350 



H R T I C TJ L T U H E 



September 9, 1916 



SEED TRADE 



AMBKICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 



Officers— President, Kirby B. White, 

 Detroit Mich. J First Vice-President, F. 

 W. Bolgiano, Washington, D. C; Sec- 

 ond Vice-President, I., i. Olds, Madison, 

 Wis.; Secretary-Treasurer, C. E. Kendel, 

 Cleveland, O. 



The time has arrived when our read- 

 ers are expecting a preliminary crop 

 report. We cannot give a detailed re- 

 port covering every family of seeds, 

 but a summary sufficiently in detail 

 to convey a fairly accurate idea of 

 this year's vegetable seed crops, at 

 least in so far as it affects standard 

 varieties. 



The Pea Crop. 



The pea crop is now made tor this 

 year, and is one of the first of our 

 important seed crops to mature. It 

 must be borne in mind, however, that 

 the crops are not yet harvested, ex- 

 cepting parts, of the earliest varieties, 

 and a protracted period of rainy 

 weather right now might do very 

 great damage, increasing greatly the 

 cost of hand-picking and the shrink- 

 age. Omiting this factor in our esti- 

 mates, we may say that the condition 

 of the general crop is about as fol- 

 lows. In Wisconsin, ilichigan and 

 Canada, Extra Earlies and Alaskas 

 will average slightly above three-fold. 

 The Sweet Wrinkled sorts will be about 

 three fold or slightly nnder. The 

 yield in Idaho will be about five fold 

 for Alaskas and Extra Earlies. The 

 Large Podded Earlies. such as Gradus, 

 Thos. Laxton, Laxtonian, Pilot and 

 Little Marvel will be about from four 

 to four and one-half fold. The late 

 Long Podded varieties about five to six 

 folds. The old Standard Dwarfs — 

 Nott's Excelsior, Sutton's Gems, etc., 

 will be about like the Gradus and 

 Thos. Laxton type. Champion of Eng- 

 land Everbearing, Long Island Mam- 

 moth, etc.. will average up with the 

 late long pods. In Montana and Wash- 

 ington the yield will be better. Canada 

 Field will not exceed forty per cent, 

 and quite possibly not above 25 per 

 cent, of an average. 



Bean Estimate and Prices. 



Beans are not sufficiently matured 

 to make definite estimates safe, but 

 certain facts affecting the general 

 situation can be stated. In New York 

 State the bean crop may be charac- 

 terized as a failure. This applies to 

 commercial as well as seed beans. 

 Canners who pack string beans have 

 secured 200 to 400 lbs. per acre, w^ien 

 they should have had not less than 

 2,000 lbs. Conditions in Michigan are 

 much the same as in New York State. 

 Spot White Mediums are selling at 

 Jfi.OO per bushel while White Manons 

 and White Kidneys are quoted when 

 procurable at $7.00 to $7..50. A large 

 acreage was planted in Colorado 

 mainly in irrigated land, but have not 

 had sufficient water, and the crops are 

 short, estimated at five to six fold. In 

 Montana and Idaho, the yield prom- 

 ises much better, but no estimates are 

 available, and the percentage of the 

 total planted In these states we have 

 not learned. No responsible grower 



will make any estimate of deliveries 

 at this time, and will not for several 

 weeks. However, it is a safe bet that 

 few items will be filled 100 per cent. 



Corn. 



Corn is late, and has suffered more 

 or less by drought and heat. Sound, 

 vital seed corn will sell at good strong 

 prices, and will be In good demand, 

 but manifestly estimates at this time 

 would be mere guesswork. 



California Crops. 



Excepting Sweet Peas and Salsify, 

 we are informed that standard Cali- 

 fornia seed crops are fairly satisfac- 

 tory, and barring these two items, con- 

 tracts will be delivered well towards 

 the hundred per cent. mark. 



Just as the above was written in- 

 formation comes to us that culinary 

 peas have been a very disappointing 

 crop in California this year, and that 

 a number of inquiries have been re- 

 ceived by eastern growers from Paci- 

 fic coast seedsmen. Evidently there 

 will be an active demand for high 

 quality stocks of seed peas the com- 

 ing season. Prices received for green 

 peas in the pod have been uniformly 

 high the present season, and there 

 has been a keen inquiry. Here is 

 another factor that will stimulate de- 

 mand. Peas are going to be desirable 

 property. 



European Crops. 



The crop situation in Europe is 

 most unsatisfactory. A large number 

 of items are listed as failures, while 

 many are down to 10, 1.5 and 20 per 

 cent. These figures cover most varie- 

 ties of garden beets, sugar beets, kale, 

 chard, cabbage, carrot, parsley, pars- 

 nips, peppers, celery, celeriac, herb 

 seeds, chicory, endive, kohl rabi. Man- 

 gels range from 10 to 1.5 per cent., 

 radish 50 to 100 per cent with items 

 occasionally marked failures. One or 

 two items in spinach are marked fail- 

 ures while others are estimated at 20 

 to 50 per cent. Some items in turnips 

 are classed as failures, most varieties 

 at 10 to 75 per cent and only one or 

 two at 100 per cent. Swedes range 

 from 10 to 40 per cent with one or two 

 failures. Referring to carrots again 

 most varieties are listed as failures 

 and same of celery while nearly half 

 the line of cabbages are in the same 

 list. 



An important factor which cannot 

 be ignored is the probability of em- 

 bargoes being proclaimed against any 

 variety or family of seeds, therefore 

 the European seed situation is uncer- 

 tain and most unsatisfactory, as one 

 never knows whether goods bought 

 will be delivered. 



Vine Seeds. 

 We have almost overlooked vine 

 seeds, about which we have no very 

 clear information. Such as we have 

 leads to the conclusion that the crop is 

 quite unsatisfactory, and this applies 

 especially to muskmelons and squashes. 



MICHELL'S 



FLOWER SEED 



NE\A/ CROF> 



CYCLAMEN SEED 



EXGI.ISH GKOWN 



100 1000 

 Seed3 Seeds 

 Duke of ConnauEht, Crim- 

 son $1.00 $8.50 



Excelsior, White with Eye 1.00 8.50 



Grandiflora .4lba, White... 1.00 8.50 



Princess of Wales, Pink.. 1.00 8.50 

 Salmon Queen, Salmon 



pink 1.00 8.50 



Mixed Colors 90 8.00 



PANSY SEED 



GIANT EXHIBITION' MIXED. A 



Giant Strain which for size of bloom, 

 heavy texture and varied colors and 

 shades cannot be surpassed. Half trade 

 pkt., 30c. ; 50c. per tr. pkt. ; per Is oz., 

 75c. ; 55.00 per oz. 



Also Giant Prize and Bedding varie- 

 ties in separate colors. 



MIGNONETTE SEED 



MICHELL'S COLOSSAL 



A strain which cannot be surpassed 

 for forcing; immense flower spikes. Our 

 seeds are saved from greenhouse grown 

 specimens and give splendid results. 

 Trade pkt. 40c.. .$4.00 per oz. 



Send for Our Latest Wholesale Cata- 

 loiiue if you haven't a copy. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO. 



518 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 



BURNEH BROTHERS 



SEEDS, BULBS, PLANTS, &c. 



98 Chiflibirs StrMt, Ntw York 



Cucumbers will be a light crop though 

 no famine prices are probable. We hope 

 soon to give more detailed informa- 

 tion about vine seeds and some other 

 items now clouded more or less. 



The Ferry Entertainment. 

 The entertainment planned by D. M. 

 Ferry & Co., for their canner guests, 

 whom they had invited to visit their 

 trial grounds at Oakview near Detroit, 

 ^ugust 11th, proved a great disap- 

 pointment to them we are informed. 

 Preparations had been made on a 

 scale of liberality characteristic of 

 this great company, but the guests 

 come not. but in small numbers. We 

 learn that a large number of the lead- 

 ing canners were invited, but either 

 because of their being busy or the 

 characteristic indifference of the can- 

 ners, few responded. It requires much 

 patience and tact to deal with the 

 average canner, as any one who has 

 had the experience can assert. 



"Seeds with a Lineage" All Varieties 



Thoroughly tested at our trial grounds, Rayne« 



Park, London, Elngland. Send for CcitaJogue 



V/AK 1 LKo I E5T£D SEEDS^ Inc., coamxrce nidtT^aoo, mm*. 



