466 



HORTICULTURi: 



April 6, 1907 



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In our WHOLESALE COMMISSION FLORISTS' DEPARTMENT in addition 



to our regular wholesale EVERGREENS and FLORISTS' SUPPLIES 

 CONSIGNMENTS SOLICITED 



HENRY M. ROBINSON & CO., 



8, 11 and 15 Province St 

 and 9 Chapman Place, 



See our Greens Advertisement on pase 471.' L. O. Talephon», Main ZBia. 



Boston, Mass. 



CUT FLOWER MARICET REPORTS 



Bostou's Easter was a 

 BOSTON iemarlM,ble one. Never 

 within the memory of the 

 oldest inhabitant has the weather been 

 finer for Easter Saturday. It was in 

 all respects a glorious June day — the 

 culmination of a week of sun and 

 warmth — which brought forward the 

 lagging flower crops with a rush that 

 completely upset the calculations of 

 everybody and administered a crush- 

 ing blow to the foolish operator who 

 had stored away his roses and carna- 

 tions a week beforehand, in the mis- 

 taken notion that they would appreci- 

 ate in value. The salubrious weather 

 conditions had a deleterious effect on 

 the quality of the violets in this mar- 

 ket, the single variety largely predom- 

 inating, but it also saved the violet 

 from the lamentable fate of the rose, 

 carnation, daffodil and lily of the val- 

 ley. The great purple heaps melted 

 away in stores and on street corners 

 with unprecedented rapidity, and in 

 the great throngs of summer-dressed 

 people that sauntered and surged up 

 and down the retail business streets 

 violet corsages were seen by thou- 

 sands. Primroses also came in for a 

 goodly share of the corsage trade. 



But aristocratic Boston had little 

 taste for cut flowers this year, other 

 than the item above mentioned. It 

 was to the plebeian element that the 

 cut flower grower had to look for com- 

 fort after the out-of-town dealer had 

 been supplied. Sturdy American Beau- 

 lies, carnations of high degree, sweet 

 peas, daisies, snap dragons, freesias 

 and lily of the valley stood untouched 

 in the display refrigerators, while all 

 v/as hustle and bustle over lily plants, 

 azaleas, rambler roses, apples, lilacs, 

 rhododendrons, hydrangeas and aca- 

 cias. Some had hopes that Saturday 

 night and Sunday morning would 

 bring in the llth-hour cut-flower cus- 

 tomer, but they were doomed to disap- 

 pointment. In the meantime the street 

 dealer was doing his best to distribute 

 the surplus, and the grower found in 

 him a most industrious ally. Wher- 

 ever a vacant doorway or a chink be- 

 tween buildings could be found, there 

 he was with daffodils, carnations, lily 

 of the valley and violets heaped high 

 all around him, and it almost staggers 

 one to think what would have been 

 the fate of the product of that week 

 of sunshine without the help of the 

 fakir and the low-price store. 



The wholesale shipping houses had 

 the biggest Easter on record, for the 

 out-of-town demand never wavered in 

 its loyalty to the cut-flower, and the 

 shipments up to Friday night were 



enormous. Considering the quantity 

 of material that came to the markets on 

 Saturday morning, the dealers; had good 

 reason to be thankful even if carna- 

 tions did have to be sold for one third 

 of the prices of the previous week. 

 As it was, there were some grievous 

 disappointments. 



As was anticipated, the lily supply 

 fell far short of the demand. The lull 

 truth was not apparent, however, for 

 stiff prices were charged all along the 

 line, and everything possible was done 

 to divpit buyers from the lily to the 

 azalea and other abundant material. 

 Otherwise the lily supply would have 

 come to an ahiupl close long before 

 it did. Plants of <ill kinds were of un- 

 usual excellence. 'J iie old-fashioned 

 tiat-topped azaleas were not much in 

 evidence, the more pleasing, free- 

 branched style being the rule. Two 

 azaleas that gained great popularity 

 were Jean Peters (Double Firefly) and 

 Julius Roehrs. Most of the hydran- 

 geas seen were of the Thos. Hogg va- 

 riety. Of genistas there were compar- 

 atively few. Among the more uncom- 

 mon things were gardenias, hawthorns, 

 white and pink, and yellow callas. 



Conditions favored delivery of goods 

 without protection up to and includ- 

 ing Sunday, which, although somewhat 

 overcast, was an agreeable spring day, 

 with neither cold, wind, nor dust to 

 molest either flowers or Easter bon- 

 nets. 



THE M.\KKET THIS WEEK. 



Alter Easter the deluge. Never be- 

 fore has the market been called upon 

 to sustain such an avalanche of 

 flowers as has been poured in on top 

 of the big hold-over Easter surplus. 

 Prices for large quantities of anything 

 are down to an unheard of level which 

 the figures quoted in our prices cur- 

 rent give little idea of. Lily of the 

 valley, daffodils and tulips are per- 

 haps the worst sufferers, but roses and 

 carnations are badly hit in all grades 

 and all varieties. Sweet peas, lilies 

 and callas alone seem to be able to 

 maintain their standing. Violets are 

 on the decrease so rapidly that they 

 are not likely to affect the market 

 much longer. They are of poor quality 

 as a rule and what they bring is all 

 they are worth. 



The Easter shipping 

 BUFFALO irade in the cut flower 



line exceeded previous 

 year. Double the amount of stock 

 was handled but prices were lower, in 

 many lines. Beauties arrived in quan- 

 tities and all grades but little demand. 

 Good demand was had on Richmond 



which were of excellent quality. 

 Killarney, Bridesmaid, Bride and 

 Ohatenay were plentiful. Good violets 

 were in demand and cleaned up well 

 while ordinary would not sell at any 

 price and a good many were lost. Peas, 

 lily of the valley, myosotis, swain- 

 sona. gardenias and white lilacs were 

 had in good quality, also a river over- 

 flowing with daffodils and tulips which 

 were decidedly on the quiet list and a 

 good many carried over. At the be- 

 ginning of tifie week carnations were 

 not too plentiful but on Friday or 

 Saturday they were abundant; a good 

 portion of the shipments having been 

 held for a few days they showed the 

 effects after a few hours of exposure. 

 Reports from all points indicate that 

 a satisfactory Easter plant trade was 

 had, thanks to weather man for mild 

 days '■ in which to make deliveries. 

 During the v/eek, beginning on Tues- 

 day plant sales were very lively. The 

 best demand was on lilies, hydrangeas, 

 azaleas and rambler roses. Potted 

 hyacinths sold well but other bulbous 

 stock was very slow. For several days 

 the cut flower trade was very much 

 in the background and the retailers 

 allowed the wholesalers to carry all 

 the stock, buying only as required for 

 immediate orders. 



It was without doubt 

 CINCINNATI the greatest Easter 



we ever had. Never 

 before was so many flowers handled in 

 such a short space of time. With the 

 exception of good roses and violets 

 there was enough stock to meet the 

 demand, and in general was in fine 

 condition. The warm weather brought 

 in bulbous stock with a vengeance, but 

 there was no over-supply, as much of 

 it would not last and had to be con- 

 signed to the dump. Store men were 

 slow in placing their orders, for it 

 looked as though the market would 

 be badly over-stocked by Saturday, 

 but the shipping trade was tremendous 

 and at the last minute they had to 

 hustle in order to get what they 

 wanted. Plants were to be had in 

 .great variety and sold well. The 

 market started off fine this week. 

 Bulbous stock is nearly all gone but 

 roses and carnations are working 

 overtime and there is no immediate 

 danger of a famine in the cut flower 

 market. 



Our Easter trade was 

 COLUMBUS a splendid one; much 



more stock, both 

 plants and cut-stock, was disposed of 

 than in any previous year. As regards 

 prices, especially for plants, in most 



