690 



HORTICULTURE, 



May 25, 1907 



SEED TRADE 



Contrary to early reports, it trans- 

 pired that comparatively little plant- 

 ing has been done in the line of gen- 

 eral crops east of the Rockies. It is 

 only within the past ten days that 

 peas have been planted by the pack- 

 ers on an extended scale. As early 

 as April farmers in Western New 

 York, and particularly in the vicinity 

 of Buffalo, planted peas. The hardy 

 varieties like Alaskas and First and 

 Best have managed to poke their 

 noses through the grounds, but Tele- 

 phones, Gradus and kindred sorts are 

 still in a state of "innocuous desue- 

 tude" and likely to remain so indefi- 

 nitely. As the percentage of hardy 

 early peas planted is very small at 

 any time, the failure of the large- 

 podded wrinkled varieties is very seri- 

 ous, as seed of these varieties is prac- 

 tically exhausted, and not procurable 

 in quantities at any price. 



The attention of the writer was 

 called to a sowing of Alaskas and 

 Admirals made on the same day and 

 in the same field, showing that while 

 the Alaskas had germinated well, 

 making a good stand, the Admirals 

 had come up very sparingly, and the 

 seed of the latter was pronounced 

 faulty in vitality. The same fault 

 was found by those who had planted 

 the Telephones, Gradus, Duke of Al- 

 bany and Thomas Laxton. Had the 

 seed been planted in a snow bank 

 the same criticism would have been 

 heard, and coming from farmers who 

 have been growing peas for years, 

 shows the complaints to be essen- 

 tially dishonest. 



Though it is so early that any 

 opinion is nothing but a guess, yet 

 the feeling is general that we are 

 booked for another short pea crop, 

 and this is especially the view of the 

 canners. No opinion is expressed by 

 the writer, as guesses are of no par- 

 ticular value. As soon as there are 

 developments on which to base an 

 opinion, the readers of HORTICUL- 

 TURE will get it. 



It is time that sugar corn was 

 planted, but neither the soil nor the 

 weather offer any encouragement, and 

 under the most favorable conditions 

 it will be ten days before it will be 

 safe to plant. The same may be said 

 of cucumbers, melons and other vine 

 seeds. 



From floods to drought is a far cry, 

 yet California has suffered from both 

 this year. As expressed by a promi 

 nent California seed grower in a re- 

 cent letter, "not a drop has fallen 

 since it quit coming down in floods. 

 We have plowed up the lands ruined 

 by the rain, and just now need a little 

 moisture to work down the roughness 

 for planting, otherwise it must stand 

 over until next year. One piece of 

 our best land is covered with wild 

 mustard twelve feet high, and so 

 thick teams can't get through it." 



Another grower complains of the 

 scarcity of farm labor. He says: 

 "The agitation started by the labor 

 unions has resulted in stopping the 

 Japanese from coming over, and we 

 are up against it. The union man 



will only work in the cities where he 

 can get from |3.00 to $10.00 per day 

 according to the character and qual- 

 ity of his work, and will work only 

 eight hours. Such pay and hours are 

 of course impossible for us, but even 

 if we could and would grant them, 

 these fellows would not work on the 

 ranches. Between the scarcity of 

 labor and the continuous rains up to 

 the middle of March, it has been im- 

 possible to keep the weeds down, and 

 they are three feet high. Mildew has 

 started on the onions left from the 

 floods, and what the end will be no 

 one knows." 



A pertinent question for every 

 seedsman now is: "What shall the 

 harvest be?" One result of the floods 

 and the succeeding drought, has been 

 an enormous reduction in the acre- 

 age of sugar beets. The sugar trust 

 will please take notice. As "captains 

 of industry," now is your chance for 

 an advance of twenty-five per cent, 

 in the price of sugar. It is to be 

 hoped that the "pernicious" activity 

 of the President will not interefere 

 with this "legitimate" advance. 



Rates assured by the Hotel Astor. 

 selected as headquarters for the en- 

 suing Seedsmen's Convention in New 

 York City, are as follows: Single rate 

 without bath, $2.00 and up per day; 

 with bath, $3.00 and $4.00. For two 

 persons without bath, $4.00 per day; 

 with bath from S5.00 to $7.00, accord- 

 ing to location and size of rooms. 



Local retail trade in seeds continues 

 slow everywhere, but indications are 

 that it will last into June, and may 

 finally prove less disappointing than 

 seemed probable a few weeks ago. 

 The early promise of a bumper year 

 cannot possibly be realized, however. 



Not much cheer comes from Cali- 

 fornia, the m.ost recent advices indi- 

 cating a heavy shortage in carrot seed, 

 lettuce, parsnip and other biennials, 

 while no material change can be noted 

 in respect to onion seed. 



Henry Field, Shenandoah, la., has 

 incorporated his business, with capi- 

 talization of $80,000, and will erect 

 a large fire-proof seed warehouse. 



Adolph Kruhm, formerly of Phila- 

 delphia, has taken a position in the 

 retail department of Barteldes & Co., 

 Lawrence, Kans. 



MOVEMENTS OF GARDENERS. 



I. W. Bagge, late of Golden Gate 

 Park, San Francisco, takes charge of 

 the De Sabla estate, San Mateo, Cal. 



J. Bell has succeeded J. Donald as 

 head gardener to Professor Osborne at 

 Castle Rock, Garrison, N. Y. Mr. Don- 

 ald is at present in Scotland. 



SEND COPY EARLY. 

 Memorial Day comes this year on 

 Tliursday, HORTICULTURE'S regu- 

 lar publication day. On this account 

 we shall go to press on Wednesday 

 and copy for reading columns or ad- 

 vertising must reach us Tuesday, or 

 not later than Wednesday morning to 

 insure insertion. 



PRIMULA SEED 



The Finest in America 



Orange King (novelty) Bright 



Salmon 

 Pure White Trade Pkt. 



Giant \ ir^""' *'■"" 



Scarlet H Trade Pkt. 



Royal Blue 60c 



Mixed 



Novelties 



Double Pink Trade pkt. 



Double Crimson $1.00 



Primula Obconica Kesmesina 

 deep rose Tr. pkt. 50c 

 " Alba, pure white 50c 

 ' nixed SOc 



Primula floribunda grandiflora 



(Buttercup) SOc 

 " Forbesii (Baby Primrose) 2Sc 

 '• Kewensis (Giant yellow 



Buttercup) $1.00 

 This charming addition to our 

 greenhouse Primroses originated 

 at the Royal Gardens, Kew, as an 

 accidental cross between the small, 

 but bright-flowered Himalayan spe- 

 cies, P. FLORIBUNDA, and the 

 sweet-scented P. VERTICILLATA, 

 a native of Arabia. The plant is a 

 strong grower, with bright green 

 leaves, and numerous erect flower- 

 scapes, 10 to 18 inches in height 

 producing flowers in whorls at in- 

 tervals along their whole length. 

 The flowers are fragrant, bright 

 yellow in color, with a slender tube 

 and spreading limb, nearly an iBCh 

 in diameter. As a winter-flowering 

 decorative plant it is an acquisi- 

 tion; its floriferousness when In a 

 very small state is remarkable. 



ARTHUR T. BODDINGTON 



342 W. 14th St., N. Y. 



FIELD CROP PROSPECTS. 



There has been no change in weather 

 conditions during the past week. It 

 continues cold \vith frosts nearly 

 every night, and only hardy crops can 

 Ije planted, those that can withstand 

 the cold weather and even a little 

 real frost. Potatoes are lying dormant 

 where planted, or are rotting in the 

 cold, wet ground, and much replanting 

 will be necessary. The few who have 

 ventured to put out tomato plants have 

 labored in vain, as all have been killed, 

 and even when protected by glass, un- 

 less aided by artificial heat, growers 

 are compelled to cover the glass with 

 mats Or blankets to keep I he plants 

 from freezing. No corn has been 

 planted, or very little at least, and re- 

 planting will absolutely be neces.sar>' 

 in such instances. Of course, it is not 

 yet too late for com or potatoes to 

 make a crop, but we cannot overlook 

 the fact that we are getting close to 

 the danger line, where every day's de- 

 lay reduces crop prospects. 



INCORPORATED. 



La France Carnation Co., Elmira, N. 

 Y. ; flowers, plants and vegetables; 

 capital, $50,000; incorporators, F. L. 

 La France, T. E. La France, D. A. 

 Kent, H. A. La France. 



TO CATALOG MAKERS. 



We are able to quote a low price 

 on the majority of the electros of the 

 illustrations in HORTICULTURE. 



