February 20, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



261 



Flower Market Reports, 



The season is in good 

 BOSTON, running order and be- 

 tween the scarcity oi' 

 certain staple products and the hus- 

 tle of the mid-winter social season 

 there is plenty of encouragement for 

 the buyer and incentive for the deal- 

 er so that little change in values is 

 likely to occur until Ash Wednesday 

 interposes. The crops have slacked up 

 generally, and on some lines, quite 

 decidedly. Sunny weather may make 

 some difference should we get it, but 

 that is an uncertainty at this particu- 

 lar date. 



American Beauties are 

 CHICAGO the scarcest floweis in 

 the Chicago market, and 

 what there are are of poor quality. 

 Long stemmed ones are hard to get 

 and the price is high, but medium 

 ones are practically an impossibility. 

 The very short ones are usually of so 

 poor a quality as to be worthless. 

 This scarcity of Beauties seems to 

 come periodically according to the 

 growers, and they are rejoicing in the 

 good fortune of having so fine a rose 

 as Richmond to fall back on. The in- 

 ability, however, to meet the e.xtra de- 

 mand for Richmond has made extra 

 call for Killarney and Bridesmaids, so 

 Brides are the only roses this week 

 that can be said to really equal the de- 

 mand. The sales of carnations are in- 

 creasing and prices are somewhat bet- 

 ter than during the past month, espe- 

 cially in red, but there is still a very 

 large supply. There is also an abund- 

 a.nce of bulbous stock. Unless a large 

 number of some special color is de- 

 sired, particularly in red, the buyer 

 has no difficulty in getting what he 

 wants. St. Valentine's Day caused ex- 

 tra demand. Bright colors were, of 

 course, given preference. Florists in 

 general express the belief that the old 

 time valentine is losing ground and 

 boxes of cut flowers gaining in popu- 

 larity as a Valentine offering. Violets 

 are recognized here as a leading favor- 

 ite for St. Valentine's Day. All the 

 dealers were prepared with a good sup- 

 ply both home grown and from the 

 Hudson River district, and they made 

 no mistake. Sales would undoubtedly 

 have been large had the weather been 

 pleasanter. 



A general satisfaction 

 DETROIT prevails regarding the 

 improved turn of busi- 

 ness. While wholesale prices have 

 not advanced any there is more con- 

 fidence among retailers and a conse- 

 quent stiffening up of prices in the 

 retail trade. St. Valentine's day gave 

 this week an especially good finish. 

 As compared with last year we must 

 report the same as last Christmas, a 

 trifle less with prices averaging 20 

 per cent lower. Considering the 

 scarcity of stock, especially violets, 

 it is difficult to explain the compar- 

 atively low prices. 



The past week was 

 INDIANAPOLIS clear and warm. 



Everything in sea- 

 6on seems to be in abundance. There 

 is a fair amount of work going on 

 among the retailers and trade promises 

 to remain satisfactoiy until Lent when 

 the usual drop may be expected. All 

 report a big trade on St. Valentine's 



WHOLESALE FLOWER MARKETS.- 



" Lower grades 

 Bride, 'Maid, F. & S. 



Lo« 



Killarney , Fan. & Sp 



" Lower grades .... 



Richmond, Fancy & Special. 



" Lowergrades. . .. 



Chatenay 



Golden Gate, Ivory, etc 



My Maryland 



Queen Beatrice 



Mrs. Mar. Field 



CARNATIONS 



Fancy and Nov 

 Ordinary 



MISCBLLANEOUS 



Cattleyas 



Oypripediums 



IaUcs. 



Lily of the Valley. 



Narcis., Paper White 



Roman Hya 



Daftodils 



Freesia 



S»eet Peas 



Gardenias 



Violets 



Adiantum 



Smilax 



Asparagus Plumosus, strings, • • • 

 *' " & -pren (loobchs 



3S.< 



Day, equal to if not more than last 

 year. No large sales reported, but a 

 good volume of business on the 

 medium priced stock. Good Beauties 

 aro somewhat scarce and are bringing 

 good prices. Good carnations are to be 

 had at reduced figures. There is a good 

 trade in all kinds of bulbous stock. 

 Sweet peas meet with ready sale 

 Azaleas, cyclamens, primulas, ciner- 

 arias and bulbous stock in pans are the 

 plants most called for. Eastern double 

 violets are received daily and are mov- 

 ing well for this time of the year. 

 Trade conditions good on all kinds of 

 green stufl". 



The week end- 

 PHILADELPHIA ing Feb. 13 was 



one of the best 

 we have had the pleasure of reporting 

 for some time. Demand was good and 

 stock not over plentiful so that the 

 market was cleaned up at good prices 

 all along the line. Contrary to pre- 

 dictions violets were not scarce, there 

 being plenty to go around. The grow- 

 ers had evidently been hoiding off in 

 picking in advance and created a 

 wrong impression. One grower who 

 had hardly sent in 500 in a week piled 

 in 5000 for the 13th. Of course the 

 mild weather helped the situation 

 somewhat in violets, while on the other 

 hand it was against roses, which for 

 lack of sunshine were off crop. Violets 

 and daffodils were the two most 

 plentiful items on the market, but 

 both were in prime condition and large 

 quantities were disposed of. American 

 Beauty roses are still scarce. Bride. 

 Bridesmaid, Jardine and Killarney are 

 all keeping up the pace as to quality. 

 The carnation market is in good, 

 healthy form both as to quality and 

 quantity with demand excellent. The 



lily of the valley situation has im- 

 proved, there being but little at 

 any time left hanging in the whole- 

 sale market. Orchids continue short 

 and are grabbed up quickly early 

 in the morning. Acacia pubescens is a 

 welcome and desirable feature which 

 the best stores are eagerly reaching 

 for. Gardenias are in fairly good sup- 

 ply and selling well. Paper Whites and: 

 Roman hyacinths are in happy con- 

 trast to "the lemon" they presented 

 last year; fewer planted, that's the 

 secret; better for all concerned. Some 

 fine freesias are coming in, also a good- 

 many that are not so creditable. 



The recent warm 

 WASHINGTON weather has flood- 

 ed the Washington 

 market with cut flowers of almost 

 every description. The unusually large 

 demand, though, for funeral work and 

 social gaieties has prevented a serious 

 congestion. Many orders were booked 

 by Washington florists for the "Maine 

 Memorial Services" held Feb. 15th. 

 The retailers announce that the St. 

 Valentine anniversary just passed has 

 broken all records for floral valentines. 

 We hope that each year's record will- 

 continue to surpass the last one. 



THE PHILADELPHIA SPIRIT. 



Neighbors in West Philadelphia, 

 Chestnut Hill and other parts of the 

 city, furnished their expert workmen 

 in two's and three's and half dozen's 

 to help W. K. Harris repair after the' 

 cyclone. A decent and friendly spirit 

 liighlv commeniable. 



IN BANKRUPTCY. 

 Quincy, Mass. — Edwin Arnold, liabi- 

 lities, $4116; assets, $1325. 



EVERYBODY KNOWS L"J'La™-p^c 



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Our guarantee back of cver>' Level we sell, and satisfied users in 

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Shipping weight 12 lbs. Description on request. 

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