The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26
Importing Lilies from
Bermuda.
NOT AN EASY TASK
How the Idea Was First
Suggested to Florists.

The task OF getting lilies grown in
Bermuda into the chancel of a church
in New England, New York or east
ern middle states, in good condition
and at a fixed time" said a member
of a New York importing firm to a
reporter Of the Church Economist, lis
not an easy one.
"One ought to expect some failures
for they are bound to come whether
one expects them or not. In the first
place it must be explained, what may
be we'll known to some, that lilies are
grown in Bermuda not for the pur-
pose Of sending flowers TO the United
States, but in order to supply the de-
mand for bulbs from American flor
lists. In Bermuda the flowers arc
checked in order to strengthen the
bulh, or if permitted to blossom are
thrown away by the million
American florists, procuring bulbs
from Bermuda in quantities. grow
them to blossom at the right season
Tor the market, without regard to the
Bermuda crop, of course. and sell at
prices ranging from % cents to 50 per
blossom, according to the trade to
which they cater.
The importation of Bermuda buds
was an idea first suggested by seeing
hundreds of them go through the ex
press forwarders' hands, sent by Am
erican tourists in Bermuda to friends
at home. Some of these stray me-
mentoes reached their destination in
good condition. Many more went
through the express offices not worth
paying charges on. Two economic fac
tors entered into the problem of i'm
porting these buds for the trade One
of these was the fact that they must
be delivered in good condition. An
other was the fact that they were far
less expensive than lilies grown here.
How to deliver these buds in good
condition and have perfect results on
Easter Sunday in the churches could
only be learned by experience In gain
ing that experience some money has
been lost and many failures have re-
suited. To go back to the beginning
namely, to Bermuda, where the buds
are grown. 1t had to be learned when
to select, where to select, whom to
trust The mistake was made on some
years of taking buds from growers
permitting the local express represen-
tative to attend to details. The result
was that some buds packed were in
/ SpON NbllNltblOii anu oOlIlG were MOI. Il IN
| ally we learned that the only safe
way was to arrange with one respon-
slble grower A certain price was
| agreed upon, and then the grower is
| held accountable for the condition of
buds as they leave his hands. The eff
| feet is that he sees that only perfect
buds are packed.
"a greater difficulty arises, however
! in controlling the supply. The trade
in hnda &c Er1rralV largo Rnnnph e.
pared with that in bulbs, to cause the
growers In Bermuda to make strenu-
Gus efforts to control the forwardness
or backwardness of the crop. Some
| little effort is made, but it is not always
possible to control it even with the in
tent to do So Easter may come any
| time from the closing days of March
to the 25th of April. This year Easter
comes early--April 2. There has been
a likelihood that the crop In Bermuda
would not be available for it is some
| times forward and sometimes back
ward, of course. 1t is necessary to de-
termine each year, therefore, taking in
! to account the date on which Easter
falls and the condition Of the Bermuda
crop, whether importa0ons can be
made. This year in spite of the fact
that Easter comes unusually early. our
firm has just been assured that the
crop is right and that buds can leave
the Bermudas in prime condition.
"The economic side, already referred
to, is that while lilies grown here cost
from % cents per flower upward, buds
from Bermuda direct can be had at
about six cents each This fact invar-
iably brings us, inresponse to announce
ments that we shall import them, orders
from everywhere. 1t is astonishing how
great the demand Is and from how
many directions it comes. The price is
the cause. and it will stimulate the de-
mand which will, in turn, stimulate i'm
porters to solve the problem of ideal
transportation and delivery To illus
trate. The buds are packed in boxes
containing so to 20 in each. Suppose the
average is so. Some years the price, de-
livered in New York has been $3.50 to
S2.75 per box. This year the price will be
1925 a box, owing to the fact that the
grower. as has been explained, is
brought into the transaction and is
compelled to give his guaranty OF con-
dition. The difference In price seems to
be warranted, however, because of the
greater probability of good results
Sixty flowers at 1925 is a little under
six cents apiece. Where buds go beyond
New York perhaps one cent each must
be added for express charges. Even
then the saving is sufficient to warrant
in the minds of many, the giving of
orders with the small attendant risk
Some hints to church committees?
Well, in the first place, the buds are
green when packed. There is a stem left
on each Of perhaps Is to 20 inches long
Perfect buds should have no white
about them at all when they leave Ber-