248 



HORTICULTURE 



August 21, 1915 



SEED TRADE 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 

 Officers — President, J. M. Lapton, 

 Mattitucli, L.. I., N. ¥.; First Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Kirby B. White, Detroit, Mich.; 

 Second Vice-President, F. W. Bolsiano, 

 Washington, D. C ; Secretary-Treasurer, 

 C. E. Kendei, Cleveland, O. ; Assistant 

 Secretary, 8. F. WUIard, Jr., Cleveland, 

 O. Cincinnati, O., next meetingr place. 



Pea Outlook Dubious. 



Since our last crop report was pub- 

 lished, conditions have changed more 

 or less for the worst, with respect to 

 certain crops. Peas in Montana and 

 Idaho are not as promising as two 

 weeks ago, and particularly in Idaho. 

 What with hail storms, i'rosts and lat- 

 terly a shortage in the water supply 

 the pea crop in Idaho has deteriorated 

 and unfortunately it affects the long- 

 pod, late varieties, such as Alderman, 

 Duke of Albany, Telephone, etc., 

 though of course all of the late or 

 medium late varieties are more or less 

 affected. The extent of the damage 

 probably will not be definitely known 

 until threshing time. Had the damage 

 fallen on the canners' varieties, such 

 as Horsford's Market Garden, Alaska, 

 Advancer, or Admiral, it would not 

 have been an unmixed evil as there 

 was a considerable carry-over of one 

 or two of the canners' sorts, and pros- 

 pects for a full average crop of all of 

 the varieties this year. This means a 

 demoralized market, with no fixed, nor 

 anything approaching fixed minimum 

 prices on any of the varieties, though 

 Alaska promises to be the firmest. An- 

 other and very important factor, is the 

 condition of the canned pea market. 

 With a considerable surplus in the 

 hands of the canners. with jobbers 

 buying very sparingly, either because 

 they look for lower prices or are al- 

 ready overstocked the immediate fu- 

 ture at least does not look very rosy to 

 the average pea-packer, and prospects 

 for another year, are not any too 

 bright. The growers and dealers in 

 seed peas know only too well what 

 this portends, and view the future 

 with many misgivings. 



A Disquieting Feature. 



There is another feature of the busi- 

 ness much more disquieting, that is, 

 that the canners expect to be, and in- 

 sist on being babied. A prominent pea 

 seed grower said not long since, that 

 during the years of short crops, when 

 he could deliver only 25 to 50 per cent, 

 on his contracts, that he experienced 

 far less trouble than now when he is 

 delivering 100 per cent. When the 

 deliveries were short, there were uf 

 course vigorous kicks, but it ended 

 there. Now, the canner insists on 

 throwing a considerable part of all of 

 his future order back on the seed 

 growers and making him carry the 

 load, and this is especially true if spot 

 seed can be bought at a lower figure 

 than the price of "futures." 



It is of course not our intention to 

 indict the entire list of pea canners, 

 nor even a majority of them, but what 

 we have said unfortunately does apply 

 to a considerable number. The canner 

 of this class justifies his action often 

 by saying that the jobber imposes the 



same conditions on him, but two 

 wrongs do not make a right, and every 

 man, be he canner or engaged in any 

 other business, should feel in honor 

 bound when he makes a contract to ac- 

 cept the fortunes of war as he expects 

 the other fellow to do. This is a con- 

 dition which seed growers and dealers 

 are likely to learn more about to their 

 sorrow the coming autumn and winter. 



Beans and Corn. 



Beans are not so near maturity as 

 peas, and the final results cannot be 

 calculated so nearly, but beans have 

 not improved — in fact, they have de- 

 teriorated, but that is as far as we can 

 go at this time. Corn is still a source 

 of anxiety to growers, and it depends 

 on how early Jack Frost pays his cus- 

 tomary visit the coming autumn as to 

 what sort of corn crop is harvested. 

 We have learned of no radical changes 

 in other seed crops from last reports 



in HOETICULTURE. 



The European Situation. 



Several inquiries as to what we 

 know of the European situation have 

 come to us. These inquiries have to 

 do less with the volume of the crops 

 than with the chances of getting them 

 into this country. To all such we must 

 say we don't know. It would require 

 a seer to even prognosticate the future 

 in this line. The actions of the allies 

 will doubtless be governed by expe- 

 diency, and in any event we can hope 

 for but little from Germany or Austria- 

 Hungary. Considerable quantities of 

 seeds from Germany came through by 

 way of Holland, Denmark and other 

 neutral countries last season, out 

 whether these sources will be opesi 

 or closed the coming autumn and win- 

 ter is a question only the future can 

 answer. 



The Lily of the Valley Situation. 



Owing to the fact that German lily 

 of the valley pips cannot be exported 

 this season, even by way of neutral 

 ports as was the case last year, the 

 Danish pips have been taken up so 

 rapidly that prices are being advanced 

 on account of the limited quantity 

 available. Higher, values for the cut 

 flowers for the coming season are in- 

 evitable. 



Notes. 



Clarinda, la. — The Berry Seed Co. 

 has increased its capital stock from 

 $75,000 to $150,000. 



David Adam has taken a position 

 with Burnett Bros., Chambers St., New 

 York. 



Lexington, Ky. — C. S. Brent, Inc.. 



have changed their firm name to C. S. 

 Brent Seed Co.. with liability fixed at 

 $100,000, 



Alexander Forbes of Newark, N. J., 

 has recently come out of the hospital 

 after an operation for appendicitis. He 

 is recovering satisfactorily, but is not 

 yet very strong. 



Samuel T. Freeman & Co. will sell 

 at public auction on the premises, 217 

 Market street, Philadelphia, the good- 

 will, stock and fixtures of the Johnson 

 Seed Co., commencing at 10 A. M. 

 Tuesday, August 24. 



The value of horticultural imports at 

 the Port of New York for the week 

 ending August 7. 1915, is giveh as fol- 

 lows: Manure salt, $3,364; nitrate of 

 soda, $159,505; Clover seed, $8,839; 

 grass seed, $114; trees and plants, 

 $2,956. 



Providence, R. 1. — Hamlin Johnson, 

 former seed merchant of this city, 

 observed his 90th birthday Monday 

 at his home in Seekonk, near Hunt's 

 Mills. Monday a party of about 50 

 relatives and friends paid him a sur- 

 prise visit at the Johnson homestead 

 on Fall River avenue, and the cele- 

 bration proved to be a most enjoy- 

 able affair. Mr. Johnson was born la 

 Brooklyn. Conn., and came to Provi- 

 dence when a young man. He was 

 employed as bookkeeper with the 

 Oliver Johnson Company in his 

 younger days, and in 1879 opened a 

 seed and farm implement store at 6 

 Exchange place. He sold this busi- 

 ness in 1890, and retired about the 

 time that his wife died. Fifty years 

 ago he located at his present home 

 in Seekonk and for a number of years 

 had a greenhouse there. 



NEW CORPORATIONS. 



Seattle, Wash.— Orpheum Floral Co., 

 capital stock, $5,000. Incorporators, 

 D. A. Fetta and F. T. Rosaia. 



Great Falls, Mont. — Great Falls 

 Floral Co., capital stock, $25,000. In- 

 corporators, H. L, and Ella G. Byrum, 

 and John Hodley. 



Philadelphia, Pa. — Jos. G. Neidinger 

 Co., florists' supplies, capital stock, 

 $75.<)0(), Incorporators. Joseph G. and 

 John Neidinger, and Joseph Hampton. 



Meriden, Conn. — The Meriden Nurs- 

 ery, Fruit & Orchard Developing Com- 

 pany, to develop and operate farms, 

 nurseries, orchards, etc.. with an au- 

 thorized capital stock of $50,000. The 

 incorporators are: Joseph N. Nettle- 

 ton of Meriden, Berkley C. Stone of 

 Middletown and John X. Nettleton of 

 Meriden. 



OUR SPECIALTY 



TBitMPH EXHIBITION .MIXTCBE is especially desir- 

 able for its variety of colors and markings. Trade Plit 

 75c. Oz. $6.00. 



OUR BOSTON FLORIST MI.VTl'RE is especially 

 adapted for the Flori.st use. Trade Ptli. 75c. Oz. $5.00. 



OTHER FLORISTS' STRAINS OF SEEDS equally as 



desirable. Our florht list maiieil free. 



FOTTLER, FISKE, RAWSON CO., ?ro!«f S?,iY,°r,'. BOSTON 



