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The Weekly Rorists' Review* 



OCTOBKB 29, 1008. 



The Fall Shows 



Your customers will be dropping in during the next fortnight 

 to ask questions about the different varieties of chrysanthe- 

 mums they have seen at the exhibitions or elsewhere. Would it 

 not be well to have a few fancy blooms to show them when 

 they call ? It will give you something to talk about and in- 

 crease your chances of doing business. Good stock can now 

 be had at unusually low prices. We oflfer two grades, fancy 

 and select, in the leading varieties in yellow, white and pink. 

 Fancy single violets. :: :: :: :: :: Special double violets. 



W. E. McKissick 



Wholesale Florist 



1619-21 Ranstead St., Philadelphia 



Mention The Review when you write. 



PHILADELPHIA. 



The Risine Eastern Market. 



The unhappy weather conditions which 

 we so fondly hoped would have disap- 

 peared long ago have completely demoral- 

 ized the cut flower market. Quantity has 

 displaced quality everywhere, and the 

 quantities of soft stock coming into the 

 market that can find no satisfactory out- 

 let are most discouraging. Even the most 

 skiUful growers find it next to impossible 

 to get a satisfactory percentage of high 

 grade cut flowers into the wholesale 

 houses in their shipments. These are the 

 conditions today; relief is expected daily, 

 but hope long deferred maketh the heart 

 sick. 



Chrysanthemums rule the market. Rad- 

 ical observers say that this year's retail 

 prices are about equal to last year's 

 wholesale prices. Be this as it may, 

 prices are lower today than ever before 

 in the history of large flowered chrysan- 

 themums in this market. Despite these 

 conditions, indications of the latent 

 strength of the market may be found in 

 the fact that one-third more than last 

 week's quotations (to be explicit, $3 a 

 dozen) is being obtained today for fancy 

 stock of Major Bonnaffon and a few of 

 the fancy varieties. Among these may be 

 mentioned Honesty, white; Wm. Duck- 

 ham, pink; A. T. Stevens, yellow, and 

 Mrs. Wm. Duckham, golden yellow. 

 Other new varieties since last report 

 include George W. Childs, red; Dr. 

 Enguehard, pink ; Early Snow, white, and 

 Amorita, pink. This last named variety 

 is much in demand, the color being rather 

 scarce in the market today. Mary Don- 

 nellan, believed to be the most pleasing 

 shade of yellow yet introduced, has made 

 its appearance in limited quantities. Col. 

 Appleton is more prominent than last 

 week, much of the stock being fine. The 

 early varieties have practically disap- 

 peared. 



The carnation market has experienced 

 a decided change during the last week. 

 Flowers are far more plentiful, and less 

 in demand, the smaller chrysanthemums 

 seeming to take their place in many in- 



stances. Even the fancy stock cannot be 

 quoted over $2 a hundred, while much of 

 the ordinary brings little or nothing. 



The rose market is immensely over- 

 stocked. American Beauties are less 

 plentiful. My Maryland is coming to 

 town in better shape than many of the 

 others, possibly due to its merit as a 

 warm weather rose, possibly to the extra 

 care. There is a noticeable improvement 

 in Bride, now a little more in demand at 

 the present low quotations. Violets have 

 proved unsatisfactory stock during the 

 hot weather. It simply knocks them out. 

 Orchids are not quite so plentiful, but 

 there is no advance in the price, the 

 demand having fallen off with the de- 

 crease in supply. Gardenias are scarce. 

 While the demand is limited, there seems 

 to be enough to keep up the price on the 

 fancy stock. Valley drags badly. The 

 rest of the list requires no special com- 

 ment this week. For quotations see price 

 Ust. 



A Chat With Mr. Craig. 



Eobert Craig is considered all over 

 America, perhaps all over the world, as 

 one of Philadelphia's representative 

 members of the profession. Brilliant, 

 versatile, well informed, what he says 

 carries weight everywhere. In discussing 

 the present business situation, Mr. Craig 

 said that he believes that after the elec- 

 tion, no matter which way it goes, busi- 

 ness will improve. While he deplores the 

 conditions existing in the cut flower mar- 

 ket today, Mr. Craig spoke enthusiastic- 

 ally of the demand for plants, which he 

 said is better than in 1904, 1905, or in 

 1906, and second only to 1907, which 

 was the banner year. It will be remem- 

 bered that the financial depression did 

 not occur until near the close of the fall 

 shipping plant season, or about this time 

 last year. 



Mr. Craig believes that the current 

 prices o^i cut blooms of chrysanthemums 

 preclude the possibility of more than a 

 slight margin of profit, and that the 

 money, if there be any money, in these 

 autumnal flowers, will be made this year 

 during Thanksgiving week. The best 

 varieties for that time, he thinks, are 



