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HORTICULTURE 



December 31, 1910 



Flower Market Reports 



Had Saturday, the 24tti, 

 BOSTON been a tlifferent sort of 

 (Jay Boston's Christmas 

 story would undoubtedly have been 

 much more exultant In tone than it is. 

 Indeed, there is good cause for con- 

 gratulation over the fact that it is not 

 much worse, for Saturday was a 

 drencher in fact and in spirit. It cer- 

 tainly was a glorious Christmas ures- 

 ent for the parched up '.and but it 

 came at a very inopportune time for 

 the flower man, whether tirower, 

 wholesaler or retailer, and local trade 

 suffered severely. Foolish giowers 

 there were, heedless of past experience 

 and warnings, who had persisted in 

 hoarding up their stock until the last 

 day and the outcome must have been a 

 bitter disappohUmeni to such, for 

 prices went to pie.;oa Saturday morning 

 under the double load of profusion and 

 inclement weather and sales through- 

 out the day weie made with difficulty. 

 In the evening ihere was sumetbing 

 of a rally, due to the calls from local 

 retailers who had been taking no 

 chances, but it was not possible to 

 move all the accumulation and more 

 or less was left unsold until Monday. 

 This was especially true of carnaiions 

 (other than the red ones), which were 

 held at prices i-e.garded by the buyers 

 as almost prohibitive-. Roses, on the 

 other hand, were quoted at figures not 

 greatly above previous market rates, 

 and it seemed to be the prevalent sen- 

 timent with the average dealer that 

 he was getting much more for his 

 money in purchasing roses than he did 

 In carnations. Of course, all argument 

 ceased when it came to Richmond roses 

 as in the case of Beacon carnations, 

 and the grower got whatever price he 

 demanded, as well as a reproof for in- 

 ability to fill orders in full. The diffi- 

 culty in moving lily of the valley was 

 something of a surprise to the whole- 

 salers who had found this flower a 

 good seller in previous years. Violets 

 sold well but, unfortunately, many 

 reached the market late owing to the 

 overcrowded condition of the express 

 service and some stores declined to ac- 

 cept what they had ordered, as a con- 

 sequence. American Beauty roses, con- 

 trary to expectations, were had in 

 plenty, the medium grades selling best. 

 Of lilies there were all that the trade 

 called for and they were good. Poin- 

 settias were very fine, bu; 'he supply 

 was insufficient. The prevalence of the 

 artificial artUle has discouraged grow- 

 ers from growing poinsettias for cut- 

 flower purposes. In the early and mid- 

 dle part of the week greens sold well. 

 Much holly was delayed in transit and 

 thus left unsold as all shipments ar- 

 riving as late as Saturday went by de- 

 fault. The wholesalers were consider- 

 ably hampered in their holly and laurel 

 trade by the government inspection 

 laws relating to injurious insects. On 

 the whole, we should say that the 

 wholesale florists and those flower 

 growers who did not hold back for Sat- 

 urday had a good and profitable Christ- 

 mas. Of course, the plant growers 

 were cleaned out of everything fit to 

 sell. Made-up plant arrangements, es- 

 pecially when composed of foliage ma- 

 terial, were slow sellers in the stores 

 and a quantity were left over. Cycla- 

 mens, poinsettias, ardisias, Lorraines 



and small azaleas had a great run. 

 Small Lorraines were in lively demand 

 for use in dishes and jardinieres and 

 the supply was insufficient. Boxwood 

 balls, s'tudded with scarlet immortelles 

 sold at sight. Mistletoe also cleaned 

 up nicely. 



While local trade was 

 CHICAGO comparatively quiet from 



the 15th to the 20th it 

 was quite up to expectations from that 

 time on. From the wholesalers' stand- 

 point it was very nearly all that could 

 be desired. Stock came in in better 

 condition than is often the case and 

 there was not so much pickled mate- 

 rial as in former years. Carnations 

 suffered most in being held back and 

 altogether too many sleepy ones were 

 to be seen. White flowers were prac- 

 tically the only ones left at the close 

 of each of the four busiest days and 

 they included roses, lilies and lily of 

 the valley, as well as carnations. The 

 colored stock of all kinds being most 

 in demand, white naturally was last 

 choice with light pink coming next. 

 Violets were in excess of the demand 

 and some stock kept too long was a 

 total loss. On most days violets sold 

 for less than prices quoted in trade 

 papers, considerable concession being 

 made in large quantities and in very 

 large lots cutting the prices almost in 

 two to clean up stock. Some very 

 heavy shipments from the east arrived 

 on the 27th and will probably be han- 

 dled by the fakirs, as at this writing 

 there is almost no demand. Beauties 

 did not reach the highest price made 

 in former years, but sold out clean, 

 medium lengths being most quickly 

 disposed of. The -tendency for the re- 

 tailers to sell plants was more marked 

 even than in former years and stores 

 were fitted up to accommodate them al- 

 most excluding from view the stock of 

 cut flowers. The supply of Christmas 

 green was not altogether satisfactory. 

 The scarcity of holly early in the week 

 and the excessive quantity arriving late 

 kept the market in a turmoil, while 

 ground pine did not arrive at all ow- 

 ing to the heavy snow fall and the 

 forest fires of the past summer. There 

 will be some adjustments necessary be- 

 fore the dealers in holly will balance 

 up their books. At the beginning of 

 the week shipments failed to arrive 

 and at the end of the week there was 

 a large quantity left, coming in after 

 sales were practically closed. The 

 ton of California holly received by 

 Vaughan & Sperry came just at the 

 right time and sold at once. It will, 

 no doubt, be used extensively next 

 year. The white holly, called here 

 "desert holly," also came just in time 

 to make itself appreciated and was 

 cleaned up before the influx of holly 

 from the east late in the week. It 

 seemed to please the retail trade and 

 was a pretty novelty. The absence of 

 ilex berries this year was severely felt. 



Christmas flower 

 CINCINNATI trade was satisfac- 

 tory and fully equal 

 to that of any preceding Christmas. 

 There was little or no evidence of 

 pickled stock. Long stemmed Beauties 

 were as plentiful, probably a little 

 more so, than the previous year, and 

 prices a shade lower. Medium and 

 shorter grades with perfect blooms 



were not equal to the demand. Rich- 

 mond was in exceptionally heavy de- 

 mand and short supply. Killarney 

 outranked all other pink tea varieties 

 in quality and supply and a good many 

 more could have been sold, in fact 

 anything in pink sorts was snapped up 

 readily. Bride, Ivory and White Kil- 

 larney were in heavy crop, moving 

 rather slowly early in the week, but 

 cleaned out nicely for Christmas. The 

 receipts of carnations were exception- 

 ally light and prices ruled very firm. 

 The quality was all that could be de- 

 sired. Lily of the valley was plentiful, 

 of choice quality, and sold fairly well. 

 Large quantities of poinsettias were 

 marketed at prices ranging from $15 

 to $25 per 100. More paper white nar- 

 cisus could have been sold. The sup- 

 ply of double violets was sufficient for 

 all requirements. There was a notice- 

 able shortage of good singles. The de- 

 mand for stevia was exceptionally 

 good and callas cleaned up nicely. 

 Plumosus, sprengeri and smilax were 

 in good supply and demand. Boxwood 

 continues scarce. The shortage of 

 bronze galax is relieved and they are 

 now to be had in any quantity. The 

 plant business was exceptionally good 

 this year. All the bright colored 

 blooming plants sold well. 



The Christmas sea- 

 WASHINGTON son of 1910 is now 

 a matter of history 

 and each florist of this city is patting 

 himself on the back, as it were, for 

 business this season has been, at least 

 on an average. 40 per cent better than 

 in past years. There was an unusual- 

 ly large demand for pot plants of all 

 grades, due to the fact that cut-flowers- 

 have not been so high before in years. 

 There was an unusual run on reds, 

 with the result that red carnations 

 were wholesaling at 15 cents each and 

 even at that abnormal figure demand 

 could not be supplied. The principal 

 novelty in pot plants was the Glory of 

 Cincinnati begonia. Some of the down- 

 town stores could not secure any at all, 

 and those that had them sold out en- 

 tirely. This is the first season that the 

 originator, Peterson, of Cincinnati, has 

 put them on the market in any quan- 

 tity and their popularity is already es- 

 tablished. Azaleas retained their usual 

 popularity, many selling in fancy ham- 

 pers. Prime Beauties brought $15.00 

 a dozen wholesale; Richmonds ranged 

 from $10.00 to $20.00 per 100; Killar- 

 ney, Maryland, Ivory and Bride, $8.00 

 to $15.00; gardenias wholesaled at $6.00 

 per dozen; cattleyas. $9.00 per dozen; 

 mignonette, $3.00 to $6.00 per 100; Vir- 

 ginia violets easily brought 75 cents, 

 while New Yorks went readily at $1.50 

 to $2.00. There was a big demand for 

 cut poinsettias. Paper white narcissus 

 was the only thing shown in bulbous 

 stock in any quantity. Roman hya- 

 cinths were in too limited quantities to 

 be considered. There was plenty of 

 holly and finer than any shown in. 

 years. 



Philadelphia flower quotations ad- 

 ditional to regular list: Roses, Perle, 

 $6 to $10; Melody, $10 to $15; bou- 

 vardia, $5; poinsettias, $25 to $40; 

 callas, $25; white lilac, per bunch, $1 

 to $1.50; swainsona, per bunch, 15c.; 

 pussy willows, per bunch, 50c.; sweet 

 alyssum and stevia, 25c. per bunch. 



{^Continued on pagl 949) 



