10 



HORTICULTURE 



Januaiy 4, 190& 



Seed Trade 



In this the first issue of HORTICUL- 

 TURE tor 190S, congratulations are ex- 

 tended to the American Seed Trade on 

 the excellent position in which it now 

 stands. Despite the money stringency, 

 talk of panics, and a general plowing 

 down of business activity, there ap- 

 pears no cloud of serious proportions 

 on the seedmens horizon. Excepting 

 beans, most staples in the seed line are 

 In short supply, and active demand at 

 prices far above normal, and unless all 

 indications are misleading, stocks in 

 most lines will be greatly reduced or 

 altogether cleaned cut, and on the gen- 

 eral shortage more actual profit will 

 be made than on a full crop. 



One class of our citizens seem scarce- 

 ly to have known of any business de- 

 pression, and that is the farmers. 

 While staple farm crops have not been 

 quite so large as those of 1906, accord- 

 ing to Bradstreet's, they are worth 20 

 per cent more, or over $200,000,000 

 over the bumper crops of 190G. So 

 long as the farmers are prosperous 

 and have money to spend, there is no 

 danger of any prolonged business de- 

 pression, and as the seedsmen's pros- 

 perity is largely dependent on the 

 farmers, the present outlook is about 

 as good as could be desired. During 

 the panic of 1593-4 the farmers were 

 not in the happy condition tbey are 

 today. Then, they were groaning under 

 debts, and farm products were selling 

 at almost the lowest prices in half a 

 century. The gold supply was inade- 

 quate, and the per capita circulation 

 fully one-third less than at present. 

 Let "every one take an optimistic view 

 of the future, and this confidence will 

 of itself be a most important factor 

 in restoring prosperity. 



New bids have been asked for by the 

 department of agriculture for spot 

 seeds to be used in the present distri- 

 bution, which seems to indicate that 

 some persons have disappointed "Uncle 

 Jimmie." Learning where some of the 

 orders had gone last fall, it was hinted 

 in HORTICULTURE at the time that 

 the present situation was likely to de- 

 velop. The absurd policy of buying 

 only of the lowest bidder regardless of 

 the standing of the concern, or their 

 ability to deliver the goods, has long 

 been "a scandal to the department, and 

 caused a general overturning only a 

 few yeai-s ago at the time of the Nellis 

 regime. Those upon whom the secre- 

 tary has placed the responsibility of 

 ordering the seeds and other items re- 

 quired by the department in that con- 

 nection, know all about the scandals of 

 a few years ago. and were largely in- 

 strumental in exposing the frauds be- 

 ing perpetrated on the Government, 

 resulting from the .ridiculous practice 

 of recognizing only the lowest bid re- 

 gardless of its source. Yet the same 

 policy is being followed now by the 

 same men, and inevitably with the 

 same results. Early in November it 

 was authoritatively stated that the de- 

 partment had placed orders covering 

 all requirements in seeds, and now 

 comes a fresh call for bids. Why? 

 Simply because some one has failed to 

 "make good" whose bid was too tempt- 

 ingly low for the department officials 

 to pass. Everything required could 

 have been secured from responsible 



houses at very reasonable figures, but 

 as the department will buy only at auc- 

 tion prices, these figures were too high. 

 Howevei-. it looks as if in the final 

 wind-up they would have to pay the 

 prices or go without the goods. "Hence 

 these tears." 



Congiess was very prompt in pass- 

 ing the supplementary appropriation of 

 $60,000 a.'iked for by Sec. Wilson, and 

 his credit need not now be doubted. 

 This at least is satisfactory. 



Mr. O. K. Natt has severed his con- 

 nection with Josiah Young of Troy, 

 N. Y., and is now open to accept a 

 position. Mr. Natt is especially valu- 

 able to any one conducting an experi- 

 mental farm or trial grounds, but can 

 fill any position in a seed house, whole- 

 sale or retail. 



The stock of Jos. A. Schindler Seed 

 Co., New Orleans, was badly damaged 

 bv fire and water on December 15. 



POPULARITY OF THE SWEET PEA. 



The sales of the "Sweet Pea Annual" 

 for 1907 amounted to about £21, as 

 compared with £1.5 17s. in 1906. This 

 is substantial evidence of the increas- 

 ing interest that is taken in the so- 

 ciety's official publication. The "An- 

 nual" for 1908 is being prepared by Mr. 

 Chas. H. Curtis and Mr. Horace J. 

 Wright, who report that the forthcom- 

 ing issue will lack nothing in interest 

 and usefulness when compared with 

 previous efforts. A few of the items 

 will be "More Historical Notes," by 

 Mr. S. B. Dicks: "Popular Voting on 

 Novelties," by Mr. G. H. . Mackereth; 

 "Sweet Peas in Devon, " by Mr. R. 

 Bathurst; "Wire' Netting for Sweet 

 Peas," by Mr. G. H. Leak; "Breakers 

 Ahead," by Mr. Walter P. Wright; 

 "Adherence to Principles," by Mr. 

 George Gordon, V. H. M.; Medallists 

 for 1907; The Audit for 1907; the 

 Classification for 1907: report of the 

 floral committee; list of officers, mem- 

 bers and affiliated societies, and a 

 complete list of all known sweet peas, 

 prepared by Miss Jessie Cuthbertson.— 

 Journal of Horticulture (England), 

 December 19, 1907. 



LIST OF PATENTS. 

 Issued December 24, 1907. 



S74,534. Wheel Plow. William H. Par- 

 lin, Canton, 111., assignor to 

 Parlin & Orendorff Co., Can- 

 ton, 111., a Corporation of 

 Illinois. 



874,566. Wheel Cultivator. Arthur F. 

 Brown, Springfield, Ohio, as- 

 signor to P. P. Mast and 

 Company, Springfield, Ohio, 

 a Corporation of Ohio. 



874,597. Plow. Edwin Jarrell, River- 

 dale, Kans. 



874,776. Manure Loader. Henry J. 

 Lawrence, Elmore, Minn., 

 assignor of one-halt to Os- 

 car "E. Seastrom, Elmore, 

 Minn. 



874,800. Beet Harvester. Edwin E. 

 Shaw. Edgewood, Mich. 



874,827. Check Row and Hill Marker. 

 Winfield J. Botts, Havre de 

 Grace, Md.. 



ASPARAGUS ROOTS FOR FORCING 



Each root will cover more than the top of a basket and 

 is five years old. Will make excellent clumps for 

 forcing. Only $3.50 per loo if ordered at once. 

 Rhubarb Uooisfor Horclng. Fine large roots for 

 $6.00 per 100. Will produce excellent results. 

 Asparagus Seed of an immense variety. This variety 

 comes from the Palmetto but is twice as large. Seven 

 to ten stalks in a bunch. Twenty dollars per pound. 

 Only a limited quantity. 

 WARREN SHINN, Woodstown, N.J. 



STATEMENT OF PLANT IMPORTS. 



There were entered at the port of 

 New York during the two weeks Dec. 

 18 to Dec. 31, 1907, the following plants, 

 etc: 



From Rotterdam: H. F. Darrow, 4 

 cs. plants; W. Elliott & Sons, 1 cs. do.; 

 P. Ouwerkerk, 4 cs. trees: Sundry For- 

 warders, 34 cs. plants, 16 cs. trees, 1 

 cs. bulbs, 39 cs. roots. 



From Antwerp; Stumpp & Walter 

 Co., 4 cs. bulbs; Vaughan's Seed Store, 

 9 cs. do. 



From Germany: H. F. Darrow, 60 

 cs. lily of the valley: W. Hagemann & 

 Co., 362 cs. do.; C. F. Meyer, 158 cs. 

 do.: S. Stern. 222 cs. do.; J. M. Thor- 

 burn & Co., 1 cs. seeds: To order, 1 cs. 

 plants. 



Via Havre; H. F. Darrow. 282 pgs. 

 seeds; J. M. Thorburn & Co., 16 pgs. 

 do.; Vaughan's Seed Store, 100 pgs. 

 do.; Forwarders, 14 pgs. do. 

 From Copenhagen; Yokohama Nur- 

 sery Co., 36 cs. garden seed. 



From London: W. R. Huntington, 

 44 bis. garden seed; 22 bags do. 



Via Southampton: C. C. Abel & Co., 

 27 cs. plants; H. F. Darrow, 170 pgs. 

 seed; McHutchison & Co., 104 pgs. 

 plants; August Rolker & Sons, 22 pgs. 

 do.; J..M. Thorburn & Co., 35 bags 

 garden seed; Weeber & Don, 3 sacks 

 seed; Forwarders, 1 cs. trees. 



From Glasgow: H. F. Darrow, 15 cs. 

 trees. 



INCORPORATED. 



Norris F. Comley Conservatories,^ 

 Lexington, Mass.: N. F. Comley, T. 

 B. Hughes, A. E. Goldberg; capital, 

 $15,000. 



Buffalo Cut Flower Co., BufEalo, 

 N. Y.; J. H. Gould, L. H. Gould, G. R. 

 Sheldon, Middleport, N. Y.; capital, 

 $25,000. 



International Seed and Bulb Supply 

 Company, Boston and Philadelphia; 

 A. A. Holmes, Edna M. Holmes, Edith 

 V. Henderson; capital, $50,000. 



MICHELLS 



SEEDS 



E 



M 



[~ Are Always Reliable. I 



MARKETST. 

 PHILA. 



WHOLESALE CATALOGUE FREE j 



We learn that Suburban Life has 

 been sold to McClure's. 



HYACINTHS, TULIPS, NARCISSI 



AND OTHER BULBS 



ROMAN HYACINTHS and the true 

 PAPER WHITE GRANDIFLORA 



Aflk tor our Wholesale Trade ti»t at HlUegom 



K. VELTHUYS, Hlllegom, Mollard 



Rep. by FELIX BOSCH, 260 Clareidon St., Boston 



