702 



HORTICULTURE 



May 7, 1910 



Now is the Time to Order l^iciteli's Giant Strain 

 .^^^ /^. ^ Citinese Primrose and 



v^^if^^ij^^tt^. Cineraria Seed 



■^ji L ""^^f- JV% " ^^ have a very choice strain of Primula, which is grown for us by 



l'"» ^ "TY ' flfek '(V^T'% '^^f' '^ the leading Primula Specialists in England and Germany. Flowers 



''^ ^^ i '«fK i?~ji.! > Jk^JXJA of extra large size, and beautifully fringed. 



j<2 ^ I USS"®- -* ^B-JM^ V4 Trade Trade 



■ S.U',' JE^^jrJtBk, J'^si'^^'lhK '--'^^T^Bngl. Pkt. Pkt. 



►■■^iW.-''*^ '■«^Bf (£j^F T-aik 'X-^-^SilW Alba Magniflca. White $0.60 $1.00 



E-J"^ 'I ■^fc-<" jWMDtStl Cbiswick Bed. Brilliant Red 60 1.00 



Ilolborn Blue 60 1.00 



KermeHina Splendene. Crimson....'. .60 1.00 



' i f^Hsevm ; "i«» Rosy Mum. Pink 60 1.00 



ifj iJKBlaT -iAfcJ }^^ MicheirB Priie Mixture 60 1.00 



?^^^i^^ CINERARIA 



Tc^tnjnsn^^t. mm 1 i iiniima '^^^ Cineraria seed offered by us is the best procurable. Im- 



M#WBrij^Hk , _|. j^ -t ^^^^^jMHllK ■.''*^i?-^ meuse trusses of the largest flowers are produced. Our strains have 



'O^ V^c*|l'fSr^^^^^ >«^^ll«^iL^ beeu awarded numerous First Prizes. 



V , i 'Vvi>i£^^^ JSraf ttv^l % Trade Trade 



«S£ ^ -^sttt^^^l^^^^^r .-=.» "^1Ihk-*5^^ Uraiuliflora Frize Dwarf. Mixed $0.60 $1.00 



'^ Orandiflora Prize Medium Tall. Mixed .60 1.00 



James' Giant Strain. Mixed .60 1.00 



Hybritia Choice Mixed .30 .60 



MlebelVs Chinese Primrose Our WhoUtale Catalogue free for the asking 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO. 518-1018 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 



Seed Trade 



Results of Cold Snap. 



It seems to be the concensus o£ opin- 

 ion that the recent cold wave did much 

 less damage than was feared. Un- 

 doubtedly considerable damage was 

 done to fruit in many sections, but, 

 so far as can be ascertained, the injury 

 to planted crops has been comparative- 

 ly slight, all of which proves the ten- 

 dency to exaggerate every calamity 

 and the hecessity of waiting for 

 reasonable proof before getting ex- 

 cited. 



As expected, there have been a tew 

 complaints of unsatisfactory germina- 

 tion of peas, but in the majority of 

 instances this trouble can be traced 

 directly to unfavorable conditions of 

 soil and weather. In many sections 

 there have been severe frosts and 

 snows from a few inches to a foot in 

 depth since peas were planted, and it 

 is not surprising, under such condi- 

 tions, that the germination is not of 

 the highest. It should not require a 

 very high degree of intelligence to fig- 

 ure this out; but the disposition to 

 blame someone for our failures is pre- 

 dominant in most of us. 



Pea Prospects. 



Speaking of peas, we learn that they 

 are in full bloom in Mai-yland and Del- 

 aware, and it is expected that picking 

 and canning operations will begin by 

 the middle of May. This will be a 

 very early stai-t, almost — if not quite — 

 establishing a new record. Prospects 

 lor a good crop are said to be excellent 

 and it may be added here that ci-op 

 conditions generally, as affecting peas, 

 are good up to this time. 



While not exactly a part of the seed 



business, it is interesting to note that 

 Maryland strawberries will undoubted- 

 ly be in the market by the 15th, which 

 is also unusually early. There is prom- 

 ise of a fine crop and indications are 

 that the fruit will be of excellent qual- 

 ity. 



Maule Expands. 



For several years William Henry 

 Maule, the well-known Philadelphia 

 mail order seedsman, has worked un- 

 der a handicap of a lack of room. A 

 considerable part of his seed business 

 has been carried on in a building 

 owned by him on Market street, and in 

 which are the offices of his paper, The 

 Pi-actical Farmer. Recently Mr. Maule 

 has leased the building immediately 

 adjoining his main ofiice at 1711 Fil- 

 bert street and, as this will give him 

 five additional floors, it will help to 

 solve the problem he has been wrest- 

 ling with for several years. He pro- 

 poses to cut doors through from his 

 building into the next on each floor, 

 and when his plans are perfected he 

 will be enabled to employ a larger 

 force during the annual spring rush 

 and will probably be prepared to take 

 care of all business within twenty-four 

 hours after his orders are received. 



Mr. Maule is one of the most pro- 

 gressive, and it may be added, ag- 

 gressive, men in the seed business, and 

 there are few improvements of a prac- 

 tical character that he does not avail 

 himself of. 



The Burpee Premiums. 



In our issue of March 12, comment- 

 ing upon the numerous large pre- 

 miums offered by W. Atlee Burpee 

 annually for competition in vegetables 

 and flowers at state and county fairs, 

 George C. Watson wrote as follows: 



"As there is no mention of horticultural 

 societies (or other similar organizations) 

 it is presumed that only state and county 

 fair secretaries come under the provisions 

 of the offer. There may be good reasons 



for this limiting, yet it seems to us it 

 might be broadened; not only for the ad- 

 vancement of horticulture under the 

 auspices of horticultural and liorieultural 

 associations — as distinct from county fairs: 

 but for the benefit of the business of the 

 generous douoi-s. 



"We will be glad to hear from Mr. Bur- 

 pee as to his reasons for excluding these 

 associations— that is, if we are correct in 

 assuming that he does so limit his offer." 



In reference to the above Mr. Earl 

 has written in explanation, as fol- 

 lows: 



"Some time ago there appeared in the 

 columns of that bright paper. HORTI- 

 CULTUKE, a paragraph or two asking why 

 we did not allow different horticultural 

 societies to offer at their several ex- 

 hibitions the special Burpee cash premiums 

 as they are ottered annually by us at state 

 and county fairs. Without giving vou the 

 names of the different societies, we have 

 for several years past done all we pos- 

 sibly could to encourage the holding of 

 flower shows especially when they made a 

 sjjecialty of sweet peas but as to our of- 

 fering these premiums broadca.st we do not 

 think it would be wise, as there is no way 

 by which we can tell just where to draw 

 the line. As a rule wben any of the of- 

 ficials interested in flower shows write us 

 they yi'iierally obtain some sort of a pre- 

 mium to offer in our name whether the 

 premium consists of cash or some of our 

 books on horticultural topics or, as is 

 sometimes the ease, a piece of silver." 



Mr. Earl further asks for sugges- 

 tions as to how his house could best 

 proceed to extend even greater en- 

 couragement than heretofore, to the 

 holding of horticultural shows and 

 fairs without waste of time and 

 money. 



We might say that it should not be 

 forgotten that the Burpee premiums, 

 while liberal, are all for the products 

 of Burpee's seeds— so that the donor 

 would be the gainer whoever won 

 them. Why is a county fair in a little 

 community so much preferable from 

 a business standpoint to a horticul- 

 tural show in a big town? That is 

 the main question asked by Mr. Wat- 

 son and Mr. Earl's letter does not 

 quite answer it. 



Through wise advertising, splendid 

 organizing ability and enterprise that 

 knew no limitations, the Burpee estab- 



