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The Florists' Review 



AUODBT 13, 1914. 



an opinion, as to how the war will 

 affect the trade at large and the ques- 

 tioner's private interests. Of course it 

 is quite the fashion, and one that has 

 been encouraged by answering every 

 inquiry to the best of this paper's 

 ability, to consult The Review no mat- 

 ter what information is wanted, but the 

 number of letters concerning the war 

 shows an unusual degree of uncertainty 

 in the trade. The following is indica- 



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Wreath by Mafche & Co. for Wilson 

 Funeral. 



tive of the general tone of the inquiries 

 from florists: 



"I am writing for a little informa- 

 tion. Have been contemplating build- 

 ing new houses and enlarging our ca- 

 pacity. In your opinion, and as far as 

 you can see, what will be the result 

 of the European war on the florists' 

 business? Will there be a permanent 

 depression in the domestic trade f We 

 contemplate going into the fern and 

 hardy line, but do not want to go 

 ahead if there is danger of a prolonged 

 depression. Would you advise build- 

 ing now, or waiting until spring, and 

 seeing then how the business situation 

 isf Kindly give us your candid opin- 

 ion on this matter. Any information 

 will be highly appreciated." 



No one can predict with any cer- 

 tainty the ultimate effect of the Euro- 

 pean war, but The Review does not 

 anticipate that the florists' trade in 

 this country will have a bad season. 

 In fact, general opinion seems to be 

 that if the war should prove prolonged 

 it will have the result of stimulating 

 general business in this country. * 



The Review has made certain plans 

 for the expansion of its own business 

 this fall and has as yet seen no reason 

 to change them in the least. It is to 

 be expected that some unusual condi- 

 tions will develop in the next few 

 weeks, with probably some temporary 

 loss of business because of the uncer- 

 tainties of the situation, but after 

 general business has become adjusted 

 to the new conditions The Review ex- 

 pects to see trade in all lines go along 

 much in the same way it did last sea- 

 son. The florist's business in his own 

 community may be affected, one way 



or the other, by the effect of the war 

 on the special industries of his home 

 town, but in general the trade should 

 have a good season. In recent years 

 the florists' business in the larger 

 cities has had its ups and downs, but 

 in the country towns the demand has 

 increased steadily. Of late the in- 

 crease has been most rapid in the midi- 

 dle west, where the crops this season 

 are the finest ever harvested. That 

 western crop money will work its way 

 through the trade. 



WAB AND THE TRADE. 



In The Review, issue of August 6, the 

 article on ' * War and the Trade ' ' leaves 

 out the important item of peonies, in 

 which I am specially interested. What 

 will become of the large import orders 

 for September and October deliveries? 

 If the fields of France are not devas- 

 tated by marching armies, who will dig, 

 divide, l&bel and pack them? If Hol- 

 land opens her dikes, as threatened, 

 where will her peony fields be for the 

 next two or three years? Will this 

 help the American grower to dispose of 

 stock, and will the supply on hand fill 

 the demand? Do you not believe this 

 will increase the business in the home 

 markets M. W. C. 



There were many trade items not re- 

 ferred to in the article on "War and 

 the Trade," that appeared in the issue 

 of August 6. Naturally each one of 

 these trade specialties will be affected 

 in the same way that the main trade 

 items are affected. The Holland peo- 

 nies will share much the same fate as 

 the Holland bulbs, whatever that 

 proves to be, and the French peonies 

 and French nursery stock will be moved 

 about as the French seed crops are. It 

 seems apparent that the war will result 

 in delaying such imports as are not 

 stopped altogether this season, and the 

 natural result will be that American 

 producers of competing articles will 

 have an exceptionally good opportunity 

 for a clean-up. 



A SHIPPER'S IDEAS. 



Those whose business depends on 

 ocean shipping find themselves with- 

 out an occupation, as a result of the 

 European war. There are a great many 

 who are affected in much greater de- 

 gree than are florists, seedsmen or 

 nurserymen. But the shipping trade 

 does not look for any considerable 

 duration of the present almost com- 

 plete tie-up. It is expected that com- 

 merce between England, France and 

 America soon will begin to move again. 

 "There are two alternatives to look 

 for," said W. E. Peck, head of the 

 New York shipping firm of W. E. Peck 

 & Co., discussing the prospect of a 

 restoration of at least a partial ocean 

 traffic. "One is a decisive victory of a 

 British fleet over that of Germany, rid- 

 ding the seas of a menace of German 

 war vessels to prey on the commerce 

 of England and France. The other is 

 the assigning of a portion of the 

 British navy to convoy merchantmen 

 across the sea from this port. 



"Should the conflict be drawn out 

 over a long period, I believe the British 

 admiralty will detach some of its fast 

 cruisers to convoy vessels from this 

 port to England. At the same time I 

 believe an arrangement will be per- 

 fected whereby the British government 



will issue insurance against goods con- 

 signed upon such merchantmen. Fur- 

 ther than that, it may be seen that 

 British war vessels will be stationed at 

 points along all the principal lanes of 

 commerce, to protect British shipping." 



OPENING CONVENTION GARDEN. 



The convention garden will be opened 

 officially by His Honor, Mayor Curley, 

 Tuesday morning, August 18, at 11 

 o'clock. Delegates are requested to be 

 there promptly at that time. 



John Young, Sec'y. 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY. 



At the S. A. F. convention to be held 

 next week there will be a meeting of 

 the American Rose Society, at which 

 time the Hubbard gold medal will be 

 presented to M. H. Walsh, of Woods 

 Hole, Mass., and the silver medal to 

 John Cook, of Baltimore, Md. 



Theodore Wirth, president of the 

 S. A. F. and superintendent of parks at 

 Minneapolis, writes: "I have some- 

 thing which may be of value to some 

 rose growers, particularly amateurs. 

 We have been successful in subduing 

 mildew by using the following prepa- 

 ration: Water, 3 gals.; soft soap, 6 

 ozs.; potassium sulphide, 2 ozs. We 

 dissolve the soap in water, then add 

 the potassium sulphide. This spray also 

 is good for aphis and will help along 

 blighted buds. For mildew it is the 

 best thing we have ever tried." 



Benj. Hammond, Sec'y. 



GARDENERS' BOSTON MEETINQ. 



Through the courtesy of the Society 

 of American Florists, the National As- 

 sociation of Gardeners will hold its 

 meeting in Revere hall, Mechanics 

 building, Boston, on Wednesday, Au- 

 gust 19, at 1 o'clock, this being the 

 convention hall of the S. A. F. All 

 gardeners and all interested in the pro- 

 fession of gardening are cordially in- 

 vited to this meeting. Several able 

 speakers from different parts of the 

 country will address the meeting on 



Wreath by Blackistone for Wilion Funeral- 



