March 30, 1907 



HORTICULTURE. 



437 



I 



SOUTHERN WILD SMILAX 



W« are booking orders now Tor future delivery for Fancy Greens 

 and Beaven's Fadeless Sheet Moss. Writm f»r Samplem. 



\ 



E.J^BEAVEN, Evergreen, Ala. | 



CUT FLOWER MARKET REPORTS 



Although it is yet only 

 BOSTON the middle of the week, 

 Easter has started in 

 earnest for the wholesale people. The 

 shipments to various points in con- 

 tiguous territoiy have been enormous 

 indicating with a degree of reliability 

 the sanguine feeling everywhere as to 

 the Easter flower prospects. Lilies 

 are being sought with a zeal that 

 portends trouble and disappointment 

 for those who took no steps to secure 

 their stock by early order. Carnations 

 have been really scarce all this week 

 ^brin-iing prices much higher than at 

 a corresponding period in late years. 

 This does not necessarily prove scarc- 

 ity, however, as the opinion seems 

 quite general that growers are hoard- 

 ing the blooms. If this is so, they are 

 making a costly mistake as good car- 

 nations have been selling readily for 

 some time past at figures which 

 Easter will not easily overtop. Violets 

 are available in great quantities, with 

 favorable weather for street wear, 

 however, and if moderate prices shall 

 he established at the outset this enor- 

 mous crop of the fragrant blossoms 

 need cause no solicitude. Every store 

 is crowded with plants and, judging 

 from the prevalent quality, the plant 

 growers of the Hub have covered 

 themselves with glory and iilled their 

 coffers with well-earned cash. 



Plans for Easter trade 

 BUFFALO now engage the atten- 

 tion of everybody. En- 

 tertainments to follow the Lenten 

 season are being arranged but social 

 affairs just now are in the background. 

 Again much improvement was shown 

 in the flower line the past week con- 

 sidering the amount handled, and the 

 wholesaler feels that a good week's 

 business has been done. Stock in 

 most lines was plentiful and moved 

 considerably better than heretofore. 

 The only things that seemed to be 

 scarce were smilax and plumosa 

 bunches. Roses are still coming in 

 plentifully with demand good, espec- 

 ially Friday and Saturday. The same 

 may be said of carnations, white in 

 particular. Beauties, the article which 

 has been for some time scarce, came 

 in in abundance, with no buyers to 

 clean up and prices tumbled: many 

 were sold .50 per cent, less than quota- 

 tions, Lily of the valley, lilies, migno- 

 nette, rayosotis and sweet peas of good 

 quality were to be had, also violets, 

 the latter being on the quiet side up to 

 Saturday when a little life was seen. 

 The prospect for a good Easter trade 

 looks bright, should this excellent 

 warm weather continue. 



Many things have con- 

 COLUMBUS tributed to make the 

 past week a good one 

 for all the trade. Never were there so 

 many Easter openings amongst busi- 

 ness houses iu all lines< and without 

 exception they used flowers, and great 

 quantities of them. There are still a 



host of fakirs selling carnations at any 

 price they can get, but it does not 

 seem to perceptibly hurt the regular 

 florists. At this writing it certainly 

 looks as if there would be plenty of 

 stock for the Easter trade, with the 

 exception of lilies, which are sure to 

 he somewhat shorter in supply than 

 for several seasons. One factor that 

 will keep prices at a somewhat lower 

 level than usual ' is the enormous 

 amount of bulb stock in sight, which 

 at some price will find a market. As 1 

 have told you for several weeks past 

 there is a good supply of plants with 

 all the growers, and for these most 

 moderate prices will be asked. Spring 

 officially opened here the hottest for 

 twenty-eight years, the temperature 

 reaching SI degrees, and for three days 

 we have had practically the same 

 weather; you can therefore imagine 

 how stock of all kinds is coming for- 

 ward. 



Trade the past 

 INDIANAPOLIS week has been 



satisfactory in ev- 

 ery instance. Flowers of all sorts 

 and every color are coming into the 

 market iu great quantities, but there 

 dees not seem to be any glut of any- 

 thing. Bulbous stock as usual at this 

 time of the year is very plentiful. The 

 majority of growers report an un- 

 precedented shortage of lilies. There 

 seems to be an excellent demand for 

 flowering plants of all kinds. Roses 

 are more abundant; some American 

 Beaiity of exceptional quality are 

 seen. Single violets, sweet peas, lilao 

 and lily of the valley are in suflicient 

 supply to meet all demands. The 

 warm weather is causing some little 

 trouble for growers who are trying to 

 back their stock. The Easter outlook 

 for pi-ofitable and plentiful business is 

 bright. 



The flower trade 

 NEW YORK 'hides its dimin- 

 ished head" just at 

 present, and Easter plant business is 

 in full control of the situation. Sales 

 are made, of course, in the wholesale 

 flower marts but with that "back 

 seat" feeling which checks any dis- 

 position to over confidence and the 

 Greek finds a welcome and a bargain 

 at every turn. Easter values have not 

 yet established themselves, even in 

 prospect, and there is little to base 

 calculations on except that it seems 

 the general conviction that the supply 

 of lilies is not equal to the expected 

 demand and that prices will be 

 stronger than for a number of years 

 past. The outlook for other flowers 

 is for a normal Easter supply of un- 

 usual high quality, with the customary 

 over-production of Dutch bulbous 

 stock, and an unprecedented cut of 

 fine violets. 



The warm weath- 

 PHILADELPHIA er and slack de- 

 mand were re- 

 sponsible for the poor market last 



week. Roses were very plentiful; even 

 Beauties were in heavier supply than 

 the market would absorb. Carnations 

 moved fairly well, but prices were 

 low. Violets plentiful and draggy; lily 

 of the valley about normal. Nothing 

 very brisk in any line and supplies- 

 more than enough, although it cannot 

 be denied that the aggregate volume 

 was about equal to that of pre-Easter 

 week, last year. The only item that 

 looks to be on the short side for Eas- 

 ter week is good Easter lilies. The 

 fakirs laid in heavily at the end of 

 last week but even they found it up- 

 hill work and many of them got a 

 black eye. The advance plant trade is 

 brisk and growers are closely sold up. 

 Notwithstanding the 

 TWIN CITIES fact that the week 

 before Easter has- 

 always been more or less quiet, the re- 

 port in general seems to be that all of 

 the dealers have had a very good busi- 

 ness. Stock of all kinds is on the 

 market in large quantities and prices 

 are down, to some extent. Carnations 

 and bulb stock have mainly suffered. 

 The price on roses has remained 

 steady, and from present prospects 

 will so remain during Easter week. 

 Easter price lists issued by some of 

 the larger dealers show but a very 

 small advance. Easter lilies seem to^ 

 be somewhat of a puzzle. Growers 

 who have large numbers do not want 

 to part with them to the retailers. 

 AATiether or not they over estimate 

 their own demand remains to be seen. 

 Easter plants, particularly azaleas are 

 especially fine. We will have th& 

 usual supply of hydrangeas, hybrid 

 roses. Baby Ramblers and spireas. 



Holy week being. 

 WASHINGTON more rigidly ob- 

 served than the 

 preceding weeks of the Lenten sea- 

 son, has Dy reason of this fact caused 

 a general stagnation in the flower 

 market and many fine plants and cut 

 flowers are going to waste. On March 

 22-23 the thermometer suddenly 

 jumped from rtormal to 95 degrees 

 which brought in much stock that was 

 being held for Easter. Bulbous stock 

 and azaleas of good quality are over 

 abundant everywhere and move very 

 slowly. Large shipments are looked 

 for at Easter at which time the bulk 

 of both home grown and shipped 

 flowers are expected to be disposed of 

 and make room for those which fol- 

 low. 



Montreal reports trade iu general as 

 good, although in the French district 

 the effects of the Lenten season are 

 felt. Shamrocks were good and plen- 

 tiful for St. Patrick's week. The win- 

 ter seems to have broken at last. For 

 weeks together the thermometer has 

 registered 10 to 20 degrees below zero, 

 and many plants have been frozen. 

 The change to warmer weather is wel- 

 come. 



