April 21, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



531 



VICTORY 



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

 of Cuttings daily and are giving universal satisfaction. Enough Said! 



ialty. reports and opinions vary great- 

 ly. It certainly displayed no increased 

 popularity and evidences of waning in- 

 fluence were not lacking. This may 

 have been the result, in part, of the 

 quality which, with many growers, was 

 very far below standard. The sale of 

 plant collections in baskets, hampers, 

 etc., was, as usual in New York, quite 

 large, but it is doubtful if this par- 

 ticular line increased much over previ- 

 ous years, the increase in sales being 

 more generally apparent in individual 

 plants. These were as a rule sold 

 with some kind of a pot covering and 

 more or less ribbon finishing, either 

 satin or wood, but the tissue paper 

 swathing so common here for several 

 seasons has been abandoned by most 

 retailers of the better class. The 

 number of plants left over in any store 

 was very small. 



The cut flower trade did not at any 

 time develop extraordinary activity. 

 The supply, taken as a whole, was 

 light and it was fortunate it was so, as 

 it was due to this fact, and no other, 

 that it escaped a disaster, for Sunday 

 morning opened with a dismal, teem- 

 ing rain and the expected demand was 

 thus completely cut off. A larger 

 proportion of the left-over stock than 

 usual was in the hands of the retail- 

 ers and some of the wholesalers had 

 managed to unload nearly everything 

 of value before the storm broke. These 

 remarks cover about everything except 

 violets. Here, indeed, was a Water- 

 loo. Given the brightest, balmiest 

 Easter morning that ever dawned and 

 it would have been beyond the possi- 

 bilities to find outlet for the avalanche 

 of violets that poured into this mar- 

 ket Saturday afternoon. The Ameri- 

 can Express alone brought 1000 cases, 

 each containing from 2500 to 6000 vio- 

 lets; this accounts for the "up-Hud- 

 son" supply only. Much of this could 

 have been placed through the week 

 previous at fair figures had the grow- 

 ers not hoarded it; as it was, the great 

 majority laid in the crates untouched 

 until Monday, when, if lucky, it went 

 to the Greeks for something to cover 

 express charges. Other stock that 

 lagged badly comprised red carnations, 

 bulbous stock, mignonette, and the 

 better grades of Bride and Bridesmaid 

 roses. Lily of the valley, on the other 

 hand, made a splendid record. There 

 was no marked advance in the whole- 

 sale value of any cut flower; a few 

 small lots of especial merit touched 

 figures that might be called fancy and 

 really first-class cut lilies held to top 

 quotations, but outside of these excep- 

 tions ordinary prices prevailed. 



There was a large and 

 NEWPORT more profitable business 



done in plants and cut 

 flowers at Easter this year than on 

 any previous occasion on record. 



Prices were in advance of last year on 

 almost every item. A greater variety 

 of plants than usual tempted purchas- 

 ers, with the result that more business 

 than was anticipated was done in oth- 

 er plants than lilies, the usual ex- 

 clusive requisite of Easter plant buy- 

 ers. When it came to Saturday after- 

 noon nearly every dealer in town real- 

 ized that there would not be lilies 

 enough to supply the demand. Azaleas, 

 hydrangeas, rhododendrons, genistas 

 and Baby Rambler roses sold readily 

 at good prices. In cut flowers, lilies, 

 of course, were more in demand than 

 anything else. Roses and carnations, 

 nevertheless sold in large numbers at 

 prices varying to suit the occasion 

 and conditions as they appeared to 

 those who sold. Pansies sold very well 

 and geraniums in bloom disappeared 

 quickly. Pansies were used effectively 

 in neat little baskets, the plants bring- 

 ing enough to at least pay for their 

 growing. There were no novelties of- 

 fered, but even without novelties it 

 was a satisfactory Easter for every- 

 body. 



Growers, wholesalers and 

 PHI LA- retailers all agree as to 

 DELPHI A. Easter that they are sore 

 but satisfied. There 

 was big business for everybody — the 

 weather was splendid and there were 

 no surplusses to speak of, a combina- 

 tion for which all are duly thankful. 

 Here in Philadelphia it was a poor 

 home that did not have a few flowers 

 in its windows. And as for the 

 churches never were the decorations 

 so lavish or attractive, especially in 

 the Catholic and Episcopalian denom- 

 inations. Even the revival meetings 

 of Torrey and Alexander were bright- 

 ened up by a sprinkling of lilies and 

 azaleas. The aggregate of material 

 disposed of in the stores and on the 

 streets and from the greenhouses direct 

 was never greater and good prices 

 were realized, especially towards the 

 windup. Lilies were a scarce article 

 and thousands more could have been 

 disposed of. Lots of 20 and 30 thou- 

 sand were sold early to the depart- 

 ment stores at 8 cents, which would 

 have easily brought 12 and 15 cents 

 later in the week through the regular 

 channels. On Saturday many out-of- 

 town orders for 500 and 1000 pots re- 

 mained unfilled. April weddings will 

 have to go without lilies this year or 

 pay well to the fortunate grower who 

 has a late crop. Twelfth street was a 

 Covent Garden this year with the Bat- 

 tles' establishments on one side and 

 Acker's on the other. Graham had an 

 annex at 108 South 13th street. Pen- 

 nock Bros, declared that their business 

 had beaten all records this year. 

 Faulkner, Crawford, Craig. Kift, 

 Habermehl and others all reported in- 

 ability to take care of all the business 

 that came in. Among the wholesalers 



we found a similar cheerful condition. 

 Baker, Reid, McKissick, Niessen 

 and Pennock all reported satisfactory 

 business. Niessen cleaned out well on 

 all lines except cut tulips. Pennock 

 with his immense force was taxed to 

 the utmost night and day, but got 

 through with but little friction. The 

 growers who sold their plants on the 

 street sold out clean by midnight Sat- 

 urday. 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 



Jno. Westcott has been in poor 

 health since his return from Florida. 

 A visit to the Waretown Sanitarium 

 seems to have helped him a little, but 

 he is still far from his old self. On 

 the 17th he went for a short stay at 

 Atlantic City. 



Paul Berkowitz, of H. Bayersdorfer 

 & Co., is back at his desk in Philadel- 

 phia after an extensive trip among the 

 bright lights in the trade. He will 

 hold the helm while his partner, H. 

 Bayersdorfer, is in Europe. 



It is rumored that a big change is 

 imminent in the personnel of two of 

 the big seed houses in this city. While 

 we believe we have full information 

 on the subject, we prefer to report full 

 developments later. 



Abraham Pennock, the veteran Phil- 

 adelphia florist, announces his inten- 

 tion of staying for the summer in 

 Florida. 



Jno. Hedland, gardener to Mrs. G. 

 W. Elkins, exhibited a pair of fine 

 hydrangeas at the monthly meeting ot 

 the Pennsylvania Horticultural Socie- 

 ty, capturing a Bodine first, with same 

 on the 17th inst. Wm. Robertson took 

 first for hot house cucumbers, Thos. 

 Holland first for cinerarias in the 

 Michell section, while Joseph Hurley 

 took first in the Dreer column for a 

 collection of perennials. 



FERNS 



Dagger Ferns 



and 



Galax Leaves 



Bronze or Green Galax. 

 $1.00 per 1000; $7.00 

 per case. Dagger Ferns, 

 A 1 stock, $1.25 per 



1000. $1.00 per 1000 in lots of 10,000 or over. 



Stock guaranteed first class. 



A. L, rUK 1 UllEb» New Haven, Conn. 



DAGGER FERNS 



