June 29, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



849 



work now being done at the laboratory 

 in Washington. 



The next thing on the program was 

 the paper by J. Horace McFarland on 

 the Twentieth Century Seed Catalogue. 

 Mr. McFarland was at his Viest, and 

 his paper, replete with wise criticism 

 and timely advice, was easily one of 

 the best efforts ever made before any 

 horticultural organization in this 

 country. It was illustrated by stere- 

 opticcn pictures and should have been 

 heard and seen by every seed or nur- 

 sery house issuing a catalogue. We 

 hope to present the lecture in full in 

 next week's issue. Watch for it. 



Ad.iournment was had until " P. M., 

 but it was 3.30 when the meeting was 

 called to order and Alex. Forbes took 

 the stand and read his paper on the 

 Free Seed Distribution, which appears 

 in another column of this paper. Sec- 

 retary Kendel next reported as a dele- 

 gate to the National Council of Horti- 

 culture, and after discussion the sum 

 of $200 was appropriated for the pur- 

 pose of conserving the interests of the 

 seed trade in the published matter 

 sent out by this organization. W. P. 

 Stokes then opened up the question as 

 to whether it is advisable to offer dis- 

 counts from catalogue prices. The 

 consensus of opinion seemed to be in 

 opposition to a continuance of this 

 practice. The association then went 

 into executive session. 



THE BANQUET. 



The- banquet given at the Hotel As- 

 tor in honor of the twenty-fifth anni- 

 versary of the birth of the American 

 Seed Trade Association on Wednesday 

 evening, June 20, was a glorious and 

 memorable occasion. One hundred 

 and seventy-five ladies and gentlemen 

 sat at the tables and en.loyed a regal 

 feast while an orchestra discoursed 

 sweet music. Patrick O'Mara, the 

 ideal toastmastei', always witty, im- 

 pressive and altogether Inimitable, 

 presided and called upon the various 

 victims with such persuasive elo- 

 quence and amusing anecdotes that all 

 took their medicine with a smile. 



The first speaker was President 

 Wood of the American Seed Trade As- 

 sociation, who received a well-merited 

 ovation accompanied by the strains of 

 "Dixie Land." His speech was opti- 

 mistic and promising for the future 

 prosperity of the seed trade. Capt. 

 Landreth spoke next as a pioneer in 

 the seed trade, and was followed by 

 C. L. Allen, the Nestor of the seed 

 business. 



W. G. Johnson, of the American Ag- 

 riculturist, made the speech of the 

 evening, and told many amusing sto- 

 ries illustrating the growth and devel- 

 opment of American Horticulture. 

 President Wm. J. Stewart, of the So- 

 ciety of American Florists, was next 

 called upon to respond for that socie- 

 ty. He urged the need of education in 

 horticulture and extended to the Seed 

 Trade Association the best wishes of 

 the S. A F. and congratulations on the 

 youthful vigor and enterprising pol- 

 icy which had characterized this mem- 

 orable meeting. Albert McCuUough 

 was the next speaker and held his au- 

 dience spellbound. Chas. P. Braslan 

 told of the great development of the 

 Pacific coast country in agriculture, 

 and intimated that an invitation for 

 the Association to hold next year's 

 meeting at San Jose would be extend- 

 ed. Mr. Briggs of Toronto responded 

 to a very complimentary ovation to 



Canada and made an instructive ad- 

 dress on Canadian agricultural condi- 

 tions. W. P. Stokes of Philadelphia 

 testified that, although an ex-presi- 

 dent of the Association, he still felt 

 youn.g and eager to work in the ranks, 

 and in conclusion called tor a standing 

 toast to Wm. Meggatt, an old-time 

 member of the Association, which was 

 responded to with hearty enthusiasm. 



C. N. Page of Des Moines was the 

 next victim of the toastmaster's wit 

 and flattery, who responded appropri- 

 ately. S. F. Willard was next enjoined 

 to speak for the Nutmeg State, which 

 he did in most acceptable style, adding 

 a pleasant word for his friend and 

 nei.ghbor, Wm. Meggatt. J. Austin 

 Shaw, for the horticultural press, was 

 the next speaker and he was very hap- 

 py in his allusions to the work and 

 inspiration of the Association and the 

 friendship of the horticultural press 

 for the seed trade. Toasts to the la- 

 dies and the committee, the toastmas- 

 ter, the Blarney stone and Henry 

 Nungesser followed in rapid succes- 

 sion, Mr. Wood of Louisville respond- 

 ing, for the latter and expressing re- 

 gret over his inability to do justice to 

 the subject. Mr, Groot of Holland be- 

 ing called upon, took occasion to ex- 

 press his gratitude for his kindly re- 

 ception by the American trade. 

 ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 



On Thursday forenoon the visitors 

 enjoyed an auto excursion and on 

 their return the meeting was called 

 to order at noon, the principal busi- 

 ness being .the election of officers 

 which resulted as follows: 



President, George S. Green, of the 

 Illinois Seed Co., Chicago; 1st vice- 

 president. M. H. Duryea, of Henry 

 Nungesser & Co., New York; 2nd vice- 

 presfdent, F. W. Bolgiano, Baltimore; 

 secretary-treasurer, C. E. Kendel, re- 

 elected. 



Executive committee: H. W. Wood, 

 Charles S. Burge, Leonard H. Vaugh- 

 an, Chas. N. Page and Watson Wood- 

 ruff. 



Membership committee: Albert Mc- 

 CuUough, S. F. Willard and F. W. 

 Jones. 



For the next meeting place Califor- 

 nia had sixteen votes and Detroit 

 twelve, and decision accordingly will 

 be referred to the executive commit- 

 tee. After the balloting adjonrnment 

 was made to the reception room, where 

 Walter P. Stokes, on behalf of the as- 

 sociation, presented with appropriate 

 remarks a fine binocular field glass to 

 retiring President Wood. Mr. Wood 

 responded, thanking the members for 

 their support during his pleasant 

 term of ofllce and expressing grateful 

 appreciation for the testimonial. 



SEED TRADE NOTES. 



The Venable Seed Co., Owensboro, 

 Ky., has been petitioned into bank- 

 ruptcy. 



Among the San Franclscoans re- 

 suming business since the earthquake 

 is Thomas Meherin who will shortly 

 open near his old location. 



A. F. Purcell of the Clipper Seed 

 Cleaner, Saginaw, Mich., made the en- 

 tire trip to the Seed Trade Convention 

 in New York in an automobile. 



J. Chas. McCullough, wife and 

 daughter, who have been attending 

 the Seed Trade Convention In New 

 York sailed for Europe on the 27th. 

 on the Deutschland. 



REMINISCENCES OF THE SEED 



TRADE. 



(lU'.id before tlie American Seed Trade As- 

 sociation by F. W. Bruggerliof.) 



An Extraordinary Advertisement. 



1 cannot let pass an opportunity 

 like the present when I am called 

 upon to relate the reminiscences of 

 sixty years in the seed trade, to first 

 call your attention to part of an ex- 

 traordinary advertisement which was 

 copied from the New York Commer- 

 cial Advertiser by the Boston Courier 

 in 1845. It shows clearly that the 

 reminiscences of that advertiser, Grant 

 Thorburn, are much more curious and 

 interesting than mine since they date 

 back to 1799 at a time when he was 

 practically the only seller of seeds 

 in this city. His advertisement goes 

 on to say that he started with three 

 pots of geraniums, a monthly rose 

 and fifteen dollars' worth of seeds, 

 and he makes the further statement 

 that the seeds grew until they filled 

 the whole continent; the rose blos- 

 somed until it spread into a tree and 

 the little birds formed their nests 

 under its branches. 



It was then, before my time that a 

 host of pretenders came boasting into 



F. W. BltUGGERHOF 



this country and among them was 

 William Cobbett who arrived with an 

 idea that all Republics were humbugs 

 and so offensive did he become to good 

 Americans that he was obliged to flee 

 to England, whence he returned as a 

 Radical Democrat to open a seed store 

 at 62 Fulton street, this city where he 

 sold ruta baga at $1.00 per pound 

 and black pigs at $10.00 each. 



My first experience in the seed 

 trade as you know dated from 1847 

 at which time ruta baga seed, accord- 

 ing to a catalogue of that date, did 

 not sell at $1.00 per pound but rather 

 at 12 l-2c. an ounce, at which price 

 some sixteen varieties of turnips were 

 quoted. The item of black pigs does 

 not appear on our lists and I am sure 

 they were not considered seeds in 

 those days. In that year, 1847, and for 

 several years thereafter the seed 

 trade in respect to flower and garden 

 seeds was in very insignificant pro- 

 poi-tions through all of this country, 

 and my records show that the actual 

 seedsmen did not exceed in number 

 fifteen or sixteen, and these were all 

 of very modest pretentions and scat- 

 tered between the cities of New York, 

 Philadelphia, Baltimore, Rochester, 

 Boston, Cincinnati, New Orleans and 



