24 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



ApbiIi 28, 1908. 





For Spring Weddings 



■^K^ M ■ I'T I V^CL ^"^ pnze winning stock. We can 



fill all orders, large or small. 



^^Wj^K^Km^T' M^ B^ ^ C^ Choice long stemmed flowers 

 >9 WW 1^1^ M H^M^.Am^^9 in pink, white and lavender. 



IL/ ^L V V F^^^^ ^' ^^ quality, well hardened. 



OUR SERVICE IS UNEXCELLED 



THE LEO NIESSEN CO., Wholesale Florists 



1209 Arch Street, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



PHILADELPHIA. 



Tlie Rising Eastern Market 



The volume of the Easter plant busi- 

 ness was enormous. As foreshadowed in 

 this column last week, large numbers of 

 the poorer and more fully developed 

 plants were sold cheaply on Friday and 

 Saturday, and many were not sold at all. 

 Despite this fact, bringing disappoint- 

 ment to many growers and dealers, the 

 general feeling is that the business was 

 satisfactory. It is not possible, at this 

 date to state exactly how large were the 

 transactions in plants, but it is safe to 

 say that they fully equaled that of any 

 previous year. The department stores 

 bandied great quantities of lilies, buying 

 usually at 10 cents for each bud and 

 flower, and selling at 15 cents. But it is 

 a question in my mind whether these de- 

 partment store sales of lilies are of real 

 benefit to the florist. While the benefit 

 is unquestioned in other varieties of 

 plants, with lilies there is so much bruis- 

 ing and ignorant handling incidental to 

 department store sales that the purchas- 

 ers are rarely satisfied. It was notice- 

 able that the city buyers who were most 

 enthusiastic over their plants Easter were 

 those who bought most cautiously, aim- 

 ing to avoid waste, and never plunging 

 on any favorite variety. Shaeffer, whose 

 sales on the east side of the city hall 

 have been for years famous, bought 

 heavily, anticipating a big outdoor East- 

 er, owing to the lateness of the season. 

 vBut his calculations went wrong; the 

 oays preceding Sunday were most unsuit- 

 able for blooming stock in the open, be 

 it ever so well hardened, and by Satur- 

 day afternoon the plants had a careworn, 

 bedraggled appearance. Shaeffer 's loss 

 was estimated at $400. 



The volume of business in cut flowers 

 at Easter was large, but not so large as 

 last year, when it will be remembered 

 that an extraordinarily hot spell pre- 

 ceded the church festival. This season 

 conditions were exactly the reverse. The 

 cool weather and bright sunshine retard- 

 ed the crop, and improved the quality to 

 an extent that was not anticipated. The 

 result was that the buyers, especially the 

 out-of-town buyers at a distance, were 

 generally well satisfied with their pur- 



ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS NANUS.^ .^ 



Choice grreenhouse-grown seed $0.50 $1.50 



Seed grown in lath-houses, $12.50 per 5000. . . .40 3.00 



Asparagus Sprengperi 



Choice greenhouse-grown seed 20 1.25 



Imported seed 15 .70 



9.00 

 4.76 



18.50 

 20.00 



Tuberoses 



Choice lirst size 1.00 



second size 60 



Tuberous Rooted Begfonias 



Fine bulbs in choice condition. 



Single, mixed per dozen, 30c 2.00 



separate colors " " 35c 2.25 



219 Market St., PHILADELPHIA 



Mention The Review when you write. 



chases. The general feeling was that the 

 shipping business was excellent, the de- 

 mand being best on Thursday and early 

 on Friday, while the local business on 

 Friday and especially on Saturday was 

 hardly up to expectations. 



Violets sold better than ever. This had 

 not been foreseen. The quantity of lo- 

 cally grown singles from the field and 

 doubles from the greenhouses, though 

 larger than seemed possible, owing to the 

 cool nights, cut no figure at all in the 

 market as compared with the immense 

 quantity of Hudson river violets that 

 found their way here. These brought 

 $10 a thousand, and in some places 

 $12.50, and were eagerly taken by buyers 

 great and small. Some wholesalers esti- 

 mated that they could have used many 

 more, but others had all they needed, and 

 a few had some left. 



Sweet peas came next to violets in 

 popularity. The lavender, being scarcer 

 than any other color, was most in de- 

 mand, but there were more pink sold 

 than lavender and white combined, and 

 pink were considered scarce. The finest 

 sweet peas brought $1.50 a liundred, good 

 ordinaries from 60 cents to $1. 



Beauties were plentiful, and generally 

 of fine quality. They sold all the way 

 from $4 to $6 a hundred, according to 

 the time of sale, condition of stock, and 



quantity desired. Pink roses were also 

 in good demand. Bridesmaid^ when well 

 colored, was popular, but the color could 

 not always be depended on. Eallarney 

 was not so plentiful as Bridesmaid, and 

 sold well. Valley had its innings at last. 

 An immense quantity was sold at prices 

 ranging from $2 to $4 per hundred. 



Fancy carnations were popular, $4 to 

 $6 per hundred being realized for the 

 best. In the ordinary grades there was 

 no special demand for white, colors be- 

 ing preferred. It can hardly be said that 

 the lower grades of carnations sold well. 

 White roses were overdone, the large crop 

 of Kaiserin added to Bride being more 

 than the market could take at good 

 prices, these varieties selling $2 to $3 

 per hundred below Maid. 



Bulbous flowers were in good supply. 

 Daffodils sold fairly well at $2 to $3 

 per hundred, Emperor and Princeps be- 

 ing prominent. "Winter tulips were over- 

 done. 



Gardenias were of inferior quality but 

 much in demand; price, $2 to $4 per 

 dozen. Cattleyas were scarce at 60 cents 

 to 75 cents each. Daisies were not in 

 demand. As is usual at a holiday, greens 

 were overdone. Asparagus Sprengeri waa 

 the worst sufferer. Smilax and plumosus 

 left over will probably be sold this week. 

 Wild smilax was popular, many cases 

 being used. 



