390 



HORTlCULTUPi: 



March 23, 190T 



A PLANT MARKET FOR NEW 

 YORK. 



(Address before the N. Y. Florists' Club 

 by John Blrnie.) 



It would be useless as well as tire- 

 some to give in detail the efforts that 

 have been made during the last 17 or 

 18 years by the plant growers who dis- 

 pose ot their produce in New York 

 City to find a permanent market-place 

 suitable for their purpose. Suffice it 

 to say that those efforts have been un- 

 successful, and at the present time 

 they are absolutely without a place 

 where they can legally sell plants at 

 wholesale. 



That such conditions should prevail 

 in a city like New York is deplorable, 

 and shows that the civic government 

 is delinquent and careless regarding 

 the needs of the masses, who are the 

 actual plant lovers and plant buyers. 

 The argument that the majority of 

 the plant growers are not citizens of 

 New York City is humbug. The eggs 

 that every New Yorker consumes for 

 his breakfast are not laid on Broad- 

 way, neither is the celery which dec- 

 orates the dinner tables of the 400 

 grown on Fifth avenue. The conten- 

 tion that "it won't pay" is also ground- 

 less, for notwithstanding high ground 

 rent and other drawbacks, the N. Y. 

 M. F. Association paid a dividend of 

 25 per cent, a year ago. However, the 

 fact remains that a plant market for 

 New York City is a crying need, and 

 the subject has been brought before 

 the New York Florists' Club for the 

 purpose of eliciting suggestions as to 

 ways whereby the desired object may 

 be attained. 



It is a subject that Is of vital im- 

 portance to every one in any way con- 

 nected with the business, be he 

 grower or retailer, and should interest 

 every man and woman who has the 

 welfare of the masses of New York 

 City at heart. The denizen of the top 

 story tenement may forget to say his 

 morning prayer, but he never forgets 

 to water his window plant. This 

 would suggest the idea that the intro- 

 duction ot plants into the homes of 

 the masses might prove to be a more 

 potent factor in their regeneration 

 than the missionary with either hell- 

 fire and brimstone or holy water. 



The plant trade in New York City 

 has reached enormous proportions, 

 and represent great investments, and 

 would grow to be still larger were 

 adequate facilities provided for sell- 

 ing plants at wholesale. The perish- 

 able nature of our products makes 

 shelter absolutely necessary. A place 

 of considerable dimensions would also 

 be required; at least 10,000 square 

 feet of floor space could be utilized 

 from Easter until July 1st. The fact 

 that we need a plant market for only 

 three months in the year has been the 

 worst obstacle in the way of securing 

 a market. But I am sure that given 

 a well heated, lighted and ventilated 

 building the plant business would 

 grow to such proportions that we 

 would have seasonable plants to sell 

 all the year round, as Is done in Eu- 

 ropean cities, some ot which are 

 much smaller in population than New 

 York. 



About 17 years ago a body ot grow- 

 ers organized and called themselves 

 the "New York Market Florists' Asso- 

 ciation." Four years ago this organ- 

 ization was incorporated under the 

 laws of the State ot New York ; it has 



VASES OF PLANTT AS SUBSTITUTES FOR GRAVESTONES. 



The Kramer Brothers' Foundry Com- 

 pany of Da>-ton, Ohio, whose advertise- 

 ment appears in this issue are doing 

 good work on behalf of horticulture 

 and good taste in inducing people to 

 use vases of growing plants in ceme- 

 tery adornment in place of the motley 

 collections of monuments and grave- 

 stones, which disfigure our burial 

 grounds. Our illustration shows a 



cemetery view in which the advantages 

 of the use of these ornamental vases 

 are well shown. That the effect is 

 good and that the suggestion is a sen- 

 sible one, no person of taste will ques- 

 tion. Keep it in mind when the spring 

 business starts up, and consult Messrs. 

 Kramer Bros. A full line of these 

 vases will be exhibited at the S. A. F. 

 convention in Philadelphia, next Aug- 

 ust. 



an office on Broadway, and has a paid 

 attorney. The stock issued was $5000, 

 which has only partly been subscribed 

 for. I am of opinion that if all grow- 

 ers would join this organization, as It 

 is obviously their duty to do, subscribe 

 for the stock not sold, and issue more, 

 the more energetic taking office and 

 helping those already in the harness 

 to do the work, something could be 

 accomplished which would be of ben- 

 efit to all concerned. We are still 

 looking for a Moses to lead us out ot 

 the land ot Egypt. Will the New York 

 Florists' Club prove to be that Moses? 

 Or, must we stay in Egypt for forty 

 years? 



size of the G'ide, which everybody ob- 

 jected to. The "Baby" now contains 

 the mileage between all stations in 

 .\'pw England and is still as compact 

 and concise as ever. 



The Dahlia News, Vol. 1, Number 1. 

 has been received. It is to be issued 

 monthly by the New Icngland Dahlia 

 Society, .\iaurice Fuld, secretary, 5 

 Union street, Boston. An interesting 

 article on Field Roots vs. Pot Roots 

 vs. Green Plants is contributed by 

 Wm. F. Turner. The list of members 

 given shows that the new society 

 starts off with a good support from 

 (he dahlia enthusiasts. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



Peter's Nursery Co., Knoxville, 

 Tenn.— "Helps to a Beautiful Home." 

 List of ornamental trees and shrubs, 

 illustrated. 



The popular Baby Pathfinder Rail- 

 way Guide appears this month in a 

 new dress of type, and other improve- 

 ments such as the elimination of 

 trains in paragraph and other abbre- 

 viated forms. 



The publishers have had many re- 

 quests from commercial men for the 

 distances betv/een stations, which it 

 was impossible to add with the type 

 formerly used without increasing the 



VALLEY CLUMPS 



$15.00 100 



GladiolusFineMXD 



$3.00 100 



Tuberoses XLCR 



$8.00 1000 



W.Elliott&Sons 



201 Fulton St. 

 H.Y. 



