804 



TheWeekly Florists' Review, 



NOVE.MIiEK 6, 1901.'. 



Seed Trade News. 



SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Of course all arc familiar with and 

 deplore the almost absolute fiilure of 

 cucumher and the general eroi> of vine 

 seeds. Also the returns from northern 

 New York and Canada, and up on the 

 Michigan thumb, of peas and beans and 

 the first earlics will average less than 

 20 per cent of the ordiniry calculated 

 yield. 



tSweet corn records somewhat better, 

 as we expect a good ero]) from our Con- 

 necticut growers in general. The west- 

 ern rejjorts return about 75 per ceiit. 

 These reports, which are constantly 

 growing more .serious to the wholesale 

 seedsnuui, will of course advance prices 

 very materially, and the wholesaler who 

 has not sold much in advance will be 

 away ahead of the game by the first of 

 May. 



We understand the canners are going 

 to any length to secure seed stock, and 

 offering more than double contract 

 prices for Alaska and Knott's Excelsior 

 peas. Tomato seed is also very scare, 

 the price running even higher than last 

 year. 



Returns from the German growers are 

 very discouraging regarding asters, 

 though the pansy stock is very fine and 

 at very reasonable prices. We look to 

 California for our best aster seed to- 

 day, and from all accounts expect a full 

 crop from that source. 



Of course the yarn about California 

 sweet peas not being desirable to plant 

 this side of the Mississippi has been ex- 

 ploded, and while the named varieties 

 of sweet peas are not as carefully 

 rogued and do not run as true to name 

 as we would wish, the vitality is all 

 thit could be desired, and the" general 

 mixtures which are put out from Cali- 

 fornia, with the exception of the very 

 cheap stuff, will certainly prove satis- 

 factory to every one. 



The B. L. Bragg Co. 



Mh. S. M, Pease, of the Cleveland 

 Seed Co., Rochester, N. Y., says: "The 

 weather has been described as "the worst 

 on record, wilh crops all ruined, and it 

 has been so reiterated that we have 

 come to believe it and to appease our for- 

 lorn condition have made ourselves quite 

 busy and almost cheerful by putting up 

 prices during all these long, dreary days 

 of anxiety. The holders of coal have 

 not had all the pleasure. Seedsmen as 

 a rule arc quite a bright set of people 

 and know pi-etty well how to take a<l- 

 vautage of the acts of Providence and 

 see to it that it turns them an honest 

 penny. It is a very bad season that 

 does not work to the advantage of some 

 one. In spite of the very short pea and 

 bean crop, sweet corn almost a failure, 

 oats very disappointing in yield, cab- 

 bage so abundant a market cannot be 

 found for the surplus, potiitocs and ap- 

 ples rotting, I believe geneial conditions 

 were never more favorable than now. 

 Farmers have been hard hit in nuiny in- 

 stances but as a rule they are all iiglif 

 and prosperous times will" continue barr- 

 ing unfavorable legislati.m or similar 

 causes," 



PORTLAXU, OliE.— The Portland Seed 

 Company has increased its capital stock 

 from .$2-),000 to ,$.50,000. 



.John HiYDE, statistician of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, in his report 

 issued Sept. 10, says: The acreage of 

 clover has been considerably reduced 

 since last year, only two of the princi- 

 pal stat<is— Maryland an.l Oluo— report- 

 ing even a small increase, llie other 

 important staU'S— except Kansas, in 

 which state the area is the same as last 

 ypiu- — report decreases, ranging from 1 

 per cent in Wisconsin tx) 1'2 in Califor- 

 nia, In California, Utah and Colorado 

 conditions are 1, (i and 22 points, re- 

 siieetivelv. below their ten-year averages, 

 wliile all other states— except Maryland, 

 in which state the condition is the same 

 as the ten-year average — report condi- 

 tions ranging from 11 to 28 points above 

 such average. 



DuRi.NCi August the exports of seeds 

 from the United States were as follows: 

 Clover, $20,.')!)2: cotton, $0,082; flaxseetl. 

 .$7,080: timothy. .$7,800; other grass 

 seeds. $2.7(i(i; a'll other seeds, $5,839: a 

 filial (if $5:!. 708. against a total of $131.- 

 CiDS for August last year. The greatest 

 reduction was in the exports of flaxseed, 

 wliich amounted t-o $102,062 in 1901 and 

 only $7,080 in 1902. The largest amounts 

 were exported to the United Kingdom 

 and British Xorth America. 



The axnuat. distribution of free seed 

 has been begun by tlic depar.tnient at 

 Washington, the stiirt being made sev- 

 eral months earlier tlian usual. This 

 vear the enormous nnnihcr of 40,000,000 

 packages of seed, weighing about 1,000 

 ions, will be distributed. The free seed 

 evil is expanding inste;ul of being cur- 

 tailed. 



The California State Board of Horti- 

 culture has taken action looking to the 

 exclusion of asparagus roots grown out- 

 side of the state, the intention being to 

 jirevent the importation of plants af- 

 fected by the asparagus rust. 



Zavai.la, Texas. — R. C. Brashears is 

 Iniilding a seed house and preparing to 

 handle seed for this section. 



1). M. Ferry, the Detroit seedsman. 

 has withdrawn from the race for sena- 

 tor. 



COSMOS. 



Mrs. Theodosia B. Shepherd, of Ven- 

 tura, Cal., has been improving the cos- 

 mos for the last ten jears, and now has 

 some very fine forms, with flowers four 

 to five inches in diameter. 



"Pink Butterfly" is a pink flower with 

 broad petals that are placed at angles 

 with eicli other, giving a very taking 

 effect. 



"Pond Lily" is snowy white, with 

 large, round, overlapping petals. 



"Rainbow" is a blending of white, 

 pink, manve or red, with various other 

 color tones, and the flowers are large 

 and finely formed. 



There are many other named varieties 

 and the strain as a whole has been pro- 

 nounced by experts to be the finest in 

 existence. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY OF 

 AMERICA. 



President Herrington has announced commit- 

 tees to examine chrysanthemum seedlings and 

 sports on dates as follows: October 4, 11, IS, 

 '.'3. November 1, 8. 15. 22, 29, 1902. 



Boston, Mass. — E. A. Wood, chairman, care 

 Boston Flower Marliet. No. 1 Parli street; James 

 Wheeler, William Nicholson. 



New Yorii, N, Y. — E. Dailledouze, chairman, 

 care New York Cut Flower Company. Twenty- 

 sixth street and .Sixth avenue; James W, With- 

 ers. William H. Ducliham. 



Philadelphia, Pa. — A. B. Cartledge, chairman, 

 1514 Chestnut street; William K. Harris. John 

 Westcott. 



Chicago. III. — James S. Wilson, chairman, care 

 J. B. Deamiid, 51 Wabash avenue; George Stol- 

 lery, E. Wienhoeber. 



Cincinnati, 0. — Albert Sunderbruch, chairman, 

 care Cincinnati Cut Flower Company. 437 and 

 439 Main street; James B. AUan, E. G. Gillett, 



Exhibits to receive attention from the commit- 

 tees must in all cases be prepaid to destination, 

 and the entry fee of $2 should be forwarded to 

 the secretary not later than Tuesday of tlie 

 weeli preceding examination. 



Anyone having a variety in season before or 

 after the dates fixed can have the same passed 

 upon by specially notifiying the chairmen of 

 committees. EDWIN LONSDALE, Secretary, 



Wyndmoor, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Pa. 



Geneva, N. Y. — ^\'inton A. Clark has 

 been appointed assistant horticulturist 

 at the state experiment station here. 



Iona, Mich. — ^^"incent Bros, have pur- 

 chased the Thornton greenhouses and in- 

 tend to push the business. 



Hastings, Neb, — Business has been 

 good, everything selling out and at good 

 prices. The recent street fair brought 

 35,000 to 50,000 visitors to the city. 

 The flower parade was the leading at- 

 traction and was pronounced the best 

 ever seen in the state. Charles Winkler 

 has purchased over 300 acres on West 

 Seventh street, which will be devoted to 

 select nurseiy stock, small fruits and 

 vegetables, and he will also build some 

 additional greenhouses. Mr. Winkler 

 w,as awarded first prize for exhibit of 

 winter wheat at the fair. 



Council Bltjffs. Ia. — C. J. Rafter, 

 claiming to conduct The Twin City 

 Nursery of Council Blufl's, sold some 

 nursery stock to W. C. Bender, of Salix. 

 Ia., that turned out badly. Mr. Bender 

 could not find the nursery supposed to 

 be in this city and communicated with 

 the chief of police, who. after investiga- 

 tion, replied: "C. J. Kaftcr. of Y'ank- 

 ton, S. D.. is the man who gets mail out 

 of the box named. We understand he 

 buys stock at different nurseries 

 throughout the country, and fills orders 

 from here, but has no nursery here." 



PoxTiAC, III. — Mr. Oilin B. Miller, 

 the florist, and Miss Pauline Menke 

 were married Oct. 26. The decorations 

 at the wedding were very ]>rofuse and 

 liandsome. The couple have the best 

 wislies of many friends. 



Xetwark, Tv. J. — The business of C. 

 W, Stuart & Co., niirserjnnen, has been 

 incorporated with a capital stock of 

 $24,000. Tlie directors are: C. W. 

 Stuart. J. M. Pitkin, Jr., and C. H. 

 Stuart, all of Newark. 



To BE IN TIME for Our Thanksgiving 

 Number, to be issued next w'eek, copy 

 for advs, must I'each us by next Wed- 

 nesday morning, November 12, at the 

 very latest. 



By using the classified advertisemenis 

 in the Review I can dispose of surplus 

 stock at little expense, — Harvey' B. 

 Snow, Camden, N, Y. 



Delavax, Wis. — The Phoenix Nurs- 

 ery Co., of which A. P. Wilkins is pres- 

 ident, has purchased 29 acres of land, 

 the consideration being $4,700. 



Ottumwa, Ia. — A. C. Leinhauser has 

 opened a floral department in Arnold's 

 jewelry store. 



