16 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



April 23, 1908. 



GARDENIAS 



(Crrandiflora Cape Jasmine Buds) 



Splendid rains fell all over this section the third 

 week in Aprils which insures fine foliage and buds. 

 The earliest shipments will move probably about 

 May 5th and continue into June. Watch predictions 

 in next week's issue» which will be more definite* 



We are using some high class periodicals this 

 year to extend trade and you will probably have 

 inquiries from this advertising for early May sales. 

 We can fill rush orders on day of receipt* A}I our long haul stock was enclosed in glassine 

 paper last year and the result — not a single complaint. This method will be continued 

 for the future. 



Standard stock, gfood foliage* finest quality buds, per 1000, $7.60 

 600 at 1000 rate. 



On orders of 8000 or more, per 1000 6.60 



Less than 600 buds, per 100 86 



C. W. BENSON & 



g>g\ ALVIN, 



V>V«5 TEXAS 



Mention The Review when you write. 



5 cents. There were a few pots of 

 lilies in nearly every icebox when Easter 

 was over and Monday saw enough lilies 

 in the market for quite a fair Easter 

 business. 



The receipts of carnations were some- 

 thing tremendous. Those growers who 

 sent in good stock at the time wanted 

 received what should be fairly satisfac- 

 tory prices, all things considered, but 

 taking the receipts in the aggregate, the 

 average will probably be the lowest ever 

 recorded at Easter. Considerable quan- 

 tities of white failed to find any sale, 

 even when ofitered at the buyer's own 

 price. 



Violets were received in larger quan- 

 tities than at any previous Easter and 

 prices ranged from 75 cents per hun- 

 dred down to the vanishing point. The 

 bulk of the receipts were sold at from 

 20 cents to 30 cents per hundred. 



Sweet peas were a good item. If of 

 fair quality they sold well, though not 

 at fancy prices. There was so much 

 stock in the market that bulbous ma- 

 terial was neglected. White tulips suf- 

 fered especially, and quite a number of 

 daffodils were left. 



The story of the retailers is almost 

 a repetition of that told by the whole- 

 salers. The business began late and 

 ended with a tremendous rush. Most of 

 the retailers had bought more heavily 

 of plants than in preceding years and 

 kept them to the front until well cleaned 

 up. Many of the less pretentious stores 

 were able to use many more cut flowers 

 than in previous years, because of lower 

 wholesale prices on their grade of stock, 

 and in the aggregate all did a satisfac- 

 tory business, in many cases larger than 



last year, although it was the general re- 

 port that individual purchases were small- 

 er. Saturday afternoon and Sunday 

 morning extra delivery facilities were at 

 a premium, practically every enclosed 

 vehicle for hire in the town being on 

 the street with some florist's sign on the 

 sides. The profit to all the retailers 

 was excellent, because of the cheaper 

 prices at which they secured their sup- 

 plies. 



This week opened with the wholesale 

 market heavily stocked and demand light. 



Easter Plants. 



The retailers stocked up with flower- 

 ing plants more heavily than in any 

 previous year. There was no special nov- 

 elty in the plant line, but it was notable 

 that the supply and variety of roses were 

 much greater than heretofore. Lady Gay 

 was generally considered the best of the 

 lot. The Baby Rambler was the most 

 numerous. Lilies were possibly as abun- 

 dant as ever, but did not predominate 

 in the displays, as they have in bygone 

 seasons, when the variety of stock avail- 

 able was less great. Bulbous stock was 

 not as abundant as in years when Easter 

 has been earlier. Azaleas were plenti- 

 ful, especially small ones. 



April 14 was a summer day, the tem- 

 perature in the shade being 75 degrees. 

 It advanced the flowering stock as much 

 as it had progressed in the entire week 

 preceding, and everything was full 

 blown. This added to the brightness of 

 the displays, but added nothing to the 

 keeping qualities of the stock. Natur- 

 ally, the retailers, having bought their 

 plants in advance, pushed the sale and 

 generally made a fair clean-up, if some- 



what at the expense of cut flower sales. 

 There were, of course, some plants left 

 over, but not more than usual. 



Smyth's Easter Window. 



Michigan avenue, south of Thirty-first 

 street, is being repaved, and W. J. Smyth, 

 whose store m on that corner, told a Rk- 

 viEW reporter he was afraid the closing 

 of the street would hurt his Easter trade : 

 "They can come down this far, but 

 everyone has to turn at this corner. ' ' 

 But a swift-flying six-cylinder automobile 

 did not turn quite far enough, on the 

 evening of April 16, and went straight 

 through the show window. The owner 

 backed the machine out from among 

 the Easter plant arrangements and start- 

 ed to make his escape, but a police- 

 man took charge and booked him for 

 operating an automobile while intoxi- 

 cated, for fast driving and for disorderly 

 conduct. 



While Mr. Smyth 's Easter showing was 

 not as handsome as it otherwise would 

 have been, it is safe to say it attracted 

 just as much attention, and his Easter 

 business was good. 



Samuelson's Easter Window. 



C. A. Samuelson is known for his at- 

 tractive window displays, but eclipsed 

 his best previous efforts for Easter. Per- 

 golas are the fashion, so he built a per- 

 gola in his window. It was made of 

 wood covered with felt, an excellent imi- 

 tation of white marble. Clambering over 

 the pergola were splendid specimens of 

 the new rambler roses. At one end Lady 

 Gay was used, at the other Dorothy 

 Perkins. There were specimens of Hia- 

 watha, La Fiamma and Crimson Rambler. 



