256 



H ORTl CULTURE 



February 25, 1911 



season — July and August — found them 

 with considerable quantities of old 

 seed on hand. Consequently, contract 

 orders for this season's crop were can- 

 celed and the export figures show a 

 remarkable decrease. The exports 

 for the coming year should show an 

 increase unless the reputation of the 

 Canary onion seed has been injured in 

 the United States by the mixture of 

 old and new seed. 



The quality of the Canary onion 

 seed is unexcelled and the exporters 

 maintain a high percentage of germi- 

 nation which is usually guaranteed. In 

 order to protect the planter in the 

 United States, as well as the reputa- 

 tion of seed, it has been suggested 

 that the local exporters inclose in or 

 stamp on the case a written guaranty 

 or statement as to the age of the 

 seed contained therein, together with 

 a certified statement as to the percent- 

 age of germination ascertained 'l)ys ac- 

 tual test where this is possible. ' This 

 course has been considered advisable 

 for protecting the industry, owing to 

 the fact that onion seed one year old 

 shows only a small percentage of fer- 

 tility. 



The chief varieties exported from 

 Teneriffe are known as the Red Ber- 

 muda, White Bermuda, Crystal White 

 Wax, and a few special varieties bear- 

 ing the name of the exporter. The 

 onions grown from these seeds in thi' 

 United States are known in the market 

 as large Bermudas. The average price 

 of the seed per pound varies between 

 75 cents and $1 f. o. b. Teneriffe. [The 

 names of the principal growers and ex- 

 porters are filed at the Bureau of Man- 

 ufactures.] 



Seeds for All. 



One tidy little item wlik-h the Clerk of 

 the House of Kepreseutatives di-oned out 

 the otbei- day, iu the course of the cou- 

 sideratiou of the agricultural appropria- 

 tiou bill, was .$237,160 for the anuual seed 

 graft, .lusfr to couvey au accurate notiou 

 of 'how tyhis haudsome sum is to roll out of 

 the Uijitjed'"States Treasury, we quote this 

 language from the bill verbatim: 



'"Kor purchase, propa^Mtiou, testing and 

 distribution of valuable seeds, bulbs, trees, 

 sbrubs, vines, cuttings and plants; all 

 necessary olHce fixtures and supplies, fuel, 

 tranKportatlon, paper, twine, gum, postal 

 cards, gas, electric current, othcial travel- 

 ing' expensi?s and all necessary material 

 and repairs for putting up and distributing 

 the same; for rent and repairs and the em- 

 ployment of local and special agents, 

 clerks, assistants and other labor required, 

 in the city of Washington and elsewhere, 

 .'?-SH.»^SO, of which amouut not less than 

 yu.'iT, 160 shall be allotted tor Congressional 

 distribution." 



Of course the item went through with a 

 rush, the few faint voices of protest being 

 drowned in the happy yells of delight from 

 the cheerful distributors. The Hon. Mi- 

 chael E. Driscoll of Syracuse, the great 

 nionunient expert of T'ongress, was one oi 

 those who spoke loudest for this govern- 

 mental tiounty. and he incidentally saw fit 

 to clutter up the l^'nngre sional Record with 

 a page of letters from his grateful city con- 

 stituents who had grown radishes, nastur- 

 tiums, morning glories and lettuce at the 

 expense of Uncle Sam. A tine tiling to en- 

 courage urban interest in nut of doors, he 

 declared. l!ut why the national Govern- 

 ment should hand out seeds any more than 

 it should hand out pUu'ghs or skates or 

 alpenstocks he failed t" indicate. 



.\s a Ui.'^t typical word upon the subject 

 the Hon. Kzckiel Samuel Candler. .Tr., of 

 Corinth. Miss., thus deebiimed in defence 

 of the much criticised quality of the gov- 

 ernmental seeds and of the whole system: 



"Xo longer ago than this morning! bad 

 a letter from a splendiil. good lailv in my 

 district, who said that the seed ' she re- 

 ceived last year was the best she ever had 

 and wanted more, which I gladly sent her.' 

 Nothing gives me greater pleasiiip than to 

 respond to the many requests I receive from 

 my district for the seed which Is sent out 



on my request by the Government. Many 

 letters I receive express thanks for the 

 seed and I am glad to respond to the 

 wishes of my constituents. I want to rep- 

 resent my people, and if I do so I shall 

 be glad and happy. I intend to represent 

 fully their views and shall do so in every 

 instance." (Loud applause.) 



We close with the remark that the $237,- 

 l^o does not represent the total cost by 

 a long shot. All the several packages must 

 be shipped to the splendid, good constitu- 

 ents of Syracuse, Corinth and elsewhere by 

 the poor groaning Post Office Department 

 under the indefatigable Congressional frank. 

 As for the crop of Congressmen raised 

 from these seeds, we simply observe that 

 they are jnst about what might he expected. 



— -Vl-iv )'ork Sun. 



A Popular Seed Representative. 



William C. Lan.^bridge first saw the 

 light of day some time during the year 

 of 1860 on the island of .Jamaica, West 

 Indies, and as the climate later was 

 found not suited to his state of health, 

 he, together with his father and young- 

 er brother emigrated to New York. 

 Mr. Langbridge was eleven years old 

 when he came to New York and a few 

 years after his arrival there became a 

 member of the Shaker Community 



William C. Langbridge 



founded at Mt. Lebanon, N. Y., where 

 he remained until 188.S, filling many 

 positions of trust. During the last 

 four or five years of his career among 

 the Shakers he was sole manager and 

 the traveler for what was then known 

 as the Shaker Seed Company, and be- 

 sides had complete charge of the seed 

 gardens and trial grounds carried on 

 by that concern. It was here that Mr. 

 Langbridge gained his first knowledge 

 of the seed business and on leaving 

 the Shaker Community associated him- 

 self with the .Terome B. Rice Seed 

 Company of Cambridge, New York, 

 and for whom he is now the leading 

 traveler. There is no one in the seed 

 trade moie iioimlar than Mr. Lang- 

 bridge and as a salesman it is haid to 

 find his equal. 



HOWARD M. EARL. 



Twenty years ago, when W. C. Lang- 

 bridge first called on me, trying to sell 

 a bill of goods, I thought he was a 

 curly-beaded, red-haired youngster — 

 like the thousands that loom uji and 

 disappear — and that that was the end 

 of it. 1 never thought to see him 

 again But lo. and behold— if here he 



wasn't back again— next year — and the 

 year after. And so it kept on, until 

 even a hardened cynic like myself had 

 finally to sit up and take notice. Of 

 course, during all this time he had a 

 good house behind him. Our beloved 

 old invalid. Jerome B. Rice, had brains 

 enough to recognize brawn wedded to 

 brains in W. C. Langbridge long be- 

 fore W. C. L. or anybody else recog- 

 nized it. Today, however, there are 

 few in the seed business who are bet- 

 ter known the country over or who 

 have cut a larger figure in the seed 

 trade of America during the past 

 twenty years than W. C. Langbridge. 

 GKORGE C. WATSON. 



Notes. 

 Cairo, Ga. — Mauldin Bros, are plan- 

 ning to go into the wholesale and re- 

 tail seed business. 



Des Moines, Iowa — The Des Moines. 

 Seed Co., 409-411 East .5th street have 

 opened a cut flower department in 

 charge of Mrs. Anna Sherman. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Frederick Roemer. Quedlinburg. 

 Germany.— Wholesale Catalogue of 

 Choice German Flower Seeds. 



Barteldes Seed Co., Denver, Colo- 

 Selected Western Seeds, 1911. A com- 

 lirehensive list of the spring offerings 

 of this well Iniowu house. Covers at- 

 tractive in colors. 



(Jeorge H. Mellen Co., Springfield, 

 O.— Genet al Seed and Plant Catalogue, 

 lavishly illustrated. Killarney and 

 Flower of Fairfield roses, oriental pop- 

 py and dahlias all in colors, adorn the 

 four cover pages. 



Wm. Toole & Sons, Baraboo, Wis.— 

 Pansies and How to Grow Them. Be- 

 sides some very complete cultural 

 notes on pansies, this catalogue con- 

 tains also a general list of flow-er 

 seeds and plants. 



James Smalley & Co., McPherson, 

 Kan. — Garden and Field Seed Annual. 

 Don't remember having seen this an- 

 nual before but de-e-lighted to put it 

 on our list and compliment Kansas on 

 its up-to-date appearance. 



W. W. .Tohnson & Son, Boston, Eng- 

 land. — Wholesale Trade Catalogue of 

 Vegetable and Flower Seeds for 1911. 

 — This is a trade list of more than 

 ordinary merit, finely illustrated and 

 including a large number of novelties. 



Dobbie & Co., Edinburgh, Scotland. 

 — Geneial Catalogue of Vegetable and 

 Flower Seeds. Bulbs and Plants. This 

 224-pagc book contains many valuable 

 lists and presents in an effective man- 

 ner many promising new introduc- 

 tions. 



Griffith & Turner Co., Baltimore, 

 Md.— Catalogue No. 24 of Farm and 

 Garden Supplies. 170 pages, in which 

 the list of implements and supplies oc- 

 cupies a large space and includes about 

 every tool and appliance used in gar- 

 den or farm work, fully illustrated. 



PLANT TONIC l?^^^l^\ 



Odorless chemical fertlliiier, furnishing 

 complete nourishment to plants. Produce!? 

 marvelous growth, rich and abundant blos- 

 soms. For use in Home, Show-windi^vs, 

 <iarden and (ireenhouse. Sent postpaid on 

 receipt of 10c. for 1 gal. powder; 25c. for 

 .3 gal.: .-lOi-. for 7 gal. 



CHEMICAL FERTII IZFR CO 



p. O. Box 113S. BOSTON, MA.SS. 



