902 



tiORTICULTURE- 



June 26, 1909. 



Seed Trade 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



Watson S. Woodruff, Orange, Conn., 

 Pres. ; J. C. Robinson, Waterloo, Neb.. 

 First Vlcel'res. ; C. E. Kendel, Cleveland. 

 O., Sec'y and Treas. Twentyseveutli an- 

 nual convention June 22-24, 1909, at CUfton 

 House, Niagara Falls, Out. 



WHOLESALE SEEDSMEN'S 

 LEAGUE. 

 P. W. Bruggerhof, Pres.; Burnet Land- 

 reth, Sec'y. 



Bermuda Onion Seed — Crop Prospects. 



Some time ago I made a report on 

 the probable yield this fall, and, whilst 

 I surmised for only a fair return, other 

 growers more sanguine than myself 

 predicted a large crop on account of 

 increase in the planting of onions. 

 This fact could not bear any weight on 

 the crop, since the over-planting was 

 not the outcome of speculation, as it 

 used to be done at other times, but 

 the natural consequence of a greater 

 demand for our seeds from the United 

 States and other consuming markets. 

 Thus the increased yield over 190S is 

 absorbed by further contract orders 

 from different parts of the world and 

 there will not be this year any surplus, 

 particularly of "White." to meet orders 

 coming at the eleventh hour. 



From the impression that I have ob- 

 tained in the different producing dis- 

 tricts, I think that as the fields look 

 up to this date and the average size 

 of the heads bearing the seeds, the 

 crop will not permit of filling the con- 

 tract orders to their full extent, al- 

 though it will come very near it. 



The ptogress of the developing 

 plants has been somewhat checked by 

 a small touch of disease but the evil 

 localized itself and the damage done 

 was not so considerable as predicted 

 by some growers. The rainfall has 

 been this season very scanty, and 

 plants, although looking pretty well 

 developed, have not reached their full 

 seed capacity. 



It we are not visited by high winds 

 between this and the full harvesting 

 time, the crop may be said to be much 

 more encouraging than last fall and a 

 good seed, too. 



The earlier seedsmen contract in ad- 

 vance the better chance they will stand 

 of obtaining full delivery of their or- 

 ders and the more satisfactory it will 

 be for the growers here. 



1 would like to say for your readers' 

 information that I have raised a White 

 Bermuda seed which is earlier than the 

 earliest onion known, and I will for- 

 ward some of this to my friends in 

 the United States. 



The famous White Crystal Wax is 

 becoming a great favorite onion in 

 other markets and as the genuine se- 

 lected seed is rather scarce, it is prob- 

 able that before long the price will be 

 raised from 50 to 75 cents per lb. It 

 will be advisable if seedsmen inform 

 their clients— the growers — of this pos- 

 sible event. 



FEDERICO C. VARELA. 

 Teneriffe (Canary Islands), May 29th, 



1909. 



The Corn Crop. 



While the weather as a whole has 

 been favorable for growing crops, corn 

 has not advanced much. Nights have 

 been cool as a rule, and on the night 



of the 18th light frosts were general 

 throughout central, western and no.th- 

 fru New York. It is also reported 

 from Jlichigan that frost was noticed 

 early in the moining. It was heavy 

 enough to cut down corn in many sec- 

 tions, but it will, no doubt, come up 

 again. However, as the corn crop is 

 backward quite generally, any event 

 iliat will retard it still further givis 

 cause for anxiety. 



Canning Peas. 



Peas are, as a rule, looking well in 

 Michigan, but not so good in Wiscon- 

 sin. The harvest is two months hence, 

 however, and no one can say what it 

 will be. Delaware, Maryland and In- 

 diana have finished their canned pea 

 packs. The tSaltimore pack was about 

 00 per cent, of an average, but Mary- 

 land and Delaware, excluding Balti- 

 more, were up to about the average 

 for those states. New York and Wis- 

 consin, which furnish fully 60 per cent, 

 of all the canned peas, have not start- 

 ed, but New Y'ork will be in full swing 

 on early peas — Alaskas — before July 

 1st. The crop is promising, but the 

 acreage considerably reduced from last 

 year. 



The Wisconsin crop is nearly three 

 weeks late, and it will be close to the 

 ir^iddle of July before they are really 

 busy. It is generally reported that the 

 crop has suffered to some extent from 

 excessive moisture, while the acreage, 

 notwithstanding the new factories 

 operating this year for the first time, 

 will not e-xceed last year. More full 

 and accurate information will be given 

 in a week or two. It may be men- 

 tioned that SO per cent, of the peas 

 packed in Maryland, Delaware and In- 

 diana are Alaskas. 



The Value of Experience. 



The graduation of the staff of the 

 National Department of Agricultuie 

 into the seed business is a matter of 

 general interest. These "Scientists" 

 who were trying to regulate the seed 

 business of tie country have probably 

 discovered how little they knew about 

 it, and how poorly qualified they were 

 for their more or less self-imposed 

 task. Several of those remaining of 

 mote or less exalted station would be 

 vastly more useful and less hostile to 

 the trade with a few years' practical 

 experience. Our California friends may 

 feel inclined to offer them inducements. 

 It would be quite fitting. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Reade Manufacturing Company, New 

 York— Folder of "Herbicide," the weed 

 exterminator. 



Liverpool Orchid and Nursery Co., 

 Gateacre. England— Special Offer, No. 

 37, of Orchids. 



M. Herb, Naples, Italy— General 

 Catalogue of Bulbs and Seeds for Au- 

 tumn Sowing. Text in English, Ger- 

 man and French languages. 



Van Heinlngen Bros. & Co., Boskoop, 

 Holland— General Trade Catalogue. 

 1909-10. Conifers, Rhododendrons and 

 hardy material generally are listed in 

 this useful catalogue. This firm pur- 

 chased the stock of Parsons' Hardy 

 Rhododendrons when the Kisseua Nur- 

 series discontinued and are now propa- 

 gating them in Holland. 



PRIMULA GHINENSIS 



Micheli's l'ri.'f Mixture i 

 sorts, beautifully Iringed. 



a Tr. Pkt. 60c. 



.ins only the finest 



I Tr. Pkt. $1.00 

 OBCOMCA 



rnlmULA uiuantea 



Lilac SOc I Kermeslna SOc 



Rosea SOc | Mixed SOc 



Write for our Wholesale Catalogue. It will 

 interest you. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO. 



1018 market St., Phlla. 



Giant Pansy Seeds 



Representing seven of ihe best growers of Euiope. 

 Each color or strain paclted separately. Ihe pro- 

 portion of light and dark it well blended. 

 Florist Collection — 16 pkt. Hybrid Giants, 



8 pkt. Giant Five Blotched, ! a oz. m each pkt. : 



in all, 24 pkts., weight 3 oz. $7,86 



Half Florist Collection — 2^ pkts., weight 



iKoz. $,93 



Amateur Collection — 24 pkt., jco seeds in 



each pkt., 12,000 ; 

 Cottage Collect 



pkt., 6,00c seeds, $1.3 



Mixluie — extra fi=e, locc seeds, 350 



Exhibition Collection — 4 pkt. 500 seeds i: 



each pkt., 2000 seeds. $1.0^ 



Send for descriptive list vj prize irinner 



JOHN GERARD, New Britain. Conn 



2 pkt., 500 seeds in each 



PANSIES AT PITTSBURGH. 



The finest pansies ever seen in this 

 district have just flowered in the 

 Homewood Cemetery. The strain is 

 particularly fine containing colors we 

 have never seen elsewhere. We were 

 told it is Mr. Allen's own. The size 

 ot the flowers and the vigor of the 

 plants are remarkable. The seed is 

 sown in July and the plants planted 

 after the bulbs in October, and left all 

 winter without protection. A pleasing 

 effect was noticed where the crocus 

 foliage had been allowed to remain 

 amongst the pansies. 



This cemetery is, in Jlr. Al.en's 

 hands, becoming one of the most beau- 

 tiful in western Pennsylvania. Wil- 

 liam Allen, late of Boston, is a stick- 

 ler for order, and objectionable fea- 

 tures common in most of our ceme- 

 ieii(s a.e p.actically unknown here. 

 W'e understand that to complete the 

 equipment a range of Pierson U-Bar 

 greenhouses is soon to be erected. 



A letter has been received by M. H. 

 Duryea from Hon. Albert S. Callan, 

 Slat? .Assemblyman of New York and 

 maker of the Callan Pure Seed Bill, 

 under date of June 11, advising that 

 the Governor has not signed the bill, 

 consequently no further legislation can 

 be accomplished on same until both 

 Houses meet next winter. 



VEGETABLE PLANTS 



CABBAWE, Field Grown, all leading varietie«, 



CELERr. White Plume, Golden Sell Blanching 

 and Giant Pascal, $i.oo per looo. 



EGG PLANT. N. Y. Improved and Black Beauty, 

 $3.00 per loco. 



LETTUCE. Big Boston, Boston Market, Tennis 

 Ball and Grand Rapids, $i.oo per looo. 



PEPPERS. Ruby King, Bull Nose, Swee» Moun- 

 tain and Neapolitan, $2.o« per looo. Chinese 

 Giant and Cayenne, 5CC per 100. 



PAKSI.EY, $1.25 per 1000. 



Cash 



: Order 



R. VINCENT, JR., & SONS CO. 



White Marsh, Md. 



