65S 



HORTICULTURE 



April 9, 1910 



Seed Trade 



A SURE SIGN OF SPRING. 



Condition of Trade and Prospects. 



The condition in the seed trade so 

 far as can be ascertained are very 

 satisfactory as far as activity in all 

 lines of the trade can be considered. 

 The statements from the large mail 

 order houses show that for the past 

 two or three weeks they have done a 

 larger volume of business than ever 

 in their history. Counter trade is also 

 very active, and in sections of the 

 country where this class of business 

 does not usually begin in earnest until 

 April, the dealers have been crowded 

 to their limit, and have been unable 

 to take c^re of the orders, many of 

 them being from two to four days or 

 more behind, practically all of their 

 time being taken up in waiting on 

 transient counter trade, while their 

 orders have been side-tracked for 

 evening work. 



How long this condition will last is 

 a problem that is interesting the trade 

 and worrying a considerable number. 

 The latter are pessimistic, and are 

 confident that we will have more win- 

 ter, and that such an early spring is 

 not a good omen, but means a short 

 season and a smaller volume of busi- 

 ness. This does not seem to be a 

 wise view to take, as everyone should 

 make the most of the conditions as 

 they meet them, and trust to the for- 

 tunes of war for the future. If bad 

 weather follows, a large replanting 

 will no doubt be necessary, although 

 in the matter of peas the shortage of 

 many of the leading varieties is so 

 great that there will be nothing left 

 for replanting if any disaster should 

 overtake the first planting. It is 

 therefore a rather serious matter re- 

 garding peas, although as to most 

 other varieties enough seed will prob- 

 ably be found for such replanting as 

 may be necessary. It is reported that 

 the growers of peas are planting such 

 varieties as Gradus, Thomas Laxton, 

 Telephone, etc., and unless the weath- 

 er conditions are more favorable dur- 

 ing April than is usual, a very large 

 percentage of the seed will fai! of 

 germination. Th3 replanting of these 

 varieties will of i-ourse be practically 

 impossible, as there are no reserves to 

 draw upon, and either other variet'es 

 must be utilized, or the replanting of 

 peas be omitted. 



The Canners' Plans. 



Joint committees representing the 

 Canners' Machinery & Supply Associa- 

 tion, and the National Brokers Associ- 

 ation, met in Chicago on Maicb 26th 

 for the purpose of selecting a place foi 

 the next Annual Convention to be 

 held during February, ]911. Tiic place 

 selected is Milwaukee, and v/hil'; cer- 

 tain preliminaries are yet to be settled, 

 there Is little doubt that the place 

 made famous by Schlitz will have the 

 pleasure of entertaining the canners 

 and allied industries in 1911. The 

 committee which met in Chicago dis- 

 cussed the claims of the various cities 

 bidding for the convention, but as Mil- 

 waukee's offer was the most practical. 



LTfloagiiE 



When Mr.. Commuter comes into town and makes his purchases of garden neces- 

 sities. . . 



the other bidders received little atten- 

 tion. The first vote was practically 

 unanimous for Milwaukee. Following 

 this meeting in Chicago, a sub-com- 

 mittee wu.- appointe'd to visit Milwau- 

 kee to interview the local association, 

 and close the contract for next year's 

 convention, which was done subject 

 to confirmation by the Board of Di- 

 rectors of the National Canners' As- 

 sociation. The Committees represent- 

 ing the Brokers' & Machinery & Sup- 

 plies Association, have been fully em- 

 jjowered by their Associations to de- 

 cide the matter. Milwaukee's new 

 Auditorium or Convention Hall will be 

 the place for the Machinery & Sup- 

 plies exhibit, and as there are various 

 large halls capable of seating from 

 300 to loUU people, in addition to the 

 main convention hall, the meetings of 

 I lie different associations will be held 

 right in the building, and there will 

 therefore be no real necessity for ho- 

 tel headquarters, although in all prob- 

 ability one will be chosen, but .lust 

 which one has not been decided upon. 

 We learn that a new hotel is to be 

 erected which will be open for busi- 

 ness January 1st, 1911, and it is not 

 improbable that this new hosceiry may 

 be chosen as the headquarters. The 

 local hotel men's association have 

 given their pledge that their rates will 

 not be advanced to members who at- 

 tend this convention, but that the reg- 

 ular rates will be charged. The Busi- 

 ness Men's League or Association, 

 guarantee to furnish Convention Hall 

 in its entirety for the use of the con- 

 vention for a period of ten days, or 

 such part thereof as may be neces.sury, 

 free of charge. The diftorences which 

 have heretofore existed between the 

 National Canners' Association r.ud Ma- 

 chinery & Supplies Association are in 

 a fair way of adjustment. a,j both coia- 

 mittees were very much disposed to 

 bury their differences and co-operate 

 earnestly for the advancement of the 

 canning industry. At this writing it 

 looks very favorable for a harmonious 

 and successful convention, and it is 

 earnestly hoped that no discordant el- 

 ement will be permitted to butt in and 

 upset things. 



The Pea Outlook. 



Peas are going into the ground earl- 

 ier than in many years. During the 

 last ten days of March, planting was 

 quite general in Wisconsin, ar.d if the 



weather should continue favorable, 

 canning will commence at least 3 or 

 4 weeks earlier than last year. Many 

 hundreds of acres had been planted up 

 to March 26, whereas last year prac- 

 tically no planting was done until the 

 first or second week in May. it is to 

 be hoped that the unfavorable weath- 

 er may not destroy the seed or young 

 plants just after coming out of the 

 ground. It is very early, however, for 

 seeding in Wisconsin, and all mui:t 

 admit that there is a couii'.erable 

 element of risk from unfavorable 

 weather, still those who are planting 

 are fully justified in doing so, and 

 trusting to luck to pull through with- 

 out serious damage. There is much 

 complaint from the canners of secur- 

 ing acreage this year, and in Indiana, 

 Ohio and portions of Wisconsin the 

 acreage will be greatly reduced unless 

 tLc canners rent the land and do their 

 own fariiii.ig. This tiiev are not like- 

 ly to do to any considai iible extent, 

 and the result will be decri-ased acre- 

 age, which will doubtless make for 

 the best interests of the industry, 

 while a considerable quantity of pea 

 seed will be carried over and which 

 probably will not be needed for next 

 .reason, as it looks at present much as 

 if this would be a year for a good crop 

 of peas, both for seed and canning 

 purposes. It the present outlook holds 

 good we may expect a decided slump 

 in values next fall, and Spot Pea Seed 

 will be for sale at prices below those 

 now quoted on futures. For this reas- 

 on, it would seem that every bushel 

 of future seed that can be sold by the 

 growers will prove of advantage to 

 them. 



Notes. 



Sheboygan, Wis. — The Allan Seed 

 Co., has started on a three-story addi- 

 tion. 



Milwaukee, Wis. — Louis Johnson & 

 Son have purchased the seed business 

 of C. H. Jackson. 



Augusta, Ga.— N. L. Willett Seed 

 Co., 309 Jackson St., has increased 

 their capital stock to $30,000. 



FIRE RECORD. 



Windsor, N. Y. — The large building 

 occupied by D. M. Ferry & Co. as a 

 seed ware house, was recently gutted 

 by fire, loss $200,000. 



