22 



The Florists^ Review 



Ja^nuabt 2, 1913. 



Banquet of the Germain Improvement Atsociationt Los Aog^eles, Cal. 



(The Association Is composed of the employees of the Oermaln Seed & Plant Co. Mark Germain sits in the front center, with napkin on his knee. 



For account of the'aflair see last week's Issue; December 26, pa^e 66.) 



was in his twenty-fourth year and was 

 a son of Michael Blaha, the well known 

 florist, of Aspinwall, Pa. He had been 

 in the employ of his father, having had 

 charge of the market stand for years. 



W. A. Clarke, of the Pittsburgh Cut 

 Flower Co., celebrated his thirty-fifth 

 Christmas in the business this year. 



Paul Eandolph, while in the city 

 December 28, became ill and one of his 

 customers had to arrange to get him 

 home. Hoo-Hoo. 



IT IS TO LAUGH. 



A Chicago paper that has taken unto 

 itself the title *'The World's Greatest 

 Newspaper," in its New Year's review 

 of business prints the following in the 

 form of a quoted interview, but does 

 not divulge the identity of the Chicago 

 wholesaler who ships cut flowers to 

 Nova Scotia and San Diego: 



"Chicago is the greatest flower mar- 

 ket in the world. The European trav- 

 eler and especially the man who signs 

 'New York' in big letters on the hotel 

 register, although he probably hails 

 from Newark, N. J., probably will try 

 to argue when he hears this. But 

 there's no argument possible. Cold, 

 convincing figures are to be had and 

 they bring any contemplated discussion 

 to an abrupt ending. 



"Sales of posies of all sorts by Chi- 

 cago dealers in 1912 were the largest 

 in the history of the business. Unless 

 old Sol burns up all the flowers next 

 summer or something unforeseen hap' 

 pens, 1913 will be even larger. 



"The fact that the average Chi- 

 cagoan is a greater lover of nature and 

 nature 's prettiest and most artistic 

 product — the flower — than the dweller 

 in New York and other great cities is 

 directly responsible for the reputation 

 we enjoy in the florists' trade. Added 

 to the tremendous amount of buying by 

 Chicagoans is the out-of-town trade, 

 which has grown to enormous propor- 

 tions. 



"Chicago's fame as a flower center 

 has spread so rapidly and so far that. 



instead of seeking trade, it has reached 

 a point where many big orders have to 

 go unfilled, the preference being given 

 to local customers. 



"For example, this concern today 

 shipped flowers to Winnipeg, San Fran- 

 cisco, San Diego, El Paso, New Or- 

 leans, New York city, Boston, and to 

 two points in Nova Scotia. I name 

 merely the farthest points. There are 

 hundreds of big cities between these 

 where Chicago grown flowers will be 

 used for holiday decorations. 



"It may seem like sending coals to 

 Newcastle to ship flowers to San Diego 

 or New Orleans, but here are the orders 

 to prove they actually have purchased 

 them. New York at one time was the 

 chief flower market of the western 

 hemisphere, but Chicago took the lead 

 several years ago and has no intention 

 of taking second place' again. 



"We can get an order of flowers to 

 any point in the country by express 

 without their being wilted or damaged 

 in any way. New York city, of course, 

 cannot hope to compete with us west 

 of the AUeghanies. Not content with 

 taking first place, Chicago has reached 

 out and secured much of the New York 

 city market along the coast. 



"Chicago has more retail florist 

 stores than- any other great city in the 

 world. New York has comparatively 

 few. It follows that Chicago has the 

 most extensive greenhouses in the 

 world. But in addition they are the 

 best constructed and best equipped. 

 Practically every commercial green- 

 house in the city has equipment for the 

 propagation of plants and flowers 

 which never has been duplicated in any 

 other city." 



The Review prints the above for the 

 smile it will contain for many of its 

 readers, and also for the opportunity it 

 affords of deprecating the misrepresen- 

 tation of the trade in the papers read 

 by the general public. There is enough 

 of interest in the flower business to 

 make misrepresentation or exaggeration 

 unjustifiable. 



CHRISTMAS BUSINESS 



Wichita, Kan. — C. P. Mueller says 

 that for Christmas he sent letters and 

 telegrams to ten of the most prominent 

 florists in the country ordering carna- 

 tions, but that only one promised to 

 send him any, and ia that case only a 

 part of his order. 



New Albany, Ind. — William Julius 

 says the Christmas trade was the best 

 in years, carnations realizing better 

 prices than usual, but roses also selling 

 well. There was a good business in 

 pot plants, but he was able to push 

 carnations and roses, as he had a fine 

 crop of both. The sale of Christmas 

 greens was the best ever. 



Newhur3rport, Mass. — C. J. McGregor 

 says every flower in the city was sold 

 before Christmas evening, many fu- 

 neral orders creating an unforeseen de- 

 mand. A driving snow, December 24, 

 made delivery diflScult, but Christmas 

 day was perfect. Two or three days 

 of zero weather will clean up every 

 pound of coal in the city, as the deal- 

 ers are now unable to supply fuel in 

 the quantity ordered. 



Traverse City, Mich. — Frank M. 

 Paine says Christmas trade was fairly 

 good, with the weather perfect for de- 

 livery. Both carnations and rosea 

 brought good prices, $1 to $1.25 for 

 carnations other than red, and $2 to 

 $2.50 for the best roses. There was a 

 noticeable increase in the demand for 

 potted plants, particularly primroses 

 and cyclamens. Considerable shipping 

 business was done to surrounding 

 towns. 



Hutchinson, Kan. — John Stamm is 

 one of the leading business men of the 

 city; he has been a florist here for over 

 fifteen years. Starting with a small 

 greenhouse, he now does a large local 

 business and ships many orders to sur- 

 rounding towns. Mrs. Stamm is his 

 "right-hand man." 



