42 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



NOVEMBBB 16, 1011. 



WHY SPHAGNUM IS SCARCE. 



One of the shortages that is pinching 

 the florists at large is the one now 

 existing in sphagnum moss. Stocks 

 are well cleaned up- all over the coun- 

 try, and particularly so in the west. 

 .Jobbers have been unable to get their 

 customary autumn shipments. To those 

 who have inquired as to the reason for 

 the ghortage the answer has been re- 

 turned that the season has been a par- 

 ticularly rainy one in the Wisconsin 

 swamps, whence come the supplies of 

 this essential basis for designs. Im- 

 mense quantities of sphagnum come 

 from the vicinity of Wausau, in Wis- 

 consin. A shipper there, in explaining 

 the delay in filling his orders, sent to 

 the A. L. Eandall Co., Chicago, the 

 photograph reproduced herewith. It 

 shows, not a scene in Venice, but the 

 main street of the neighboring town 

 of Schofield during the days of late 

 October. Traveling by boat is a nov- 

 elty in the town streets in the sphag- 

 num district. There was snow in the 

 woods the last week of October, but 

 it melted fast and there is hope of an 

 opportunity of catching up with the 

 demand. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



e Market. 



The cold wave, which is making 

 Washington shiver, is accepted as a 

 boon by local florists. November as a 

 rule is a poor month for the trade here, 

 but nearly all the florists say that the 

 balance of this month promises to be 

 better than the average. The return 

 of President Taft and his family to the 

 city, marking as it does a revival of 

 social activities, will be beneficial. Dur- 

 ing the next few weeks, besides Tlianks- 



Cattleyas are more plentiful, and or- 

 chids bring $7.50 a dozen. 

 Various Notes. 



The event of this week was Blacki- 

 stone's opening Tuesday, after exten- 

 sive alterations. The size of his store 

 has been nearly doubled, and 300 square 

 feet of show windows are filled with 

 the choicest flowers,- while inside a 

 flower show is in full blast, including 

 forty varieties of mums. The general 

 scheme of the improved store is colo- 

 nial. French gray and white predomi- 

 nate and the walls are decorated with 

 dainty lattice and long mirrors. There 

 is a beautiful balcony, used for office 

 purposes. Visitors w^re given floral sou- 

 venirs. Z. D. Blackistoue went into 

 business independently in 1899 and is 

 receiving many congratulations on his 

 success. He increased his business 

 force this week by taking on Walter 

 Hengel, formerly wit.h Habermehl, of 

 Philadelphia. 



The Washington Florists' Exchange 

 recently received a dozen huge cases of 

 smilax for the fall trade. 



J. E. Morrison has opened a down- 

 town branch of the Columbia Nursery 

 Co., next door to the Florists ' Exchange 

 on H street. Mr. Morrison belongs to 

 an old family of nurserymen in the 

 west. His brother, Joseph, recently 

 went to the Isle of Pines and is raising 

 citrus fruits. 



J. H. Small & Sons have been de- 

 layed in moving from their old stand 

 at Fourteenth and G streets, to the 

 Woodward building, Fifteenth and H 

 streets, considered one of the best cor- 

 ners in town, owing to failure of the 

 contractors to have the building com- 

 pleted on time. The Smalls hope to get 

 settled in their new quarters this 

 month. 



W. Marche has a big contract to lay 



Not Venice— Just a Flooded Town in the Sphagnum Distficf. 



giving, the florists will be thankful for 

 several debutantes' i>arties and other 

 social affairs. 



The better varieties of mums are 

 now coming out. The first Maud Dean 

 were shown last week. There are fine 

 white and yellow Bonnaffon and the 

 largest varieties will be along on time 

 a week or more hence. Boses are fairly 

 plentiful and really good. Carnations 

 have advanced in price and are now 

 bringing 2 to 3 cents. A'alley is mov- 

 ing well, but smilax is going better. 



out a Koman garden for a wealthy resi- 

 dent of Chevy Chase, the fashionable 

 suburb. 



W. F. Gude is making a campaign 

 for a congressional police and firemen's 

 pension law. 



W. R. Smith, superintendent of the 

 botanical gardens, will probably be able 

 to leave the hospital before long, but 

 the doctors fear he may not entirely 

 regain his health. He is suffering from 

 a serious internal trouble. 



Mr. .Tones, of Philadelphia, is visiting 

 here. H. C. H. 



NEW YOBK. 



The Market. 



Last week ended the Indian summer. 

 The western storm brought a drop of 

 30 or 40 degrees, and the week opens 

 with the first severe weather of the fall 

 season. The market improvement be- 

 gan November 10, with an advance in 

 the price of orchids, violets and lilies. 

 American Beauties advanced to 35 

 cents. All the new varieties of ro638 

 hold well and sell rapidly, the supply 

 being limited. Of the older varieties, 

 the market could not handle them last 

 week and many thousands reached the 

 sti'Cet and the department stores. The 

 co'u jnap will drive the street mer- 

 chants to cover. Then the surplus must 

 find its way to the big stores, where 

 the purchases are made in wagon loads. 

 For these, remarkably low prices have 

 been advertised recently in the city 

 dailies. 



Carnations did not go above $2 per 

 hundred last week and only the best 

 brought that price, the bulk of the ship- 

 ments closing out at $1 and under. The 

 quality is now perfect. Lilies advanced 

 encouragingly at the week's close and 

 the selected stock sold at $1 a dozen. 

 Valley was firm at $2 to $3 and the 

 tendency is upward. Violets are none 

 too plentiful. Some predict a dollar 

 for them before the week is over. The 

 specials sold at 60 cents to 75 cents 

 November 11. Cattleyas, the best, 

 touched 75 cents each, with not enough 

 to go around. 



The chrysanthemum flood is at its 

 height and there are no signs yet of 

 decrease in supply. Prices are down, 

 and few command over $3 a dozen. 

 Splendid stock can be had at $10 per 

 hundred and some excellent flowers sold 

 as low as $5 per hundred. Enormous 

 shipments of bunches are arriving, but 

 are hard to dispose of. Good plants 

 can be bought at from 15 to 25 cents 

 each. 



Gardenias are in wide demand and 

 of better size and stem, the best touch- 

 ing $5 a dozpn. 



Club Meeting. 



The attendance at the club meeting 

 November 13 numbered over 150, in- 

 cluding a liberal sprinkling of the fair 

 sex. The nominating committee an- 

 nounced its slate as follows: 



For president — J. B. Nugent, Jr., I. 

 S. Hendrickson, .Tos. A. Manda. 



For vice-president — John Rassbach, 

 Philip Einsman. 



For secretary — John Young, W. G. 

 Badgley. 



For treasurer — W. B. Rickards, Jr., 

 W. H. Siebrecht, .Tr., C. W. Scott. 



For trustees — .Tohn Donaldson, R. G. 

 Wilson, F. A. Bolles, William Duckham, 

 Philip Kessler, Harry Turner. 



Resolutions on the death of I. L. 

 Powell were read and a copy ordered 

 sent to his family. An important letter 

 was read from Prof. John Craig, of 

 Cornell University, and its many sug- 

 gestions as to the advancement of the 

 horticultural interests, including the 

 ))rospective building of greenhouses at 

 Ithaca, will be thoroughly considered 

 at the club 's December meeting. H. 

 Reidel, Meyer Othile, Roma J. Irwin, 

 H. Langeler, Wm. Chalmers and John 

 Birnie were nominated for membership. 



The exhibits of the evening were: 



A vase of the new carnation Wo- 

 denethe, bv Chas. H. Totty; thanks of 

 club. 



