412 



II OR TI CULTURE 



March 25, 1916 



SEED TRADE 



AMbKI(.A> SBKO TRADE ASSOCIATION 



iim< rr>— I'rralilrDt. J. M. Lapton, 

 Uallllurk. I,. I.. N. v.; lint Vlrv-Trr.!- 

 Oriil. KIrb) It. >Vlilto. Drirolt, Mlrli.j 

 »r«Mn<l \ Irr-I'rrwltlcuit, K. W. Bolfflaao, 

 M w-liiDKluii. I>. ('.; ?»rcrrl»ry-Tr«m«urer, 

 t. C Kmilrl. Clrtrlanil, (>.: A«allt«nl 

 Morrlarr. H. F. Wlllartl, Jr.. ( Utttluul, 

 O. C'1o<-1do»U. O.. next mcwUoK plAC*. 

 e— _J 



A Oiiappolnting Outcome. 

 We have defined <oiimMMil on the 

 action taki'ii b.v the culled meeting of 

 the American Seed Trade Association 

 at ChlraKo on the L'nd inst.. to consid- 

 er what action should be tal«eii in view 

 of the wrItinK of contracts for future 

 peas for Wisconsin canners b.v certain 

 seed growers, who omitted the dis- 

 claimer. 



We have learned the views of a 

 number of prominent seedsmen, main- 

 ly members of the American Trade 

 Seed Association, and all unstintedly 

 condemn the action of the growers. 

 We ma.v also sa.v that most of them 

 have expressed disappointment over 

 the results of the meeting above re- 

 ferred to. Several expressed the opin- 

 ions that the Seed Trade Association 

 surrendered to the growers when in 

 fact the meeting was called for the 

 purpose of censuring these growers, as 

 we understand it. and of talking any 

 other action which might be deemed 

 advisable. It is not our purpose nor 

 desire to criticize the action of the 

 meeting, but we have our views touch- 

 ing this matter, and are bound to say 

 that the results of the meeting must 

 be disappointing to all well wishers of 

 the seed trade. The resolution adopt- 

 ed permitting the growers to write 

 contracts without the disclaimer by 

 charging an additional price, will not 

 obscure the point, that the seedsmen 

 seem to have in a measure endosed 

 the action of the growers. It is true 

 that the disclaimer was reaffirmed; it 

 is also tnie that the additional price 

 ■was considered in the way of insur- 

 ance against suits which might follow 

 the omission of the disclaimer. It 

 seems to us doubtful if the courts 

 would take the view which the seeds- 

 men, or some of them, affect to take 

 in this matter. The simple fact that 

 an advance in i)rice is required does 

 not affect the principle involved, and 

 t-^ illustrate this point we quote from 

 a letter of a well-known seedsman as 

 follows 



"So tar as Its effect on the l.iymen and 

 the courts are concerned, this would seem 

 to be the case. Being sure of the charac- 

 ter and quality of the seeds we send out, 

 depends entirely on the price. You pay 

 me 75 cts. per pound for Yellow Glot>e 

 Onion Seed, and I don't 'know' anything 

 about the quality of the seed. Pay me 

 $1.00 per pound, and all doubts disappear. 

 The 25 cts. per pound extra will not bepiii 

 to cover my loss if the seed proves wrong, 

 or If a charge to that effect Is made and 

 suit brought against me." 



This seems to cover the case and 

 confirms our opinion that the addi- 

 tional price charged — whether it be 

 called insurance or whatever else it 

 may be— will not affect the fact that 

 the disclaimer has been omitted; and 

 that the strongest, and we might say 

 the keystone in the arch which has 

 protected the American Seed Trade 

 for many years from ignorant or dis- 

 honest claims has been igjiored. And 

 those who take business without this 



diHclulmer are simply ut the mercy of 

 llieir I Uhtomers. If thiN were all. It 

 ■night be left to the iiidividualH tu 

 flcl'l out their own battles, but it iB 

 the erfcct on the disclaimer, its moral 

 and legal force as affecting the seed 

 trade as a whole that Is in ciuestion. 

 This idea that Wisconsin can be set 

 aside for special treatment and that 

 this can continue Indennltely is an il- 

 lusion. Once the breach is made, it 

 will continue to enlarge, and all of 

 the other states will eventually have 

 to receive similar trealmenl insofar as 

 the cunners are concerned, and it will 

 not be long before the seed merchants 

 and dealers themselves will demand 

 the same treatment from the growers. 

 This, of course, will result in the com- 

 plete breaking down of the protection 

 now received from the disclaimer; 

 and retailers, wholesalers and grow- 

 ers will have sacrificed what has 

 proved their protection through many 

 years for a little temporary gain. 



These views may be somewhat radi- 

 cal, but they are the way we look at 

 this matter, and as stated previously 

 they are not to be construed as a 

 criticism of the action taken by the 

 seedsmen who met in Chicago, though 

 many of these we believe are now con- 

 vinced that they do not materially 

 help the cause of protection to the 

 seedsmen. From expressions which 

 have reached us. we judge that this 

 matter will be a leading subject for 

 discussion at the annual convention 

 of the American Seed Trade Associa- 

 tion in June, and there is likely to be 

 some pretty plain speaking on that 

 occasion. 



In justice to the three growers who 

 have been the cause of all this 

 trouble, it may be said that one or 

 two of them have expressed regret 

 that they were the cause of bringing 

 possible trouble on the seedsmen of 

 the country, while others seem to con- 

 sider their action as entirely correct 

 and none of the seedsmen's business. 

 This is an attitude it seems that can 

 hardly be passed over by the seed 

 trade. 



There is much more that could be 

 said on this subject, but we think we 

 have made it plain that the great 

 body of seedsmen are unalterably op- 

 posed to any course that will even 

 tend to weaken the moral and legal 

 value of the disclaimer, and no one 

 claiming to be interested in the seed 

 business of the country can ignore 

 this sentiment. 



One Week's Imports. 



Imports at the port of New York of 

 horticultural material for the week 

 ending March 10, were recorded as fol- 

 lows: 



Bulbs- France, $79; Netherlands. 

 $9,174; England. $782; .Tapan. $223. 



Plants. Etc.— Prance. $0,159; Neth- 

 erlands. $7,264; England, $1,110; Scot- 

 land. $87. 



Red Clover Seed— France, $98,319. 



Other Clover Seed France, $2,048; 

 New Zealand, $483. 



Orass Seed — France, $3,944; Sweden, 

 $481; Scotland. $95. 



All Other Seeds— France, $4,690; 

 Germany, $3; Netherlands. $4,488; 

 England. $18,609; Hongkong, $98. 



Guano — England, $1,641. 



Nitrate of Soda- Chile. $101,758. 



Other Fertilizers — England, $7,026. 



Notes. 

 Horse Cave, Ky. — .Jewell & Paull 



have opened a seed store here and will 

 handle a full line of field seed. 



A notice comes to the olllco of HoB- 

 Ticii.niiK from the noHton Post Olllce 

 informing us that printed matter for 

 Helgium is prohibited until further 

 notice. 



Unseasonably cold stormy weather 

 is having a more or less depressing 

 elTcct on the retail seed trade and no 

 marked improvement can be expected 

 until the weather changes. 



Chicago, III.— The Illinois Seed Com- 

 |j:iny has purchased a tract of land 

 i:;Cx3!t:t feet on the U. & O. tracks at 

 41 St avenue and Fillmore street, on 

 which they will erect a large building 

 for the handling of grass seed. 



In a circular to the trade, the 

 .N'ungesser-Dlckinson Seed Co. calls 

 attention to the fact that there are 

 unusual delays now on account of con- 

 gestion of freight all over the coun- 

 try, and they recommend the placing 

 of all orders as early as possible this 

 spring. 



The committee having in charge a 

 selection of the i)lace for holding 

 the next convention of the National 

 Canners' Association is now con- 

 sidering the claims of the various 

 cities which have bid for the conven- 

 tion, and no doubt the selection will 

 be announced within a short time. 

 The desire on the part of many of the 

 canners to hold a pure food exhibit 

 at the same time as the convention, 

 is now being considered and if the 

 plan is adopted it is reasonably safe 

 to say that Chicago will be the place 

 selected for the next convention. 



THE GINGER JAR. 



It has been a cold March and the 

 seed houses are growling because there 

 is little counter trade so far. Also 

 they have been worried about their 

 shipments from abroad. A good 

 many have got in. but many have not. 

 Some that left the other side last 

 November — we don't know where 

 they are, even now. You lan cable 

 tracers until your purse goes empty. 

 Makes no difference There are a 

 whole lot of catastrophes happening 

 on the ocean these days that we know 

 nothing about. People sitting com- 

 fortably in their parlors in Boston, 

 Philadelphia, New York and Chicago 

 think they know all about it, by read- 

 ing the paper. Nonsense! The paper 

 gets a few echoes and dishes that up 

 to the best of its ability. In the 

 meantime ships may have been going 

 down with our consignments aboard, 

 and we may never hear a word of 

 them any more. What's the use of 

 cabling. If the ship's gone it's gone, 

 and half the time the censor in London 

 thinks our cablegram a war order and 

 it never gets any further. The same 

 thing applies to cables from the other 

 side. I think I'll have to write the 

 Kaiser. G. 0. W. 



JAMES VICK'S SONS 



Seettsmen, Nurserymen, 

 Florists 



ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



