86 



The Rorists' Review 



Mat 1, 1919. 



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NEW ZEAI.AND FLAX. 



New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax, 

 extensively cultivated on the Pacific 

 coast for ornamental shrubbery, now 

 comes forward with an additional claim 

 on florists' attention. Henry Melde, a 

 florist of Eureka, Cal., for many years 

 has used the tough fibers of this plant 

 for tying purposes and has found it is 

 as good as, and in some ways superior to, 

 the raffia in general use. 



A slender fiber stripped from one of 

 the green spikes is found to have the 

 tensile strength of commercial flax and 

 the dried fiber has been used in some 

 sections for staking up grapevines and 

 other similar work where rope was for- 

 merly employed. 



The ornamental value of the plant, 

 which may be seen in the accompanying 

 illustration, and its long life recommend 

 it to florists making a specialty of shrub- 

 bery. There is a variegated, as well as 

 a plain-leaf variety, the former having 

 alternate stripes of light yellow and 

 green, with a pin line of red at the 

 edge. It is of extremely easy cultiva- 

 tion and is raised either from the seed 

 or from the root divisions. At 4 years 

 of age it will have attained a height 

 of five feet, with but little care on the 

 part of the gardener. The plants live 

 approximately 20 years and are attrac- 

 tive at all seasons of the year. While 

 not a true flax, its tough, fibrous charac- 

 ter has given it that appellation in the 

 islands where it grows wild. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



The Market. 



General satisfaction is expressed over 

 Easter sales, many florists reporting a 

 substantial increase over the volume of 

 business handled last year. The move- 

 ment of rose plants was hardly up to 

 expectations and calla lilies were more 

 or less a drug on the market, but other- 

 wise stock cleaned up closely. It was 

 expected that rose plants would take the 

 place of potted lilies to a considerable 

 extent; the growers produced more of 

 them than ever before and the retailers 

 bought heavily. Many were sold, but 

 many were left over, the demand going 

 more strongly to cut flowers than to 

 plants. 



In view of the extreme shortage of 

 Easter lilies, some hope was held out 

 that callas would come into their own 

 here this year, but such was not the 

 case. The growers held their stock for 

 last-minute high prices and the market 

 was swamped with these flowers, too 

 late for the surplus to be utilized on 

 shipping orders. On the day before 

 Easter some of the finest blooms sold as 

 high as $5 per hundred, but the ma- 

 jority of sales were made around $3. 

 Easter morning still found a large sur- 

 plus in the wholesale quarters, which 

 could be had for almost any price, hold- 

 ers being glad to get $1 per hundred. 



Cut roses stiffened up a little in price, 

 in response to the heavy Easter demand, 

 but there was an abundance of stock, 

 which prevented any marked advance. 

 The best American Beauties sold for $4 



New Zealand Flax, Grown in Humboldt County, Cal. 



per dozen, while $3 was top price for 

 Russell and $1.50 for Ophelia. 



Following the Easter clean-up, cut 



flowers have been in a little lighter sup- 

 ply, but there is enough stock for all 

 requirements. Carnations are scarce; 



S. MURATA & CO. 



01de«t and Most Experienced Shippers in Southern California 



380-386 So. Los Angeles St., LOS ANGELES, CAL. 



WE -NEVER MISS 



Asparagus Plumosus Nanus Seed 



200 lbs. for immediate delivery, hand piclced, heavy, plump seed 



$1.25 per lOOp; 5000 for $5.00; lO.OiX) for $7.60 



Write for Prices on lartfcr quantities 



HARRY BAILEY, Nurseryman, ^f.J^zll'' Los Angeles, Cal. 



