754 



H ORTlCULTURt 



November 27, 1909 



Seed Trade 



THE AMERICAN SEED TRADE AS- 

 SOCIATION. 



Some remarks by W. Atlee Burpee at 

 the Lonsdale banquet in Philadelphia. 



In the few minutes I shall talk to 

 you tonight, I can give hut a brief out- 

 line of the history of the Ameiican 

 Seed Trade Association and what it 

 has accomplished. The first meeting 

 was held in New York city at the 

 Gilsey House, June 12th to the 14th, 

 188:;. R. A. Robbius of Wethersfield, 

 Connecticut, familiarly known to the 

 trade in the later years of his life 

 as "Deacon Robbins," was elected 

 chairman, and thus became the first 

 president of the association. 



Of the 33 members who attended the 

 first convention 19 are dead, while of 

 the remaining 14 but 7 are now in 

 active business afliliated with the seed 

 trade. A few among the leading 

 seedsmen of the day held aloof, evi- 

 dently believing they were sufficient 

 unto themselves, but the association 

 went on its way. growing in member- 

 ship and proving its usefulness, until 

 now it has ICS active members, while 

 not more than two or three repre- 

 sentative houses are outside of Its 

 fold, and to these the glad hand of 

 fellowship is ever extended, with the 

 invitation, "Knock and it shall be 

 opened unto you." 



The advantages of organization and 

 concentration of energies are too well 

 appreciated to require argument. We 

 have seen what aggregations of capital 

 have accomplished, and the tremen- 

 dous power they wield. We have seen 

 what organization has done for the 

 working men of the country. Accord- 

 ing to statistics furnished by the Man- 

 ufacturers' Association, less than 10 

 per cent, of the wage earners of the 

 country are organized, yet this 10 per 

 cent practically dominates the labor 

 market, and in many instances dom- 

 inates completely important industries. 

 The founders o£ the American Seed 

 Ti-ade Association appreciated the 

 power of organization in securing de- 

 sired and beneficial results, and in 

 preventing undesirable and harmful 

 measures, detrimental to their legiti- 

 mate interests. 



A few disgruntled members of the 

 trade groping tor an excuse for not 

 joining the association have asked, 

 "What has it done, what good is it?" 

 If the annual convention of the as- 

 sociation had done nothing more than 

 to make the members acquainted with 

 one another it would have a valid 

 excuse for its existence. 



The moral force and effect of the 

 Association of a body of men, whose 

 aim is to elevate and improve their 

 business, even if they accomplish 

 nothing but to meet and discuss mat- 

 ters of mutual interest and exchange 

 ideas, would be quite sufficient to justi- 

 fy such an organization, but the 

 American Seed Trade Association has 

 done more than this It has accom- 

 plished practical results, has secured 

 the enactment of much needed and 

 useful legislation and accomplished 

 the defeat of more or less vicious and 

 unnecessary measures. It would be 

 pleasing to give the full record of the 



I — Micheirs Seasonable Seeds — i 



VERBENA SEED S="B?a'nTy 



Strain. 1 his is without douht the finest str.iin ever 

 offered to the trade, combining large size, purity of 

 color and free fl wering qualities. 



Tr. Pkt. Oz. 



Blue 30C. . .$1.25 



Scarlet 30c... 1.25 



White 30C . . 1.25 



Tr. Pkt. Oz. 



Pink 30c. ..$1.25 



Striped .. .30c... 1.25 



SWEET PEAS, (WmtW FlO^erlOQ) 



Christmas Pink (Pink and White) White 

 (Florence Denzer). Mrs. Alex. Wallace (Lav. 

 ender). 



Price 25c per oz; 1 4 lb. 7Sc; per lb. $2. 



Mixed.. 



..30c. 



Also all other varieties as listed in our Wholesale 

 Catalogue a copy of which is yours (or the asking. 



MOSS, Green Lump. 



In Bags Containing About 

 One Barrel 



75c per Bag 



WATSONIA ARDERNEI 



Florists it will pay you to grow some of these bulbs. The flower is pure white, produced 

 on stems about five feet in lefigiii. For cut flowers, they have proved especially valuable, 

 lastirg several days in a cut state, and are very decorative. The bloom and habit is simi- 

 lar to that of the Gladiolus, coming into full bloom about Easter, when its pure white 

 blooms are of great value. 



Immediate ordering advisable at the special low price of $6.00 per 100. 



— Henry F. Michell Co. 



1018 Market 

 Street 



Phila. —^ 



association in this respect, but this 

 would require much time and pains- 

 taking investigation, therefore a few 

 only of the good things to tfie credit 

 of the association may be mentioned. 

 The special postage rate on seeds ob- 

 tained in 18S8 and in force up to the 

 present time; securing of special rates 

 from the express companies in 1898 on 

 seeds, bulbs, plants, etc.; the enact- 

 ment of a law allowing the payment 

 on the mailing of catalo.gues at pound 

 rates, without the necessity of stamp- 

 ing each individual piece. These are 

 just a few of the practical things ac- 

 complished. One important measure 

 must not be overlooked and though 

 the last to be accomplished by the 

 association, is by no means the least 

 important. This is securing specific 

 instead of ad valorem duties on prac- 

 tically all seeds. 



Some of these results were secured 

 by co-operation with other organiza- 

 tions, notably our friends the florists, 

 but the defeat of a measure introduced 

 in Congress raising postage rates to 

 prohibitive figures; the defeat of the 

 so-called Mann Pure Seed Bill for a 

 time at least ; the killing of a ridicu- 

 lous Pure Seed Bill introduced in the 

 New York legislature last winter, and 

 many other measures pro and con 

 were brought about by the American 

 Seed Trade Association unaided. 



Ail of these things were accom- 

 plished by organization. Individual 

 protests or efforts would have been 

 as a "voice crying in the wilderness," 

 and would have gone unheeded, hence, 

 there is the strongest of reasons for 

 every legitmate seedsman belonging to 

 t,he association, and the time will 

 come when the last outsider will join 

 the ninety and nine and be safe with- 

 in the fold. 



NOTES. 



San Francisco, Cal. — A. Nauvra- 

 niont, formerly with the May Seed 

 Co. has started in business for him- 

 self under the firm name of the Cali- 

 fornia Seed Co. 



Pasadena, Cal. — The Ross Seed 

 Co., 148 W. Colorado street, has re- 

 cently been purchased by Wm. Neil 

 Campbell, Mr Campbell who has 

 been connected with the concern se- 

 curing control by purchasing the in- 

 terest of his partner J. W. Ross. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



St. Przedpelski, Plock, Polonia, 

 Russia. — Price list of Tree and Shrub 

 Seeds. 



Ernst Benary, Eituit, Germany. — 

 List of seed novelties for 1910, includ- 

 ing asters, verbenas, lobelias, gerber- 

 as, etc. Also Begonia gracilis Prima 

 Donna. 



NEWS NOTES. 



York, Neb. — Joseph Hackethal has 

 purchased a portion of the Harrison 

 nursery property. 



Port Arthur, Tex.— C. H. Crawford 

 of Minnesota is looking over the 

 ground, with a view to establishing a 



Inrp-p niireorv hi^rp 



large nursery here. 



OUR ANNUAL SPECIAL 



}Vill be Issued December 11 



The best and most far reaching Adver' 

 tising medium of the year. Has highest 

 purchasing power behind it. 



A business proposition pure and simple. 



Send Advertising Copy EARLY, 



COLD FRAME MATS 



Burlap $1.25 



Water Proof Duck 2.00 

 Straw Mats 1.75 



$14.00 doz. 

 22.00 '' 

 20.00 " 



W. ELLIOTT ca SONS. 



42 Vesey Street . . 



NE'W YORK 



