514 



HORTICULTURE 



October 19. 190? 



Seed Trade 



As far back as last June it was stat- 

 ed ill tbese columns that both peas and 

 sugar corn were likely to prove short 

 this year, and from time to time sinco 

 attention has been called to these two 

 leading crops as likely to prove disap- 

 pointing. Particular reference was 

 made to "canner's peas" as those on 

 which the shortage would be most se- 

 verely felt. A few optimistic Micaw- 

 bers took exception to these state- 

 ments of facts, and with little or no 

 knowledge of conditions predicted 

 abundant crops of everything. Within 

 the past week estimates of deliveries 

 have been sent out by several of the 

 larger growers, and they range about 

 as follows: Alaskas, 3-5 to 60 per 

 cent.; Admirals, 40 to 65 per cent.; 

 Horseford's Market Garden, 40 to 60 

 per cent.; Advancers, 35 to 50 per 

 cent.; Surprise, 35 to 50 per cent.; 

 Prince of Wales, 50 to 65 per cent. The 

 above figures are the high and low on 

 each variety, the estimates of the sev- 

 eral growers ranging between the two 

 extremes. Only the canning varieties 

 are given, but the general line of gar- 

 den peas will average much the same. 



As evidence of the severe shortags 

 in the canning sorts, it may be said 

 that with the exception of one very 

 prominent firm, not a reputable gi-ow- 

 er has thus far named a price on spot 

 peas, and the initial prices of the one 

 referred to are as follows: Alaskas, 

 $4,25; Admirals, $4.25; Advancers, 

 14.75; Horseford's Market Garden, 

 $4.75; Surprise, $5.00. These are the 

 prices per standard bushel and are of- 

 fered in limited quantities only. 



Now as the canners' contracts for 

 peas were as a rule much below their 

 actual requirements, and as they will 

 receive an average of less than fifty 

 per cent, of their contracts, it is easy 

 to see that as soon as they learn the 

 real conditions there will be such a 

 wild scramble for seed as has not been 

 known in many years. 



In view of the fact that there is an 

 eager rush on the part of wholesale 

 grocers and jobbers to contract canne 1 

 peas of the 190S pack, every canner 

 will aim to extend his acreage another 

 year and get out every acre he can 

 possilily liandle. But where is the seed 

 coming from? It is absolutely safe to 

 say that it will be impossible to se- 

 cure enough of the regular standard 

 sorts, and many canners will have to 

 put up with a nondescript lot of seed 

 or be satisfied with a gieatly reduced 

 acreage. This brings us squarely up 

 to the question of whether the demand 

 has not grown much faster than the 

 supply, or in other words, whether 

 consumption has not overtaken pro- 

 duel ion. There seems to be Init one 

 answer — that it has. 



It may be well here to call attention 

 to an article which appeared in these 

 colunius several weeks ago on the sub- 

 ject of growing prices, and every grow- 

 er, and in fact every one interested in 

 seed peas, is invited to read it thought- 

 fully and decide in the light of pres- 

 ent experience whether the writer's 

 position was not well taken. The ar- 

 guments seem to be unanswerable, and 

 his views have been vindicated much 

 sooner than might have been expected. 



Of course the mere raising of grow- 

 ing prices will not result in an imme- 



diate increase in the supply of seed. 

 But this will ccme in time as surely 

 as effect follows cause. In any event 

 the growers will have to revise their 

 estimate of yields, as they cannot con- 

 tinue doing business on a basis where 

 the chances are three or four to one 

 against them. 



Referring again to the subject of 

 supply and demand, some figures may 

 be interesting. In 1900 the total out- 

 put of canned peas in the United 

 States v;as, in round figures, about 

 2.500,000 cases, while that of 1907 is 

 something over 6,00(i,u<i0. It is hardly 

 necessary to say that the increase in 

 seed stocks has not kept pace with this 

 enormous increase in the canned prod- 

 uct, and the growers find themselves 

 so greatly outstripped that they are 

 utterly unable to cope with the situa- 

 tion now confronting them. 



As might be expected, there is much 

 wailing and gnashing of teeth from the 

 canneis, and the seedsmen and grow- 

 ers are roundly abused. But let these 

 gentle purveyors of more or less pure 

 foods ask themselves if they are whol- 

 ly free from responsibility for the 

 present situation. Have they been will- 

 ing to pay the careful grower a price 

 that would enable him to maintain and 

 improve the quality of his seeds stock, 

 and in time allow him to accumulate 

 sufficient to meet their needs? Have 

 they not played low grade, inferior 

 seed against high grade pedigree 

 stocks and compelled the growers of 

 the latter to at least compromise their 

 prices to get business? Have they not 

 most persistently urged guarantees 

 and other onerous conditions which 

 they would not be willing to grant to 

 their customers? 



There is no desire to shield the 3eed 

 grower's neglect where he has been 

 negligent. There should be cordial co- 

 operation between he and the canner, 

 but while many canners are Iieaping 

 blessings (?) on the head of the seed 

 grower, we may well say, "Let him 

 who is without fault cast the first 

 stone." 



Not much has been said about those 

 peas most largely used by seedsmen, 

 and while it is no doubt true that the 

 demand from market gardeners has 

 declined in many sections, mucli in 

 proportion as the output of canned 

 peas has increased, yet it is still large. 

 The call for early peas has fallen off 

 greatly no doubt, but the output of the 

 large podded varieties, such as Gradus, 

 Telephones, Duke of Albany, etc., has 

 largely increased as a whole. Ir may 

 also lie said that the falling off in the 

 planting of early peas is not wholly 

 due to the canned product, but in many 

 localities to the inability to secure 

 pickers. 



The great shortage in sugar corn 

 seed is beginning to dawn on the seeds- 

 men and canners. and it is reliably re- 

 ported that several thousands of bush- 

 els have recently been sold to canners 

 at prices which, to say the least, are 

 surprising; but if information to hand 

 proves correct, the highest levels have 

 not yet been reached. 



According to the Government re- 

 port, the potato crop is some ten points 

 below last year. The Maine crop is 

 undoubtedly very poor in quality, fully 

 fifty per cent, being affected with rot, 

 and it is said that not over 25 per cent, 

 will survive the winter. New York 



state, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minne- 

 sota all report short crops, but the 

 quality in the main is said to be excel- 

 lent. However, potatoes will certainly 

 be on a higher price level than last 

 year, and particularly choice planting 

 stock. 



Japanese exporters, under the in- 

 centive of general crop failures, have 

 competed in buying up small stocks 

 wherever found, and all bulb supplies 

 are already well reduced all over the 

 country. The recent floods damaged 

 the longifloruni giganteum crop great- 

 ly, and the shortage on this line is 

 very pronounced. 



Liliuni speciosum magnificum is 

 said to be in many respects much su- 

 perior to the popular Melpomene, 

 growing taller, having larger flowers 

 and blooming earlier. This lily is be- 

 ing grown extensively in Japan and 

 when better known will take a posi- 

 tion of precedence here. 



Daniel Deemer succeeds W. D. El- 

 bert as manager with the Gobin-Elbert 

 Seed Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



Perfection Chemical Co., Flushing, 

 N. Y. — Folder of Carman's Antipest, 

 a concentrated insecticide highly rec- 

 ommended. 



Andorra Nurseries, C'nestuut Hill, 

 Pa. —Price list of specimen trees, 

 shrubs, roses and fruit. A compre- 

 hensive and handy little volume. 



Vincent Lebreton, Angers, McHutch- 

 ison & Co., N. \. Agents.— Wholesale 

 Trade List for Autumn, 1907. and 

 Spring, 1908, ornamental trees, shrubs, 

 roses, etc. 



The Transactions of the Massachu- 

 setts piorticiiltural Society, Part 1, for 

 1907, has been received. This com- 

 prises the lectures and discussions of 

 last winter, and the inaugural meeting 

 and oflicial reports at the beginning of 

 the year. 



Annual Report of Office of Experi- 

 ment Stations, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, 1906. This publication, a 

 booi; of 434 pages, covers a vast terri- 

 tory in its accounts of experiment sta- 

 tion investigations, educational work, 

 college administration and cultural de- 

 monstrations, comprising all sections 

 of the United States, Hawaii, Porto 

 Rico and foreign stations in all parts 

 of the world. It contains sixteen half- 

 tone plates besides elaborate text fi,g- 

 ures, and the text matter prepared by 

 Dr. A. C. True will well repay a care- 

 ful reading by anyone interested in 



GUARANTEED 



FRESH SPAWN 



CHUCK FULL OF MYCELIUM 

 8 lbs., SI.OO 



Treatise: How to Grow Them. 



Wm. Elliott CSl Sons 



201 Fulton Street 

 NEW YORK 



