254 



HORTICULTURE 



February 25, 1911 



Seed Trade 



Where Seeds Come From. 



"Where Seeds Come Prom," was the 

 subject of an unusually valuable lec- 

 ture by John K. M. L. Parquhar in 

 Horticultural Hall, Boston, last Satur 

 day, with lantern slides. 



Mr. Parquhar said, in beginning, 

 that the United States is entirely de- 

 pendent on foreign countries for its 

 supply of flower seeds, and largely so 

 for its better varieties of garden seeds 

 and also for agricultural seeds. The 

 supply of seeds from Germany alone 

 aggregates from eight to ten tons. 

 Numerous forage seeds are also im- 

 ported each year to supply the needs 

 of farmers. Of vegetable seeds this 

 country is now producing in northern 

 New York and Michigan, nearly all 

 the garden peas required. A genera- 

 tion ago these, too, were imported. 

 California produces practically all the 

 lettuce seeds needed and California 

 growers are now supplying large quan- 

 tities for export to France and Great 

 Britain. Lima beans and onion seeds 

 for the most part come from the Pa- 

 cific Coast, while vine seeds such as 

 squash, cucumbers and melons, are 

 now largely grown in Colorado and 

 northern New York. The best sweet 

 corn is produced in Connecticut and 

 large supplies come from the West. 



The speaker proceeded to tell about 

 the famous places in Europe where 

 seed growing has been carried on for 

 generations. In the south of Prance 

 entire families engage in the work 

 which their ancestors were brought 

 there to do by the Romans, who gave 

 them grants of land that they might 

 raise choice vegetables and herbs for 

 their tables. On these farmers this 

 country depends largely for the finest 

 egg plant, peppers, various salad seeds 

 and herbs. The growing of zinnias, 

 asters, gllliflowers and others has re- 

 cently been taken up by these French 

 people with success. 



Perhaps the most painstaking seed- 

 growers, said the speaker, are those 

 of Germany. The growth of seeds on 

 a large basis was first established at 

 Erfurt. Up to the time of Napoleon's 

 campaigns the fields had been de- 

 voted to vine culture and the wines 

 were justly celebrated. The business 

 has now spread to the Hartz Moun- 

 tains, including the town of Quedlen- 

 berg, where one of the large seed 

 farms covers an area of nine thousand 

 acres. 



Mr. Parquhar showed slides giving 

 an excellent idea of the methods em- 

 ployed in growing forage grasses. In 

 closing he said that it will be many a 

 generation before the United States is 

 able to produce anything like the 

 amount of seeds required for its 

 farms, gardens and pleasure grounds, 

 to say nothing of those required for 

 planting under glass. 



n the Canaries. 

 J. Hazeltlne, 



Onion Seed Industry 



(From Viee-Consul Ross 

 Tenerlffe.) 



The exports of onion seed from the 

 Canary Islands to the United States 

 during the year 1910 declined approxi- 

 mately 35 per cent, as compared with 

 the quality exported in 1909. 



The exportation of onion seed from 

 the Canary Islands to the United 

 States began about 15 years ago, when 

 a trial shipment of 30 pounds was con- 



EXTRAORDINARY NOVELTY 



The First Ruffled Gladioli 



GLADIOLUS KUNDERDI "GLORY" 



Wavy, ruffled petals give the flower the appearence 

 of an Orchid. Color, creamy pink. 

 Each 20c ; Doz . $2.00 ; 100 $15.00 



\\}ile for Special Circular. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO. 



518 Market St. 



Phila., Pa. 



Farquhar's 

 Flower 

 Seeds 



for 



The Florist 



Write for our Wholesale 

 Catalogue 



R.&J FARQUHAR&CO. 



Boston, Mass. 



ONION SEEDbONION SETS 



We are extensive growers and dealers. 



Write for prices on the I'JIO crop. We are 



also submitting contract figures for the 

 1911 crop of Onion Seed. 



CHILUCOTHE 

 OHIO 



SCHILDER BROS., 



signed to a Philadelphia seed dealer. 

 Since then the exports have steadily 

 increased, and with the decline of the 

 drawn-work industry the trade in 

 onion seed has become the most val- 

 uable item of export from these islands 

 to the United States. Practically the 

 entire crop is sold to the agricultur- 

 ists and seed dealers in the south- 

 western part of the United States. 



The year 1909 was the banner year 

 as regards the quantity exported. The 

 prevailing prices, however, were slight- 

 ly lower than those of the preceding 

 and present years. The American im- 

 porters purchased larger quantities 

 than they could dispose of, with the 

 result that the opening of the present 



ISBELUS SEEDS 



Our Michigan Grown Seeds are 

 winning their way into public 

 favor with astonishing rapidity. 

 Here under our own super- 

 vision, we grow all our Beans 

 and Peas, Cucumbers, Musk- 

 melons, Tomatoes, Radish, 

 Sweet Corn, besides many other 

 things of less importance. Don't 

 you think we can honestly 

 claim to know the seeds we 

 sell? We invite you to Try 

 our Seeds and Methods just 

 once and it will not be long 

 until you have formed the 

 habit of using Isbell's Seeds. 



Send for our Elegant 104 page Seed 

 Annual and also Wholesale Gar- 

 deners' Ltsl. FREE. 



S.M.ISBELL&CO., 



Rox 841 

 JACKS 'N.MICH. 



»• 

 I 



New Seed for 

 Florists' Planting 



We are rapidly gettln( onr 

 new stocks of all the varlons 

 kinds of flower and vecetahle 

 seeds ready for orders. New 

 ASTER SEED TATALOr.l'K 

 and WHOLESALE FRICB 

 LIST ready soon. Send for 

 copies. In the meantime. If 

 In need of any varieties 

 handled by the best concerns. 

 Bend your orders dlre^'tly to 

 us. The chances are we hare 

 It. and If so. It Is of the best 

 quality. 



I James Vkk's Sons, Rochester N.Y. ■ 



Jack Frost Mats 



For Cold Frames 

 $1.25, $14.50 DOZ. 



WM. ELLIOTT & SONS, 



42 Ve»ey St., New York 



