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The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Decembeb 31, 1008. 



Individual purchases averaged larger 

 than in previous years. 



Sault Ste. Marie, — "^illiam F. Weber 

 found all cut flowers sold and Christmas 

 totaling a little better than in either '«of 

 the last two years. The only unsold stock 

 was of plants. Carnations were in best 

 demand. He says he can get no direct 

 profit on the use of baskets, pot covers 

 and ribbons, but that they help in making 

 sales. 



Minnesota. 



Albert Lea. — The Lake Shore Green- 

 houses figure Christmas as ten per cent 

 better than 1907 and twenty per cent 

 better than 1906. Everything sold ex- 

 cept a little bulb stock. Roses, carna- 

 tions and violets were most in demand. 



OwATONNA. — The Clinton Falls Nurs- 

 ery Co. says the Christmas trade showed 

 no effect of last year's panic, but spoke 

 eloquently of the first-class wheat crop; 

 it was forty per cent ahead of 1907, The 

 only salable stock left was white roses. 

 Prices were strong, 



Mistissippi. 



Jackson, — W. J. Brown reports Christ- 

 mas as the best he ever has had. Cut 

 flowers were sold out clean, and he had 

 only a few salable plants left. Christ- 

 mas sales started early and prices were 

 £ood. The weather was fine and had a 

 tendency to help trade. The best selling 

 «tock was cut flowers in bunches. There 

 •was not much demand for baskets, but 

 pot covers and ribbons sold fairly well. 



Missouri.. 



Neosho. — John M. Sherwood tells of 

 a Christmas demand that was better than 

 he had hoped— double the supply. He is 

 new in the business and not yet fully 

 «tocked up. 



Spkingfield, — W. H, Chalfant records 

 Christmas as twenty per cent ahead of 

 last year, in spite of the fact that he no 

 longer pays special attention to the 

 Christmas trade, aiming to take care of 

 his regular customers and not caring 

 much for the transients, who, he finds, 

 usually want cheap articles. There was 

 enough stock so that a little of every- 

 thing was left. He makes no special 

 effort in the use of accessories. 



Nebraska* 



Beatrice. — There is an increase in 

 Christmas business each year. The Dole 

 Floral Co. says fine weather made a full 

 crop of carnations, nearly enough to go 

 around. Azaleas sold well. 



Fbemont. — The Christmas trade was 

 much better than in 1906 and nearly 

 ■double that of last year. Cut fiowers 

 sold out clean, but there was some plant 

 stock left. The call was for carnations, 



{)oinsettia arrangements, roses and vio- 

 ets, in the order named. Prices were 

 twenty per cent higher than last Christ- 

 mas. Crepe paper pot covers are as far 

 as C. H. Green goes in embellishment of 

 plants. 



Lincoln.— C. H. Frey says that his 

 trade showed an increase of fifteen per 

 cent over that of 1907 and an increase 

 of about forty per cent over that of 

 1906. He did not have enough cut flow- 

 era, but had a few plants left, chiefly 

 poinsettias, Lorraine begonias and ferns. 

 Kosea, carnations, violets and blooming 

 plants sold best. Prices were about the 

 same as in 1906 and 1907. Christmas 

 sales began early and continued till noon 

 on Christmas day. The weather was 

 fine. The outside temperature was 50 



degrees at 2 p. m. December 24, and 45 

 degrees December. 25. He does not have 

 much call for baskets or hampers, and 

 few of his customers will pay a higher 

 price for a covered pot. The less ex- 

 pensive stock was sold out first. An 

 interesting feature was the number of 

 small sales. 



New Hampsfaire. 



Concord. — G. J. Benedict reports 

 Christmas sales equally great, if not 

 better than last year. He had a fine cut 

 of Enchantress that sold readily at $1.50 

 per dozen. Christmas greens went nicely 

 and Christmas business seemed to have a 

 push behind it that bespeaks a prosper- 

 ous business in 1909. 



Nashua. — Christmas trade was far be- 

 yond the expectations of W. W. Powers. 

 It commenced early and kept on heavily 

 until everything was sold out clean. 

 There was a special call for blooming 

 plants made up in the green pottery 

 ware. Cut flowers wete in greater de- 

 mand than last season, and Christmas 

 greens of all kinds had a large call. 



New Jersey. 



Passaic. — John L, Lundsted says 

 Christmas was about as in 1907, but not 

 quite as good as 1906. He is a carnation 

 grower, and sold out clean, with a de- 

 mand for more stock. 



Trenton. — Martin C. Eibsam regrets 

 that Christmas was not up to either of 

 the last two years. More blooming plants 

 could have been sold, but there were 

 enough cut flowers. The call was for the 

 less expensive things. 



New Mexico. 



Eaton. — Harry A, Smith says that 

 trade was better this Christmas than ever 

 before. The businesa steadily is develop- 

 ing and the uses for flowers becoming 

 more numerous; consequently a greater 

 variety of stock can be sold, and at bet- 

 ter prices. 



New York. 



Troy. — No salable stock was left, and 

 Sambrook Bros, think more might have 

 been sold, of both cut flowers and plants. 

 Fine weather helped the violet business. 

 Trade was late in starting, but made a 

 good total. 



Elmira. — H. N. Hoffman notes that 

 the interesting feature of the Christmas 

 trade was the better sale for baskets 

 filled with plants. He finds the trade 

 appreciates the embellishments, like pot 

 covers and ribbon. More cut flowers and 

 more blooming plants could have been 

 sold. The trade started late, but good 

 weather brought in strangers and made 

 a late rush. 



Saratoga Springs. — T. J. Totten 

 thinks the total of Christmas business 

 was not quite as good as last year. Cut 

 flowers were all sold, but a few plants 

 were left, mostly azaleas. Customers did 

 not seem to care for fancy plant arrange- 

 ments. The call was for less expensive 

 stock. Carnations were the leader, with 

 good business on roses, sweet peas and 

 violets. 



North Dakota. 



Grand Forks.— The Wickler Floral Co, 

 found that business on the whole was 

 much better than in 1907, though carna- 

 tions this season were fifteen per cent 

 lower in price. The supply of stock, was 

 hardly suflBcient for the demand, and 

 nearly everything was cleaned out ex- 

 cept a few sleepy carnations. Sales 



began early, were slow for a while, but 

 finished with a whirl. The weather was 

 ideal. Red carnations sold best. An 

 interesting feature was the great num- 

 ber of small orders for the best grade 

 of stock; the people economized in quan- 

 tity rather than in quality. 



North Carolina. 



Greensboro, — The J. Van Lindley 

 Nursery Co. opened a new store in the 

 Hotel Guilford building just in time to 

 catch a fine Christmas trade. 



Ohio. 



Alliance. — Everything sold out clean, 

 according to J. F. Zimmerman, and more 

 stock of all kinds could have been used. 

 Cut flowers were in most demand, and the 

 only salable things left were the ferns. 



Canton. — Charles Lindacher says 

 Christmas was better than last year, 

 making a good clean-up on everything 

 except Roman hyacinths. Carnations 

 were in special demand. The weather 

 was favorable and d'^livery easy. 



Akron. — J. R, Norton reports a joyous 

 Christmas, better than 1907 and very 

 much better than 1906. Practically 

 everything cleaned up; more cut stock 

 and more blooming plants could have 

 been used. Plant embellishment was 

 profitable, not alone in increased sales 

 but a good profit also was made on the 

 supplies consumed. The Japanese air 

 plant was especially popular with those 

 who wanted low-priced things. 



Zanesville. — John D. Imlay found 

 Christmas fully equal to 1907 and better 

 than 1906, with more cash sales. Cut 

 flowers just about went around, but a 

 few plants were left, notably Lorraine 

 begonias and lilies in pots. He could 

 have sold more of the cheaper plants, 

 those at 25, 50 or 75 cents. A few cus- 

 tomers appreciated the pot covers, rib- 

 bons,' etc., but moet of them did not 

 consider such decoration essential when 

 they found it added to the price. 



Sandusky,— At the Central Green- 

 houses, B. J. Mackey says the Christ- 

 mas was about the same as last year. 

 A few carnations were left and a few 

 of the more expensive pot plants. More 

 plants of the cheaper grade could have 

 been sold, and more roses. The best sale 

 was for primroses, small cherries, cycla- 

 mens, Whitmani ferns and azaleas. The 

 use of plant decorations was found profit- 

 able, and there was a good sale for pot- 

 tery, especially hanging ferneries and 

 vases filled with Japanese air plant, plum- 

 osus and Sprengeri. If anything, the call 

 was for a little more expensive stock 

 than last year. Christmas trees were 

 scarce, because many had placed orders 

 with a seedsman who failed to ship, 



Oklahoma. 



Oklahoma City. — C. W. Stiles, of the 

 Stiles Co., says Christmas was one-third 

 better than in 1907 and double 1906. 

 More cut flowers could have been used, 

 but few plants were left, especially poin- 

 settias. Pot covers and ribbon helped 

 to get the better prices which prevailed. 

 Basket arrangements sold well. Custom- 

 ers wanted the best, and good plants sold 

 readily. 



Pennsylvania. 



Sewickley. — H. C. Buchler says 

 Christmas business was grand — not a cut 

 flower or blooming plant left unsold. 



Reading. — H. J. Huesman figures 

 Christmas trade was somewhat better 



