying a good deal. 



Pennock Bros.' Easter* business ex- 

 ceeded that of 1903 and 1904, which 

 were about equal, and the best up to 

 that time, by ten per cent. A great 

 showing. 



Samuel S. Pennock sold 75,000 double 

 violets. His plant and cut fiower or- 

 ders were ahead of last season. 



The Philadelphia Cut Flower Co. 

 showed a bfg gain on last year. The 

 demand exceeded the supply. Their stock 

 was excellent. 



Edward Reid shipped a large number 

 of plants and cut flowers, besides doing 

 a good local business. He seemed well 

 pleased. 



John and W. H. Westcott did a large 

 and very satisfactory business, both 

 wholesale and retail. 



Ttie Market 



This week is a very busy one. Almost 

 all of the Easter social season will 

 be crowded into it. There are a 

 great many weddings. Prices have fallen 

 about fifty per cent on most flowers. 

 The Flower Market seems to have nearly 

 all the double violets that are left. 

 Sweet peas are in good demand. The 

 Leo Niessen Co. has some good lavender. 

 Beauties are fine and cheap ; so are lilies. 

 Bulbous stock is nearly over. Smilax is 

 scarce. 



Varioos Notes. 



Charles P. Poryzees ' store in the Hase- 

 leine building, 1426 Chestnut street, was 

 destroyed by fire on Sunday morning 

 about 2 o'clock, an hour after it had 

 been closed. The fixtures and orders 

 for delivery on Easter morning were de- 

 stroyed. Mr. Poryzees has concentrated 

 his force in his other store at 29 South 

 Fifteenth street. 



Xavier E. Schmidt has arranged a 

 beautiful display of Easter blooming 

 plants in Horticultural hall, in Fair- 

 mount park, which is enjoyed by thou- 

 sands of visitors. 



In the big storm the other day Alex- 

 ander Scott & Son 's big new greenhouse, 

 ready for glazing, was blown down. The 

 Lord & Burnham Co. has sent men to 

 help repair the damage. Phil. 



DAVENPORT, lA. 



Death of Mrs. Temple. 



Mrs. Josephine Temple, wife of J. T. 

 Temple, died April 20, at St. Luke's 

 Hospital, where she had been confined 

 for the past month. Death was due to a 

 complication of diseases resulting from 

 a cold which she contracted at the time 

 of the fire at the Temple place last De- 

 cember. Mrs. Temple was bom in Lon- 

 don, England, January 1, 1846, and came 

 to America at the age of four years. She 

 was married to J. T. Temple in Daven- 

 port December 30, 1868, and the couple 

 have lived at the present home on North 

 Brady street ever since. Besides her 

 husband there survive three brothers in 

 South Dakota. 



The funeral took place from the home 

 of Mr. Temple's sister, Mrs. W. L. 

 Downs, and interment was in Pine Hill 

 cemetery. 



HoBABT, Ind. — A. Londenberg, of this 

 city, is building a range of four or five 

 houses at Valparaiso and will conduct 

 both places. 



