The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-06-29
NEw YORK FLOWER MAEKnrs.
Early Morning Glimpses of the Wholesale Business-Traiic in the Heart Of the City
 of Which Few Residents are Aware Wrinkles of the Bpsiness-Prices at

1 Wrinkles of the Business--Prices a Wholesale.
 From Garden and Forest,l
 Aside from the great auction flower
 sales held two and three times a week
 during spring and early summer, and
 the sales made by large growers to the
 local dealers there are two wholesale flower markets in this city. The old time stand on Vesey street, abandoned
 to fruit and vegetable dealers some twenty-five years ago, was succeeded by the present market about the small
 triangular park space at the Hudson
 river terminus of Canal street. When
 the flower growers combined to ask the
 city authorities for the use of this place
 the open tract was a dumping ground for cobblestones and other unsightly city belongings. Improvements were
 made year or two later, and at this season the little park, with its shrubby background of Towering Wiegelia and Spiraea makes a pleasing foil to the garden-like beds of bright flowers on it's sidewalks. The second market, which is division of the Canal street market, began four years ago, and is better known to the public from its more cen tral location. It occupies the wide street space on the north side of Union Square. In the misty morning twilight the tall modern business and publishing houses, grim and silent. make stTik- ing contrast to the hustle of flower sell ing in the street, and their broken and irregular skyline suggests the mediae- val and scarcely more picturesque housetops of the buildings about mar ket place in the heart of an old Euro pean city.
 Of these flower markets very little is known by the public for even the uni versal enjoyment afforded by great masses of gay towering plants, or the interest in the displays for their busi- ness or commercial value, Is not suffi- cient to bring out visitors to the early sales. During the evening fiower-laden wagons start from the suburbs of ter sey City, from West Hoboken, Staten Island and Long Island, and by mid night tEe earlier corners have secured first choice of location, the same place being held throughout the season if pos sible The two markets differ but little in the conduct of the sales. At the more central stand, then, the black covered wagons are headed to the curbs. They are closely packed, the floor, two tiers. and even the top in creasing the carrying space. The noisy rumble of the vehicles, as they come one by one, makes part of the roar of early morning traffic, along with bela- ted trucks of jingllng milk cans and the newspaper delivery wagons hurrying to railroad stations. Unlike the occasion- al early riser. who thinks bustie and noise a necessary part of his unusual experience, and that folks who are not awake should be, the men, wakeful and alert, noiselessly chat in paiNs on the front seats or stand about in groups, the midnight darkness being relieved by electric lights. Within Union Square the benches are closely occu- pied by men who sit through the night, the humane police officer explaining that they are allowed to wait on the seats provided they do not sleep. By three o'clock the activity and noise of is at its height, and the bus lest streets of many towns at midday is outrivalled. Along with the latest loaded wagons of the sellers come the first empty ones of buyers, and these Ind places on the outskirts. Suddenly a movement extends along the closely ranged line; men, women, and here and there a sleepy-looking child hurriedly move wooden trays filled with plants to the street space at the rear of their wagons, until the long block Is lined with two solid rows of flowers fifteen or -wenty feet wide, separated along the middle by an open walk twelve feet broad. By haif-past three shrewd, ex- oerienced men and women-the latter short-skirted and blue lproned Germans-are peering through partial light and into deep shadows in iearch of bargains and choice stock )nly two Italian vendors were noticed | lmong the many customers. These ad- | fanced buyers ara peddlers, owners of l he low-sided, open empty wagons, and | .ager to get stock, which is quickly arr l anged at the end of the lines, in readi- 1 less to offer to buyers In small lots at a | light advance. Later in the day the | stock of these middle deal l rs is sold in the tenement sections of | he city and in the suburbs along the | Harlem and Hudson, and in New Jer- ey towns IS far as twenty miles away. | ome of the early buyers cone to se- ure plants ordered by them in advance or customers who have engaged 6 spec Il sort, and occasionally there is eager ivalry and the excited claim that ceF- ain stock has been "bestellt." Sturdy, hrifty women carry away their pur- hases in large, flat baskets, one on ach arm, while few push carts off 'ith their meagre stock. One or two nmense vans belonging to high-class orists are closely packed with choice tock, bought up by a member of the rm. These roomy vans are especially uit for this trade, and besides double alls have heating and ventilating ar- against any possible cold hich might chill tender plants. The -dinary open wagons with low sides re filled with stock selected with a l lew to the best plants for the least oney and the showiest effect in the sneral arrangement. Feathery As lbes make graceful temporary edg- E to beds of brilliant flowers, five or 1 x dozen geraniums going into each | ad. The front step, an improved plat rm at the rear, and extensions at the des are all pressed into use. The only II in the activity after midnight is the If hour before five o'clock, when the gular trade of storekeepers, street