70 



HORTICULTURE 



January 18, 1908 



Seed Trade 



Numerous interviews with promi- 

 nent seedsmen during the past two 

 weeks very happily confirm the opti- 

 mistic opinions expressed in HORTI- 

 CULTURE of January 4 as to the out- 

 loolv for the seed trade for the com- 

 ing year. As predicted in that issue 

 monetary conditions have again be- 

 come pi-actically normal and this con- 

 dition has come about more speedily 

 than was expected. However, it is 

 none the less welcome and removes 

 whatever there might have been of 

 doubt or misgiving for the near future, 

 and leaves a prospect as promising as 

 the trade has looked forward to in 

 many years. Let us hope that this 

 promise may bring a golden harvest. 



The tendency to resort to arbitration 

 as a means of settling disputes should 

 appeal to seedsmen with commanding 

 force, and particularly among them- 

 selves. Any serious litigation among 

 them would" be almost certain to re- 

 veal the skeleton in the closet, and 

 it has been pertinently said, that 

 however high or however low, every 

 family has its skeleton. While many 

 seedsmen may say there is nothing to 

 conceal from the public, it is still a 

 fact that there are many matters which 

 but half explained as they would be 

 in court, would certainly be of no 

 benefit to the trade, but on the con- 

 trary from the fact that they are so 

 imperfectly understood are liable to 

 great distortion and exaggeration to 

 the serious impairment of the seeds- 

 men's prestige. 



It seems to be quite generally un- 

 derstood that many efforts have been 

 made by the American Seed Trade As- 

 sociation to establish a permanent 

 board of arbitration to which all dis- 

 putes between members as well as the 

 trade in general who cared to avail 

 themselves of its services could be re- 

 ferred for adjustment, but so far aa 

 the writer is able to ascertain, nothing 

 practical has ever come .of it. This is 

 most unfortunate, as the value of such 

 a board composed of say three or five 

 of the most eminent members of the 

 trade would command general confi- 

 dence, and their decisions would be ac- 

 cepted in good faith by all honorable 

 members. Of course such a body could 

 not enforce its decisions, but it is 

 assumed that those who resorted to it 

 would pledge themselves to abide by 

 its findings. The advantages of such 

 a permanent board over the ordinary 

 method of selecting arbitrators are 

 many, not the least of which would 

 be its really judicial character, and its 

 findings would therefore be more in 

 accordance with the facts than would 

 be possible by the other method. Where 

 each litigant selects an arbitrator, ana 

 these two select a third, the only un- 

 biased man is this third party, as the 

 other two are not arbitrators, but 

 counsel for their respective clients, 

 and regardless of facts or the merits 

 of the case, each seeks to win the case 

 for his client, and this is one reason 

 why so many "arbitrated" cases are 

 apparently so at variance with the 

 facts. 



The difficulties of forming such a 

 board as has been described are recog- 

 nized, but it is contended that if the 

 seedsmen of the country appreciated 

 its value and were earnest in their 



advocacy of it, the thing could be 

 done. The obstacles are not insur- 

 mountable, and always providing that 

 the man who would most naturally ue 

 suggested would serve, the rest could 

 be arranged. On such a board men 

 of strong convictions and judicial tem- 

 perament would be needed. The man 

 of expediency who sits on the fence 

 and gets down on the winning side 

 would never do as an arbitrator, as 

 his verdict would lead always in the 

 direction of his personal interests. De- 

 velopments of the near future may 

 emphasize the necessity for such a 

 body and cause regret that it does 

 not now exist. 



There is still some languid 

 interest shown by canners in 

 seed peas, particularly Admirals, of 

 which there has not, and probably will 

 not be enough to supply requirements, 

 and this, despite the fact that nearly 

 every grower has sold more or less 

 of his seed of this variety. This fact 

 will be noticed next year, and how- 

 ever large the crop from the acreage 

 planted, there will almost certainly 

 be a shortage in Admirals. This ap- 

 plies to all wrinkled varieties such as 

 Advancers, Horsfords and Surprise, 

 and we may as well include Alaskas, 

 though there is less probability of a 

 severe shortage in this variety, owing 

 to more abundant seed stocks. 



A few growers who started in to 

 book future canners' peas at but slight 

 if any advance over last year's prices, 

 have seen a light and advanced their 

 prices from 50 to 75 cents over last 

 year's figures. In the meantime, how- 

 ever they have demoralized prices and 

 caused considerable dissatisfaction 

 among canners and no little resent- 

 ment among the more conservative 

 growers. The stupidity of these meii 

 has been commented on more than 

 once, and it was remarked that they 

 would doubtless continue such fool 

 tactics as long as they live. Occa- 

 sionally they are temporarily hoisted 

 out of their rut by a few of the wiser 

 growers, but easily revert again to 

 their level, and the hoisting process 

 must be renewed every year. 



Preparations for the coming canners' 

 convention go merrily on, and predic- 

 tions are freely made that it will be 

 the largest in point of attendance and 

 machinery exhibits of any convention 

 in the history of the canned goods 

 trade. It is said that contrary to an 

 agreement entered into by the hotel 

 proprietors of Cincinnati and repre- 

 sentatives of the canners, the former 

 are raising their rates for the conven- 

 tion week. The agreement is said to 

 have been verbal, and true to their 

 reputation and characteristics the 

 bonifaces are proceeding to violate it 

 after preparations have progressed so 

 far that no change to any other town 

 is practicable. Hereafter agreements 

 with these people or their colleagues in 

 business should be in writing and 

 signed with a forfeit attached. 



In discussing the place for the next 

 convention of the American Seed Trade 

 Association with a number of mem- 

 bers, Detroit seems to have the call, 

 but what action the executive com- 

 mittee will take is not known even lo 

 the members themselves. It is not 

 necessary to boom Detroit to those 

 who know it, but it may be well to 



MICH ELLS 



^ 



Are Always Reliable. 



MARKET ST. 

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WHOLESALE CATALOGUE FREE] 



m 



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I GLADIOLI I 



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£ outdoor planting. Mixtures, color 5 



S sections or named varieties of S 



S exceptional beauty. B 



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I ARTHUR CCWEE | 



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£ Meadowvale Farm, BERLIN, N. Y = 

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HYACINTHS, TULIPS, NARCISSI 



AND OTHER BULBS 



ROMAN HYACINTHS and the true 

 PAPER WHITE GRANDIFLORA 



Ask for oar Wholes^e Trade Llit at HUlegom 



K. VELTHUYb, HilUeom, Holland 

 Rep by FEIIX BOSCH, 260 larei don St , Boston 



remark in passing, that a more beauti- 

 ful city in .lune does not exist, with 

 its many attractive and charming 

 nearby resorts. 



Heroic efforts have been made to 

 save as much of last year's sugar corn 

 crop as possible, and much of it has 

 been dried artificially, hut there is a 

 woeful lack of vitality, and much that 

 will be palmed of as seed might as 

 well be pebbles as it will not grow 

 25 per cent. Whether price has yet 

 reached high water mark or will go 

 still higher, will be determined within 

 the next thirty days. Unless it does 

 go higher it will begin to decline be- 

 fore the canners' convention closes. 



EUROPEAN CROP CONDITIONS. 



The prospects of the winter crops in 

 Kurope are by no means so promising 

 as they were a year ago. Yet the best 

 possible condition of the seedlings in 

 early winter gives no guaranty of ul- 

 timate success — last years grain crops 

 being a striking instance in point, A 

 year ago tull acreage had been sown 

 and the crops had an adequate snow 

 covering. But the ensuing severe win- 

 ter and the late spring were beyond 

 the endurance of a large proportion of 

 the plants, and the harvest of winter 

 grains was poor except in Great Brit- 

 ain. France, and Italy. This year gen- 

 erally late harvests and unsuitable 

 weather in the autumn — excessive rain 

 in western Europe and prolonged 

 drought in eastern Europe — greatly de- 

 layed plowing and drilling. The late- 

 ness of the winter rendered possible 



