336 



HORTICULTURE 



March 7, 1914. 



A Dubious Outlook. 



Se-vere stormy weather extending 

 over several weeks has had a very 

 bad effect on the seed trade of the 

 country, even in the South. It has 

 undoubtedly greatly retarded counter 

 trade and from information we have 

 has been a severe blow to the mail 

 order trade. 



Somebody has described an optimist 

 as a man at 12 o'clock at night who 

 has dined and wined until he is in a 

 very happy frame of mind; the pess- 

 imist is the same man the next morn- 

 ing. While we do not wish to be the 

 pessimist, it is often best to face 

 facts, and the trade as a rule has 

 learned that business once lost 

 through bad weather, or otherwise, is 

 rarely recovered that season. For 

 that reason we are inclined to believe 

 that the total result of this year's 

 seed business is very liable to be dis- 

 appointing. Should it prove other- 

 wise, we shall be among the first to 

 congratulate the trade. 



Troubles of the Pea Growers and 

 Dealers. 



In our last Seed Trade Notes we 

 called attention to complaints of the 

 seed growers, especially the growers 

 of peas, because orders came very 

 slowly, only after much strenuous ef- 

 fort, and in greatly reduced volume 

 as compared to the last five or six 

 years. Many believed at that time 

 that as the season drew to a close, 

 buyers would be more free in placing 

 their orders, but such information as 

 reaches us does not sustain this hope, 

 and so far as we are able to estimate 

 the situation, there has been very 

 little increase in the business of the 

 pea seed growers during the past few 

 weeks. Both seedsmen and canners 

 are heavily overstocked and will not 

 be able to dispose of stocks on hand 

 this year. Many are offering peas at 

 prices from $1 to $1.50 per bushel, 

 less than they cost, to unload, without 

 any very satisfactory results. The 

 fact is that nearly everybody has 

 enough and more than enough, and 

 under such circumstances price cut- 

 ting is not a very effective means of 

 securing business. People will not 

 buy when they are already over- 

 stocked. 



Price Cutting. 

 As pointed out in previous notes, 

 many growers believed that the trou- 

 ble could be overcome by cutting 

 prices, and they proceeded forthwith 

 to do so. While those who cut the 

 deepest may have booked a small 

 amount of business they would not 

 otherwise have secured, they have cer- 

 tainly not done enough more to justify 

 the losses that the lower prices will 

 entail. We should judge by the in- 

 formation that reaches us that orders 

 were booked at a great variety of 

 prices — sometimes by the same grower, 

 his chief aim being to get the business 

 and if one price did not draw it, try 

 another until they found a level that 

 was satisfactory to the buyer. We 

 are wondering it the lowest prices 

 and the latest orders booked will be 

 on the same terms and at the same 

 figures as those booked early in the 



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Potash for Orchards 



They need it. They draw more Potash from the 

 soil than they do of nitrogen and phosphorus. Be ^ 

 sure you use enough 



POTASH 



to insure the maxiriMim yield of laige, well-flavored and good- 

 keeping fruit, and strong buds for next year. 



An army of orchardists have proved that Potash Pays. 1 hey 

 use an orchard fertilizer containing 10* to 12* actual Potash- 

 400 to 600 lbs. of Muriate or of Sulfate of Potash per ton of 

 fertilizer. 



Write to us for prices on Potash Salts, any amount from 

 one 200-lb. bag up. Ask, too, for our fertilizer formulas 

 for fruit — apples especially. 



GERMAIN HAtI WORKS. Inc. /I^r\r\Tk C»U 



42 Broadway. New YorU ,1^ KlIIA^n 



OUcago. Mccormick Block Atlint.. Empire BMj. /^ I V1I-1>*11 





New Orleans. Whitney Central Bank Bldg. 

 Savannah, Bank & Trust Bide 

 San FrftDciBco, 26 California Bt. 



PAYS 



season, and if not, how the growers 

 will square themselves with their 

 early buyers. 



It is needless to say that the can- 

 ners were not slow in appreciating the 

 difficulties of the seed growers, and 

 played them against each other to 

 their own advantage. It seems to have 

 been all around an unfortunate situa- 

 tion, but we are optimists enough to 

 believe that like every other problem 

 this will be solved in due time, al- 

 tho' in the solution it is not un- 

 likely that some of those in the busi- 

 ness will find it congenial to seek 

 some other occupation. 



A Hot Place in June. 



We hear from different correspond- 

 ents that the third week in June is 

 one of the warmest in the entire year 

 in Washington, and those thoroughly 

 familiar with the climate suggest that 

 if the convention could be held a week 

 earlier than usual, the seedsmen 

 •would escape this intensely warm 

 weather. Anyone who has experi- 

 enced the real hot weather in Wash- 

 ington need not be told what purga- 

 tory is like, as it is certainly a most 

 excellent imitation, if a description of 

 the real place is to be relied upon. 



This is just a suggestion, which may 

 or may not receive consideration by 

 the officers of the American Seed 

 Trade Association. 



was so scarce that somebody did not 

 have it to offer late in the season. 

 Many of these offers, of course, come 

 too late to be of any service, and gen- 

 erally are occasioned by the high 

 prices ruling. If prices were normal, 

 the quantities offered, being small, 

 would be carried over, as holders 

 would not take the trouble to offer. 

 However, about the time that the 

 ground hog emerges to take another 

 look at his shadow, we may expect to 

 find such varieties as Black Valen- 

 tines, Burpee's Stringless, Horticul- 

 tural Dwarf, Late Refugee. Round Pod 

 Kidney Wax, Curries' Rust Proof and 

 Wardwell's Kidney Wax on surplus 

 lists, although quantities will undoubt- 

 edly be very small. Many will have 

 an old stocking that they will dig up 

 surpluses from and these will be 

 quoted at varying prices, according to 

 the desire of the dealer to dispose of 

 them. 



Bean Cunning. 

 Beans are still ruling very high, and 

 many items are not procurable now 

 at any price, yet we venture a predic- 

 tion that by April 1 offers will begin 

 to appear of varieties which now have 

 disappeared from the map. There 

 never has been a year when any item 



Next Canners' Convention. 

 The discussion as to the place for 

 the next Canners' Convention is pro- 

 ceeding and a referendum vote has 

 been ordered of the members of the 

 three Associations which make up the 

 annual Canners' Convention. Doubt- 

 less many have favored San Fran- 

 cisco, under the impression that they 

 would be enabled to attend the con- 

 vention and also see the exposition, all 

 under one trip, and while the exposi- 

 tion officials have stated positively 

 that the exposition would be open on 

 Feb. 20 and that all exhibits would be 

 in place at that date, it is a simple- 

 minded person who will accept this 

 statement at its face value; not that 

 anyone doubts the good faith of the 

 exposition officials and their intention 

 to make good, but no exposition ever 



I More Red Devil Cutters Used Annually Than All Others Combined 



I MMITH & HKMKNWAy CO., 



Send (Sc. for sample No. 024 

 and Booklet 40 styles, and 

 understand whjr. 

 SEND FOB BOOKLET ANY- 

 HOW. 



CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK 



