March 17, 1906 



H ORTI CU LTU RE 



335 



VICTORY 



We do not need to advertise Victory aggressively any longer. We are making prompt deliveries 

 of Cuttings daily and are giving universal satisfaction. Enoi gh Said! 



CUT FLOWER MARKET REPORTS. 



There is little of note to 

 BOSTON report on the business 



situation. Roses are not 

 ■over-abundant as yet and the market 

 is carrying off all that come in. with- 

 out any stimulation of reduced rates 

 although the attitude of buyers gen- 

 erally is one of expectancy of lower 

 values. This, conditions do not 

 warrant, thus far. White carnations 

 are being called for in lively fashion. 

 We apprehend this is for the purpose 

 of dyeing green in many cases. It is 

 too bad that the flower trade is so 

 •deeply involved in this contemptible 

 fraud on the public and insult to a 

 respectable flower. Lily of the valley 

 is not seen in such superfluous quan- 

 tity as last week. Narcissi of trumpet 

 varieties, etc., are selling at prices far 

 below the cost of production. 



The first few days of the 

 BUFFALO past week were very 



quiet but commencing 

 Thursday business picked up somewhat 

 and a good deal of stock was disposed 

 of. White carnations and Beauties 

 have been scarce although enough to 

 Uo around. Colored carnations, 

 especially Lawsons. plentiful. The 

 scarcity seeems to be about over with 

 roses although not much surplus. The 

 demand has been good on medium 

 stock as a good deal of floral work 

 has been in demand. Bulbous stock 

 seems to be about as plentiful as ever, 

 not moving as fast as should, and at 

 times far below the list price. Violets 

 of good quality are still coming in and 

 prices have lowered as well as on 

 other lines. The market improved 

 greatly on green goods the supply not 

 being as large as usual. Good smilax 

 seems to be scarce. 



Business has been 

 CHICAGO brighter this week. The 

 more prominent retailers 

 were kept busy buying roses as fast as 

 a shipment would come in. The rose 

 stock with some growers has improved 

 in quality and quantity. No trouble 

 to find carnations. Bulbous stock on 

 the increase, as is also the Harrisii 

 lily which is heralding the approach of 

 Easter, and awakening those who have 

 not placed their orders, Violets can be 

 found without exertion. Lily of the 

 valley has dropped off a little in 

 quality. Beauties are still lagging be- 

 hind; several Beauty growers have not 

 succeeded with their plants this season. 



We have had a much 

 COLUMBUS >etter market the past 



week than for some 

 time. Retail prices have given way 

 somewhat on account of the large 

 quantities of stock being forced on the 

 market; but so have wholesale rate^. 

 The cheeking feature has licen that it 



has all been worked off pretty well. 

 Carnations have been in enormous 

 supply almost, a glut at times. The 

 city is full of flower fakirs that have 

 knifed everything they could get hold 

 of in the cut flower line. Weather de- 

 cidedly Marehy; rain, snow, hail, sun- 

 shine, and wind, all in one day some- 

 times. Easter stock looking remark- 

 ably well. 



Conditions locally are 

 DETROIT, still favorable, every- 

 body busy and stock 

 selling rapidly. There is a rather 

 scant supply especially of white carna- 

 tions. Roses are also below require- 

 ments but violets are abundant. Snap- 

 dragons of high quality are in and 

 bring a high price. Lily plants are 

 plentiful but meeting a slow sale. All 

 plants of the season are available in 

 quantity for every need. 



There was not much im- 

 PHILA- provement in the mar- 

 DELPHI A ^ et nere * ast wee k. Car- 

 nations and roses were 

 both very plentiful and the main ef- 

 forts of the distributing centers were 

 aimed at moving the surplus. An im- 

 mense stock of all kinds had to go to 

 the street men. Beauties were more 

 plentiful, especially in shorts and 

 mediums. As has been the case for 

 the past few weeks Brides go better 

 than Bridesmaids, but both are ahead 

 of demand. Killarney moved off sur- 

 prisingly well, considering the slow 

 market. Some very good Richmonds 

 are coming in, which find ready takers. 

 Liberties as a rule are short, although 

 a few growers are sending in some nice 

 stock. In the carnation market En- 

 chantress is still the leader. Flamingo 

 leads among the reds. Lawson has 

 the market to itself in the medium 

 class. Lady Bountiful is up front in 

 the white fancies. Its keeping quali- 

 ties have been misrepresented some- 

 what. It is above par in that respect. 

 Being somewhat soft in texture it is 

 apt to bruise a little, but that is its 

 only fault. My Maryland as grown 

 around here shows up well. Daffodils 

 are moving nicely, but tulips are a 

 glut. Roman hyacinths and paper 

 white Narcissi are plentiful but find a 

 fair and steady market. Gardenias are 

 down to $25 and shorts can be got in 

 quantity at $10 per 100. White lilac 

 nearly over, but enough for the de- 

 mand. Violets are moving rather bet- 

 ter than usual for this season. Orchids 

 are scarce, Dendrobium nobile and 

 Coelogyne being about the only ones 

 around. 



The tendency of this 

 NEW YORK markel is toward lower 



prices, but prices have 

 llius far receded gradually, not because 



of any substantial increase in supplies, 

 but on account of a halt in demand. 

 In the rose line, American Beauties 

 are now obtainable at prices that are 

 considerably under last week's quota- 

 tions. The price of the roses has been 

 maintained at 75c. and $1.00 for a long- 

 er period than the records show for 

 many years. Richmond has won the 

 favor of flower buyers, and its recep- 

 tion is most encouraging to those who 

 intend to handle it next year. With 

 its repeated free blooming qualities it 

 should prove to be a paying proposi- 

 tion. The bloomers have been in 

 steady demand this season, and it is 

 only now that there seems to be more 

 to distribute among the buyers. The 

 extra and fancy grades of Brides and 

 Bridesmaids have not moved so freely 

 as heretofore, which is a reflection of 

 the condition of business. Among the 

 novelties, Chatenay, Uncle John and 

 Killarney have found followers who 

 have been willing to absorb the supply 

 at good figures. All of these, however, 

 feel the present depression and are 

 offered at lower prices. The quotations 

 on carnations and violets are not ma- 

 terially changed. Lilacs are cheaper. 

 With a smaller quantity of tulips and 

 daffodils there is a possibility of better 

 averages on some varieties. Cattleyas 

 hold up to quoted prices, and are not 

 plentiful. Demand and supply is even 

 as regards smilax and asparagus. 



American Beauty is the 

 SAN only exception noted 



FRANCISCO by florists in speaking 

 of the abundance of 

 flowers. Although California beats the 

 world for divorce decrees, and pity it 

 is that no flowers are used at these 

 supposedly happy events, the weekly 

 crop of San Francisco's marriagable 

 maidens is like the current over-supply 

 of violets, and the weddings of the past 

 week have been a source of good busi- 

 ness to florists. The few indifferent 

 American Beauties that did arrive 

 passed readily to consumers, and 

 Brides, Bridesmaid and Liberty, not 

 prime stock but in good supply, sold 

 freely, for the week's demand for 

 every blooming thing was exception- 

 ally good. Every other floral species 

 is in perfect form and sold satisfac- 

 torily, especially Hannah Hobart, En- 

 chantress and Mrs. T. W. Lawson car- 

 nations. One big down-town store 

 showed me its orchid sales for the 

 week, which averaged upward of fifty 

 orchids per day at one dollar each. 

 Bulbous stock, including tulips, lilies, 

 Paper White narcissus, hyacinths, 

 callas, daffodils and freesias scored 

 well. The week's business was better 

 than usual and altogether pleasing. 



