306 



HORTICULTURE 



February 26, 1910 



Seed Trade 



"The Canners' Convention. 



The Canners' Convention at Atlantic 

 City, proved, as predicted in ttiese col- 

 umns some weeks ago, very much of 

 a frost in so far as the attendance of 

 the canners themselves is concerned. 

 Not over a third of the number which 

 attended the two last conventions 

 were present, and while much busi- 

 ness of Importance was transacted, it 

 was very evident to all that the ab- 

 sence of a machinery exhibit was 

 largely responsible for the slim at- 

 tendance. About the usual number of 

 supply men were on hand, but not 

 nearly as many machinery men. The 

 heads of the different concerns were 

 there, with possibly one or two leading 

 representatives, but the large army 

 of workers who usually accompany the 

 machinery to install and operate same, 

 were of course, absent. 



A Prospect for Harmony. 



One result of this rather slim at- 

 tendance of canners has been a change 

 in their attitude towards the Machin- 

 ery and Supplies Association, and it 

 looks now as it the two organizations 

 would work together on a basis of real 

 •co-operation. A committee of four 

 from the Canners' Association, three 

 from the Brokers' Association and 

 three from the Machinery and Supplies 

 Association are to meet in Chicago 

 early in March, to decide on the place 

 for the next convention and also to 

 thresh oi't whatever differences may 

 exist between the different organiza- 

 tions. The personnel of the various 

 committees promises an amicable and 

 harmonious session, and it is gener- 

 ally believed that much of the friction 

 which has heretofore existed will be 

 eliminated from future conventions. 

 The canners' committee is composed 

 of advanced thinkers aud men who are 

 very much disposed to concede to 

 •others the rights which they ask for 

 themselves, and it certainly is to be 

 hoped that the different organizations 

 will get together in a spirit of real 

 harmony and co-operation. 



Possibly IVIilwaukee for Next Year. 



The full number of seedsmen and 

 their representatives were on the job, 

 but according to all reports it was a 

 very poor convention for business. 

 More than one was heard to say that 

 they did not do business enough to 

 pay expenses. These are the fortunes 

 of war, however, and such conditions 

 have to be accepted, as well as those 

 that are profitable to the supply incn. 

 While it may be a little previous to 

 name the place for the next conven- 

 tion, it looks as if Milwaukee will be 

 the place, though of course it depends 

 on the action of the committees which 

 .are to meet, and as a matter of course 

 the canners will have the principal 

 say and the predominating influence. 



Government Seed Contracts. 



Just at present, the Department o£ 

 Agriculture is wrestling with its an- 

 nual seed contracts. Bids were opened 

 on the 15th and the clerks are now 

 busy tabulating same and it will be 

 several days before the committee will 

 be able to award the contracts to the 

 various bidders. Three classes of bids 



were invited this year, one permitting 

 the bidder to offer such items as he 

 felt best able to handle and on the 

 pro rata basis of delivery in the event 

 of short crops; another invited bid- 

 ders to bid on the entire contract, on 

 the same basis of delivery in the event 

 of short crops; while a third asked 

 for guaranteed delivery, regardless of 

 crop conditions. It is generally as- 

 sumed that one or two bids covering 

 the entire requirements will be made, 

 but, in view of the extremely bad out- 

 look for many seed crops, especially 

 European productions, it looks as if 

 any one who will guarantee deliveries, 

 is taking a pretty long chance of get- 

 ting the loser's end. Certainly, unless 

 their prices were pitched in a pretty 

 high key, and under such conditions 

 a bidder stands very little chance of 

 securing any business, as your Uncle 

 Sam is a very close buyer in so far, 

 at least, as the Department of Agricul- 

 ture is concerned. 



Seed Trade Activity. 



Business in the seed trade seems to 

 be very satisfactory as far as can be 

 ascertained, and stocks generally are 

 moving well, with the possible ex- 

 ception of onion seed. There is much 

 complaint that this item is going very 

 sluggishly, although there is yet time 

 for an active trade and it is earnestly 

 hoped it will come. Further and more 

 detailed news will be given about seed 

 matters in the succeeding issues of 

 HORTICULTURE. 



FREE SEED AND PARCELS POST. 



Editor of HORTICULTURE: 



At the February meeting of Garden- 

 ers' and Florists' Club of Boston, the 

 questions of the abolition of free seed 

 distribution by the Government and 

 the adoption of a parcels post system 

 were brought up and urged by several 

 of the members present, and the club 

 unanimously endorsed two resolutions 

 to be sent to Washington in support 

 of their views. I would like to sug- 

 gest in addition to this that HORTI- 

 CULTURE take the matter up aud 

 stimulate the movement by advising 

 every reader of this paper, who is a 

 voter, to write a personal letter to 

 the congressman in his district, put- 

 ting it squarely up to him that unless 

 he supports all legislation for the 

 abolition of the free seed distribution 

 and for the adoption of a parcels 

 post, the writer will not support him 

 for re-election. 



This movement has been agitated by 

 some of the N. Y. State agricultural 

 papers for some time, and I believe 

 that if all the periodicals published 

 in the interests of both horticulture 

 and agriculture would take the mat- 

 ter up and advise their readers to 

 make the subjects a personal issue, 

 the results would be far more effective 

 than any amount of resolutions adopt- 

 ed by the different societies. The 

 voter has the power in his hands to 

 demand his needs, but the laclv of 

 system in its application. 

 Yours Very Truly, 



WM. R. THORNHILL. 

 Readville, Mass. 



QREEN 



Cane Stakes 



For Your Lilies 



6 to 8 ft., $7.00 per 1000 



WM. ELLIOTT & SONS, 



42 Vesey St., New York.'^ 



I OFFER CHOICE QUALITY 



Early Ohio Potatoes, $i.oobu.; Early Irish Cob- 

 blers, $i.oo bu.; Genuine Danish Ball-head Cab- 

 bage Seed (imported stock) $4.00 lb. All .Early 

 Radish seed (French Stoke) $.40 per lb. Nerthern 

 grown Kellow or White Onion Sets, $2.35 i>er bu. 

 All F. O. B. Syracuse. Remittance with ordei. 

 Reference any bank in Syracuse. 



F. H. EBELING, Seedsman 



Established 1868. Syracuse, N.Y. 



IN CONCRETE PLANT PROTECTORS 



A tried and proven success. Keep out frost and draw 

 heat. Equal tor forcing to the famous bell j.<rs used in 

 France. Field trials show four times the yield, ripen- 

 ing a month ahead of season, and valu increased 100 

 times. No blight or insects. Useful for lettuce, rhu- 

 barb, melons, etc. Hold water for irrigation. Patent 

 just issued on protectors, and line wire opens or closes 

 100 instantly. Illustrated treatise tells how to make 

 them quickly at 2c each, how to make molds at 25c. 

 Also, full information about this method. Each pur- 

 chaser of book has privilege to make mold and protec- 

 tors. Menttoh this paper and send $1.00 for book. 

 Money back if not satisfied. 



J. H. HALBY, Seed Grower. ^ Munith, Mich. 



SEEDS THAT GROW 



; wit! 



Best quality Vegetable, Flower 



and Farm Seeds, Alfaltu 



Clover, Seed Potatoes, 



We will send free 



catalog a packet of 



our New Coreless 



Tomato, 



best of all 



torn at oe: 



:ot fall 



^ -— lo try our 



y^^ltountlful 



i'oi lection of 



^ CKetable ^ceds, 



test 5 varieties on 



th, postpaid for 40c. 



We also carry full , line 



of Nursery slock. 



German Nurseries, 

 Box 236, Beatrice, Neb. 



NEW CROP FLOWER AND VEGETABLE SEEDS 



K( IR F(.>RlING 

 Aster*. Salvias. Vmcas. Verbenas, 

 Stocks and Petunias, Tomato " The 

 Don," Onion " Ailsa Craig '' Mush- 

 rooni Spawn—English and Pure Cul- 

 ture- special prices and iaiaiogite on 

 application. 

 tir»«k.k» n^n ^'"'^^ Merchants fk Growers 



Weeoer & UOn, im chambers street. NEW YORK 



Peas and Beans 



If you want our growing prices for 

 Crop 1910 please let us know. 



Alfred J. Brown Seed Co. 



Grand Rapids, Mich. 



Boston, Mass. — H. Buck, formerly 

 with a New York seed house is now 

 employed bv the W. W. Rawson Seed 

 Co. 



NOTES. 



Larimore, N. D. — S. F. Mercer and 

 .1. H. Magor have opened a seed store 

 here, the firm name being M. & M. 

 Seed Store. 



Harrlsburg, Pa. — Walter S. Schell 

 formerly with the Holmes Seed Co.. 

 has gone into business for himself 

 at 1308 Market St. The store has 

 been fitted up very completely with 

 vermin-proof seed cases and shelv- 

 ing. 



