626 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Januaby 25, 1006. 



these express puckages go out literally 

 by the wagon load. Oftentimes theso 

 orders come in by telephone from some 

 mining camp hundreds of miles away 

 on the opposite side of the mountains. 

 We must be in a position to know as far 

 as possible the financial standing of the 

 people scattered over this wide area, and 

 keep the information so readily accessi- 

 ble that we can look up a man's credit 

 while he holds the long distance tele- 

 phone at so much per minute. This is 

 made possible by index cards which show 

 at a glance what experience if any we 

 have had and also the reports as to credit 

 received from other sources. 



This long distance business will even- 

 tually be reduced by the establishment 

 of small places such as I have just re- 

 ferred to. But a wise man changes his 

 method with changing conditions and 

 we hope to then sell enough in other 

 ways to offset this loss. At any rate, Ave 

 will always welcome any man who comes 

 among us and demonstrates his ability 

 to succeed by honorable methods. 



No Wholesale Houses. 



There is no wholesale commission 

 house within the region we are discuss- 

 ing. Two or three earnest attempts havo 

 been made in that direction but they 

 have all failed. 



Some flowers are shipped into our ter- 

 ritory from outside. Kansas City sends 

 a very limited amount to New Mexico, 

 while Minneapolis and St. Paul ship 

 rather largely to Montana. Ten years 

 ago Chicago found a good market in 

 L»enver but that time is past. Our real 

 competition comes from Council Bluffs, 

 half way between Denver and Chicago. 

 Without any direct information, I am 

 inclined to think the long distance trade 

 of that point is gradually being secured 



concerning the prices we obtain. In 

 Denver they will average fairly well 

 with prices in eastern cities. We never 

 are compelled to accept the very low 

 prices that sometimes obtain at eastern 

 points, but at holiday seasons our high- 

 est prices are decidedly lower than your 

 highest prices. 



Fairy tales are told of miners with 

 suddenly acquired wealth who spend their 

 money lavishly; but in such cases they 

 are apt to patronize those places that 

 carry their stock in bottles instead of 

 vases. A few drinks often create a tem- 

 porary disregard of expense and a fond- 

 ness for bright colors but this is not 

 the result of climate and the effect is no 

 more noticeable in Denver or Butte than 

 it is in Boston or Chicago. 



As a general thing the man who has 

 acquired wealth by his own labor does 

 not spend his money freely for luxuries; 

 neither is he apt to consider flowers as 

 necessities. It is generally the second 

 wealthy generation who consider our 

 products necessary to their existence, and 

 as our country is ne»w we must wait for 

 time to bring this class of customers. 

 In the meantime we make up for their 

 lack by the absence of the extremely 

 poor. Abject poverty and destitution are 

 rare in the mountain region. 



A WHOLESALER'S VIEWPOINT. 



BY ALEXANDER J. GUTTMAX NEW VOKK. 



[A paper read before the American Carnation 

 Society at the Boston meeting, January 25, 

 1SH)6.] 



You know it is said, that some are 

 born great, others achieve greatness, and 

 etill others have greatness thrust upon 

 them. It seems to me that I am among 

 the last mentioned ; but I assure you that 

 I fully appreciate the honor accorded me, 

 in being given the privilege of present- 



House of Aristocrat at R. Witterstaetter's, Cincinnati. 



by Colorado florists, who have the ad- 

 vantage of the shorter haul; and that 

 Council Bluffs is finding not only com- 

 pensation but inclosed demand in mar- 

 kets nearer home, just as I have pre- 

 dicted must happen to us in Colorado 

 in our turn. We trust we may be able 

 to meet the changing situation with like 

 success. 



I think a wrong impression prevails 



ing a paper at this national gathering 

 of such a representative body of our 

 craft. I shall endeavor to give you the 

 result of my observation and experi- 

 ence with the carnation from the whole- 

 saler 's viewpoint. 



The history of the carnation, the di- 

 vine flower as we so fondly term it, you 

 are fully acquainted with from the time 

 when it was an insignificant item on the 



florist's counter, until the present when 

 it is almost the commercial equal of the 

 rose. 



It is an entirely new feature I be- 

 lieve, to ask a wholesaler to speak be- 

 fore a representative body of growers 

 such as is assembled here. I am glad 

 of this opportunity, however, as the 

 growers' interests and the wholesalers' 

 interests are so closely linked that it is 

 imperative that we come together occa- 

 sionally and exchange views on trade in- 

 terests, if we would have the best re- 

 sults from our labors. 



Of course, I cannot talk to you intelli- 

 gently about carnations from the grow- 

 er's point of view; that is out of the 

 question, but I may, perhaps, be able 

 to interest you for a few moments in 

 dealing with the subject from the whole- 

 saler's point of view. 



An Important Item. 



The carnation has become of great im- 

 portance to the flower trade, and there 

 is no doubt in my mind that this condi- 

 tion has been brought about mainly 

 through the work of the American Car- 

 nation Society. The fact that although 

 there is kee* competition among car- 

 nation growers, the fact that they so welT 

 understand the principles of business and 

 pull together on all matters that may 

 be, or are, of benefit to the greatest 

 number, has made the society what it is. 

 The impetus given to the raising of new 

 varieties can be justly claimed as the 

 fruit of this society's work, and it is 

 through the many new and improved 

 varieties, well grown and liberally ex- 

 hibited, throughout the country by the 

 members, thereby being placed before 

 the public, that has given the divine 

 flower the prominent place it holds to- 

 day with the people of the United States, 

 Canada and Europe. 



As I am only to speak of the carnation 

 from the wholesaler's point of view, I 

 can leave the question of its popularity 

 with the public on one side; as that is 

 a subject that could be better handled 

 by a retail dealer, and which has been 

 very ably dealt with by Thos. P. Galvin. 



Carnations today are a staple feature 

 in the market, the supply being continu- 

 ous all the year around. I might also 

 add that they are a somewhat diflScult 

 crop to handle, as their keeping quali- 

 ties are so variable. Some varieties have 

 excellent lasting powers and others, as 

 you are all aware, are not very good 

 keepers, and the wholesaler has to fa- 

 miliarize himself with the peculiarities 

 of each variety in regard to its good 

 and bad qualities. Perhaps I should ex- 

 plain more fully. Suppose I had an 

 order for 500 each, of pink and white 

 carnations to be shipped to a point that 

 required an over-night journey on the 

 ears; well, I do not want to mention any 

 particular variety, but you know as well 

 as I do that there are several of our com- 

 mercial sorts, which, although they are 

 excellent for home trade, will not bear 

 reshipping to any great distance. 



Another fact that I should like to 

 draw your attention to, is that with the 

 gradual improvement taking place in 

 carnations, it is becoming harder all the 

 time for the wholesaler to handle the 

 smaller varieties to advantage. There- 

 fore I would recommend, that growers 

 use their very best judgment in select- 

 ing for their stock to grow only the best 

 varieties, such as are generally termed 

 fancies, as these find quick buyers. I 

 would also recommend that the whole- 

 salers give their candid opinion of the 



