;>^ 



HORTICULTURE 



April 21, 19D6 



EASTER MARKET REPORTS 



The Easier trade in this 

 BOSTON city was a phenomenal suc- 

 - for the plant growers, 

 the largest on record for the retailers, 

 a perfect whirlwind of business Eor 

 the wholesaleis doing a cut flower 

 shipping trade, a fair success for the 

 cut flower grower and a disappoint- 

 ment to those cut flower growers who 

 had hoarded their material and expect- 

 ed to find a demand for it in Boston 

 on Saturday morning. Broadly speak- 

 ing, local trade was poor as regards 

 rs in general, w'ith the exception 

 of lilies, which were in supply in- 

 sufficient for the call. Lily of the 

 valley, violets and pink sweet peas 

 sold unexpectedly well, but, as in the 

 case of all cut flowers, generally, it 

 was the out-of-town demand from prac- 

 tically every New England community 

 that did the business and marked the 

 great gap between the aggregate re- 

 sults to the shipper and those to tne 

 grower for local distribution. 



In the city it was decidedly a plant 

 Easter. Lily plants sold out clean 

 everywhere. Azaleas, hydrangeas and 

 the general run of Easter flowering 

 plants made a fine record, the only 

 laggard of note being the Crimson 

 Rambler rose which, judged by the 

 standard of other cities, was held at 

 rather high figures. The retailers 

 gave most of their attention to the 

 plant interests all through the week, 

 and not until Saturday did they have 

 much to say about flowers. The 

 weather on Saturday especially was 

 superb, and such crowds of people as 

 thronged the streets and fairly over- 

 whelmed the florists' stores have rare- 

 ly been equalled on any occasion in 

 this city. 



Roses moved with exasperating slow- 

 ness all through the week; there was 

 no material advance in values, but 

 the aggregate output was, of course, 

 larger than under ordinary conditions. 

 Carnations sold very well all along un- 

 til Saturday morning when a slump of 

 huge dimensions was inaugurated and 

 the panic scenes of former days re- 

 enacted; the sufferers were the same 

 perverse class that do it every year 

 and can be depended upon to do it 

 next year regardless of their repeated 

 unfortunate experiences. Lawson and 

 Enchantress were the best sellers 

 among the carnations; whites were 

 the worst. An immense stock of daf- 

 fodils and tulips was held over; want- 

 ed by nobody. Notwithstanding the 

 fierce demand for lilies, callas had a 

 very slow sale. 



Chicago was very un- 

 CHICAGO fortunate as to Easter 



weather. Conditions were 

 all right up to Friday, which was 

 showery and threatening; Saturday 

 was cold with high wind which in- 

 terfered greatly with delivery of lilies 

 and other plants, and Sunday was con- 

 tinued cold and stormy. It is the 1"- 

 lief among all departments of the 

 trade that had the weather been favor- 

 able the occasion would have broken 

 all records. In the wholesale cut Bow- 

 er market roses and carnations started 

 to shorten up in quantity early in the 

 week, shipping trade being quite heavy 

 and the usual dilatory tactics of the 

 mower in holding back his stock hav- 

 ing been adopted, with the result that 

 on Saturday there were large quanti- 



ties of carnations of all grades to be 

 had at buyers' valuation. At no time, 

 however, was there any surplus of 

 choice roses, this being the only item 

 on the list that could be designated 

 as in short supply. Long-stemmed 

 Beauties and other high-grade roses 

 were cleaned up promptly on receipt 

 and brought excellent prices. The de- 

 mand for the newer varieties of roses 

 was a prominent feature. In carna- 

 tions the best call was for Lady 

 Bountiful and the large red varieties. 

 Good tulips were scarce, but there were 

 too many daffodils. Violets sold well, 

 but the quality was generally inferior. 

 Smilax was very scarce and this 

 brought about an unusual demand for 

 asparagus strings. Callas were abund- 

 ant. Lilies sold well at quoted rates. 

 Generally speaking, the wholesale 

 houses cleaned up satisfactorily, ex- 

 cepl on carnations and the poorer 

 grades of bulb flowers. The retail 

 stores all report the plant business to 

 have been equal to or in excess of 

 that of last year. Almost without ex- 

 ception they declare the cut flower 

 business to have been less. Only 

 those who bought carefully were able 

 to clean up on cut flowers. All ad- 

 mit that the cut flower trade was be- 

 low anticipations, although it is also 

 admitted that the inclemency of the 

 weather may have had some effect in 

 curtailing sales. Violets are credited 

 with more nearly aproaching normal 

 demand than did most other staples. 

 All reports show a heavy preponder- 

 ance of plant sales as compared with 

 cut flowers. 



We were favored with 

 CINCINNATI good weather for two 

 weeks preceding Eas- 

 ter, and all stock showed a vast im- 

 provement in quantity and quality. 

 Cut flowers were plentiful and the de- 

 mand was greater than ever before in 

 the history of the florist business. 

 There was just enough stock to supply 

 everyone with what was wanted and 

 at a fair price. The commission men 

 could have handled a great many more 

 roses and carnations for shipping pur- 

 poses, and were obliged to turn down 

 many orders from the out-of-town 

 florists. Bulbous stock was in fine con- 

 dition and met with great favor with 

 the public, as the bulk of the demand 

 was for what they termed Easter 

 flowers. There was no corresponding 

 increase in the demand for plants; 

 flowering plants were not plentiful and 

 were not pushed to any extent, Harri- 

 sii lilies excepted. Saturday was a fine 

 spring day and the streets were 

 thronged with shoppers, and never be- 

 fore were seen so many people carry- 

 ing flowers. Sunday morning florists' 

 boys and wagons were as plentiful as 

 -tieet cars. The Sixth street flower 

 market was thronged with people till 

 near the midnight hour, and compara- 

 tively few of the visitors could resist 

 the temptation to buy. It was a great 

 Easter. Everybody is satisfied and all 

 join in pronouncing it the best they 

 ever had. 



In comparison with 

 CLEVELAND last year this Eas- 

 ter's trade comes up 

 to the expectations of the retailers as 

 well as the growers, who of course 

 have disposed of their stock first. 

 Potted plants, all kinds, sold well. It 



rained most all Saturday and Sunday, 

 but this proved no damper to the spirit 

 of buying. Everybody is cleaned up 

 and all are very well satisfied. Some 

 of the stores showed some pretty con- 

 ceits in Easter novelties, such as large 

 eggs concealing dainty bunches of 

 violets, lily of the valley and pansies. 

 Every Easter the Sherrif street market 

 florists have a show and prizes are 

 given. G. M. Wanman got 1st prize, 

 Mrs. Gamble 2d, and Casper Aul 3d. 



It is always difficult to 

 COLUMBUS tell in the absence of 

 exact figures how one 

 holiday compares with another; but 

 the most conservative opinion of the ' 

 trade here is that the total volume of 

 Easter business was at least 20 per 

 cent more than a year ago. The num- 

 ber of plants disposed of was enorm- 

 ous, and included everything in season- 

 ble stock. Of lilies there were not 

 enough to go round. Saturday noon 

 saw- the end of them. What azaleas 

 there were found ready sale. Of potted 

 blooming hyacinths, tulips, narcissus, 

 and other bulb stock there was a bet- 

 ter quantity; but all went. One of the 

 quickest sellers was Spiraea Gladstone. 

 Specimen Crimson, and Philadelphia 

 Ramblers, Baby Ramblers, etc., sold 

 out clean. 



The story in cut flowers is soon told; 

 every employe who could take money 

 was putting out the goods; everything 

 went fast and furious and there was 

 no time for boxes or delivery in the 

 late afternoon and evening. 



The business done for 

 LOUISVILLE Easter probably sur- 

 passed any we have 

 ever experienced. Stock in general 

 was in satisfactory supply, and the 

 quality averaged unusually good on 

 carnations. Violets are short in sup- 

 ply and quality, the demand being very 

 good. Lilies of the valley sell fairly 

 well, and are in great supply. Bulbous 

 stock is somewhat scarce. 



While enthusiasm is 

 NEW YORK not wholly absent 

 from the story of the 

 Easter experience of the wholesale and 

 retail trade of this city, yet it is scat- 

 tering in quantity and mild in quality. 

 Probably it would seem from all the 

 sources of information available that 

 the holiday has lost permanently its 

 prominence as a cut-flower festival and 

 clinched its reputation as the great 

 plant event of the year. The plant 

 growers did their part in splendid 

 form. The greater part of their pro- 

 duet was sold weeks in advance and 

 their only solicitude was as to its de- 

 livery, which proved to be easy on ac- 

 count of favoring weather. The 

 variety provided did not differ notice- 

 ably from that of last year, no new 

 thing being seen in any great quantity 

 and no old favorite, except possibly 

 the genista, showing especial weak- 

 ness. Hydrangeas seemed finer than 

 usual; Rambler roses were more uni- 

 formly bright in color; ericas were 

 less abundant; azaleas were splendidly 

 flowered and less stiff in outline; lilacs 

 were the best ever seen here; rhodo- 

 dendrons, metrosideros, acacias, bou- 

 gainvilleas and a few other things ap- 

 peared to be in reduced quantity. 

 Pans of bulbous stock were superior. 

 As to the lily, the great Easter spec- 



