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Decembbb 31, 1008. 





The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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A SPLENDID 

 CHRISTMAS TRADE 



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PLANT SALES SHOW ANOTHER INCREASE, BUT ALL CUT 

 FLOWERS CLEAN UP AT GOOD PRICES. 



HHEISTMAS trade the country over was all that anyone expected, and more; 

 it was ahead of last year, and ahead of 1906. In some of the larger 

 wholesale markets prices have been higher, but at retail Santa Claus never 

 paid more for his flowers. Supplies were large, but practically everything 



salable found a purchaser. Here and there, there was an echo of last year's panic 

 in increased demand for inexpensive stock, but an equal number report that cus- 

 tomers bought more freely of the better articles. 



Plant trade showed some increase everywhere, larger supplies of blooming stock 

 having been provided, especially in the larger cities, but cut flowers cleaned up better 

 than they usually have at Christmas. It is proven that enough buyers prefer cut 

 flowers to plants to insure the sale of all good cut stock offered at reasonable prices. 

 The smallei cities do not yet take to the plant arrangements so popular in the big 

 centers. In\many reports that speak of all cut stock going out, some plants are said 

 to have been feft, usually poinsettias or Lorraine begonias. Fine weather waa gen- 

 eral, and was an important factor, affecting supply, demand and delivery. 



Christmas greens were in large supply, of good quality, and florists sold great 

 quantities of them in spite of competition by grocers and peddlers. 



Beports from the big cities alone are not always a reliable index; in the last 

 year the florists of the towns have prospered better than those of the cities. But 

 for Christmas about all teU the same story. Eeports from many sources follow; 

 the city trade is reported under the usual headings. 



Alabama. 



Birmingham. — Christmas was as good 

 as 1907 and better than 1906. More 

 stock might have been sold, especially 

 blooming plants. Baskets and other ac- 

 cessories were used more freely than 

 ever, and "William M. Lindsay says they 

 added to the profit on the plants. The 

 finest plants cleaned up first. 



Mobile. — "With the Minge Floral Co. 

 Christmas was about as Usual, but the 

 call was for more expensive articles than 

 other years, in . spite of the fact that 

 money is still scarce and charge sales 

 more numerous than cash. Beauties and 

 poinsettias sold best. All cut flowers 

 went clean, but some plants were left. 

 There was little demand for plant bas- 

 kets or decorated plants. 



Montgomery. — "W. B. Patterson says 

 Christmas was forty per cent l)etter than 

 in 1907, seventy-five per cent better than 

 1906. Little of anything was left. 

 Plants were in most demand, especially 

 azaleas, poinsettias and Lorraine be- 

 gonias, which sold quickest when decor- 

 ated or made up in baskets and hampers. 

 Sales averaged higher than last year. 

 The effects of last year's panic were 

 still felt in that a comparatively small 

 sum spent for plants made a good show 

 and the florist thrived at the expense of 

 other lines. 



Arkansas. 



Pine Bluff. — A. A. Harper says his 

 Christmas trade was about twenty per 

 cent ahead of last year. No pickled stock 

 in evidence. Quite a call for plants and 



a good sale for narcissi and Romans. 

 Prospects good for 1909. 



Pine Bluft.— Mts. C. A. Starr reports 

 Christmas about as other years. A few 

 more cut flowers could have been sold 

 and a few more of the cheaper plants. 

 The call was largely for the cheaper 

 stock. 



Little Bock. — J. W. Vestal & Son 

 say that business was better than in 1906 

 or 1907. Everything salable was sold out 

 clean except palms and potted Bomans. 

 The best sellers were azaleas and fancy 

 fern dishes. Prices were higher than in 

 previous years. Christmas sales started 

 later than usual. There was little de- 

 mand for baskets, ribbons, pot covers, 

 etc., though the call in general was for 

 more expensive items than usual. 



Gilifomia. 



Santa Cruz. — W. E. King says the 

 Christmas call was for less expensive 

 articles, but a greater number of sales 

 were made and Christmas totaled better 

 than last year, and a whole lot better 

 than 1906. Everything was sold, except 

 green goods for decorations, which were 

 an oversupply. More cut flowers of all 

 kinds could have been used, but there 

 was not much call for plants. Carnations 

 were the most popular item. 



G>nnecticut« 



Greenwich. — High prices of cut stock 

 drove buyers to plants — but cut stock 

 had the call. Azaleas, heather and prim- 

 roses were left. An interesting feature 

 was the sale for imported holly trees 

 when in good condition. McMUlen & 



Co. say the flower buying public has not 

 yet fully recovered from last year's 

 troubles. 



New Britain.— Carl Lorensen believes 

 the weather never was beiter for Christ- 

 mas. Trade started early and prices were 

 good. Practically everything sold out 

 clean. The total was a little ahead of 

 1906 and about the same as 1907. 



"Wateebury.— E. S. Bavier, manager 

 for Olson & Lunden, says Christmas busi- 

 ness was far ahead of what had been 

 expected, considering the hard times in 

 this vicinity. There was a special de- 

 mand for carnations, and these were sold 

 out clean. Poinsettias and baskets of 

 plants also sold rapidly. Saxe & Floto 

 did a specially large business in bloom- 

 ing plants. Olson & Lunden had some 

 large Christmas decorations to handle 

 during the rush. 



Delaware. 



"Wilmington.— H. P. Potter says 

 Christmas was about the same as in 1906 

 but forty per cent ahead of 1907. All 

 good stock was sold, but there were 

 cyclamens, Lorraine begonias and the 

 lower grades of cut flowers left. He 

 does not use pot covers or other embel- 

 lishments. Poinsettias in pans sold best. 



Florida. 



Jacksonville.— Christmas trade was 

 much ahead of last year and more stock 

 could have been used in almost all lines. 

 Azaleas, begonias, cyclamens and valley 

 in pots sold best. It paid to decorate the 

 pots or make up basket arrangements. 

 The best grade of goods was wanted. 

 James H. Payne, of the Jacksonville 

 Floral Co., noted a special demand for 

 terns and fern dishes. 



Georgia. 



Savannah.— According to John "Wolf, 

 Uiristmas business was twenty-five per 

 cent better than in 1907 and at least as 

 good as m 1906. Some stock was left, 

 but more red roses and more poinsettias 

 in pans could have been sold. "White 

 azaleas did not move. Prices were about 

 as in former years, but carnations were 

 much higher; Plants could not be sold 

 without some sort of pot cover. The 

 medium-priced stock sold best. People 

 used more greens, such as holly, than in 

 other years. 



Illinois. 



.J^^'^'^^rT^''.^- ~ T^^^^^^ Pepperdine 

 thinks Thanksgiving trade was not as 

 good as It should have been, but Christ- 

 mas was all right, especially the call for 

 potted plants. Cut flower trade also was 

 good. ^ 



JoLiET.— Albert C. Bott says his Christ- 

 mas 8al«»s were half again as large as 

 ^8t year and everything sold out clean. 

 Baskets sold slowly. Plants at $2 to $3 

 sold best. He trims every plant with- 

 sale ^ <^^^rg^, thinking it helps the 



Belleville.— E. W. -Guy says Christ- 

 mas was twenty per cent better than last 



^on^ *^"*y P®'' ^®°* ^e"er than in 



1906. Poinsettias and white carnations 

 were the only things left. He noted no 

 extra call for plants and does not use 

 many m arrangements. 



EocKFORD.— J. J. Soper says the in- 

 teresting feature was the call for plants 

 in bloom. The business totaled greater 

 than m either 1907 or 1906. The call 

 was for more expensive articles than 

 usual. Baskets, ribbons and pot covers 



