20 



The Florists' Review 



Fkbuuauv :20. 191."{. 



PITTSBUBGH. 



The Market. 



After a week or 60 of really cold 

 weather, the last two or three days 

 have been pleasant and just right for 

 shopping. The wholesalers have had 

 quite a satisfactory week. Stock of all 

 kinds has moved nicely and has been 

 cleaned up nearly every day. The 

 shortage of roses was felt more last 

 week than at any time during the win- 

 ter and it was simply impossible to 

 take care of the business offered. This 

 resulted in much disappointment to 

 many of the smaller dealers, who only 

 order enough stock to take care of the 

 orders on hand and have nothing to 

 substitute. 



The business for Valentine's day 

 seems to improve each year and the 

 day is showing itself to be worthy of 

 more consideration and more special 

 preparation. It has been proved that 

 those who put themselves to any trou- 

 ble and expense to advertise it are more 

 than repaid. One feature which was 

 noticeable this year was that plants as 

 well as flowers were used extensively. 

 Of course, corsage bouquets were most 

 in demand. Some of the florists, think- 

 ing the fact that Valentine's day came 

 in Lent would cut the trade down, did 

 not arrange for enough stock and con- 

 sequently had their troubles in filling 

 orders, as this was the best Valentine 's 

 day in their experience. 



Various Notes. 



Mrs. E. A. Williams, who has quite 

 an exclusive trade, had some pretty 

 made-up effects in hearts for Valen- 

 tine's day, for which she had special 

 boxes. The affairs were rather expen- 

 sive, but were beautiful, and she sold 

 about all she could get made up. She 

 also had some specimen blooming plants 

 with good ribbon effects, which sold 

 well. 



For Valentine 's day the A. W. Smith 

 Co. had a special corsage bunch, which 

 they advertised at a special price, and 

 the fact that they used in the neigh- 

 borhood of 200 delivery boys for that 

 day would indicate that they found 

 that it pays to advertise. 



Randolph & McClements used all 

 kinds of novelty arrangements for Val- 

 entine 's day, but principally something 

 that could be worn. The call for all 

 kinds of small flowers for their colonial 

 baskets, as well as for heart arrange- 

 ments and plants, exceeded their ex- 

 pectations. 



Ray Daschbach has had some attract- 

 ive window decorations of spring shrub- 

 bery. These forced plants are quite 

 attractive when used right, and are a 

 change from the regular run of flowers. 



The Zieger Co. had an exceedingly 

 attractive store and, judging from the 

 activity displayed inside, one would 

 say that it pays to put some effort into 

 window decorations. 



The Blind Flwal Co. had some hand- 

 some decorated boxes, which, when 

 filled in an artistic way, made a valen- 

 tine to be admired, and the boxes them- 

 selves were worth keeping. 



Mias E. B. Maxwell, of Wilkinsburg, 

 found the extra time required to ar- 

 , range floral valentines was well repaid. 

 The occasion was more like an Easter 

 rush and she was well satisfied with 

 the day. 



William Turner, of Wilkinsburg, 

 grows a good deal of his own stock. 



but found that he was compelled to be 

 a large buyer for Valentine's day. 



Samuel Cape says that, while he is 

 nearer the cemetery than any of the 

 other florists, they are not all dead ones 

 out that way, and that the little love- 

 god was working among his customers 

 and kept him busy. 



G. P. Weaklen & Co. say the only 

 thing to which they could compare Val- 

 entine 's day would be an Easter rush. 

 They sold everything in sight and then 

 quit for want of more of the right kind 

 of stock. 



Now the retailers may begin to real- 

 ize the still greater possibilities of the 

 day if more trouble and expense were 

 taken to advertise the flower valen- 

 tines, and the publicity committee will 

 find here something to work on. And 

 then the growers might make a greatel- 

 effort to get a surplus of stock for that 

 day and another special flower day 

 would be added to the list. There are 

 lots of people who would send flowers, 

 though they would otherwise pay no 

 attention to the day. 



The employees of the McCallum Co. 

 and the Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co. will 

 compete in a game of bowling this week 

 and the team of the A. W. Smith Co. 

 is prepared to challenge the winner. 



P. S. Randolph, who has been serious- 

 ly ill for the last two weeks, was able 

 to sit up for the first time February 15. 



Tuesday night, February 11, about 

 1:30 a. m., Ben L. Elliott, proprietor of 

 the John Bader Co., was awakened by 

 the ringing of the alarm connected with 

 the thermostat in the greenhouses. On 

 getting out, he found the outdoor tem- 

 perature down to 16 degrees above zero 

 and the night fireman, who had been a 

 reliable man for years, sound asleep 

 beside the boilers. Mr. Elliott says this 

 is a case where an investment of $15 

 with the Standard Thermometer Co., 

 for a thermostat, saved him at least 

 $30,000, as undoubtedly his entire place 

 would have been frozen before morning. 



A number of florists who rent plants 

 for funerals, etc., have sustained heavy 

 losses the last two weeks through peo- 

 ple throwing their windows open at 

 night and freezing the palms. 



J. J. Fuchs, the south side florist, has 

 a patent medicine which he is putting 

 on the market. We will soon be calling 

 him Doctor Fuchs. 



Fred Kucher, superintendent of the 

 Pittsburgh Cut Flower Co. greenhouses 

 at Bakerstown, is a grip victim. 



Clarke. 



SUMMIT, N. J. 



Lager & Hurrell report a good ship- 

 ping season before the recent cold snap, 

 which suddenly shut off all shipments. 

 They are now potting up and looking 

 over their complete orchid stock pre- 

 paratory to spring shipments, which, 

 judging by the volume of orders on 

 hand, promise well. 



The genial and familiar face of John 

 N. May is missed from the establish- 

 ment which he built and so ably con- 

 ducted. He is resting on his laurels, 

 having handed over the business to his 

 son, Harry O., who has been actively 

 associated with his father many years. 



William Death reports business around 

 St. Valentine's day as beating all rec- 

 ords. He is a live wire and has one of 

 the most attractive stores in town. 

 W. M. 



MONTOOMEBY On Grafted Rose.-., sent 

 by The Review for 25 cent* 



OBITUARY. 



Charles H. Barrett. 



Charles H. Barrett, of Concord, N. H.,. 

 died February 6, after a long illness. 

 He was born in Weare, N. H., October 

 4, 1858, and when a boy he removed 

 to Concord and entered the home of the 

 late Cooper Clark. In 1875 he became 

 one of the proprietors of a barber shop. 

 In 1897 he sold his interest in that 

 business and went with a party of 

 twelve, mostly Concord men, to Alaska 

 in search of gold. There he remained 

 for fifteen months and met with good 

 success in his quest for the precious 

 metal. Returning to Concord, ho pur- 

 chased the flower business at 28 Pleas- 

 ant street, which he conducted until the 

 time of his death. 



Mr. Barrett was prominent in Odd 

 Fellowship as a member of White Moun- 

 tain lodge, Penacook Encampment, 

 Grand Canton Wildey and Fidelity Re- 

 bekah Degree lodge. He was also affil- 

 iated with Granite State Council, Roy- 

 al Arcanum, the Red Men, the United 

 Order of American Mechanics and other 

 orders. He was formerly connected 

 with the Concord fire department as a 

 member of the Kearsarge steamer com- 

 pany, and was clerk of that organiza- 

 tion for two years. He was also a 

 member of the Veteran Firemen's As- 

 sociation. In 1877 he married Miss [da 

 G. Slack, of Lebanon, N. H., who sur- 

 vives him, with one sou. Harry 0. 

 Barrett. 



Funeral services were held at his 

 late residence February 10 and were 

 largely attended, the various organiza- 

 tion* with which he had been identi- 

 fied all sending large delegations. 

 Many members' of the florists' tradp 

 were also present. Among the wealtl^ 

 of floral tributes were a number from 

 the trade, including H. M. Robinson & 

 Co., Geo. E. Buxton, Queen City Flo- 

 rists' Co., of Manchester, N. H., and the 

 Exeter Rose Conservatories. 



Jeremiah Carter. 



.Jeremiah Carter, one of the best 

 known private gardeners of Newport. 

 R. I., died at the Newport hospital 

 February 13, of pneumonia, after an 

 illness of only a few days. He was 

 taken ill on Sunday and grew worse 

 so rapidly that he was removed to the 

 hospital. He had been in Newport for 

 forty-five years, being employed for 

 many years as head gardener on the 

 Henry G, Marquard estate and later 

 for the new owner, .Rev. Henry Rod- 

 erick Terry, until he was succeeded by 

 his son, Benjamin Carter. Mr. Carter's 

 wife died about two years ago and he 

 is survived by two daughters and two 

 sons. 



Adolph G. Fleck. 



Adolph G. Fleck, a well known florist 

 and seedsman of Oakland, Cal., died on 

 the morning of February 12. He had 

 been in delicate health for a long time, 

 but the immediate cause of his death 

 was pneumonia. He leaves two sisters 

 and two brothers, the latter being in- 

 terested with him in business under the 

 name of the Oakland Seed & Plant Co. 

 Mr. Fleck was 42 years of age and 

 unmarried. He was buried February 

 14, the funeral bslzj attended by a 

 large number of the gardening frater- 

 nity. 



Herbington on the Mum, sent by The 

 Review for 50 cents. 



