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HORTICULTURE 



October 16, 1909 



IF YOU COULD SEE OUR BULBS 



You would place an order with us at once. They are large, sound, smooth, bright colored; 

 just the kind for forcing or outdoor planting. Although we have had the hrgest trade so far in 

 the history of this concern, we shall not be satisfied until we get YOUR order. 



SPCCIAI^ BARGAIN 



As an inducement for a general order of bulbs, we offer Mixed Double Hyacinths, for a 

 few days only, at $2.35 per hundred. This is the same grade catalogued at $2.75. This offer 

 is made for orders of not less than 50 bulbs, and only to those who mention this paper. 



BETTER SEND US AN ORDER TODAY 



JAMES VICK'S SONS,- Rochester, N.Y. 



Seed Trade 



The Burpee Purchase. 

 The purchase of a ranch in the Lom- 

 poc Valley by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 

 Is most interesting reading and may 

 prove the forerunner of other pur- 

 chases in the Golden State by fellow- 

 seedsmen. As was once remarked on 

 another occasion, Mr. Burpee and his 

 chief push, Mr. Earl, do not follow, 

 but. establish precedents, and have been 

 pioneers before. This purchase was 

 whispered in HORTICULTURE'S seed 

 trade ear some months ago, but we 

 did not feel at liberty to make it pub- 

 lic, and it is probable that permission 

 to publish the facts might not have 

 been given at the time. For years 

 it has been rumored that one of the 

 largest jobbing houses was considering 

 the establishment of a seed growing 

 plant in California, and the result ot 

 the Burpee experiment will be watched 

 with much interest. It is hoped the 

 result will be such as to encourage 

 others to go and do likewise. 



Crop News. 



Some criticism of HORTICUL- 

 TURE'S prop news has been made, but 

 if anyone can point out where we have 

 been conspicuously at fault, we should 

 be pleased. If the writer's memory is 

 correct, we have predicted crop results 

 with remarkable accuracy. Latest re- 

 ports on Sugar Corn show general im- 

 provement as stated in issue of October 

 2, and the Connecticut crop promises 

 to prove much better than was expect- 

 ed some weeks ago, but onion seed in 

 Connecticut has been very poor as a 

 whole. A few crops have been a fair 

 average, but they could not make up 

 for the failures, yet there will be tons 

 of Connecticut-grown onion seeds of- 

 fered for sale, and as in former years, 

 several times more of such seed will 

 be sold than is grown in the entire 

 state. And there are other items 

 which go much the same way. 



Not much has been heard of potatoes 

 as yet, but a good deal will be heard 

 soon, and it will not be a joyful noise 

 either as far as Maine is concerned. 

 Reports that the tubers were rotting 

 badly have been in circulation for some 

 weeks, and it now can be said definite- 

 ly that these reports are only too well- 

 founded, and' the worst has not been 



told. For years Maine stock has com- 

 manded a premium, and in fact it was 

 difficult to dispose of other stock, hence 

 there will be woe in many parts of 

 the country, particularly in the South, 

 but the real heavy losers will be the 

 Maine farmers and those dealers who 

 have bought farms and grow their own 

 potatoes. Many thousands of bushels 

 will be thrown away, and troubles and 

 tribulations await dealers who handle 

 Maine potatoes in all parts of the 

 country. The losses in any event will 

 be heavy, and if the trouble spreads 

 and continues, they will be enormous. 

 New York potatoes were once the 

 standard of excellence, and they will 

 probably come into their own again 

 this year, and for a brief period will 

 likely dominate the situation, though 

 New York will have strong rivals for 

 the crown, notably Michigan and Wis- 

 consin, whose crops ot "Murphies" are 

 said to be e.\cellent in quality, though 

 short in quantity. It looks as if choice 

 seed potatoes would bring strong prices 

 by next spring, and it will pay well 

 to hold them over winter. Buyers 

 have to be educated up to high prices, 

 and seldom are willing to pay actual 

 values early in the season, and there 

 seems little chance of prices being 

 lower next spring. 



Beans are like corn, still a more or 

 less uncertain factor in the general 

 crop situation, and probably will not 

 prove as large as expected a few weeks 

 ago, but really accurate information 

 will not be obtainable for a few weeks 

 yet. All that can be given is the trend 

 of things at this writing. Of course, 

 the bean crop is made, but it is not 

 housed, and "there's many a slip 'twixt 

 cup and lip" — between the maturing 

 and safe storing of a crop of beans — 

 as many a grower has learned to his 

 sorrow. 



It is said that the Lima bean crop — 

 meaning commercial Limas for con- 

 sumption — is the largest ever harvested 

 in California, while the quality is very 

 fine. If threshing and storing can be 

 completed before rain comes, the enor- 

 mous crop will unquestionably have 

 the effect of depressing prices. This 

 great crop was produced in five coun- 

 ties, and divided about as follows: 

 Ventura, 950,000 bags; Orange, 275,000 

 bags; Los Angeles, 100,000 bags; Santa 

 Barbara, 20,000 bags; San Diego, 15,000 

 bags. It will be noted that Ventura 

 county produces nearly two-thirds of 

 the entire output, but in some of the 

 other counties the business is in its in- 

 fancy and the splendid success attend- 



ing this year's venture will no doubt 

 lead to a large extension of the indus- 

 try. All this will be hailed with sat- 

 isfaction by seedsmen, as it indicates 

 that they will not have to be depend- 

 ent on a small group of men in a very 

 restricted territory for their seed 

 Limas, and, by the way, it may be 

 taken for granted that the crop of seed 

 Limas this year will be above average 

 — both in quantity and quality. 



Notes. 

 "Culture of Garden Peas for Canning 

 Purposes," is the title of a paper by 

 Mr. W. S. Siebert, printed in "The Con- 

 ner'' ot October 7th. It is able, and 

 in the main reliable and accurate. Not 

 otly canners, but seedsmen will find 

 ibis paper interesting and informing. 

 Some criticism of it may follow in 

 next week's issue. 



Boston seedsmen report an unusual- 

 ly heavy bulb trade — some say the 

 largest they have ever had. They have 

 had to cable second, and even third 

 orders. So far as can be learned, trade 

 has been exceptionally good every- 

 where, and the promises of a pennant 

 year for the trade as a whole were 

 never brighter. The season of 1909-10 

 will almost surely set a new high rec- 

 ord. 



The advent of Mr. Theo. Cobb, for 

 over twenty years with D. M. Ferry & 

 Co., into the corporation of J. F. Noll 

 & Co., of Newark, N. J., addsi a live 

 wire to the staff of that concern. Mr. 

 Cobb has been considering this move 

 since last spring, and his connection 

 with the business has been contingent 

 upon Mr. Dungan's becoming identi- 

 fied with it. With Dungan and Cobb 

 working Jn harmony, J. F. Noll & Co. 

 (Inc.) will become known by many 

 who have never yet heard of them. 

 They will have the hearty congratula- 

 tions of all broad-minded, right-think- 

 ing persons, and best wishes for their 

 success. 



Canadense, Super- 

 bum, Single and 

 Double Tigers, 

 named Elegans, 



LILIES 



Tenuifolium, Wallacei, etc. 



GERMAN AND JAPAN IRIS, DEL- 

 PHINIUM FORMOSUM 



Write for prices 



EC mi I CD Wading River 

 ■ OilHILLCIf L.I., N. Y. 



