June 8, 1907 



HORTICULTURE, 



76B 



CUT FLOWER MARKET REPORTS 



Business didn't wait long 

 BOSTON after Memorial Day to go 



to smash, so far as mar- 

 ket values are concerned. Prices have 

 fallen from 25 to 50 per cent, on most 

 lines. Roses are moved at 1.000 rates, 

 which in many cases are not very far 

 from the 100 rates of one week ago. 

 American Beauty roses are plentiful 

 and slow to move. Lilies are strong 

 at maximum prices. Gardenias are 

 being received in abundance from the 

 South and bring carnation values with 

 reluctance. Carnations themselves are 

 down to summer rates. Sweet peas 

 are abundant with a weak market. 

 Peonies from southern points are be- 

 ginning to put in an appearance. 



The week ending June 1 

 BUFFALO will be remembered by 



many. The Memorial 

 Day business will not exceed previous 

 years, as the stock was not ob- 

 tainable. Parties ordering previous to 

 Memorial Day, and who depended on 

 receiving their full orders, were sadly 

 disappointed, as orders were all cut in 

 two in filling, the March weather hav- 

 ing shortened the supply to one-third 

 of what it should have been; this was 

 especially true of carnations, which 

 had the heaviest demand. There was 

 very little out-door stock, and that 

 which was had was snapped quickly. 

 Roses were the life saver, and they as 

 well as lily of the valley, peas, lilies, 

 etc., went oft at a lively rate. The 

 latter were somewhat scarce and 

 prices were high. Peonies were 

 not seen at all, and very 

 little lilac was had. Everybody 

 concedes that the coming month be- 

 longs to the lovers and the graduates. 

 Traditions now-a-days are becoming 

 frightfully shattered; April showers 

 have turned to sleet, the May blossoms 

 have had a hard task making their de- 

 but in snow storms and frigid weather. 

 The growers are coaxing on their 

 crops of roses in order to be able to 

 supply the demand during this month. 



We had for weeks ex- 

 COLUMBUS pected to have a fine 



business Memorial 



Day; but no one in the trade had the 

 least idea that any such flood of or- 

 ders as Wiis poured upon us could be 

 possible. Sn\eral causes made this 

 pleasing I'esult: in the first place, 

 there was little or no outdoor stock; 

 then again, with every year that 

 passes this sacred holiday is gaining 

 great momentum as far as the use of 

 flowers is concerned. Everybody will 

 have them — the price matters little. 

 It was very easy to see early on 

 Wednesday what the result would be; 

 stocks no matter how large, simply 

 melted away. After most carefully 

 considering the whole trade, I believe 

 that in the aggregate twice as much 

 stock could easily have been sold. 

 The final result was by far the best 

 and largest business ever done in this 

 city for a Memorial Day. 



The predominant feature 

 DETROIT of Decoration Day was a 

 general scurrying around 

 to supply the demand of the buying 

 public for ilowers. The tardiness of 

 spring caused a dreadful shortness of 

 flowers, so much so as to be harmful 

 to the business. Heretofore we la- 

 bored here under a favorable short- 



ness — that is, the scant supply pre- 

 vailing stiffened lU'ices so as to reduce 

 that dreadlul practice of cutting prices 

 to a minimum. This time, however, 

 a great volume of business was not 

 done because there was no .supply to • 

 do it with, a condition which occurs 

 very seldom and could not he reme- 

 died even if it had been foreseen. 



The Memorial 

 INDIANAPOLIS week's business 



broke all previous 

 records especially in the money value 

 of sales. The supplies of stock were 

 good but there was a shortage in 

 many lines compared with last year 

 especially in peonies and other outside 

 stock. The strongest call was for 

 colored carnations probably due to 

 higher prices of other stock. Beauties, 

 teas, longiflorum lilies and other 

 smaller flowers were in good supply. 

 No home-grown peonies were to be 

 had at all, the entire supply coming 

 from Michigan. Numerous weddings 

 and school commencements will keep 

 the retailers busy and create a big de- 

 mand for flowers the next two weeks. 

 There is nuite a scarcity of geraniums 

 in flower, owing to cold dark weather. 

 All kinds of greens are plentiful with 

 exception of good fancy ferns which 

 are nearly unobtainable. 



The supply of roses is 

 NEW YORK heavier than last week 

 but quoted prices have 

 not undergone any radical change. 

 American Beauties are much more 

 plentiful particularly the shorter 

 sizes. The quality of the Teas is re- 

 markably good and comparatively free 

 from mildew when the bad weather is 

 considered. Carnations are beginning 

 to show up in quantity and the de- 

 mand has fallen oft'. In fact, the gen- 

 eral business is falling away gradu- 

 ally. There are some peonies, lilacs, 

 and snow bails in the market but not 

 enough to be a factor as yet though a 

 few warm clear days will make a big 

 difference in the receipts of out-door 

 material. Lilies are in good shape and 

 fairly plentiful. 



The Decoration 

 PHILADELPHIA Day trade in this 



market exceeded 

 the most sanguine expectations. The 

 cool weather having held back much 

 of the outdoor stock, which usually 

 fills in, threw a strong demand to the 

 regular cut flower centers, with a con- 

 sequent brisk market and satisfactory 

 prices Stock in general was scarce. 

 Beauties were mostly all long 

 stemmed: Bridesmaids were improved 

 in color and found themselves in the 

 running with Brides, Gates, Rich- 

 monds, Killarneys, and Libertys. Kil- 

 larney is especially fine at prasent. 

 Good carnations were bringing Christ- 

 mas prices. Sweet peas, lily of the 

 valley, daisies, callas. lilies, cattleyas, 

 gladioli, and other staples shared in 

 the general prosperity. The outdoor 

 stock observable this week include 

 hemorcallis, cornflower, iris, deutzia 

 and snowball. The few peonies ap- 

 pearing to date are mostly from south 

 of Washington and bringing high 

 prices. Nothing really fine has been 

 seen in peonies up to this date, but we 

 look for a great improvement in a 

 short time. 



Decoration Day busi- 

 TWIN CITIES ness was the best 

 that we have had in 

 years; this is the general report of the 

 trade. Stock was not plentiful and 

 some difficulty was experienced with 

 carnations. It seemed impossible to 

 get a suflicient number with which to 

 fill orders. The growers who were 

 fortunate enough to have them took 

 advantage of the situation and in one 

 case a retailer paid 10c. each for them, 

 in order to fill his orders. The general 

 figure was between $5.00 and $6.00 per 

 100. Roses were plentifiil, especially 

 white. The trade did not count on 

 such a heavy business, consequently 

 some were sold out early and com- 

 pelled to do some skirmishing to fill 

 orders. 



Since the severe 

 WASHINGTON rain storm of June 

 1st, it has been cold 

 enough to necessitate constant fires. 

 Carnations continue of unusually good 

 quality, by reason of the cold 

 weather, and prices are correspond- 

 ingly good. There has not been such 

 a scarcity of flowers on Decoration 

 Day before for years. Everything 

 sold, and at good prices. Outside 

 flowers can not bloom except in very 

 limited quantities, and this, of course, 

 keeps the price of greenhouse blossoms 

 away above normal. Peonies are con- 

 spicuous by their scarcity; what few 

 are seen are very small. Some few 

 roses are blooming in the more shel- 

 tered places, but not in sufficient 

 quantities to relieve the situation 

 much. A very beautiful and novel 

 feature of Decoration Day was turning 

 loose in the waters of the Potomac a 

 boat-load of flowers, in commemora- 

 tion of those who lost their lives be- 

 neath the waters. 



BUSINESS CHANGES. 



The business of A. Clarine, Aitken, 

 Minn., is being closed out. 



W. 0. Willard of Grinnell, la., ha& 

 sold his business to Walter Squire. 



Gordon Bros, is the name of an 

 enterprising new firm in Uion, N. Y. 



J. W. H. Sedon has hired the green- 

 houses of Mrs. Blake, Greenville, Mass. 



A. B. Nash has leased the green- 

 houses of Joseph Slade at Red Deer, 

 Alberta. 



J. B Murphy has purchased the' 

 business of the Manistee Floral Co., 

 Manistee, Mich. 



The Rosary Flower Shop, 15th be- 

 low Chestnut, Philadelphia, has filed a 

 voluntary petition in bankruptcy. 



John Bauscher, Jr., Preeport, III., 

 will soon move from the Fry buildin.g 

 to the Blust building which he has 

 recently acquired by purchase. 



Miss Bada Schmidt has purchased 

 Mrs. Stanford's interest in the Stafford 

 greenhouses at Mai'quette, Mich., and 

 will have charge of the business. 



Recent losses by hail are reported 

 from Robert Kift and the Mancill 

 greenhouses, at West Chester, Pa.; W. 

 A. Rieman, Vincennes, Ind.; W. B. 

 Davis & Co., Aurora, 111., and Kidwell 

 Bros., Chicago. 



