12 



HORTICULTURE 



Seed Trade 



The Canners' Convention which 

 opens at Ijouisvillf. Ky., Feb. 1st nexi, 

 promises to eclipse any previous 

 national gatliering of the Canners and 

 Allied Industries. As stated the Con- 

 vention opens on Monday, Feb. 1st, 

 and continues for one week. 



Contrary to the usual custom, there 

 v;ill be really no hotel headquarters at 

 this convention. All meetings are to 

 be held at the Armory which has been 

 donated for the purpose. While the 

 canners are in session the machinery 

 ' is to be stopped, but will be started 

 again immediately after each adjourn- 

 ment and will be kept running at night 

 u)) to (en o'clock at which lime the 

 hall will be closed. It is the purpose 

 of those having the matter in charge 

 to allow the general public to enter in 

 the evening, an admission fee of 2oc. 

 being charged to all who are not mem- 

 bers either of the Canners or Machin- 

 ery Supply Mens' Association. If the 

 prtsent plans of the officials of the 

 Canners Association are carried out, 

 each member will have to pay $2.00 

 for a badge or button showing their 

 membership, and each and every assist- 

 ant they may bring with them will 

 have to pay the same. The machinery 

 and supply men are expected to pay 

 ?] each. Assuming that all those who 

 attend the convention ante up, it will 

 l)ut into the treasury of the Canners 

 Association from eight to ten thousand 

 dollars, but it is predicted by many 

 that the smaller canners will balk at 

 this tax and especially where they 

 have brought one or more assistants. 



.Just on what principles the canners 

 propose to tax the machinery and 

 supply men who have to pay the rental 

 of the hall in the way of floor space, 

 and who pay annual dues of $2.1.00 

 each for admission to their own show, 

 has not been explained, nor indeed has 

 any effort been made to offer an ex- 

 idanation. This action on the part of 

 the Canners' Association is very gen- 

 erally resented by the machinery and 

 supply men, not that they mind the $1 

 tax, but because they do not see by 

 what right it is imposed on them: 

 however they will no doubt consider it 

 wise to step up and settle rather than 

 challenge the edict of the canners. 

 Already there is much criticism on the 

 inadequate hotel accommodations of 

 Louisville for such a gathering, but, 

 just how well founded this criticism 

 is, will be more definitely known after 

 the convention. 



Final estimates on practically all 

 crops have been rendered and deliver- 

 ies in accordance therewith are being 

 made, and the figures which were fur- 

 nished "Horticulture" several weeks 

 ago have not beeii materially changed. 

 It was stated many weeks ago that the 

 Sweet ^\'rinkled Peas such as Ad- 

 vancers, Horsfords, Surprise and 

 Admirals, would be very scarce and 

 difficult to secure at any price. The 

 seeuel has proved this prophecy to 

 have been correct, although several 

 growers of peas have decided to take 

 advantage of the very high prices rul- 

 ing and have sold considerable quan- 

 tities of their seed stock, which has 

 greatly relieved the situation: the con- 

 sequence of this action has resulted in 

 planting stock for another year of the 

 varieties named, being so scarce that 



many of the growers have exhausted 

 their supplies and while they are still 

 able to offer Alaskas quite freely, are 

 compelled to limit the qaantities which 

 they will book of the varieties above 

 named, or refuse to take orders for 

 them altogether. 



Again referring to the matter of spot 

 teed, Alaskas seem to be obtainable 

 i.t a price which shows a weakening 

 tendency and whereas Alaskas sold 

 readily at S-i-OO per bushel during 

 October and November, it is predicted 

 by many that they will be pivrchasable 

 before the convention closes at $4.00 

 or under. This is borne out by the 

 fact that a few of the growers have 

 alieady cut their prices on future 

 Alaska seed from '2.5 to .50c. per bushel 

 below the figures at which they started 

 to book orders for future delivery. 

 .Iu?t how they are going to square 

 themselves with their early purchasers 

 is not apparent and it looks as if they 

 would be compelled to reduce their 

 prices on this variety on all their early 

 orders to the figures which they are 

 now quoting. 



The predictions made in "Horticul- 

 ture" during the fall as to the abund- 

 ance of onion seed of the yellow varie- 

 ties have been amply verified, as well 

 as the fui ther prediction that prices 

 on onion seed for the 1909 crop would 

 be very much lower than the past year. 

 It is understood that some of the Cali- 

 fornia growers are quoting onion seed 

 for next fall's delivery of the yellow 

 varieties from 60 to 70c. The Flat 

 Reds from 75 to SOc; White Globe at 

 $1.25 ancl White Portug.al at about an 

 even dollar. No doubt most of our 

 California friends have considerable 

 reserves of the yellow varieties which 

 they will carry into next year and 

 many of their orders will be filled next 

 fall from year-old seed. 



On the other hand, vine seeds, 

 especially the musk-melons and cucum- 

 bers are quoted somewhat above last 

 year's prices, but this has been ex- 

 pected and will not be a surprise to 

 any one; this is largely due to the 

 general crop failures of these lines tlie 

 past season. The fanners are asking 

 more and as a consequence the grower 

 is compelled to advance his piices, but 

 these advances are.compaiatively small 

 and are generally accepted philosoph- 

 ically by the trade. 



The 1909 retail catalogues are be- 

 ginning to make their appearance and 

 as a rule are an improvement over 

 those of any previous year, showing 

 much care and labor in their prepara- 

 tion. They are very creditable to ihe 

 seedsmen who by the way, are quite 

 generally looking for an excellent 

 business the coming season. It is 

 hoped that they will not be disai)- 

 pointed. 



Reference was made some time since 

 to the probable shortage in the Bur- 

 pee's Push Lima Beans and this has 

 materialized according to schedule. It 

 is very difficult to procure this variety 

 at all and when quoted prices range 

 from $0.0C to $7.00 per bushel. Green 

 Pod beans are generally in shorter 

 r-upply than the wax varieties ajid are 

 quoted at almost even prices, one or 

 two varieties such as Black Valentine 

 being practicably unobtainable at any 

 price. The writer was informed that 



January 2, 1909 



one dealer who was fortunate enough 

 to have about fifty bushels of these 

 beans, sold them to a southern seeds- 

 man for $6.5(1 per bushel and he stated 

 mat he could easily have gotten $7.00 

 had he asked it. Seed stock of this 

 variety is very short and prices for 

 the coming vear will probably rule 

 high. 



The joint action of the Wholesale 

 Seedsmen s League and the American 

 Seed Trade Association in petitioning 

 Congress for specific duties on all 

 seeds, should receive favorable con- 

 sideration from our Solons as it seems 

 to be a practically unanimous senti- 

 ment. 



Bloomington, 111. — The capital stock 

 of Funk Bros. Seed Co., has been In- 

 creased from $2.5,000 to $50,000. 



Chicago, III. — The National Seed 

 Co., of 5th avenue, Chicago, have sold 

 their business to the W. W. Barnard 

 Co., who will use it for their retail 

 trade. The location is an excellent 

 one. Mr. Rouse and Mr. Stewart will 

 both be retained for the present at 

 least and the business will be pushed. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



California Nursery Co.. Niles, Cal. — 

 Price List 190S-1909 of Trees, Palms, 

 Shrubs, etc. 



Wood, Stuiibs & Co., Louisville, Ky. 

 — "Blue Ribbon Seeds," Spiing Cata- 

 logue for 1909. Cover in colors, quite 

 attractive. 



Forest Nursery & Seed Co., McMinn- 

 ville, Tenn. — Special List of Seedling 

 Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Nursery 

 Grown Stock, Seeds, etc. 



W. E. Marshall & Co.. New York, 

 N. Y.— Seed Catalogue for 1909. A 

 very creditable production for this 

 young and progressive house. 



Johnson Seed Company, Philadel- 

 phia, Pa. — Wholesale Price List for 

 Market Gardeners and Truckers." 

 "Neat but not gaudy" cover in green 

 tints. 



MICHELL'S 



MAMMOTH FANCY VERBENA 



Our Mammoth Fancy Strain combines 

 large size, purity of color and free flowering 

 qualities, Tr. pkt. Oz. 



BLUE and PURPLE ... 30c S1.50 



PINK 30c 1 M 



SCARLET 300 150 



STRIPED SOC 1.511 



WHITE SOC 1..50 



Ml.XED, all colors Snc 1.60 



GLADIOLUS BRIDE 



PURE WHITE an elegant FORCER 

 60c per 100: $5.00 per 1000 



Write for our Handy Flower Seed Order Sheet 



MieHELl"llHlf5«K^^ 



Phoenix Roebeleni 

 Palm Seed 



juit arrived from Mr C- Roebelen, Si. m 



Write fcir prices 



Ralph M. Ward & Co. 



12 W. B'way, New York 



SHEEP MANURE 



Pulverized Free from Adulteration 

 In Bag, $1 8.00 per Ton. Cash with Order 



ROBERT SIMPSON 



CLIFTON, N. J. 



