324 



HORT1CULTUKL 



September 5, 190S 



Seed Trade 



This is the season of agricultural 

 fairs, and I'ncle Hiram and his family 

 are out to see and be seen. Annually 

 the discussion as to what part the 

 seedsman should take in these fairs 

 waxes more or less warm, and the re- 

 sult is usually about a draw. Those 

 who insist that the seedsman should 

 on general principles aid agriculture 

 even though the pecuniary profit be 

 not large or Immediate, seem to have 

 the better of the argument, as any- 

 thing that materially improves or ben- 

 efits agriculture inures to the advan- 

 tage of the seedsman. The distribu- 

 tion of catalogues and other literature, 

 ought to be good advertising, and if 

 accompanied by an exhibit of select 

 vegetables should prove both interest- 

 ing anil instructive to the farmer. 

 This method of advertising, however 

 will no doubt be of greater benefit to a 

 local seedsman than to the mail-order 

 house which is usually more or less 

 remote. However, it is often remarked 

 that one large advertiser of any line 

 of business, benefits every' other firm 

 in that line, and every liberal adver- 

 tiser among seedsmen is more or less 

 of a general benefactor of his trade. 



seeds, and these are susceptible of very 

 little Improvement, though of serious 

 di I fiment. 



Referring again to advertising at 

 local fairs, the writer does not as- 

 sume to speak with authority as to 

 whether it is a paying investment or 

 not , and inquiry among many firms 

 which have tried it does not show 

 unanimity by any means, though the 

 weight of opinion is greatly in the 

 affirmative. Many who are in the 

 negative, look at the matter solely 

 from its immediate effects, the quick 

 returns, which seems hardly a fair 

 estimate of its value. It is really as 

 bread cast upon the water — to return 

 after many days — often in a few days 

 — but in any event sure to return with 

 many fold increase, directly or in- 

 directly. 



After a week of unseasonably cool 

 weather, accompanied by some light 

 frosts and many scares, it has again 

 turned warm, and two or three weeks 

 more of such weather will place the 

 corn crop beyond damage by any frost 

 likely to visit the corn belt for many 

 weeks to come. Prospects for vine 

 seeds have brightened considerably, 

 but beyond question there will be quite 

 a shortage in muskmelons. No figures 

 are at hand now, but they will be 

 given as soon as available. 



Further and more extended crop 

 news will be given in next week's 

 HORTICULTURE, and it may be well 

 to call attention to the many crop 

 rumors afloat, many of which flatly 

 contradict the other. Such crop news 

 as is given in HORTICULTURE cor- 

 rectly represents conditions at that 

 writing, but as stated in a recent is- 

 sue, conditions rapidly change earlier 

 in the season, and most promising 

 conditions may be changed to the op- 

 posite, and vice versa, within a week 

 or two. At this season of the year 

 the only crops subject to im- 

 portant changes are corn and vine 



There were many prophecies of a 



heavy shortage in tomatoes earlier in 

 the season, but weather for the most 

 part has been ideal for ripening the 

 crop, and excepting where the fruit 

 lias failed to set, prospects are for a 

 good average nop. and seed should be 

 somewhat easier in price than last 

 year. 



A reorganization of The Templin Co. 

 may be looked for at an early day, 

 though possibly not in accordance with 

 the plans of the receiver, who. accord- 

 ing to some reports, is eager to obtain 

 the business for himself, having found 

 it profitable even under the adverse 

 conditions in which it was placed the 

 past season. The business was to 

 have been sold at some date in July 

 last, but the sale w r as postponed at 

 the request of the receiver. It is 

 earnestly hoped that whoever obtains 

 control, the high standard for quality 

 and integrity, always a marked charac- 

 teristic of this concern, will be fully 

 maintained. 



HOLLAND SEED CROP REPORT. 



Sluis & Groot report on the various 

 seed crops in Holland, as follows: 



White. Red and Savoy Cabbage. Brus- 

 sels Sprouts and Borecole. — More than 

 half of our plantations have been de- 

 stroyed by frost. They promise a me- 

 dium crop, and in some places they 

 look even bad. especially on account of 

 the plants starting to grow again after 

 having produced already a great many 

 pods. This is due to the fact that 

 rains came too late, and it is of course 

 highly detrimental to the undeveloped 

 seeds in the pods. Many varieties will 

 be rather scarce next season. Turnips 

 and Swedes — A very large part was de- 

 stroyed last spring by frost. The re- 

 mainder does not look so very well, 

 because there are worms in the pods 

 owing to the unfavorable weather for 

 this article. Kohlrabi — Little sown; 

 stands fairish. Mangel-Wurzel, Sugar 

 Beet and Beet — From present pros- 

 pects we expect a good crop, but there 

 are few plantations. Carrots — The 

 plantations of the later varieties are 

 very unimportant. Those of the early 

 varieties are of usual importance. As 

 a whole there is not a very promising 

 stand. Parsnips and Scorzonera — 

 Good, usual acreage. Cornsalad — The 

 new crop will be relatively small. 

 Radish. Summer — The plantations are 

 not very important. Partly they are 

 looking rather well, but in some in- 

 stances they promise less than a me- 

 dium crop. Radish. Winter — Not much 

 planted. Stand very promising. 

 Onions — Very small acreage. Stand 

 is partly good, but in some parts only 

 a middling one. Moreover blight ap- 

 pears in some districts. Garlic Bulbs 

 — Good. Celeriac — The plantations of 

 this article are of usual importance 

 and they look very good. Parsley — 

 \ very small area has been planted, 

 but this article looks promising. 

 Borage — Looks good, but only small 

 quantities have been sown. Chervil — 

 Small crop, for considerable acreage 

 was lost. Spinach — The plantations of 

 this article are- of usual importance, 

 and they are looking rather good, but 

 part of them were lost last spring. 



Cucumbers— Pretty good but there are 

 only a few plantations. Peas — Gener- 

 ally good, but some fields suffered 

 from blight. Dwarf-Beans and Run- 

 ning-Beans—The general standing is 

 under middling, but the plantations 

 are rather important. English Beans 

 — We expect an average crop. 



Owing to the very favorable weather, 

 flower seeds are looking very well with 

 the exception of a few perennial arti- 

 cles, which suffeerd more or less from 

 frost, such as Campaula Medium, Myo- 

 sotis dissitiflora, etc. Antirrhinum — 

 Promises a very good crop. Calliopsis 

 —Looks all right. Campanula— The 

 annual varieties are good. Perennial 

 promise less than a medium crop. 

 Candytuft — Middling crop, little has 

 been sown. Centaurea — Good stand- 

 ing. Convolvulus— Stand very good. 

 Dianthus — We will probably have a 

 very good crop. Eschseholtzia— Very 

 good. Gypsophila — Rather good, but 

 few plantations. Helichrysuni. — Looks 

 promising until now, but little has 

 been sown. Lobelia — Stand good until 

 now. Mignonette — In some places they 

 are thin, especially the better varieties, 

 but generally speaking, they are good. 

 Mimulus — Promises a pretty good 

 crop. Myosotis — Looks rather good. 

 Nasturtiums— There are much less 

 plantations than usual, but they 

 look rather good. Pansies — There are 

 not many plantations of this article. 

 The plants look till right, but if this 

 persistent drought continues, they will 

 not produce a large quantity of seeds. 

 Papaver — Good crop. Petunia— Looks 

 very good. Phlox— The plants are 

 looking good, but probably there will 

 not be many seeds. Rhodanthe — 

 Pretty good, but few plantations. 

 Stocks-Virginian — Stand good as yet. 

 Ten-iWeek-Stocks— Magnificent stand. 

 Verbena — Good until now. Wallflower 

 — Crop very probably under middling. 

 Many plants have been destroyed by 

 frost. 



MARKET REPORT FROM CANARY 

 ISLANDS. 



Bermuda Onion Seeds. 

 In a country like the Canaries 

 where no record is kept by the Cus- 

 tom House authorities, it is quite im- 



GKOWN STRAWBERRY PLANTS 



Set in August ami September will give a full crop next 

 June. Our new method "I growing them gives tine 



roots. C. 3. PRATT, Reading, Mass. .s,n.t /,.,■ Catalogue. 



