April 10, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



505 



EASTER FLOWER MARKET REPORTS 



Easter business was gen- 

 BOSTON erally good, especially 

 considering the very un- 

 expected snow storm that held the 

 city in its grip all day Saturday. The 

 early part of the week was rather 

 quiet, the usual apathy just before a 

 holiday rush. Thursday morning 

 things began to move with the activity 

 that gave promise of a successful 

 Easter, which indeed it was. Friday's 

 business came up to the most sanguine 

 expectations and this was the biggest 

 day of the week. Although the sudden 

 snow flurry on Saturday undoubtedly 

 decreased the number of transient 

 sales, it did not prevent the day from 

 being highly satisfactory. All reports 

 from local retailers mention the storm 

 as being the cause of much inconven- 

 ience in packing and deliveries. They 

 were but little prepared for it, and 

 thus delays in deliveries necessarily 

 occurred, which to some extent marred 

 the success of the season. There was 

 a splendid business in blooming plants, 

 not only in lilies, but in azaleas, ram- 

 bler roses, bongainvilleas, etc. The 

 lily item formed a big part of the 

 week's sales,' but from local reports we 

 gather that it did not command the 

 prominence that has been its wont in 

 former years. There was just as much, 

 If not a greater demand for rambler 

 roses and azaleas. Roses and violets 

 were the principal factors in the cut 

 flower situation. Roses were abundant 

 In all grades and varieties, Killameys, 

 pink and white, being in great demand. 

 There was also a good supply of Had- 

 ley, Russell, Ward and HiUingdon. 

 American Beauties were sold in lim- 

 ited quantities at only average prices. 

 Carnations sold better in the early 

 part of the week than they did on Fri- 

 day and Saturday, colored kinds going 

 better than the whites. Callas were 

 fairly plentiful and were in good de- 

 mand at $1.50 per dozen. Lily of 

 the valley sold well, also daffodils. 

 Orchids and gardenias did not receive 

 so great a call as might be expected. 

 Taken as a whole the Easter business 

 was quite satisfactory', and judging 

 from the reports of wholesalers the 

 plantsmen reaped the greater share of 

 the harvest. At present prices are the 

 same as for the week before Easter 

 and there is an abundance of all kinds 

 of flowers. 



The week preceding 

 BUFFALO Easter was not a bad 

 one in the general line 

 of trade and the volume of business 

 was materially increased through the 

 sale of plants. Easter week was 

 opened with a snow storm, the tem- 

 perature falling as low as 18, but the 

 end of the week saw a moderation in 

 the climate and plants were delivered 

 unwrapped. The Easter lily, as usual, 

 had the heaviest sales.. The supply 

 was as good as in other years, but by 

 Saturday morning there were no more 

 to be had as the growers and whole- 

 salers were cleaned up. There was a 

 good lot of rose bushes, ramblers, 

 genistas, azaleas, heathers, etc., and 

 an enormous supply of tulips. The cut 

 flower line was good althou:;!! prices 



may have been less on some lines than 

 in previous years. The supply of car- 

 nations was not as heavy, the quality 

 was better and prices 5 per cent, 

 higher. Rose shipments arrived in 

 good shape and the outlet was good. 

 Richmonds were a little scarce but the 

 supply of Beauties was excellent and 

 cleaned up satisfactorily. Cut lilies 

 and callas sold well and a heavy sup- 

 ply of violets and sweet peas were dis- 

 posed of. L-ily of the valley sold out 

 and everything along the line had a 

 fair demand. It was a good Easter 

 and by all indications the retailers did 

 as well as in previous years. 



Reports from the leading 

 CHICAGO florists in Chicago indi- 

 cate that the Easter flor- 

 ist business this year was the heaviest 

 ever experienced. There were various 

 reasons for this. First, the weather 

 Easter week was ideal, being clear 

 and pleasant, Saturday being espe- 

 cially favorable, a great contrast from 

 the blizzard reported from the East. 

 Easter prices were lower than usual, 

 but the volume of business was very 

 much heavier and more than made up 

 for the lower prices. Plants seem to 

 be still growing in popular favor and 

 there was not enough good medium- 

 priced stock to supply the demand, the 

 growers all being cleaned out and the 

 retailers say they could have sold 

 more if it were possible to get the 

 stock. Good tall lilies were in very 

 of a lily plant in blossom sold well, 

 but at very low prices. After lilies 

 the demand was for bulb stock, azaleas, 

 baby and rambler roses, rhododen- 

 drons, hydrangeas and, in fact, for any- 

 thing in bloom. Cut flowers on the 

 whole were of excellent quality and, 

 with the exception of a few items, in 

 abundant supply, the exception being 

 Beauties and red and yellow roses. 

 Beauties were extremely scarce and 

 not of the very best quality. Some 

 very choice long-stemmed stock was 

 offered, but, of the shorter lengths a 

 large proportion could only be classed 



as fair. But everything good, bad or 

 indifferent found a ready sale. The 

 rut of Richmond and Milady was rath- 

 er li.s;ht, and many late orders for 

 these as well as for Wards and Sun- 

 burst could not be filled. Killarney, 

 both pink and white, was abundant 

 and about equal to demand. Some 

 very fine Shawyer, Bulgarie and Kil- 

 larney Brilliant were offered and read- 

 ily sold at good prices. There was a 

 brisk call for Ophelia but the offerings 

 of this popular rose were rather lim- 

 ited for the reason that nearly all the 

 growers have been using all the avail- 

 able wood for propagating. Carnations 

 were plenty and of very good quality. 

 There was less pickled stock on the 

 market than has been noted at any 

 previous Easter. Bulbous stock was 

 varied and plentiful in every line. It 

 looked at one time, in the middle of 

 the week, that the market would 

 be swamped with stock but con- 

 trary to expectations there was very 

 little carried over. The lily was 

 one of the items that was rath- 

 er in over supply. The demand 

 was heavier than ever, but the supply 

 being still heavier than the demand, 

 stock was left in the wholesalers' re- 

 frigerators. Sweet peas enjoyed an ex- 

 cellent demand. The offerings although 

 large were not quite large enough tor 

 the demand and on Sunday morning 

 quiet a number of dealers looked in 

 vain for stock to fill orders. Violets 

 sold well and with the exception of some 

 .eastern doubles, the stock was of good 

 quality for this season of the year. 

 Home-grown singles had the prefer- 

 ence. In miscellaneous stock we noted 

 some fine snapdragon, stocks, calendu- 

 las, spiraea, pansies, etc. Owing to the 

 continued cool weather and the early 

 date of Easter there was an enormous 

 quantity of southern jonquils dumpel 

 on the market but at the prices offered 

 —50 to 65c. per 100. in case lots— they 

 sold readily. 

 The reports of all the wholesale 



C Continued on page 507) 



WHOLESALE FLOWER MARKETS — 



TRADE PRICES -P«r 100 



TO DEALERS ONLY 



Roiei 



Am. Beauty, Special 



" " Fancy and Extra. 



No. 



BOSTON 



April 8 



4.00 



Killarney, Richmond, Extra ! 4-' 



Ordinary.. 



HiUingdon, Ward, Sunburst, Extra 



«• " " Ordinary. 



Maryland, Radiadce, Taft, Extra 



•• '* ** Ordinary ... 



Russell, Hadlcy, Ophelia, Mock 



Cornationfl, Fancy 



" Ordinary 



Cattley aa , 



Lilies, LoDgiflorum | ° 



Rubrum 



I.oa 

 6.00 

 2.00 

 6.00 

 3.00 

 4.00 

 3.00 

 1.50 

 20.00 

 ,00 



Lily of the Valley • 



Daises 



ViolctB 



Snapdrason 



Narcisus. Paper White 



Freesias ■ 



Daffodils 



Tulips 



Sweet Peas 



Com Flower 



Gardenias 



Adiantum 



Smilax 



Asparasiu Plumosus. Strinns '^loo). 

 " " & Spren. (100 Bchs.l .. 



3,00 



.50 



■50 



3.00 



1. 00 



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35.00 



20.00 

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I2.00 

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12.00 

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xs.oo 



4.00 



12.00 



350 



3.00 



30.00 

 8.00 

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 1.50 



•75 



5.00 



3.00 



3.00 



3.00 



2.00 



z.oo 



•75 



30,00 



1. 00 



12.00 



50.00 



40.00 



ST. LOUIS 



April 5 



PHILA. 



March 22 



30.00 



15.00 

 8.00 

 8.00 

 4.00 



10.00 

 4.00 

 8.00 

 4.00 



xo.oo 



3.00 



1. 00 



40.00 



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3.00 



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•25 

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35.00 



35.00 



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4.00 

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2.00 



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15.00 to 



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25.00 

 8.00 



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10.00 

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20.00 



50.00 



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