February 9, 1907 



HOKTlCULTORi: 



167 



Seed Trade 



Retail seedsmen, and particularly the 

 catalogue trade, report business not 

 up to last year in volume, but, then. 

 we had practically spring weather, 

 with but few really cold days up to 

 almost the first of March last season, 

 while winter has been no mock ar- 

 ticle this year. No 'doubt the close of 

 the season will compare favorably with 

 last or any previous year. 



Following the scramble for onion 

 seed and other short items last fall, 

 amounting almost to a panic, has come 

 a decided reaction, and holders who 

 would not quote prices at all, are now 

 offering seed unsolicited at prices they 

 would have scorned two months ago. 

 The tendency towards panic every time 

 a shortage is reported has been criti- 

 cised more than once in these columns, 

 not with the expectation of effecting 

 any radical change in this direction, 

 but with the idea of calling attention 

 to the ill effects of inflated prices eai'ly 

 in the season to be followed by a sink- 

 ing spell later, carrying prices below 

 actual values. If the jobber can in- 

 duce the retailer to buy at the high 

 figures, to be followed by the inevi- 

 labie decline, it usually makes the lat- 

 ter dissatisfied, and reluctant to accept 

 the jobbers' judgment, and even sus- 

 picious of his honesty in the future. 

 All of this is unfortunate, and is really 

 due to misjudging the situation, rather 

 than any premeditated intention of 

 misleading the buyer. The fear lest 

 they may not get the last penny an 

 article may bring causes many to be 

 very bullish on prices whenever a 

 shortage is reported. While this is 

 quite proper enough, it is the extreme 

 that makes trouble. Cultivate modera- 

 tion, 'tis a fine habit. 



The House of Representatives has 

 overruled the recommendations of its 

 Committee on Agriculture, and re- 

 stored the appropriation for the pur- 

 chase and free distribution of garden 

 seeds, and the Senate offers but a for- 

 lorn hope that this abuse will be dis- 

 continued. The seedsmen are greatly 



! New Orchid-Flowered Sweet Peas I 



These are a distinct "break" in Sweet Peas, diHcnng Irom the standard sorts by the extraordinaiy size 

 of their flowers, usudly measuring 2 inchci- across, and by the standatds being crinkled and wavy, while 

 the wiijgs arc large and spreading. Another splendid featuie is that a very ia'ge percei.iage bear four 

 blossoms to the stem, whicn are long and strong. To sum up, t^ey possess every characteristic that can 

 be desired in Sweet Peas, and will undoubtedly supersede standard sorts of same color as soon as they 

 become more plentiful 



Couatf'SS Speacer. A lovely clear pink, shading darker at the edees. 10c peroz ,25c per H lb. 

 J^- /. Castle. Rich carmine-rose, shaded with salmon, very striking, especially under aiiifical 

 li-ht. 17c per pkt., 5 pkts.. 75c. 

 Frank Dtiby. The largest and finest pale 

 lavender-blue. 17c per pkt , 5 pkts. 75c. 

 Gladys Unwin. Charming shade of pal. 

 rose-pink; exira long stems and very valuable 101 

 cutting. KIc per O/r.. 25c per Ji lb. 

 Helen Lewis. {Orange Countess ) Brilliani 

 oran- e-n se 25c per oz. 



Helen Pierce. This is the new gloxir ij- 

 flowered Sweet Pea, being marbledblue on a *hiii 

 ground, with tne veins showing 3 little deeper ex 

 actly like a mottled Gloxinia. 15c per oz., 50 

 per 54 lb. 



John Ingman. Rich salmon-rose. 15c pti 

 oz., 50c per Ji lb. 



Mrs. Alfred Watkins. A superb pale pi' 1 

 similar in shade to the old Princess Beatrice. 17 

 per pkt., 5 pkts. 75c. 



Nora Unwin. The finest white now in ex 

 iitence. 17c per pkt., 5 pkts. 75c. 

 Phyllis Unwin. A veritable giant amonj. 

 Sweet Peas; color a deep rose-carmine. 15c pei 

 oz.. 50c per % lb. 



DREER'S GARDEN BOOK 

 and Florist's Catalogue 



now re.idy and sent on appli- 

 cation to all florists. 



Henry A. Dreer 



714 Chestnut Street 

 PHILADELPHIA - - 



PA. 



disappointed, and many much sur- 

 prised at this turn of affairs, but when 

 it is remembered that the case has 

 been tried again before the same jury 

 that convicted I hem a year ago, there 

 is really nothing to wonder at. No 

 client would ask his attorney to try 

 liis case before a jury that had once 

 decided against him. There will be 

 many new men in the next Congress, 

 men who know that the representative 

 farmers of the country are not flat- 

 tered by receiving a few packets of 

 bargain counler seeds, and while past 

 experience does not warrant a very 

 strong hope that the new Congress 

 will do any different from its prede- 

 cessors, yet it is a new jury in part, 

 at least, and might possibly take a 

 different view of this free seed matter. 



to be shipped from the South, and 

 corn in the husk which has been in 

 cold storage since last fall will be 

 used, and a practical demonstration of 

 the canning industry will be given 

 each day. As the public is to be freely 

 admitted to the machinery hall this 

 will, no doubt, be one of the chief 

 attractions. It is needless to say that 

 this will be a very expensive demon- 

 stration, and the men who have con- 

 ceived and will carry out the idea are 

 worthy of generous praise. 



4n interesting feature of the forth- 

 coming Canners' Convention is to be 

 a model canning factory in full opera- 

 tion. New string beans and peas are 



On account of the recent severe 

 drought. .Japan lilies in the field have 

 suffered considerably in their growth, 

 and as a result of the strong demand 

 of last year many seedable bulbs were 

 shipped. On this account prices of 

 bulbs will be at least 20 per cent, high- 

 er this year than last. 



WE MAKE A SPECIALTY OF 



French and American 

 Greenhouse Class 



Particularly in the larger widths, which are now being more generally called 

 for. All our glass is hand blown and annealed with the greatest care. 



Standard Plate Glass Co, 



26-30 Sudbury Street 61-63 Portland Street 



BOSTON, MASS. 



Henry Nungesser & Co., received 

 on January 28 a shipment of 1980 

 bags of Bromus inermis — the largest 

 single shipment of this grass seed 

 ever brought to this country. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



The Potato Year Book for 1907, the 

 otiicial publication of the National Po- 

 tato Society of England, is a very in- 

 teresting volume. It is the first "Year 

 Book" dealing exclusively with the 

 potato-growing industry, and will un- 

 doubtedly prove a most useful hand- 

 book for every one engaged in grow- 

 ing or improving the humble but in- 

 dispensable vegetable. Questions of 

 crossing, culture, testing, diseases, ex- 

 hibiting, etc., are dealt with by emi- 

 nent authorities in original papers and 

 portraits of a number of the writers 

 are given. Sir John T. D. Llewelyn is 

 president of the society, and W. H. 

 Adsott, Hatton House, Great Queen 

 street, London, is honorable secretary. 



