JAXUAKY 11, 1912. 



ThcWcckly Florists' Review. 



23 



popularity of tlio cariiatiuii. Of course, 

 there is no doubt tluit more are sold 

 each year, this being only natural, as 

 flowers are becoming more and more in 

 vogue and the country is growing, but 

 is the carnation as popular as it was 

 some years ago? Do the beautiful car- 

 nation blooms of the present day tdicit 

 the same api)roval as did the far infe- 

 rior ones of twelve or fifteen years 

 ago? It is a noticeable fact that each 

 year brings more people who, while 

 they will not deny the beauty of the 

 flower, still say, "Oh! Carnations are 

 altogether too common." 



In my opiuion the carnation grower, 

 or, to be more exact, the carnation it- 

 self is largely to blame for the exist- 

 ence of the street flower faker, for 

 without this staple articde his acti\ity 

 each year would be of but short lUira- 

 tion, and in time he would be com- 

 pelled to seek elsewhere for a liveli- 

 hood. With him, also, "everybody's 

 flower" ])lays a most important part. 



The Street Fakers. 



dust liow the street llower merchant 

 affects the sales of the legitimate retail 

 store is a matter in which opinions 

 differ. Of course, the retail store in 

 closest jiroximity to these stands will 

 be most afl'ectetl as far as actual sales 

 are concerned, l)ut this is getting away 

 from my sul).ject. One thing is certain, 

 the sale of thousands of carnations oti 

 the streets every year will in time seri- 

 ously affect the popularity of this 

 llower. Jn fact, it would elevate our 

 l)rofession consideraldy if flowers were 

 kept off the streets anil out of the 

 peddlers' hands, and sold or disposeil 

 of through legitimate (lianmds only. 



Hugo Schroeter. 



(.■■|;vi'iyli(>(l,v"s Flowi'i.") 



Eber Holmes. 



(Out- ol tlic Rose Society's .Juilpes ;it D.'troif.) 



In the first jdace, those s(dd on the 

 streets are always mor(! or less old; 

 (•oiise(|uently tlieir kee])ing qualities ar(> 

 extrenudy limited. Again, the manner 

 in whicdi they are d(di\ered to the 

 buyer, wrappcMl in a piece of old news- 

 paper, certainly does not tend to in- 

 crease tlie flowers' popularity. Xeither 

 will the street mercliant liesitate in 

 niisrepres(Miting his wares, all of which 

 has so (dieajieiu'd enrnations in the 

 eyes of the jiublie that e\eii if the 

 legitimate florist could meet the f.-iker's 

 jirice the majority of j'eople would not 

 want them. This is jiarticularly true 

 when they can bi> ]iur(diased on tlie 

 streets. Customers will look in disdain 

 at tlie (dioicest carnation and remark, 

 '•No, thanks; no carnations for me. 

 -My friends might think I bought them 

 on the street." 



Disposing of the Surplus. 



In this way, gentlemen, has the value 

 of the carnation suff(>red, and the rem- 

 e<ly lies in our hands. The argument 

 has been advanced that many of the 

 blooms soM on the strtM'ts find their 

 way into tlie homes of ]ieople who are 

 not in the habit of buying llowers, and 

 their liking for nature's messengers is 

 <-onse(piently stimulated. This is true 

 to some extent; still, it' these; same 

 people could be induceil to I'ome into a 

 llower stori> ajid, jierhajis t'or a few 

 cents more, buy ])erfectly fresh carna- 

 tions, jiroperly dom^ up, is it not reason- 

 able to believe they would be still luori^ 

 apt to become flower lo\ers.' 



When there is a glut of (arnations, 

 why not sell them to the retailer who, 

 for ;'.tj.") days each year, is your cus- 

 tomer, or \ our commission man's cus- 



