748 



H ORTI CULTURE. 



December 5, 1908 



Seed Trade 



If the many reports to hand are re- 

 liable, the quantity of sugar corn 

 available for seed has been much over- 

 estimated, and particularly of the late 

 varieties. It is only a short time since 

 a certain concern was offering in 

 printed circulars which were sent 

 broadcast to country store! eepers and 

 everyone else, Stowell's Evergreen at 

 ?2.50 and Country Gentleman at $2.25. 

 Now the fact of offering sugar corn of 

 these vai ieties at such prices to cross- 

 roads buyers is of itself ridiculous, but 

 in view of the actual conditions, and 

 the known shortage, to offer them at 

 such figures, and Country Gentleman 

 25c. per bushel under Stowell's Ever- 

 green is positively reckless, and it 

 would be surprising if any well 

 balanced firm of seedsmen should pa- 

 tronize a concern so demoralizing to 

 the trade. 



The latest information is to the ef- 

 fect that Stowell's Evergreen, Country 

 Gentleman, Zig Zag, Evergreen, 

 Hickox, White Evergreen and Old 

 Colony are going to be a surprise to 

 most of the trade, while even the 

 medium earlies and a few of the iirst 

 earlies will not be nearly so abundant 

 as seemed probable a few weeks ago. 



Now whether these reports are well 

 founded or not, the near future will 

 disclose, but the writer ventures the 

 opinion that the crop available for seed 

 has been much overestimated, except- 

 ing possibly Stowell's Evergreen, of 

 which there have been many inde- 

 pendent lots grown in different parts 

 of the country, the aggregate of which 

 will greatly relieve the situation and 

 materially affect prices. 



It is a fact, though not generally 

 appreciated, that many of the largest 

 packers of corn have this year saved 

 their own seed, particularly of the 

 Stowell's, and will have nearly if not 

 quite enough to satisfy their require- 

 ments. To illustrate this, the writer 

 has in mind one packer who last year 

 bought 1500 bushels of seed corn, who 

 this year has seed to sell. 



The above facts are worthy of care- 

 ful consideration, to the end that the 

 dealer may wisely direct his course to 

 avoid the rock of inflated prices on 

 the one hand, or of inadequate supplies 

 on the other. 



The closing of contracts for future 

 seed peas has commenced, and the 

 prices drawn fully bear out the predic- 

 tions made in these columns some 

 weeks ago. On canners' varieties the 

 prices average about 50c. per bushel 

 above last year's, while the advance on 

 the generat list will average from 25c. 

 to 50c. 



Reliable information to hand is to 

 the effect that growers of peas and 

 beans are having the most strenuous 

 time in their experience to get acreage. 

 A succession of bad crops has discour- 

 aged the farmers, and many of the 

 growers, ignoring all the traditional 

 courtesies of the business, have in- 

 vaded one another's territories and 

 resorted to the most unfair tactics to 

 take away the acreage from the estab- 

 lished growers. The result has been 

 a bidding up of the prices to the far- 

 mers, and our rural gentlemen are 

 smilingly awaiting the result Of 

 course, no one will begrudge the 



farmers any reasonable increase in the 

 s they have been getting, but it 

 has compelled the grower to advance his 

 prices in turn. This has been resisted 

 by the canners and seedsmen, but their 

 protests will be vain, and they will 

 have to pay it or take their chances on 

 the market next fall, which in view of 

 past experiences is not a very inviting 

 prospect. 



It is very generally admitted by 

 growers that one of the reasons for 

 tie- very short deliveries of peas, par- 

 ticularly of canner's sorts, was due to 

 their being oveisold. and this year 

 there promises to be a repetition of 

 the same conditions. Several of the 

 growers are selling a part of their seed 

 stock, while at the same time they are 

 eagerly drumming for orders and turn- 

 ing noihing down. It is only fair to 

 say, however, that the demand up to 

 this time is less active, especially from 

 the canners than a year ago. Many 

 think that the demand for canned peas 

 will become more active in the near 

 future, ant! if there is a prospect of the 

 present reserves being consumed before 

 the next pack is ready, there will be 

 an increased demand, not only for spot 

 but future seed. It is to be hoped that 

 this condition may be realized, for 

 even though the demand may not be 

 fully satisfied, it is a healthy state of 

 business when the demand exceeds the 

 supply. 



There is to be a hearing given by 

 the Ways and Means Committee of the 

 House of Representatives to the seeds- 

 men, and a committee of prominent 

 seedsmen is planning to present the 

 case of the trade to the tariff tinkers. 

 Inquiry among leading members of the 

 trade discloses anything but unanimity 

 among them on the subject of the 

 tariff. The great majority favors some 

 sort of protection, but while the great 

 majority seems to favor moderate 

 duties, a minority advocate prohibitive 

 taxes, while yet another small 

 minority believe in absolute free trade 

 in seeds. A number advocate specific 

 duties on all seeds, while others favor 

 standing pat on the duties of the pres- 

 ent Pingley bill. It is not the purpose 

 of the writer to discuss the different 

 views, but it is believed that the great 

 majority of seedsmen can be counted 

 among the "stand patters/' It is the 

 general verdict that the present law 

 has worked well, and while changes 

 on a few items might be desirable, it 

 is feared that any attempt to tinker 

 with the law would render it less ac- 

 ceptable as a whole. 



Headquarters for 

 Xmas Greens 



Our stock is the choicest to be had. 

 Holly 



Holly Wreaths 

 Laurel 

 Lycopodium 

 Mistletoe 



Write for cur spec al circularon XmasGreens 



NOTES ON THE NEXT CROP OF 



BERMUDA ONION SEED GROWN 



IN TENERIFFE. 



About the month of July of every 

 year the onions warehoused to be used 

 afterwards for seedling suffer many 

 changes before they are again taken 

 down to be planted in September and 

 October. One of the principal causes 

 of the great percentage of useless 

 onions found, is that the warehous s 

 where they are hung up in tresses are 

 not specially built for the purpose, 

 and year after year growers have a 

 large loss on this account, the varia- 

 tions depending on the summer being 

 more or less warm. 



Unfortunately this year, of the 

 onions stored, about 40 to 50 per cent. 



MICfiELL 



lOlo MARKET5T. 



PHIL A, PA. 



have turned out rotten or unfit to pro- 

 duce seeds, and this naturally means 

 that, on this consideration alone, the 

 next seed crop in 1909 will be curtailed 

 to the same extent. Of course, the 

 onions already in the ground are liable 

 to many contingencies before the crop 

 is gathered next fall, and even taking 

 for granted that what is planted will 

 be a better crop than the average, the 

 seed will always be 50 per cent, less 

 than what growers had estimated 

 would be produced. 



The American buyers who have not 

 already sent their probable require- 

 ments to exporters here, will find it 

 later on very difficult to make con- 

 tracts, and I would advise those who 

 have not done so to immediately write 

 to their respective correspondents here 

 about what quantity of seed they are 

 likely to take. 



The weather we are having is not 

 at all propitious for the germination 

 of the onions planted. It is very warm, 



TOBACCO 



stem::- strong kind 



IOO ib. bale $1.25 



W. ELLIOTT & SONS 



42 VESEY STREET, NEW YORK. 



WIMRb 



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 PULVERIZED HOG 

 PULVERlZEb CJHTIE 

 SHREDDED Wmi 



Cattle Manure in bags, shredded or 

 pulverized. Sheep Manure kiln 

 dried in barrels. 



Best and safest manure for florists' 

 and greenhouse use. 



BRANS Absolutely Pure 



No Waste 



hflMVREf No Danger 



== Write for literature and quantity 

 i .^ — -=^^ prices. 



THE PULVERIZED MANURE CO. 



31 Exchange Ave., Union Sto k Vards. Thlcago 



SHEEP MANURE 



Pulverized. Free from a'l Adulteration 



In Bag, $18.00 per Ton. Cash with Order 



ROBERT SIMPSON 



CLIFTON, N.J. 



