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12 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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January 2, 1908. 



The Surprise Gift Box. 



it are sold daily by the wholesale deal- 

 ■ere. It is in season all the year and is 

 as popular at one time as at another. 



The common marsh or fango grass is 

 another decorative article that has come 

 to stay, and no dealer pretends to do 

 business without it. It is cheap, lasting 

 and graceful and can be used in any 

 number of ways. 



Some good English holly from Wash- 

 ington and British Ck)lumbia was seen 

 in San Francisco during the holidays, 

 but there is practically none of it grown 

 there and it is expensive for the retailer 

 to handle. It has usually been picked 

 such a long time that the leaves fall off 

 it after it is exposed for a short while 

 and then it ceases to be a thing of 

 beauty. There is some California grown 

 holly, but our trees are usually not old 

 enough to produce many berries and, on 

 account of our dry summers, the leaves 

 are usually not up to the bright, green, 

 glossy color to be had from those locali- 

 ties where an abundance of moisture in- 

 sures a healthy, vigorous growth. Ci. 



ARTISTIC ARRANGEMENTS. 



Surprise Gift Box. 



The patent suprise gift box, designed 

 by Charles Henry Fox, is one of the most 

 unique arrangements ever conceived for 

 flowers and has met with the greatest 

 success in novel creations in flower art, 

 for which the Sign of the Rose is gaining 

 an enviable reputation. It was patented 

 in October, 1905, and is now shown for 

 the first time. Mr. Fox expects to put it 

 on the market and give the trade the 

 benefit of this novel invention early in 

 1908. 



The first view shows the box as de- 

 livered, unopened ; in the second view 

 the box is half opened, showing how per- 

 fectly the sides fall in place and display 

 the flowers; and the third view pictures 

 a perfect table decoration. The ground- 

 work is a point-lace doily. In the center 

 is a crushed hat filled with Liberty roses. 

 A more expensive one may be filled with 

 cattleyas or gardenias. The four bunches 

 of violets are so arranged that they can 

 be taken ofif and worn, used as favors. 

 This bit of arrangement is charming for 

 a theater party dinner or a card party, 



and can be shipped anywhere in perfect 

 safety. 



NEW YORK. 



The Market. 



Christmas, 1907, is now ancient his- 

 tory, but it is history thsft is gratifying, 

 better than was anticipated and gener- 

 ally satisfactory to all concerned from 

 the florists' standpoint, grower, retailer 

 and wholesaler all having- had occasion 

 to make merry, and all are ready to de- 

 clare they had much to be thankful for. 

 There never was grander Christmas 

 weather; the productions of the plants- 

 men never were more perfect; the prices 

 for cut flowers never were more reason- 

 able for the holiday, and the majority 



of the retailers never cleaned up so thor- 

 oughly and satisfactorily. So what bet- 

 ter memory than this with which to be- 

 gin the Happy New Year? May its 

 happiness and prosperity make for flori- 

 culture the greatest year in all its his- 

 tory. 



For Christmas there was not much 

 pickling. Everything that was good sold 

 rapidly and satisfactorily to the whole- 

 salers. The all-night session was never 

 uninteresting, and by noon on Christmas 

 day there floated up into the sunny sky 

 a song of jubilee. Everything was sold 

 in the wholesale cut flower markets, the 

 plantsmen were depleted, and even the 

 retailers had disposed of every hand- 

 some plant and flower. The prices esti- 

 mated in the letter of a week ago were 

 realized; occasionally for the selected 

 stock a little higher figure was obtained. 

 But a fair average top for the popular 

 flowers was: $1 for Beauties, 10 cents 

 for carnations, $1 for violets, 75 cents 

 for orchids, and 25 cents for Maid, Kil- 

 larney, Chatenay and Richmond. 



Since Christmas the warm and unseas- 

 onable weather has continued. Sunday 

 reminded one of May. Everybody has 

 the grippe, or will have it, if the promised 

 cold snap does not soon arrive. We are 

 ready for winter and we have not had a 

 breath of it to date. Before we are wide 

 awake Easter will be here. In less than 

 twelve weeks the plantsmen will com- 

 mence their deliveries. Already they 

 are planning and the new plant market 

 brings together the best of the experts 

 in friendly rivalry and mutually bene- 

 ficial consultation. 



This market proved a great conven- 

 ience to retailers the week before Christ- 

 mas, especially when journeys to head- 

 quarters became impossible. Many a 

 load was sold and all the exhibitors 

 seemed to be doing their share in the 

 general distribution. The veteran grow- 

 ers believe the plant market will be more 

 and more appreciated as the season ad- 

 vances and that it has come to stay. 



Cut flower prioos retrograded Decem- 



The Surprise Gift Box. 



