Decembkr 13. 1006. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



257 



Charles H. Totty. 



CHARLES H. TOTTY, 



Charles H. Totty, who was elected 

 president of the New York Florists' 

 Club December 10, is a resident of 

 Madison, N. J., but is an active partici- 

 pant in all the trade affairs in the 

 metropolis; indeed, Madison is counted 

 as floriculturally a part of New York 

 City, for it is the great rose-growing 

 center for that market. This is a young 

 man's age, and Mr. Totty is only 33 

 years old, having been born in Shrop- 

 shire, England, in 1873. Although none 

 of his family ever was connected with 

 I our trade, his chief delight, even as a 

 boy, was work in the garden. TTiat 

 early love never has left him and he 

 says that no matter what good for- 

 tune the future may have in store, he 

 expects to end his days as he began 

 them, growing flowers. 



At the age of 13 years, having ab- 

 sorbed a good part of the education af- 

 forded by the common schools of 

 Shropshire, the lad went to work in the 

 gardens of a Mr. Sheringham, where he 

 stayed three years, in accordance with 

 the recognized apprenticeship system. 

 Then a year in the nurseries of Messrs. 

 Dickson, of Chester, was supposed to 

 provide sufficient horticultural knowledge 

 to launch him as a full-fledged journey- 

 man gardener. After a year at Norris 

 Green, a noted fruit-growing establish- 

 ment near Liverpool, he came to 

 America in 1893. A year and a half 

 was spent on the estate of Mrs. Thomp- 

 son, at Canandaigua, N. Y., after which 

 the young man located at Madison, 

 having found employment on the H. 

 McKay Twombly estate, under the su- 

 perintendency of Arthur Herringtou, to 

 whose precept he owes much for the 

 direction given his thoughts and desires. 



He stayed here eight years and became 

 as thorough a grower as ever graduated 

 from that school of good gardening. 

 He left to go into business for himself 

 as a wholesale cut flower and plant 

 grower and bought the James Hart 

 greenhouses at Madison, which he since 

 has remodeled, enlarged and made one 

 of the noted places of the town. 



While Mr. Totty Avas acquiring an all- 

 round knowledge of the business, he spe- 

 cialized on chrysanthemums, and, while 

 from his place now come some of the best 

 roses and other stock reaching the New 

 York market, still it is for his success 

 with chrysanthemums that he is most 

 Avidely known. Almost from the start of 

 his business lie has made a feature of the 

 trial of all new sorts and the dissemi- 

 nation of such novelties as he approved. 

 The sorts sent out number scores. He 

 has handled in America the Wells- 

 Pockett sets of recent years, as well as 

 many good American sorts. For a 

 number of years Mr. Totty has con- 

 tributed Chrysanthemum Notes to the 

 columns of the Kevieav, certainly the 

 most widely read notes on this flower 

 which have appeared in America and 

 probably in any other country, for 

 skilled growers everywhere recognize 

 that they are among the most important 

 contributions in the whole history of the 

 somewhat voluminous literature of the 

 chrysanthemum. 



ST. LOUIS. 



The Market 



We have had a great deal of cloudy 

 weather in the last week and only fair 

 business can be reported. Work for 

 weddings, receptions, dinners and other 

 social occasions was quiet all the week. 



A fairly good over-the-counter trade is 

 reported by the downtown florists, also 

 a few good funeral orders. Not much 

 of importance will take place until a 

 week before Christmas. The store men 

 are busy making up roping and holly 

 wreaths for Christmas. 



In looking over the stock that comes 

 in at the wholesale houses we find that 

 roses are in good supply. Fancy stock 

 is generally cleaned up at once, as it is 

 limited. Prices on this stock have come 

 down a little since Thanksgiving. 



Carnations clean up pretty well each 

 morning, as they are by no means plen- 

 tiful. Lawson is beginning to look bet- 

 ter. Enchantress is fine and so is Nel- 

 son Fisher. White Perfection is the 

 best white and Craig the best red. The 

 latter is scarce. Prices on these are 

 high. 



California violets are coming in heav- 

 ily, and with cool, clear weather should 

 be abundant for the holidays. Doubles 

 are scarce in this market. Bulbous 

 stock is moving satisfactorily. Eomans 

 are now in good supply, also Paper 

 Whites, with good demand. Lily of the 

 valley dragged last week. Stock is all 

 of good quality. Greens are plentiful, 

 with good demand. 



Variouf Notes. 



J. W. Boss, of Centralia, 111., was a 

 visitor last week. Mr. Boss reports good 

 trade and has a fine cut of everything in 

 season from his 22,000 feet of glass. 



Frank J. Fillmore, for many years in 

 business on Nebraska avenue, has ad- 

 vertised his place for sale. He wants 

 to get a place out in the country and 

 grow for the market. 



Charles Wors, Jr., is now in the em- 

 ploy of George Angermueller. Mr. Wors, 

 senior, was all smiles last week. He says 

 it's a girl and his seven sons have a 

 sister. 



E. W. Guy, of Belleville, spent a day 

 in the city last week, visiting growers 

 and buying supplies. Mr. Guy reports 

 business good in Belleville. 



Charlie Connon has given up his flower 

 stand in the Grand Leader department 

 store. He is now with the Michel Plant 

 and Bulb Co. on Maryland avenue. 



Charlie Kuehn is having a big run on 

 supplies for the holidays. The wire de- 

 partment is working full force. 



Gus Eggeling reports a fine trade at 

 both of his places Thanksgiving day and 

 since. 



J. F. Ammann, of Edwardsville, 111., 

 reports that he will be unable to attend 

 the local club meeting this week, Thurs- 

 day, as he will attend the meeting of 

 the Bloomington (111.) Florists' Club. 



Ostertag Bros.' big force was kept 

 busy all of the week with decorative 

 work and large funeral designs. 



A. Jablonsky, at Wellston, has nearly 

 sold out on blooming plants for Christ- 

 mas. His Gloire de Lorraine begonias 

 are finer than ever this year. His place 

 at Central, in the country, is producing 

 so far this season an extra fine cut of 

 roses and carnations. 



The Bentzen Commission Co. is in the 

 market with an extra fine quality of 

 holly, mistletoe and other Christmas 

 greens. 



Philip Gobel, at the head of Keservoir 

 park, reports that the city has started a 

 nursery at the Chain of Rock, stock to 

 be used for the new King's Highway 

 boulevard. W. E. Robinson, the head of 

 both of these city parks, is having a lot 

 of extra work done for next spring. 



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