1412 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



APBlii 5, 1906. 



who could set an example and teach us 

 how to do things to perfection, but con- 

 ditions are so different in the big cities 

 mentioned, as well as at Chicago and 

 Boston. Here there is scarcely a retail 

 store which has not some growing house 

 and you may be sure a man will not buy 

 another's stock as long as he has his 

 own product, let it be ever so inferior. 



In the very large cities there are 

 dozens of fine stores which depend on 

 the growers in their different lines to 

 supply them with everything they han- 

 dle. This is division of labor, and I 

 think a division we are all coming to. 

 It's correct. The man who insists on 

 -offering flowers and plants of his own 

 growing will have many inferior to those 

 shown by his neighbor, the retailer, who 

 has had the opportunity to buy the very 

 best in the market. 



There has been quite a stir here ot 

 late regarding the price of rental of 

 stalls in the Washington market, ihe 

 holder of a stall pays from $50 to $100 

 per year to the city, while a block away 

 on Main street for a small store you pay 

 $2,000. This is a grievance. The 

 Avooden stall in the public market may 

 not have the conveniences of a store, 

 although the stall holder has the privi- 

 lege of making it as substantial and 

 ornamental as he chooses. But talk 

 about meeting the people! For every 

 one who glances into your store there 

 are twenty who gape and stare and ask 

 the price of your attractions on the mar- 

 ket. You will say, "but most of them 

 are poor people; not all classes patron- 

 ize the public market." We learn every 

 day of our best people, which in modern 

 phraseology means people of abnormal 

 ■wealth, making constant visits to the . 

 markets. The majority of wealthy men 

 will go farther out of their way to save 

 10 cents than the struggling man of 

 moderate means. They began saving in 

 this way and as years roll by and afflu- 

 ence is reached this thrifty habit does 

 not depart from them. 



We know something about the market. 

 In 1866 and 1867 we subrented a stall 

 from April 1 to July 1. At that time 

 the Lady Washington, alias Martha 

 Washington, alias the show pelargonium, 

 was a new and popular plant and we 

 sold many thousands and never had so 

 much ready cash, before or since. Specie 

 payment began to appear in 1867 and 

 we thought it would be cute to put all 

 silver money away and not touch it. 

 We filled up all the empty trunks and 

 boxes in our possession and then we 

 found that it would be more sensible to 

 put away all five-dollar bills, so we be- 

 gan to put all that fell our way between 

 the pages of the first volume of Lou- 

 den's Encyclopedia of Gardening. At 

 the present writing the boxes are empty 

 and this wonderful volume has gone back 

 to its normal size. 



Since we have had so many dwarf 

 Japan lilies a good use has been made 

 of them by making up 8-iuch to 12-inch 

 azalea pots, or half pots, as they are 

 known. If your lilies are in 6-inch pots 

 you can, after the buds are open, or 

 just about to open, with a big sharp 

 knife slice the 6-inch ball down to one- 

 fourth its original size and the lilies 

 will last just as long as if their roots 

 had been untouched. W. S. 



New Bedford, Mass. — It is reported 

 that H. A. Jahn has declined an offer 

 of $8,000 from one of the concerns at 

 Joliet, 111., for his new white carnation. 

 No. 49. 



TWIN CITIES. 



The Market. 



Judging from reports of the different 

 dealers trade the past week has been 

 very fair. No complaint is heard. Pos- 

 sibly they do not expect as much trade 

 on account of the fact that Easter busi- 

 ness will soon be on. Some of the deal- 

 ers already are making store prepara- 

 tions. In almost every store some Eas- 

 ter plants are to be seen. 



While the city purchaser has not done 

 much in the way of placing orders, the 

 country trade has been doing quite the 

 reverse. Already numerous orders for 

 Easter plants have been booked by the 

 larger dealers, and, judging from pres- 

 ent prospects, we are going to have a 

 heavy trade. If we are favored with 

 weather such as we have had the past 

 week, trade, no doubt, will be the largest 

 we have had for some time. 



The growers all appear to be well 

 satisfied with the outlook, and, without 

 exception, they are all prepared for a 

 heavy demand. The larger growers have 

 in stock from 3,000 to 5,000 fine 

 Easter lilies. One fact is noticeable — a 

 majority of them are growing the longi- 

 florum in preference to the Harrisii. 

 The diseased Harrisii lilies of a few sea- 

 sons ago has made the average grower 

 somewhat afraid to plant a great many 

 of them. Then, again, they report diffi- 

 culty in getting the true Harrisii. 



Baby Kamblers are grown quite exten- 

 sively, one grower in particular having 

 fully 1,000 very fine plants in bloom, 

 which will sell at wholesale at $1 each. 

 A uniform price of 25 cents per lily or 

 bud, for lily plants, is quoted. A plant 

 with four lilies would sell for $1, and 

 so on, according to the number of buds 

 or blooms on the plant. Hydrangeas are 

 quoted from 75 cents to $3 and $4; 

 spiraeas, 75 cents to $2; cinerarias, from 

 50 cents to $1.50. The cut flower mar- 

 ket is very easy and, while stock is not 

 so abundant as it has been the past few 

 weeks, we still have an ample supply. 



Minneapolis. 



John Monson possibly has the largest 

 Easter stock. His Baby Kamblers, 

 grown in a cool house, are about the 

 best in this section. 



Donaldson's Glass Block will no doubt 

 have a large number of all varieties of 

 blooming plants, but it is doubtful if 

 they will have a sufficient amount to sup- 

 ply their large retail trade. 



The New York Floral Co. is still dis- 

 posing of large numbers of carnations 

 daily. The large cuts made by some of 

 our growers have reduced the price con- 

 siderably. In consequence they sell them 

 somewhat cheaper than the other florists. 



The Greeks on the street are handling 

 considerable stock, mostly carnations 

 and bulbous stock and, on account of the 

 spring weather, they have been able to 

 cut into the sales to some extent. 



St. Paul. 



Aug. S. Swanson is making a great 

 display with his new rose. The Minne- 

 haha. He has, in the windows of his 

 Sixth street store, a large oil painting 

 of Minnehaha falls surrounded by large 

 numbers of his rose, which is an attrac- 

 tive feature. 



Holm & Olson have leased the large 

 store formerly occupied by Howard 

 Farwell & Co., piano dealers. This will 

 give them a great deal more room and a 

 much better location. 



Vogt Bros, are settled in their new 

 location and are now on one of the best 

 streets in the city for a fashionable 

 trade. They report good business the 

 past week. 



L. L. May & Co. have had considerable 

 funeral work, one of the largest pieces 

 made during the week being a floral pen 

 in violets on a large back of white car- 

 nations. The piece was nicely made by 

 J. W. Hoffman. Felix. 



NEV YORK. 



The Market 



The market stays down, as is its habit 

 the second week before Easter. It al- 

 ways did. It always will. It was so last 

 year and you can bank on it for 1907. 

 There will be little change before next 

 Monday. Then will the tide flow in- 

 again and holiday values will begin. 

 Beauties may go to 50 cents each, vio- 

 lets to $1 per hundred. There will be no 

 abnormal rise in the cut flower market. 



Last week was a blue one for every- 

 body. Even the weather was tinged with 

 sadness. Eoses at $10 per thousand were 

 very abundant. Nothing of moment in 

 decoration or funerals stirred the un- 

 ruffied sea of monotony. Beauties, the 

 best of them, fell to $20 per hundred 

 and Brides and Maids to $5 per hun- 

 dred. These were top and few there 

 were that found it. Violets and carna- 

 tions, too, receded to the lowest of the 

 year. Still the quality of everything 

 was superb. Lilies hold up well and 

 10 cents per bud is easily obtainable. 

 They may do even better for Easter. 



Various Notes. 



Wadley & Smythe have 2,000 of 

 Walsh's best ramblers. Lady Gay, Hia- 

 watha and Wedding Bells. Thos. Wade, 

 the firm's representative, will exhibit 

 one of each at the club's meeting next 

 Monday evening. Benj. Dorrance will 

 give one of his original talks, always in- 

 teresting, and many of the new varieties 

 seen at Boston are expected to be staged. 

 The members of the outgoing committee 

 are requested to be at the hall as early 

 as possible. 



John J. Foley has a fine establishment 

 on the Bowery. Born in 1863, in Ire- 

 land, he came to America when very 

 young, his first experience in the flo- 

 rists' business being with Alex. MeCon- 

 nell. His first store was at 189 Bowery. 

 Soon he was obliged to move to larger 

 quarters and now he occupies the entire 

 building at 226 and 228. Mr. Foley's 

 home is at Madison, where his green- 

 house plant is situated. ; 



Alex. McConnell still holds the fort 

 at the corner of Fifth avenue and Forty- 

 fifth street. Preparations are made for 

 a tremendous plant Easter. A novelty 

 in pottery from Liberty, England, is on 

 exhibition here. 



The Kosary, which many call the most 

 artistic flower shop in the world, makes 

 a finer display than ever this year. 



Wm. H. Donohoe has already an estab- 

 lished business, built up rapidly since 

 last Easter and growing daily. 



Jos. Leikens is another of the young 

 men in floriculture, close to the Waldorf- 

 Astoria and with a branch business at 

 Newport that bids fair to compare with 

 many that have existed for a generation. 



A. Warrendorff now directs the desti- 

 nies of three elegant flower shops, two 

 on Broadway and one on Madison ave- 

 nue, all a credit to him. The main store 

 • on Broadway, near Twenty-eighth street. 



