

The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



Dbcbmbib 31, 1008. 



added greatly to the ealability of stock. 

 Nothing •was left. More cut flowers and 

 more plants could have been disposed of. 



Aurora. — The Aurora Greenhouse Co. 

 reports trade in excess of 1907 or 1906. 

 Everything sold out clean, without satis- 

 fying the demand. The use of ribbons, 

 baskets and pot covers did not give them 

 a direct profit. They reported people 

 would not take high priced cut flowers 

 so long as they could get potted plants. 



AuEOEA. — "With Joseph M. Smely the 

 Christmas business was much better than 

 1907 and slightly better than 1906. 

 Flowering plants sold best. Valley, 

 Eomans, Paper Whites and the lower 

 grades of roses and carnations were left. 

 Fine weather started the trade early. He 

 says there was no direct profit in the 

 accessories used with the plants, but that 

 customers insist on having them. The 

 notable feature was the number of people 

 who ordered plants over the phone and 

 knew just what they wanted. 



Peoria. — The business was ahead of 

 last year, or the year before. Everything 

 in red and pink sold clean. Red roses, 

 red carnations and azaleas and cyclamens 

 in colors sold best, and more could have 

 been used. "White roses and Romans 



plants than ever before and advertised 

 them in the local papers. They do little 

 in the way of fixing up plants, outside 

 of trimming the pots with crepe paper; 

 the demand is for plants at $2 or $3 

 each. There was a greatly increased call 

 for plants, but still some were left. More 

 cut flowers could have been used. 



Indiana. 



Richmond. — J. M. Gift says Christmas 

 was forty per cent better than last year 

 and roses and carnations were short. G. 

 R. Gause puts his increase at fifty per 

 cent. The demand for blooming plants 

 and ferns far exceeded any year and 

 green moss wreaths sold in large quan- 

 tities. 



Marion. — Nearly double, is the way 

 the Marion Floral Co. says Christmas 

 compares with 19.07. They cleaned out 

 of plants and could have sold more cut 

 flowers. Trade started late, but every- 

 thing went. The use of pot covers, bas- 

 kets, ribbons, etc., gave them a satis- 

 factory profit, besides adding to the sala- 

 bility of stock. 



KoKOMO. — W. W. Coles says Christmas 

 was all he could ask, twenty per cent 

 better than 1907, and about the same 



Eugene Dailledouze. 



were left. C. Loveridge says the special 

 call was for Richmond, of which he had 

 a fine crop. He reports that pot covers, 

 baskets, ribbons, etc., did not add enough 

 to the value of the article to give him , 

 a profit on their use. 



Bloomington. — A. "Washburn & Sons 

 credit the weather with a twenty-five per 

 cent increase in their Christmas business. 

 They grew a larger number of blooming 



as 1906. Prices were ten per cent bet- 

 ter than last year. Trade started early. 

 Carnations sold best. Some poinsettias 

 and Lorraine begonias were left. The 

 use of requisites in plant decoration 

 showed a profit, but Mr. Coles says not 

 as much as in larger cities. A special 

 feature was the call for Beauties. 



Goshen. — Dora Brown reports Christ- 

 mas business in cut flowers as about the 



same as last year, in plants some better. 

 She cannot get high prices, saying her 

 customers cannot realize why prices ad- 

 vance so at the holidays and that they 

 simply will not pay the Christmas rates 

 for stock they have been buying for so 

 much less the week before. Everything 

 cheap and effective in plants was quickly 

 picked up, pans or Paper Whites and 

 small azaleas taking the lead. 



Lafayette. — The Christmas business 

 was about ten per cent ahead of 1907 

 and twenty per cent over 1906. F. Dor- 

 ner & Sons Co. says all cut flowers sold, 

 except Eomans and stevia; they could 

 have used more carnations and also more 

 roses, and prices were higher on these 

 than last year. Some pot plants were 

 left and the demand (Ud not warrant 

 making up expensive arrangements in 

 baskets, etc. The bright weather hard- 

 ened up the cut stock, gave it a good 

 finish and made it a pleasure to handle. 

 If the off year had any effect, it was a 

 help to the florists, as orders were given 

 for boxes of cut flowers in place of more 

 costly gifts. 



Iowa. 



OsKALOOSA.— The Kemble Floral Co. 

 says Christmas was about the same as in 

 1907 and ten to fifteen per cent better 

 than in 1906. Practically everything sold 

 out clean at about the usual Christmas 

 prices. 



Maeshalltown. — With William H. 

 Ford business was better than in 1907 

 or 1906. Nearly everything sold and 

 more cut flowers could have been used. 

 There was no special demand for plants. 



Davenport.— H. M. Bills says Christ- 

 mas was nearly double last year and half 

 again as great as in 1906. Anything 

 that was left was of little value. More 

 plants were sold than ever before and it 

 paid to decorate them. Beauties were in 

 special demand, but short, and many took 

 plants. 



Burlington. — Joseph Bock found 

 Christmas business better than ever be- 

 fore. Everything salable was cleaned up 

 and more cut flowers and more plants 

 could have been used. The best call was 

 for blooming plants and the demand was 

 good enough to take them at fair prices, 

 without pot covers or ribbons. 



Fort Madison.— J. M. Auge had a bet- 

 ter Christmas than ever before. He sold 

 out clean on cut flowers, but not on 

 plants, having Lorraines, cyclamens and 

 primroses left. Azaleas were among the 

 best sellers. Few embellishments were 

 used. More red roses and carnations 

 would have been welcome. 



Dubuque.— The Christmas of 1907 was 

 the best until 1908. W. A. Harkett says 

 more cut flowers could have been sold, 

 especially roses and carnations, preferably 

 red, but there were plants to spare, al- 

 though they sold fairly well. Prices 

 ruled moderate. Bright ribbons helped 

 the sales of plants, and more fancy bas- 

 kets and birch bark ware were used than 

 ever before. The tendency is toward 

 greater number of sales at moderate 

 prices. 



Kansas. 



Concordia. — Christmas trade was good, 

 C. J. Lempe reporting that he sold more 

 flowers than at any previous Christmas. 

 He could have used much more stock. 



Fort Scott. — John Heck says the de- 

 mand for plants for Christmas gifts has 

 not been developed here, most flowers 



