JUNI 29, 1922 



The Florists^ Review 



19 



Sweet Peas Grown under G)ntract by John Bodger & Sons Co., Los Angeles, Cal., for American Bulb Co. 



160,000 i)ounds of seed were probably 

 used to jiroduce the crop. In my own 

 opinion the seed growers got just about 

 $40,000 for the seed. In the same 

 column it was also stated that there 

 were produced about 19,000 carloads of 

 lettuce, valued at about $12,500,000, and 

 that about 90,000 pounds of seed were 

 planted. The outside figure the seed 

 growers got for tliis seed would be about 

 $oO,000. 



Our California Development Associ- 

 ation, in its bureau of statistics, states 

 that in 1921 California ranked first in 

 the production of lettuce and shipped 

 9,r)38 carloads. This indicates that 

 l>ractically half of the eating lettuce 

 produced in this country was grown in 

 California last year, and practically all 

 the lettuce seed used in America is 

 grown in central California. 



Wliat the future of seed growing will 

 be depends quite as much on labor as 

 on climate and soil, and California so 

 far has enjoyed a good supply of effi- 

 cient and intelligent oriental labor, 

 which is adaptable and dependable. The 

 growers farther south use Mexican 

 peons with good success, but there are 

 few of them used in central California. 

 Most of the seed growers in California 

 are now optimistic, and as surplus stocks 

 begin to disappear, we are confidently 

 looking for good business, which means 

 more acreage, and in time we hope for 

 fair profits to return. 



peas at the Floradale Farms of W. Atlee 

 Burpee Co., in Santa Barbara county, 

 Cal. In the picture appears W. Atlee 

 Burpee, Jr., and the resident farm man- 

 ager, Harry Buckman, on their daily 

 round of all the fields, supervising the 

 roguing and carefully watching the 

 ripening of the crops. This illustration 

 shows the early-flowering sweet peas as 

 they looked about six weeks ago. By 

 this time they have set pods and prom- 

 ise to give a good crop of well ripened 

 and plump seeds. 



Burpee's growing list this year in- 

 cludes the three outstanding novelties 

 for 1923, Burpee's Orange, Clicerful and 

 Sunburst Improved, which are this sea- 

 son offered to florists for the first time. 

 Each of these varieties has been 

 awarded certificates of merit. Mrs. 

 Warren G. Harding, the firm's outstand- 

 ing novelty last year, also promises to 

 give a good crop. If this promise is 

 fulfilled, the firm hopes to be able to 

 supply the demand for seed of this vari- 

 ety; last year a large number of orders 

 were turned down on account of the 

 shortage of seed. 



NEW YORK. 



floradaij: farms. 



The illustration on page 17 shows 

 part of the 150 acres occupied by sweet 



The Market. 



The early part of last week jjroduced 

 little business in the wholesale cut 

 flower market, but Thursday, Friday 

 and Saturday of last week brought an 

 improvement and a good business was 

 done. The change was largely due to 

 weather conditions and a good demand 

 for flowers for social functions, which 

 made an ordinary supply look rather 



small. Storms in the last few days have 

 cut down arrivals of outdoor-grown stock 

 considerably, and tlie market opens this 

 week with a supply not more than ade- 

 (luate for requirements, with a demand 

 somewhat increased, owing to the many 

 collegiate and institutional exercises 

 scheduled for the close of the educa- 

 tional season. In consc(|uencc, prices 

 generally show an advance over those of 

 last week. 



The rose supply is rather scanty. 

 Dark Avcather has curtailed the supply 

 and a better demand has brought these 

 flowers to the point of scarcity. Amer- 

 ican Beauty, however, in spite of a 

 short supply, does not command more 

 than $50 per hundred for specials. Hy- 

 lirid teas are in rather small supply, but 

 the demand for them is such as to boost 

 prices to a range of $3 to $15 per hun- 

 dred. Consignees are wondering what 

 returns may be for next week, when the 

 real summer demand comes in after the 

 July 4 holiday. 



Carnations have stiffened, but the 

 quality is still on the poor side. Mon- 

 day, June 26, the range was $2 to $6 per 

 hundred, and clearances were easy. 



Cattleyas are abundant, but move 

 fairly well at $50 to $150 per hundred. 



White lilies are scarce and are likely 

 to remain so for a while; so there is no 

 change from quotations of last week. 

 Lily of the valley is in better demand, 

 and the price range has gone from $2 to 

 $8 per hundred sprays. 



There is an abundance of herbaceous 

 material. A few asters have been seen 

 iu the market, but one is wondering 



