32 



The Florists' Review 



OCTOBEU 20, 1921 



last week was the orchids. Hundreds 

 of Cattleya labiatu were in bloom. 

 Some tiers wen- a sheet of lavender. 

 Some cypripediums and a few oncidiums 

 were also in flower. There are 64,000 

 orchid plants in these houses, compris- 

 ing some 500 varieties. Blooms are 

 shipped by the hundreds every day to 

 the ])rincipal cities of Canada and the 

 United States. 



Angelus Admired. 



In the rose houses Fred H. Lemon's 

 new white, Angelus, was the object of 

 general examination. Half a bench of 

 this variety showed it to be in superb 

 condition here. So highly is it thought 

 of at the Dale Estate that it is to be the 

 only white grown when the present 

 plants of White Killarney are thrown 

 out. Two other new roses, Crusader and 

 Freedom, were found to be in excellent 

 shape also. Columbia and Premier are 

 extensively planted. This season Amer- 

 ican Beauty has been produced in better 

 sliajjc than it could be grown at any 

 time since the war began. It will not be 

 ousted liere for a long time if it con- 

 tinues as it is at present. 



A))out 300,000 mums are grown, from 

 ])()n)pons to great exhibition flowers on 

 towering stems. Approximately 200,000 

 carnation plants are in the beds, in much 

 better shape than many houses south of 

 the l)order. These were set out early 

 and brought into the houses in August. 

 Two beds are carried over from last 

 year for cxiierinient and show up well. 



Everything in the way of labor-saving 

 machinery is tested here. During the 

 war lack of men was a great handicap, 

 but conditions are better now. Trolleys 

 over the rose benches in the long houses, 

 some 650 and some 800 feet, carry the 

 blooms as they are cut. About 260 men 

 are carried on the regular pay roll now. 



Several large storerooms contain 

 great quantities of supplies, which are 

 dispatched with orders of cut flowers on 

 request. Under the management of W. 

 G. Peacock, this dei)artnient is gradually 

 being worked up into an extensive enter- 

 prise in itself. In tlie greenhouses the 

 three l)rother.s of the founder, Henry 

 Dale, divide the responsibility. The 

 general manager, T. W. Duggan, heads 

 the organization, now in the form of a 

 stock company, the ownership of which 

 is vested in the five (laughters of the 

 founder. 



PLAY UP BIRTHDAYS. 



In a folder sent out to brother retail- 

 ers just before the F. T. D. meeting Penn 

 the Florist, of Boston, emphasized the 

 opportunity for florists to do a far 

 greater business in birthday flowers. 

 He said: 



Samuel S. Pennock, one of our members who 

 is doing voluntary welfare work in Germany, re- 

 cently wrote me about tbe birthday celebrations 

 there. A birthday Is an important event in the 

 family circle. And in most cases the congratu- 

 latory expressions from friends and relatives are 

 in tlie form of (lowers — bouquets of flowers, bas- 

 kets of flowers, literally pyramids of flowers! 



As Mr. Pennock suKBests, let's play up birth- 

 days to a larger extent here. With over 105,- 

 000,000 persons in the United States, there are 

 about 287,000 birthdays to be celebrated each 

 da.v. Here is a wonderful opportunity to develop 

 the idea: "Send Flowers for Birthday Greet- 

 ings." Witli intelligent, consistent promotion 

 this custom will become even more popular than 

 flowers for Mothers' day. 



In other words, "An ounce of taffy while liv- 

 ing is worth a ton of epitaphy when dead." 



Birthdays do not create an over- 

 whelming demand one day and leave a 

 glut at another time; they afford a 

 steady, regular outlet throughout the 

 year. Pusli flowers for birthdays. 



AYEES' NEW IDEA. 



Florists will remember that it was 

 not many years ago that some stand- 

 patters said that the man who attempted 

 to grow sweet peas in a greenhouse 

 was nothing short of crazy. Their argu- 

 ment was that sweet peas and many of 

 our other commercial flowers of today 

 had no market value. And yet some 

 of those same florists have lived to see 

 the day when their eyes were filled 

 with wonder at the success made through 

 producing the flowers in the way they 

 had ridiculed. 



It can safely be said that S. Bryson 

 Ayres, of Kansas City, Mo., was never 

 one of those who could not see the 

 future, and proof of this is the fact 

 that he was one of the first to grow 

 sweet peas in a greenhouse, and it must 

 be said that at that time this rash act 

 of his was ridiculed as strenuously as 

 the times woulil allow. 



Today Mr. Ayres is springing another 

 suri)rise. He has ten acres of Celosia 

 c()m])acta chrysanthefolia, a variety that 

 many hiive often claimed had not suf- 

 ficient commercial value to warrant the 

 growing. But what is the result in the 

 case of Mr. Ayres? He is marketing 

 the entire lot, mostlv to eastern cities. 

 Marshall Field & Co.", Chicago, used tlie 



flowers for their fall opening, thousands 

 being arranged in huge baskets. The 

 order was secured by George Wittbold, 

 of Henry Wittbold & Son, Chicago. At 

 St. Louis the same use will be made of 

 the flowers at the store of Scruggs- 

 Vandervoort-Barney. And many of these 

 flowers are being shipped to wide-awake 

 florists in the east. 



Mr. Ayres claims that he has a real 

 commercial flower in Celosia chrysanthe- 

 folia and from the pile of orders he is 

 receiving and, from the way in which 

 Kansas City people flock to his 10-acre 

 field and pay $1 to $2.50 a stalk, it 

 must be said that he is right. 



This variety has many advantages. 

 The fact that it is seen in so many yards 

 is proof of its usefulness, and people 

 are so proud of it that they want to have 

 it in a conspicuous place. For large 

 store decorations the colors harmonize 

 with any interior and are wonderful for 

 home use. They keep for weeks. They 

 may be dried and used in winter bou- 

 quets, which are so popular now. It 

 must, surely, be admitted that Mr. 

 Ayres has shown a fine bit of fore- 

 sight. L. K. Bohannon. 



NEW STORE AT DES MOINES. 



The Kirkwood Floral Co. is prepar- 

 ing to open a new store in the heart of 

 the retail district at Des Moines, la. 

 It will be located at Eighth and Locust, 

 with a frontage of twenty-two feet on 

 one street and sixty-six on the other, 

 affording total window space of eighty- 

 eight feet. The shop is to be in the 

 building of the Des Moines Club, a 

 drawing card for a flower store. The 

 most up-to-date fixtures will be installed. 

 The store will be ready for business by 

 November 15. 



Mr. and Mrs. Kay Holt have operated 

 the Kirkwood Floral Co. for the last 

 six years at the retail store at Fourth 

 and Walnut, which will be continued in 

 connection with the new one. Mr. Holt 

 attributes their marked success to their 

 growing their own stock, at the green- 

 houses at Second and College. Mr. 

 Holt makes special efforts in behalf of 

 telegraph delivery orders and, as a re- 

 sult, tliis branch of the business has 

 grown far beyond earlier expectations. 



L. R. BohaDnon Holds an Armfol of Celosias Just Cut from S. Bryson Ayres' lO-Acrc Patch. 



