356 



H ORTI CU LT URE 



September 12, 190S 



Seed Trade 



Some rather sensational crop news 

 has been received during the past 

 ■week, to the effect thai owing to severe 

 drought in Ohio and Michigan, sweet 

 corn was bound to prove a very short 

 crop in these states. In tact, it is said 

 that field corn is little better. From 

 JXebraska comes word of similar char- 

 iin 1 predictions of prices up to 

 the high water mark of last, season are 

 made by growers and seedsmen. Un- 

 doubtedly, this condition of the corn 

 crop is much worse than generally sup- 

 posed, but most persons have learned 

 jiot t<> accept damage reports at their 

 value, and until fully confirmed, 

 present reports should be accepted 

 Willi a few (loots." 



Had as are the reports of damage to 

 the corn crop, they are much worse as 

 to vine seeds. One well known grower 

 :says in effect that practically every 

 crop of musk and watermelons, and 

 cucumbers in the state of Nebraska 

 will be destroyed. The cause of this 

 is the aphis or small green bug, much 

 like the fellows that destroy peas some- 

 times and often cause the wheat far- 

 mers much worry and loss. This 

 pest is often referred to as a louse, and 

 some weeks ago attention was called 

 to reports from the west that it was 

 appearing in destructive numbers and 

 causing much anxiety to vine seed! grow- 

 ers. The latest reports from that part 

 of the country give cause for real 

 alarm, particularly as affecting musk- 

 melons. The fact that they were a 

 very light crop last year, and that we 

 closed the season with very small re- 

 serves, and absolutely bare of many 

 varieties, means that prices are going 

 to rule very high the coming season. 

 Admitting that reports are somewhat 

 exaggerated, conditions are neverthe- 

 less very bad, and the fact that quota- 

 tions have absolutely dried up is evi- 

 dence that the seedsmen fully appre- 

 ciate the situation. Wholesale houses 

 are Hooded with inquiries, but are in- 

 variably declining to name any prices. 



In addition to melons and cucumbers 

 squashes are also being attacked. The 

 summer or hush varieties are being 

 damaged by a green bug somewhat 

 larger than that, found on melons and 

 cucumbers, and thus far the damage 

 lias not been so heavy. 



Winter squashes are suffering from 

 attacks of a grub which works at the 

 root of the plant, causing it to die. 

 The damage is about the same as in 

 the case of the summer squashes, but 

 a week may change conditions for the 

 worse. It is earnestly hoped, however, 

 that any change may be for the better, 

 though there is little chance for im- 

 provement at this date. 



Peas and beans are about the same 

 as last report, but beans are going to 

 be lighter than expected up to a very 

 [f reports that market 

 gardeners are ripening a large part 

 of their plantings prove true, a short 

 bean crop may be anything but an 

 unmixed evil. 



Refering again to peas, advices just 

 this moment to hand state that that 

 crop will prove fully as short as last 



year. Canada field peas are quoted at 

 $1.20 per bushel f. o. b. grower's sta- 

 tion, bags extra, and it is predicted 

 that they will sell at $1.40 before 

 March 1st next. 



Onion seed in California is all har- 

 vested, and 100 per cent, deliveries 

 will be made on all varieties excepting 

 lud W( thersfield and Extra Early Flat 

 Red, which will range between 60 and 

 SO per cent., Yellow Prizetaker 60 to 7.J 

 per cent.: Southport White Globe, liO 

 to 75 per cent. There may possibly 

 be a slight shortage in White Portu- 

 gal, but not enough to materially affect 

 prices, and there will be plenty of 

 seed at prices greatly under last year. 



The prediction made in HORT1CI L- 

 TURE many weeks ago, that onion 

 seed, excepting possibly the Whites 

 and Flat Reds, would be abundant and 

 cheap, will soon be realized. A Connec- 

 ticut seed grower who speaks from 

 knowledge, said weeks ago that 50,000 

 pounds of onion seed would be grown 

 in that state this season, largely Red 

 Wethersfield, and from 200,000 to 250,- 

 000 pounds will be grown in Michigan, 

 Ohio and Indiana. Of this quantity, 

 GO per cent, will be Yellow Globe, 

 Dan vers and Southport. 



Lettuces will be delivered on contracts 

 just about as estimated in HORTICUL- 

 TURE weeks ago. They will average 

 from 60 per cent, to 90 per cent. Many 

 varieties will be delivered in full, 

 while a few will be down to 30 and 40 

 per cent., and still fewer will be fail- 

 ures. 



The yield per acre of sweet peas has 

 been short, as was predicted in HOR- 

 TICULTURE, but the acreage was 

 large, and there will be no great short- 

 age excepting of a few fancy named 

 varieties. 



Salsify will be short, deliveries rang- 

 ing from 50 per cent, to 70 per cent 

 California carrot seed is short except- 

 ing Long Orange, and so are several 

 varieties of celery, but the situation 

 is clearing up in better shape than 

 might have been expected last June. 



Burnett Eros, announce that on and 

 after Sept. 15, 1908, they will be located 

 at their new store, 72 Cortlandt street, 

 between Greenwich and Washington 

 streets, New York City. 



Dealers report Roman hyacinth 

 bulbs in the larger sizes as practically 

 all disposed of. 



LOSS BY FIRE. 



Benthy & Coatsworth Co.'s plant 

 at New Castle, Ind., was damaged by 

 fire on the night of Sept. 2. The loss 

 is not fully determined, but will be 

 between three and four thousand dol- 

 lars. The entire packing shed and 

 boiler house, 75 x 100 ft., two stories 

 high, was destroyed, and one green- 

 house adjoining had the glass broken 

 and stock injured. The origin of the 

 fire is unknown, but the supposition 

 is that soot collected in the flues must 

 have ignited, over-heating the pipes. 

 When discovered by the night watch- 

 man the building was in flames. The 

 loss is covered by insurance. 



NEWS NOTES. 

 Edward Austin of Suffield, Conn., 

 lias taken out a patent on a plant 



sial.i'. 



Gustave Olsen of Hartford, Conn., has 

 started in the florist business at Wal- 

 tham, Mass. 



Hids for the masonry work on the 

 city greenhouse at Sandusky, O., were 

 opened on Aug. 26. 



C. C. Arnold succeeds E. D. Collins 

 as manager of the Dunn Greenhouse 

 Co. at Rochester, Ind. 



Zech & Mann. Chicago, have added 

 128 square feet of space to their sales- 

 room by elevating their office. 



J. R. Sederquest opened a flower 

 store in connection with his undertak- 

 ing business at Calais, Me., on Aug. 25, 



At the annual meeting of the direc- 

 tors of the Iowa Seed Co., Des Moines, 

 Iowa, the following officers were 

 elected: President, M. Kurtz well; 

 vice-president, J. M. Albright; secre- 

 tary, G. L. Kurtzwell; treasurer, 

 Charles L. Page. 



W. H. Lutton, Jersey City, reports 

 closing large contracts for ranges of 

 conservatories for J. R. Delamar, Glen 

 Cove, N. Y., M. M. Looram, New Roch- 

 elle, N. Y.; Lafayette Park, City of 

 Norfolk, Va., and several others of 

 lesser extent, all seeming to indicate 

 thai hard times are at an end. 



MOVEMENTS OF GARDENERS. 

 Robert Mackie, formerly at the L. 

 L. Lawrence place, Bay Shore, N. Y., 

 succeeds J. Marshall as gardener for 

 Mrs. R. M. Clark at Pomfret, Conn. 



STRAWBERRIES 



STANDARD SORTS 



Full Crop Next Summer if 



Planted Early 



POT GROWN PLANTS 



Ready July ist 



$3.00 per 100 $25.00 per 1,000 



Illustrated Catalogue Free. 



R. & J. FARQTJHAR & CO. 

 Tel. uvoRichmond BOSTON 



VEGETABLE PLANTS 



Wakefield and Suc= 

 cession, 25c. per 100, 



Cabbage 



$1.00 per ioco. 



I 0tt||(tA Boston Market, 

 UGllUbC Tennis Ball and Qrand 

 Rapids, 25c. per 100, $1.00 per 1000. 



R. Vincent Jr. & Sons Co. 



WHITE MARSH, MD. 



grown STRAWBERRY PLANTS 



Set in August and September will give a full crop next 

 June. Our new method <»t growing them gives tine 



root.-*. C. 3. PRATT, Reading, Maafl. S,,nl for Catalogue, 



