4SS 



HORTICULTURE 



November 16, 1918 



SEED TRADE 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 



Offlcers — President. F. W. Bolgiano, 

 Waohinston, l>. C. ; First Vice-Prenidmt, 

 Wm. O. Srarlett, Baltimore. Md.; Second 

 Viie-rre»idenl, David Burpee, Philadel- 

 phia. I'a.; Secretary-Treasurer, C. £. 

 Kendel. Cleveland, O. 



Seeds Placed in Class 1. 



Attention is called to the statement 

 in the issue of the Seed Reporter for 

 October 5, 1918, that seeds have been 

 placed in Class 3 of the Preference 

 List by the Priorities Division of the 

 War Industries Board. Upon further 

 consideration of this matter by this 

 Division of the War Industries Board, 

 seeds have been placed in Class 1. 



The purpose of this classification is 

 to insure the placing of seed in the 

 hands of farmers and gardeners In 

 ample time for planting. It is a recog- 

 nition of the importance of seed in 

 the food production program. It is 

 intended by this to expedite in every 

 way possible the necessary cleaning, 

 handling, and distribution of seeds 

 from producer to consumer, either di- 

 rectly or through legitimate seed 

 handling agencies or distributors. 

 Advantage should not be taken by this 

 classification to facilitate the move- 

 ment of seeds for purely speculative 

 purposes. Such action on the part of 

 seedsmen will be prejudicial to the in- 

 terest of the trade as a whole and 

 should be discouraged in every way. 



about thirty days ago. Most of the 

 independent growers having a surplus 

 quantity of sets have sold them, and 

 while a few sets are still being of- 

 fered, they do not find ready sale. 



Present quotations, for prompt ship- 

 ment, based on 32 pounds per bushel, 

 are $2. CO per bushel for yellow; $2.00 

 to $2.20 for red; and $2.50 to $2.75 for 

 white onion sets. Quotations for 

 January shipment are about $2.25 for 

 yellow; $2.40 for red, and $3.25 to 

 $3.50 for white onion sets. 



Onion Set Conditions at Chicago 



Onion sets in the Chicago district 

 have turned out very much better 

 than was anticipated in the summer 

 and early fall. During the harvesting 

 season the crop appeared short. 

 Though the acreage planted to onion 

 sets this year was much larger than 

 last year, it is estimated that the 

 acreage of sets harvested this year 

 was less than that of last year. The 

 yields, however, were better, averag- 

 ing on the South Side of Chicago, 

 about five bushels for each pound of 

 seed sown, and on the North Side, five 

 and a half to six bushels per pound 

 sown. No survey of total production 

 has been made, but dealers estimate 

 that the production for 1918 is about 

 80 per cent, of that for 1917. The 

 sets were harvested under ideal 

 weather conditions and the quality is 

 excellent. 



The active shipping season from 

 growers' to distributors' hands is over. 

 The outside demand is quiet and 

 prices have declined about 25 cents 

 per bushel from those prevailing 



to be made. No export licenses are 

 granted until the approval of such 

 representatives is obtained indicating 

 that shipping space can be spared for 

 this purpose. 



Permission to export overseas the 

 seeds of mangel beet, sugar beet, cab- 

 bage, cauliflower and turnip probably 

 will not be granted except in special 

 cases. 



Conference Relative to Exports of 

 Vegetable Seeds 



A conference of Government offi- 

 cials and seedsmen was held in the 

 office of the Seed Reporting Service, 

 October 11, 1918, following the receipt 

 by the Seed Reporting Service of the 

 data requested in the vegetable seed 

 export inquiry to which reference was 

 made in the issue of the Seed Report- 

 er for October 5. There were present 

 at this conference representatives of 

 the Shipping Board, War Trade Board. 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Canadian Seed Commissioner, and the 

 War Service Committee of the Ameri- 

 can Seed Trade Association. 



The data presented by the Seed Re- 

 porting service giving for the differ- 

 ent kinds of vegetable seeds the carry- , 

 over on July 1, the imports and ex- 

 ports for several years, the production 

 for 1916 and 1917 and estimated pro- 

 duction for 1918, considered in connec- 

 tion with figures giving total quanti- 

 ties for which export applications had 

 been or probably would be made for 

 1918. showed that with most items 

 there would be an ample supply to 

 provide for domestic requirements 

 and for all of the applications for ex- 

 port to Canada and to Allied countries 

 overseas. These data were considered 

 in connection with other factors 

 which enter into obtaining or grant- 

 ing export licenses for seeds and dif- 

 ficulties attendant thereto, in order 

 that the situation might be clarified 

 and the granting of licenses and the 

 making of shipments expedited as 

 much as possible. 



The import requirements of vege- 

 table seeds of some of the Allied 

 countries are not fully known, but in 

 the absence of accurate information 

 relative to such requirements, per- 

 mission to export all those kinds of 

 vegetable seeds of which there is an 

 ample supply both for this country 

 and for the orders already placed for 

 our Allies, probably will be granted 

 up to the total amounts indicated by 

 the export inquiry unless withheld 

 at the request of representatives of 

 the countries to which shipments are 



Value of Onions. 

 Editor Horticultuke: 



I notice in the Horticulture of 

 November 2nd, page 441, a little ar- 

 ticle on "Onions Save Soldiers' Lives," 

 advising people to grow larger quan- 

 tities of onions. If the article is true 

 and the people and soldiers in foreign 

 countries require onions, I don't see 

 the necessity of urging people to grow 

 larger quantities when the country is 

 simply flooded with them now. The 

 market price in the vicinity of Roch- 

 ester is only from 35 to 50c. per 

 bushel, much less than the growers 

 can produce them. In fact, most va- 

 rieties of vegetables are selling be- 

 low cost to the growers. Carrots and 

 Danish cabbage are $10.00 per ton, 

 and there is no market at all for do- 

 mestic cabbage at any price. Turnips 

 sell at $15.00 to $18.00 per ton and 

 potatoes at $1.00 per bushel. 



The farmers and growers have 

 made an extra effort to supply the 

 great demand, resulting in very low 

 prices and in many cases no market 

 at all; in fact, it has been overdone, 

 and unless higher prices are paid, 

 you will find that there will be less 

 grown. Yours very truly, 



Chas. H. Vick. 

 (The paragi-aph commented on by 

 Mr. Vick was furnished from govern- 

 ment sources. — Ed.) 



A Good Pea. 



If any seedsman wants a garden 

 pea for next season's trade that will 

 win the high opinion of his customers, 

 or if any grower wants to sow some- 

 thing specially good, let me suggest 

 "Union Jack" as one that will reach 

 the goal. This Is not my opinion 

 alone, but that of men who have put 

 it to the test this season. To describe 

 Union Jack as a dark green "Sena- 

 tor" is to convey a very good idea of 

 its qualities, but it has on some Trial 

 Grounds proved even a heavier crop- 

 per than the older prolific bearer. — 

 Hort. Trade Advertiser. 



More Dutch Bulbs. 

 As we go to press the news comes 

 of the arrival yesterday (Nov. 13) 

 of a large cargo of Dutch bulbs at 

 New York. Ordinarily, this arrival at 

 so late a date would be of but little 



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