80 



HORTICULTUBE 



January 18, 1913 



Seed Trade 



i,Continited.fro7>t page y8) 



Will put an end to the pretentions of 

 these "growers" as has been the case 

 in the past, tor history will repeat it- 

 self with variations. This discussion 

 of the multiplying of pea seed grow- 

 ers reminds us that the number of 

 seed growers in California has greatly 

 increased during the past two or three 

 years, though we would not for a mo- 

 ment imply that these are in the class 

 with the fellows who are trying to get 

 into the game of growing peas and 

 beans. Most of the new California 

 concerns are off-shoots of older ones, 

 and as a rule those in control have a 

 more or less thorough knowledge of 

 the business and familiarity with its 

 details. In their case, it is simply 

 whether they will use their knowledge 

 conscientiously and for the improve- 

 ment of their stocks or whether they 

 will be indifferent as has happened in 

 other cases within the memory of most 

 of the present generation. 



The Rate of Postage on Seeds. 



The following official communica- 

 tion is self-explanatory: 



rnited .States Post Office, 

 Mailing Division, 

 Pbiladelpbia, Pa., Jan. 7, 1013. 

 W. Atlce Burpee, Esq., 475 North Fifth St., 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



Dear Sir: — KeplyiuR to your communi- 

 cation of December 21, 1912, in regard to 

 the decision of the Chief Clerli of the Post 

 Office Department as to the use of parcel 

 post stamps, and the rate of postage on 

 seeds, I have to advise you that from iu- 

 forratition we have received, the statement 

 by the Chief Clerk of the" Post Office De- 

 partment is confirmed. It is claimed that 

 Section 6, first paragraph of the parcel 

 post law, approved August 24, 1912, covers 

 this matter. This section reads as follows: 



"Sec. 6. That this act shall not in any 

 way affect the postage rate on seeds, cut- 

 tings, bulbs, routs, scions, and plants as 

 fixed by section 482 of the Postal Laws 

 and Regulations (edition of 1902)." 



This section only covers the rate of 

 postage on such matter. 



The section of the Postal Laws and Reg- 

 ulations referred is 482, of P. L. and R. for 

 1902, and reads as follows: 



"Sec. 482. The postage on seeds, cut- 

 tings, bulbs, roots, scions and plants shall 

 be charged at the rate of one cent for each 

 two ounces or fraction thereof, subject in 

 all other respects to the existing law." 



This section of the regulations does not 

 take seeds, cuttings, bulbs, etc., out of the 

 fourth-class of mail matter, but only 

 changes the rate of postage thereon. 



You mention books in your letter as 

 going at the one cent for two ounces rate. 

 This is correct, as books being printed on 

 paper are third-class matter and, there- 

 fore, subject to that rate of postage. 



In regard to the use of parcel post 

 stamps on this matter, this is compulsory 

 as they are included in the fourth-class, 

 and the law states that parcel post stamps 

 must be used on all fourth-class matter. 



Please pardon me for the del.iy in reply- 

 ing to your letter, as I wished to get 

 further information in regard to the mat- 

 ter beforei writing you. 



Verv respectfullv, 

 (Signed) E. W. ALEXANDER, 

 Sup't of Mails. 



It would appear from the foregoing 

 that seeds, etc., which heretofore have 

 gone with ordinary stamps must 

 thenceforth have parcel post stamps 

 instead. This appears to us as an 

 arbitrary and unjust ruling. 



In this connection we would advise 

 our readers of the introduction in the 

 House of Representativps of the 

 United States, by Mr. Towner, of Bill 

 H. R. 27487 to strike out books and 

 pamphlets from the third-class of mail 

 matter and to include them as entitled 

 to parcel post rates and for other pur- 

 poses. Also H. R. 27488 for the re- 



New Crop Florists' Flower Seeds 



ASPARAGUS 



Plumosus Nanus (Greenhouse Grown), 



100 seeds, 50c.; .$3.75 per 1000 seeds: 

 5000 seeds. .$18.00; .$34.00 per 10.000 



sec'il^. 



ASTER— Queen of the Market 



Tr. Pkt. Oz. 



White $.20 $.60 



Rose Pink 20 .60 



Blush Pink 20 .60 



Light Blue 20 .60 



Dark Blue 20 .60 



Crimson 20 .60 



Mixed 20 .60 



CENTAUREA 



G.vninocarpa 1000 seeds, .15 .40 



Candidissinia 1000 seeds, .30 .75 



COBAEA SCANDENS 



I'urple 10 .40 



White 25 .75 



DRACAENA 



10 .30 



20 .50 



GREVILLEA ROBUSTA 15 50 



In<livisa 

 Austnilis 



LOBELIA Tr. Pkt- Oz. 



Crystal Palace Conipacta. . .$.30 $1.25 



Barnard's Perpetual., 25 1.00 



Crystal Palace Speciosa 15 .50 



PETUNIA y^ii: pT- 



MichelPs Monstrosus $.60 $1.00 



California Giants 30 .50 



Ruaied Giants 30 .50 



Granrtiflora Fringed 30 .50 



Dwarf Inimitable 30 .50 



Snowball .30 



PHLOX Tr. Pkt. Oz. 



Dwarf Crimson with Eye. . .$.40 $1.75 



Fireball 40 1.73 



Pink 40 1.75 



Snowball 40 1.75 



Mixed 40 1.25 



VERBENA 



Mammoth Fancy Blue 30 1.25 



Pink 30 1.25 



Scarlet .. .30 1.25 



Striped .. .30 1.25 



White ... .30 1.25 



Mixed ... .30 1.00 



Our New Wholesale Price List for 1913 is R«ady. 

 It Is Free Upon Application. 



HENRY F. MICHELL COMPANY 



518 Market Street Philadelphia, Pa. 



classification of mail matter for the 

 consolidation of the third and fourth 

 classes, and for other purposes, both 

 of which bills have been referred to 

 the Committee on Post Offices and 

 Post Roads. 



This looks suspicious from the 

 seedsman's standpoint and we would 

 earnestly advise our readers to give 

 it careful scrutiny and if, as it ap- 

 pears to us, it should appear to be 

 detrimental to the seed trade, to use 

 their influence with their Congress- 

 men to defeat it. 



Forbes will be glad to see and hear 

 from all his old friends and connec- 

 tions both socially and in a business 

 way at that address. We extend our 

 congratulations and best wishes. 



Notes. 



L. W. Wheeler of Palo Alto, Cal., is 

 visiting New York this week. 



About Half-Price Packets. 

 Editor HORTICULTURE: 



I cannot see any good reason why 

 we should sell seeds to children at 

 half price. I fully agree with Mr. 

 Watson about that. Does the candy- 

 man, the grocery man, dentist, doctor, 

 clothier, butcher or lawyer make half- 

 price to children? Hasn't the seed 

 trade stood enough from Uncle Sam 

 with his free seeds, customs authori- 

 ties with rats in government stores, 

 etc.? I say. let the children pay full 

 prices. When you give them any- 

 thing for nothing they don't appre- 

 ciate it. When they pay its full value 

 they take better c:%3 of it. But give 

 them the quality — good seed, such as 

 you give the florist and market gar- 

 deners and they will soon appreciate 

 its value and won't grudge the price. 

 BEAULIEU. 



Woodhaven, N. Y. 



Alexander Forbes. 

 After many rumors and counter ru- 

 mors during the past six months, au- 

 thentic information reaches us this 

 week in regard to the plans of Mr. 

 Forbes, who is well-known in the seed 

 trade both at home and abroad, he 

 having been for about twenty-six years 

 manager for Peter Henderson & Co., 

 New York, going to that firm after a 

 ripe European experience. He in- 

 forms us that he has acquired a con- 

 trolling interest in the corporation of 

 J. F. Noll & Co., Newark, N. J., who 

 have done an extensive seed business 

 In that city for many years. Mr. 



The Portland Seed Co. of Portland, 

 Ore., have nearly finished a new five- 

 story building for their business at a 

 cost of about $40,000. 



Mr. and Mrs. Geo. E. Evans have 

 moved to Jacksonville, where Mr. 

 Evans will establish a wholesale seed 

 business. Gainesville regrets the de- 

 parture of this estimable young couple 

 but the best wishes of everyone ac- 

 company them. George was reared in 

 Gainesville, is steady, reliable and am- 

 bitious, and will, no doubt, meet 

 with success in his new venture. — 

 Gainesville (Fla.) Sun. 



LILY CANES 



7 to 8 feet long, for Lilies, etc. 



$7.00 PER 100 



Wm. Elliott & Sons 



42 Vesey St., New York 



J. BOLGIANO & SON 



WHOLESALE FIELD AND GARDEN SEEDS 



Eatablished 1818 



IVritf For Our Low Pn. cj 



LIGHT, PRATT and ELLICOTT STS. 

 BALTIMORE, MD. 



