CENTERS OF THE INDUSTRY 27 



medium of transfer of the products from the producer 

 to the retail dealers. 



" Welch Brothers built up a very extensive business by 

 shipping flowers to various centers throughout the country. 

 Chicago purchased from Boston between the years 1870 

 and 1885. Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit and Montreal 

 were large buyers from this center in the early days. As 

 the products of flowers increased in the vicinity of these 

 cities, purchasing from the east grew less, thereby forcing 

 the growers near Boston to dispose of their products in 

 the New England markets. As orders for shipping flowers 

 to the west decreased, there was a natural increase in local 

 demand, so much so, that to-day in Boston as in New York, 

 a large percentage of the products handled by commission 

 men is consumed in the home market." 



In discussing the wholesale business in Philadelphia, 

 S. S. Pennock, of the firm of S. S. Pennock-Meehan Com- 

 pany, states as follows : ''' The -commission end of the 

 business has probably advanced as much or more than 

 any branch of the flower-growing industry. The grower 

 of to-day would not be where he is, if it were not for the 

 commission house. These houses have backed him in 

 many cases, in fact, helped him in many ways. They 

 have encouraged him to build greenhouses, and found the 

 market for his product. The commission-man and the 

 grower cannot be too closely together, and every move for 

 advancement should be made for their mutual benefit. 

 When we started in business, we were shipping roses to 

 Chicago, St. Louis, and often as far as Minneapolis and 

 St. Paul, with very good results. Xow there are very few 

 shipments that go as far west as these cities. Shipping 

 trade will probably grow less from the large centers, except- 

 ing in new territory where there are towns building up, 



