576 



HORTICULTURE 



October 22, 1910 



Seed Trade 



An Interesting Event. 



A meeting of the Board of Directors 

 of ttie Wholesale Seedsmen's League, 

 was held in New York City at the 

 rooms of the Hardware Club, Thurs- 

 day, Oct. 13th, for the purpose of sug- 

 gesting prices for the preliminary 

 wholesale price lists soon to be issued. 

 Mr. F. W. Bruggerhof, President of the 

 League, was in the chair. The direc- 

 tors present were Messrs. Burpee, 

 Buist, Breck, Wood, Landreth, F. W. 

 Bolgiano, of Washington, acting for 

 Albert McCullough: John L. Hunt, act- 

 ing for Jerome B. Rice, and S. F. 

 Willard. There were present as guests 

 — Alexander Forbes, of Peter Hender- 

 son & Co.; W. C. Langbridge, of the 

 Jerome B. Rice Seed Co.; Philip Lan- 

 dreth, Bui-nett Landreth. Jr.. Howard 

 M. Earl of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. 



While we are unable to give in de- 

 tail the prices agreed upon, we are 

 informed that excepting on peas and 

 Golden Self Blanching celery, there 

 have been no radical changes from last 

 year's figures. It has several times 

 been predicted in HORTICULTURE 

 that peas would reach new high price 

 levels this season, and our predictions 

 have been amply verified by the prices 

 agreed on by the directors of the 

 League, which will cause surprise in 

 the trade when they are generally 

 known. The general list of prices are 

 the result of much painstaking thought 

 and care, and it is believed are fairly 

 representative of present values. These 

 prices will soon be in the hands of 

 members of the League and will then 

 become public. 



At one o'clock the meeting ad- 

 journed for lunch. An elaborate lunch 

 was served in a private dining room. 

 This lunch was given by Mr. Burpee 

 in honor of Mr. Bruggerhof's eightieth 

 anniversary. A feature was an im- 

 mense birthday cake, surrounded by 

 eighty red wax candles all of which 

 were lighted for a time. At the con- 

 elusion of the luncheon which was 

 thoroughly enjoyed, a large and beau- 

 tiful silver loving cup was presented 

 to Mr. Bruggerhof by Mr. W. Atlee 

 Burpee on behalf of the directors of 

 the League. We are informed that 

 while Mr. Bruggerhof had been ap- 

 prised of the luncheon, he knew noth- 

 ing about the loving cup, and was 

 therefore taken quite by surprise, and 

 at the conclusion of Mr. Burpee's very 

 happy and eulogistic speech, when he 

 arose to reply, he was very visibly af- 

 fected and could with difficulty control 

 his emotions. Following Mr. Brugger- 

 hof, nearly everyone present was 

 called on by toastmaster Burpee, and 

 all gladly added their tribute of praise 

 and respect in honor of the seed 

 trade's "grand old man," but by uni- 

 versal consent the palm was given to 

 Mr. Bruggerhof. Jr., who spoke of his 

 father with remarlvable tact and deli- 

 cacy. 



■While the name of J. M. Thorburn & 

 Co. has been familiar words in the 

 trade for three-quarters of a century, 

 the social side of the man who has 

 been its chief factor, and has done so 

 much to increase its prestige for near- 

 ly half a century, was little known up 

 to perhaps fifteen years ago. His aus- 

 tere dignity did not seem to invite 



Micheirs Narcissus 



ti 



The Distinctive Quality 



ff 



All our bulbs are selected with the utmost care, are of exceptional soundness and size 

 and produce " Quality " flowers, the kind which bring the top-notch price in the market ! 



Double Von Sion 



IS OUR LEADER 



Extra Selected Bulbs, 

 Double Nose Mammoth Bulbs, 



Dor. loo looo 50C0 



$ .25 $1.35 $12.00 $55.00 

 .30 1.85 17.75 



Order Promptly Before the Stock Gives Oat. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO., 



««fK^"sT PHILADELPHIA 



close acquaintance, and few ventured 

 to disturb his peace unless under pres- 

 sure of important business. Mr. Brug- 

 gerhof has been identified with the 

 American seed trade for fifty-five 

 years, having entered the seed estab- 

 lishment of Thorburn in 1855. He is 

 acknowledged to be the best all around 

 seedsman in the United States, the 

 highest authority on the history of the 

 seed trade in America, his views as to 

 variations and merit commanding the 

 highest consideration. The wholesale 

 seed trade as represented by the 

 League is fortunate in being presided 

 over by a man of such ability and lov- 

 ing disposition. 



The Meyer-Stisser Co. have opened 

 their new store in Baltimore on Light 

 street and they undoubtedly will have 

 the good wishes of the liiaeral mem- 

 bers of the trade. They are starting 

 under a considerable handicap, as the 

 scarcity of leading seed stocks will 

 make it difficult for them to secure 

 what they want in this line, and when 

 they do secure them they will have to 

 pay long prices which will place them 

 at a disadvantage with their competi- 

 tors. However, perseverance and good 

 business judgment will probably win 

 out for them. 



Alaska Peas of high quality are in 

 demand in Baltimore and the South 

 generally, but as a rule the dealers are 

 not educated to the present values. 

 They find it very diflicult to appreci- 

 ate the very great shortage in peas 

 this year and insist that conditions are 

 exaggerated and that enough will turn 

 up to meet all reasonable demands at 

 moderate prices as in most other 

 short-crop years. They will not be 

 very long in learning, however, as 

 definite information as to what the 

 growers are going to deliver on con- 

 tracts cannot be long delayed, and 

 when once the facts have percolated 

 through the craniums of those who 

 now refuse to believe, there will be a 

 grand scramble to secure good stocks 

 at practically any prices quoted. 



There are reports that the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture will have to re- 

 vise their list of seeds to be sent out 

 the coming winter, owing to the ex- 



tremely short crops, consequently light 

 deliveries of many standard varieties 

 of seeds aside from peas. There Is 

 another rumor going around to the ef- 

 fect that the Department secured posi- 

 tive guarantees of delivery from all 

 those with whom they placed orders 

 last spring. Should this prove to be 

 correct, they will be relieved of their 

 anxiety, but those seedsmen or grow- 

 ers who guarantee full deliveries and 

 especially on stocks of this year's 

 growth, will be objects of pity, if not 

 of sympathy. 



As indicated by the announcement 

 in our advertising section this week 

 another important move has been 

 made in the reallignment of forces 

 in the Boston seed trade district. The 

 two gentlemen who have joined forces 

 with the old established, conservative 

 house of Thos. J. Grey Co. carry with 

 them no small amount of prestige and 

 good-will. Few men are so well-known 

 and generally liked in the trade as 

 Frank Barney and J. M. Gleason, and 

 they understand the seed business thor- 

 oughly. The reinforced Company will 

 undoubtedly have the best wishes of 

 the trade for their success. 



NEWS NOTES. 

 Mechanicsville, N. Y. — Charles 

 Shearer has purchased the green- 

 house of W. H. Allen. 



Whitesboro, N. Y. — J. C. Spencer is 

 now .gardener in charge of the green- 

 houses of W. A. Rowlands. 



Oskaloosa, la. — Extensive altera- 

 tions are being made by the Kimble 

 Floral Co. at their property on C 

 avenue. 



Roswell, N. Mex. — The new green- 

 houses and nursery of the Roswell 

 Floral Co. opened for business here 

 recently. 



Manchester, Mass. — By mutual con- 

 sent the partnership between Magnu- 

 son & Hylen has been dissolved. Mr. 

 Magnuson purchases Mr. Hylen's in- 

 terest. 



Ann Arbor, Mich. — Members of the 

 family of John Quincy, florist, are 

 making a search for him. as he re- 

 cently sold a plot of land and left 

 town without notifying his family of 

 his destination. 



