May 9, 1908 



HORTICULTURE 



637 



FLOWER MARKET REPORTS 



Complaint Is general as 



BOSTON to the flower trade here 

 ever since Easter. At 

 present it is exceedingly dull. In 

 short, it is not a question of price 

 but how to get rid of the product 

 which, notwithstanding the cool weath- 

 er, is coming to the wholesale markets 

 in quantities undecreased. Violets lin- 

 ger but find no takers, even the street 

 trade having no use for them. The 

 .sitreet business has amounted to almost 

 nothing this spring owing to the cut- 

 ting off of all permission to sell on the 

 public streets since about the first of 

 this year. The fakir business can now 

 be carried on only from stands on pri- 

 vate property. The growers and 

 wholesalers have always found this 

 element a great help in imloading 

 spring surplusses in former years and 

 the present restrictions are a great 

 handicap. 



A few warm days 

 BUFFALO brought on a heavy sup- 

 ply of all kinds of stock 

 and up to Thursday of last week the 

 coolers were much on - the over- 

 stocked list, but always looking ahead 

 for a clean-up ou Friday and Satur- 

 day. The weather conditions were 

 much against the flower buyers, as 

 Thursday and Friday regular March 

 weather was had with plenty of rain 

 and snow; in fact, it could not have 

 been worse for the trade, therefore the 

 wholesaler carried all the stock. Nev- 

 ertheless, on Saturday, a good clean-up 

 was had, but roses moved rather slow- 

 ly. The carnation quality has been 

 good, but roses have not been up to 

 the mark, excepting Richmonds, which 

 have not been better this season and 

 sell more readily than others. Lily of 

 the valley, peas, snapdragon, outdoor 

 tulips and daffodils, southern peonies 

 and other stock were in good supply. 

 Spec\ilative buying was rather light, but 

 considering the amount of stock accu- 

 mulated during the week, the whole- 

 saler must be satisfied with the clean- 

 up which was had and prices obtained. 



Prices for cut flowers are 

 CHICAGO a little in advance of 



last week. Demand is 

 light and the influx of southern 

 flowers does not help matters. The 

 prices on roses are approaching nor- 

 mal again, and quantities of really su- 

 perior stock are seen in the wholesale 

 market. The price of carnations has 

 advanced more than that of any other 

 flowers. Callas are hard to move and 

 the demand for them seems to have 

 lagged to a certain extent during the 

 entire season. Gardenias are coming 

 in rapidly from the south. The stock 

 is very good and lirings from one to 

 two dollars, while forced gardenias sell 

 for two or three doUai-s per doi^en. 

 Lilacs are also coming from the south. 

 Taking it all around, the wholesale 

 market has plenty of stock to offer but 

 would like more buyers. 



No change in general 

 DETROIT business conditions. Cold 



w e a t h e r intermingled 

 with snowstorms did not help business 

 either, but reduced the cut on carna- 

 tions and roses. This week will see 

 the end of bulbous flowers. 



The reopening ot 

 INDIANAPOLIS the social season 

 Easter Monday 

 was less marked than is customary. 

 The present warm weather means in- 

 creased supplies with prices cut in 

 half on almost everything. Bulb stock 

 is gradually disappearing but still 

 there is enough to meet the present 

 demand. Beauties and teas are first 

 class and prices reasonable. Carna- 

 tions are probably the greatest drug on 

 the market; nearly impossible to move 

 them at any price. Sweet peas are 

 abundant with demand about normal. 

 Some peonies, gladioli and Irises are 

 on the market. Lilies seem to be hard 

 to move. 



Business continues to 

 NEW YORK sag all through the 

 wholesale and retail 

 lines and prices have gone still lower 

 during the past ^eek. Outdoor lilacs 

 from south and ,!?:ardenias from fur- 

 ther south are pouring in now, and 

 the violets which have already gone, 

 and arbutus which are waning, are not 

 misled. Quality on all staples still 

 holds good but with the stipply so 

 greatly in excess of the needs of the 

 market quality is no great temptation. 



Last week found 

 PHILADELPHIA the market in a 

 more demoralized 

 condition, it it were possible, than any 

 week this season so far. The warm 

 weather brought stock out very plenti- 

 fully indeed, not only greenhouse 

 flowers, but a lot of outdoor blooms. 

 The last of the week out-door lilac was 

 very abundant; the better varieties of 

 lilac not nearly so plentiful. A great 

 many of the retailers are- still using 

 left-over plants and not buying as 

 many cut flowers on this account. 

 What cut lilies were left over from 

 Easter were mostly dumped, an act 

 much to be deplored. Roses and car- 

 nations sell at a very low figure in- 

 deed, carnations particularly. Sweet 

 peas have fared if anything worse than 

 roses or carnations. Taking the week 

 as a whole, it has been very unsatis- 

 factory indeed. What business was 

 done was done with a great deal of 

 effort and then the buyers were over- 

 critical, which is generally the case 

 when stock is plentiful. One of the 

 bright spots was cattleyas; these were 

 not very plentiful and sold well. Dou- 

 ble violets are about done and the last 

 few shipments have been coming in 

 poor. Gardenias have been fairly 

 plentiful, and the demand compara- 

 tively better than for any other flow- 

 ers. Greens still move in fair shape. 



The cut flower busi- 

 TWIN CITIES uess for the last 



week has been fair- 

 ly good. American Beauties are get- 

 ting scarce; violets are about gone; 

 carnations are plentiful, but bring a 

 pretty good price. 



The midsummer of 

 WASHINGTON the latter part of 



April has been suc- 

 ceeded for the past week by cold, 

 raw rain, and business is propor- 

 tionately dull. Carnations have gone 

 tumbling down in price and both 

 they and sweet peas are a drag 

 on the market. Outside lily ot 

 the valley of very fine quality is 

 coming in in quantity and sells well. 

 All outside flowers are suffering by the 

 present inclement spell and it is to be 

 hoped that the law of compensation 

 will continue' to hold good and that 

 the demand for indoor grown things 

 will improve. 



Watch These 

 Coliirans 



for News of the 



CUT FLOIER TRADE 



If You Want 

 Flowers for 



MemorialDay 



You Will Find the Most 



Reliable Dealers Always 



Advertising in 



Horticulture 



Write to Them. 



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