March 3, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



263 



VICTORY 



The most prolific of scarlets, is a fancy in the fullest sense of the word, requires only ordinary 





culture, wholesaled at 625.00 per 100 at Christmas. 



CUT FLOWER MARKET REPORTS. 



The greatest trouble 

 BALTIMORE here of late has been 

 to get sufficient up- 

 to-date stock. Roses and carnations 

 have been very scarce, but violets are 

 in line to meet all demands. Easter 

 stock is ahead of time and it is im- 

 possible to hold it back. Some few 

 Bermuda lilies are coming in, but they 

 are not as good as in former years. 

 Weather conditions are somewhat to 

 blame. 



Trade is falling off rap- 

 BOSTON idly; Ash Wednesday 



called the turn. It is 

 nothing new; only history repeating 

 itself. Flowers are plentiful— bulbous 

 flowers embarrassingly so — and some of 

 them, notably daffodils, selling at un- 

 profitable figures. Lily of the valley is 

 very slow and violets are accumula- 

 ting. American Beauties, the long 

 stemmed sort, have been very scarce 

 and are not yet numerous, but indica- 

 tions are favorable for a better product 

 ten days from now, just in time for 

 the rose show. Carnations are of good 

 quality but show evidences of a super- 

 fluous quantity in reserve; slowly but 

 surely they are coming on and values 

 must drop. The cold wave of Ash 

 Wednesday was a lucky incident for 

 It curtailed promotion and thus saved 

 the day for the wholesale trade. 



The past week has been 

 BUFFALO a busy one for all. Many 



social events being held 

 made the demand good on flowers. 

 Violets were good sellers as well as 

 Beauties and other roses, but not too 

 many were had. Carnations were in 

 heavy demand nearing the end of the 

 week, prices holding the same as previ- 

 ous week. Narcissus and other bulb- 

 ous stock was too plentiful at times, 

 prices weakening to some extent. 

 There was a good supply of greens, 

 which sold rapidly. 



The remarkable steadi- 

 DETROIT ness of business this sea- 

 son has been singularly 

 beneficial to all growers as well as the 

 •commission man and retailer. Bulbous 

 stock comes in large quantities, but 

 none too plentiful except in the case of 

 yellow, which is in surplus. Pink and 

 white roses have been scarce at times 

 and Beauties are always scarce here. 

 Violets, sweet peas, lily of the valley 

 and callas find a ready sale, and carna- 

 tions do not linger much as yet. the 

 wholesalers experiencing no trouble in 



keeping the prices steady. Washing- 

 ton's birthday brought a good demand, 

 white being used mostly for that oc- 

 casion. A more timely arrival of stock 

 at the commission houses would be a 

 great improvement over the present 

 system. For the retailer it would save 

 much valuable time both in the buying 

 of flowers and the filling of morning 

 orders. It would serve to break up the 

 grabbing now so unavoidable. The 

 many shipments arrive somewhere be- 

 tween 11 and 12 a. m. It would be 

 greatly to the advantage of all if the 

 growers would arrange for early ship- 

 ments. The wholesalers could use a 

 better system and the retailers would 

 do better business by filling orders 

 promptly while the growers would 

 come in for their share of the profits 

 thereon. 



Business conditions the 

 LOUISVILLE previous week were 

 somewhat slow. Car- 

 nations and roses of good quality were 

 in good demand, and the supply was 

 satisfactory. Lily of the valley was 

 satisfactory in supply and demand, the 

 quality being very good. Violets, for- 

 get-me-nots, mignonette, etc.. found 

 excellent sale. Jonquils, tulips, hya- 

 cinths were plentiful. 



The market all last week 

 NEWPORT was strong in supply and 



demand. The stock 

 coming in day by day was of excellent 

 quality and the demand seemed just 

 right for that class of goods. Roses 

 and carnations were in particularly 

 strong call with prices stationary, per- 

 haps because of the knowledge that 

 much more good stock was expected in. 

 Bulbous stock is coming in a little too 

 heavy in volume, and the trouble is 

 that instead of a letup we may expect 

 the reverse for this week and the next 

 and the next. Tulips are exceedingly 

 good as seen in some of the windows. 

 Violets are more plentiful. Lilies are 

 making their appearance known in 

 several ways. Flowering plants are 

 scarce even yet. 



A tour of the whole- 

 NEW YORK sale houses disclose 

 the fact that mid-winter 

 conditions in the cut flower trade are 

 over for the year. Consignments on 

 all sorts of material are much heavier, 

 and are growing more so every day, 

 and the tables are piled high with 

 tulips, daffodils, freesias and similar 

 stock, which can be sold only at a 

 sharp cut below even the minimum 

 quoted prices. Lent went into effect 

 this week, and for a time at least may 

 be expected to add its influence to 

 further depreciate market values. Li 

 some respects the season now closing 

 has been a great improvement on its 

 recent predecessors. A healthy tone 

 has prevailed and values have fluctu- 

 ated less than usual, the sales at low 

 figures generally being of stock of in- 

 ferior quality, and the retail stores 

 have all apparently prospered, com- 

 plaints of poor business being conspic- 

 uously absent. 



Notwithstanding the 



PHILA- holiday, business for 



DELPHI A the week, 19th to 24th, 



was very fair. Beauties 

 were still scarce and brought 60 to 75 

 cents for fancies. Short-stem Beauties, 

 where the flowers were good, sold on 

 sight. Brides and Bridesmaids were 

 very much more plentiful, especially 

 in the highest grades, and prices 

 eased a little, with a good deal left 

 over, on which prices had to be sac- 

 rificed. Libertys were scarce. Chate- 

 nays very good and quite plentiful. 

 Kiilarneys were also a good deal in 

 evidence. Carnations came in in im- 

 mense quantities, but prices held fair- 

 ly well, largely on account of the fine 

 quality. Lawson, Prosperity, Enchant- 

 ress, Flamingo, Patten, Queen and 

 Maryland were the leaders. It is pre- 

 sumed that very little Prosperity will 

 be grown next year. Violets fairly 

 plentiful and brisk demand. Lily of 

 tin- valley and bulbous stock a little 

 slow. Sweet peas were fine and sold 

 well. The freesia crop is short- 

 good stuff. The freesia crop is short- 

 ening up a little. Callas, Harrisi and 

 white lilac help out the variety of 

 subjects on the market and come In 

 handy. The new Marguerite, Queen 

 Alexandra has made quite a hit on the 

 market here. 



