January 2, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



21 



Flower Market Reports 



Boston had real New 

 BOSTON England Christmas 

 weather — snow, ice. zero 

 temperatures, sleighing, skating, par- 

 ties, flowers and extremely busy flor- 

 ists in all parts of the trade. The day 

 before Christmas was the coldest De- 

 cember 24th since 1S72. a marked con- 

 trast to the same date last year when 

 Indian summer and drizzling rain pre- 

 vailed Stock was plentiful; in fact, 

 too much in some cases. It almost 

 seemed as if the local growers had 

 waited until Christmas to cut their 

 entire year's product. There was a 

 slight shortage in red flowers only. In 

 direct contrast to the favorable report 

 of holiday business done by the retail- 

 ers comes the complaint from the 

 salesmen in the markets that they 

 could not secure satisfactory holiday 

 prices. This is not surprising, consid- 

 ering the large supply on hand ana 

 the enormous sale of basket combina- 

 tions of pine cones, alderberries, bay- 

 berries, etc., by the retailers. 

 Wreaths, greenery and flowering 

 plants all had a lively call. Azaleas 

 and poinsettias sold best of all the 

 potted stock. The wholesale houses 

 bought heavily in the markets in or- 

 der to fill their shipping orders. We 

 would like to be able to say that this 

 Christmas was a record-breaker, but 

 that would certainly be an exagera- 

 tion. The truth of the matter is that 

 the season was disappointing, except 

 in a very tew individual cases where 

 extra eftorts by way of advertising 

 broueht business up to its normal 

 standard. 



Wholesalers doing a shipping trade 

 were badly discommoded by the tardi- 

 ness of incoming express deliveries on 

 Wednesday, goods being often several 

 hours late and many outgoing orders 

 had to be cancelled and the customers 

 disappointed because the required ma- 

 terial was not at hand. The express 

 companies laid the blame on the slip- 

 pery condition of the icy streets, and 

 the overworked horses. 



The Christmas mar- 

 CINCINNATI ket was very weak. 



The supply was tar 

 in excess of needs and prices were the 

 lowest we have ever had for Christ- 

 mas. Growers who pickled their stock 

 in a effort to get holiday prices were 

 badly stung, for the receipts of good 

 stock easily satisfied the needs and the 

 soft blooms had to go into the ash- 

 barrel. Carnation growers were the 

 worst offenders in this respect. Since 

 Christmas day business has been ra- 

 ther slow and stock has accumulated 

 greatly. Offerings in roses including 

 fine American Beauties continue large 

 and excellent in quality. Carnation re- 

 ceipts too, are very heavy but the quan- 

 tity of fancy stock is rather limited. 

 Lilies are plentiful. Offerings in vio- 

 lets, double and single, orchids and 

 lily of the valley are excellent and 

 sufficient, 



A great disappointment 

 CHICAGO awaited Chicago whole- 

 salers Christmas week. 

 Prices began going down early in the 

 week and by the time local sales were 

 heaviest the market had gone to 

 pieces. No one knew where to stop 

 when the drop began and everything 

 went sliding down the scale, till in the 

 panic some carnations were actually 



KILLARNEY 

 BRILLIANT 



In wonderfully fine shape now, 

 deep rich colored buds, good size, 

 with better stems than at any time 

 this season. 



Special Sli.OO per 100 



Fancy 10.00 " 



Extra 8.00 " " 



Firsts 6.00 " 



Seconds 4.00 " " 



A few exceptionally long at $15.00 per 100 



(•.*TTI^EVAS, $6.00 per doz. 

 GARDENIAS, $3.00 and $4.00 per doz. 

 VALLiEV, Special, $4.00 per 100; Extra, 

 $:i.00 per 10(1. 



S. S. PENNOCK-MEEHAN CO. 



The Wholesale Florists of Philadelphia 



NEW YORK 

 117 W. 28ih St. 



PBILADELFHU 

 1608-1620 lodioif Si. 



BALTIMORE 



Fran k\ia ■dJ Si. Paal Su. 



fViSBINGTON 



l216BSt..N.W. 



WHOLESALE FLOWER MARKETS — 



TRADE 



PRICES -P«r 100 



TO DEALERS ONLY 



Roses 



Am. Beauty, Special ■ 



" *' Fancy and Extra 



No. I 



Killamey, Richmond^ Extra 



*' *' Ordinary 



Hillingdon, Ward, Sunburst, Extra.... 

 " "■ " Ordinary. 



Maryland, Shawyer, Taft, Extra 



*' " " Ordinary .. . 



Russell, Hadley , Ophelia 



Carnations, Fancy 



** Ordinary 



Cattleyas 



Cypripediums 



LUiea, LonKiflorum • 



Lily of the Valley 



Violets 



Snapdragon 



Narcisus, Paper While 



Com Flower 



Freezie 



Daffodils 



St e via 



Sweet Peas 



Gardenias 



Adiantum 



Smilax 



Asparagus Plumosus, Strings Cioo)... 

 '* '* & Spren. Uoo Bchs.) 



BOSTON 



Dec. 30 



3.00 to 



■75 to 



3.00 to 



2.00 to 



.50 to 



.50 



>.oo 

 •so 



35.00 



20.00 



8.00 



10.00 



4.00 



8.00 



2.00 



8.00 



4.00 



15.00 



5,00 



2.00 



50.00 



10.00 



10.00 



4.00 



1. 00 



4.00 



3.00 



•75 



1. 00 

 1. 00 

 30.00 

 1. 00 

 12.00 

 40.00 

 50.00 



ST. LOUIS 



Dec. 28 



60.00 to 



30.00 to 



8.00 to 



6.00 to 



3.00 to 



8.00 to 



4.00 to 



6.00 to 



3.00 to 



4.00 



2.00 

 50.00 



12.00 

 3.00 



1.50 



1. 00 

 12.00 

 35'Oo 

 15.00 



80.00 

 40.00 

 10.00 

 S.oo 

 4.00 

 10.00 

 6.00 

 8-00 

 4.00 



5.00 



3.00 

 60.00 



15,00 

 4.00 

 J. 00 



1.25 

 15.00 

 50.00 



20.00 



PHOA. 



Dec. 28 



40.00 



30.00 

 15.00 

 1 2, CO 



5.00 



10.00 

 6.00 



10.00 

 6.00 

 8.00 



4.00 



2,00 



50.00 



lO.CO 



3.00 



•75 

 10.00 

 3.00 



1. 00 

 20.00 



1. 00 to 

 15.00 to 



to 



50.00 



40.00< 



25.00 

 15.00 



8.00 

 12.00 



8.00 

 15.00 



8.00 

 30.00 



5.00 



3.00 

 60.00 

 15.00 

 12.00 



4.00 



I,£0 



15.00 



3.00 



1. 00 



s.oo 

 30.00' 



1.50. 



7o.oa 

 50.00 

 50.00 



sold for ten cents per bunch. Ameri- 

 can Beauties were also in the worst of 

 the decline and prices dropped to one- 

 fifth of the earlier quotations. Many 

 declare conditions to have been the 

 worst they had ever experienced. 

 There are some, however, who insist 

 that the great quantity of flowers sold 

 must bring an average not so far be- 

 low the sales of other years, but there 

 are but few who can find any grounds 

 for such a hope. The cuts were enor- 

 mous and a quantity of flowers were 

 held back that should have been of- 

 fered days before or not offered at 

 all. Prices had been fixed without ap- 

 parently a knowledge of the chances 

 of the immense crops and could not 

 hope to be maintained after shipping 

 orders were filled. The American 

 Beauties from the East did not arrive 

 in very good condition, many of them 

 were damaged in transit and many 

 were evidently soft when shipped. 



The plant men did a splendid busi- 

 ness for Christmas. Practically every 

 plant was sold excepting a few bego- 

 nias and cyclamen of which there were 

 an unusuallv large quantity grown 

 this year. The large motor trucks 

 made prompt delivery possible even 

 in the extreme cold weather and few 

 plants were lost. 



The market has been very quiet fol- 

 lowing Christmas. Every one had flow- 

 ers enough and the calls on the whole- 

 salers are not sufficient to move the 

 left-overs from Christmas day. Each 

 day brings .new cuts and so the new 

 week opens with slow sales and an 

 ovcrsupply of almost all kinds of 

 stock. 



We have varying re- 



NEW YORK ports from the battle- 

 field of last week. 

 Some are certainly jubilant. One prom- 

 inent retailer says that he "was agree- 



iCcntinufd on page Jji 



