874 



HOKTICULTUEE 



March 14, 1914 



SEED TRADE 



AMERICAN S^ TRADE ASSOCIATION 



Offlccirs — President, Chas. C. Maasie. 

 Mlnntapolls, Minn.; let vice-president, 

 1. M. Lnpton. Mattituck, N. t.; 2nd 

 ▼lee- president, W. F. Therlciidgon, 

 PalBe«TiUe. O.; secretary, C. E. Ken- 

 dal; aeslstant secretary, 8. F. Willard, 

 Jr., both of Cleveland, O. 



Seed Potatoes in Maine. 



In accordance with the action of the 

 Maine Seed Improvement Association, 

 the Department of Agriculture of Maine 

 will co-operate with the Seed Associa- 

 tion the coming year, in assisting 

 ithe members to grow better seed stock, 

 'especially of potatoes. The growing 

 of potatoes for seed is an important 

 branch of the potato business and 

 should increase with proper arrange- 

 ment. 



There is much complaint on the part 

 of the southern growers usin^ Maine 

 seed that a great loss is suffered from 

 impurities of variety and from dis- 

 eased stock. The situation is such 

 "that unless there is immediate improve- 

 ment in the quality of seed stock sent 

 out from the state, the southern grow- 

 ers will seerk other potato centres for 

 their seed. 



To improve the seed stock of the 

 Maine grower, a rigid inspection sys- 

 tem will be established by the Seed 

 Improvement Association with the as- 

 sistance of the Department of Agri- 



• culture. This system will include a 



• careful inspection ot the seed before 

 planting, by men who are familiar 

 with the diseases which infect Maine 

 potatoes, and further inspection at 



^blossoming time and before harvest. 

 Rules -will be made covering the 



'handling of the seed and ot the crop 



xtending toward elimination of disease 



and variential impurities. 



Potatoes which reach a standard of 

 purity and of freedom from disease 

 will be certified and recommended by 

 the state agricultural department and 

 the Seed Improvement Association. 



A portion of the cost of this inspec- 

 tion work must be borne by the grower 

 who will be repaid in the higher prices 

 received for his seed stock. Careful 

 growers who realize the need and de- 

 sire to improve the standard of the po- 

 tato crop of Maine are invited to write 

 the State Department of Agriculture 

 or the secretary of the Seed Associa- 

 tion at an early date. 



.Onion Seed Shipments From Canary 

 Islands. 

 (Consul Homer Brett, TeneriCEe.) 

 During the year 1913 the quantity 



■of Bermuda onion seed declared at this 

 consulate for shipment to the United 

 States was 93,378 pounds, valued at 

 $84,645, both quantity and value ex- 

 ceeding those of any previous year. 

 Because of the exceedingly high prices 

 offered in 1912 there was a large over- 

 production in 1913, and several thou- 

 sand pounds ot this season's crop re- 

 main here unsold. The temptation to 

 dispose of this seed next year will be 

 great, and unless American importers 

 are careful to buy only from growers 

 or dealers of known integrity they 



■will run the risk of receiving old seed. 



Local shippers complain that the 



lack of uniformity in the trade names 



for onions leads to frequent misun- 

 derstandings and difficulties. They 

 say that in the trade the term "white 

 onion" is used to designate an onion 

 which is in reality yellow, and that 

 those onions which are actually white 

 are known as "crystal wax." Some 

 American importers have ordered 

 "white onions,", and when their prod- 

 uct turned out to be of the yellow 

 variety have expressed dissatisfaction 

 and threatened legal action. It is 

 hoped that a proper understanding of 

 the trade names may save future 

 trouble. 



Another Unreasonable Seed Bill. 



Another seed bill was filed in the 

 Maryland House on March 4th. (H. R. 

 No. 611.) It is drawn on the lines of 

 the old type of seed bill discarded by 

 recent legislation. It is conflicting in 

 its provisions, ambiguous, in parts un- 

 constitutional and unreasonable. 



It provides that every bushel of 

 seeds and cereals sold for seeding pur- 

 poses in Maryland shall pay an inspec- 

 tion fee of two cents. This would 

 create a great deal of trouble and sup- 

 ply too much money. 



Chicago Seed Notes. 



Supply of peas in most varieties 

 is equal to the demand. Beans are 

 scarce. 



Onion sets are getting scarce and 

 there are still many weeks of the sell- 

 ing season left. At present the Leon- 

 ard Seed Co. quotes as follows, on lots 

 of one hundred bushels; Red $1.75 to 

 $2.00; White $2.25; Yellow $2.50. 

 Stock was in excellent condition when 

 harvested and has kept exceptionally 

 well. 



There is a strong probability 

 amounting almost to certainty that 

 quotations on lawn grass seed will be 

 higher than those of last year. The 

 sections of the country that suffered 

 from drouth last summer included 

 some of the districts that produce the 

 fancy red top and limited the amount 

 produced. New varieties in general 

 will be limited. Prices on clover seed, 

 on the contrary are somewhat lower 

 than usual. 



The amount of Asparagus plumosus 

 seed used in this vicinity is said by 

 local seedsmen to be increasing each 

 year. Just now is the time for the 

 market to be active in the sale of 

 seeds of this green, and in lots ot ten 

 thousand seeds, sold this week for 

 $2.35 per thousand. Northern-grown 

 greenhouse seed is much preferred to 

 southern or western stock, the north- 

 ern having a higher percentage of 

 germination. 



Omaha, Neb. — W. De Vaughn has 

 opened a new seed store on Harney 

 street, near 16th. 



I consider HORTICULTURE the 

 best trade paper published. 



W. L. 

 New Jersey. 



Kelway & Son 



Wholesale Growers to the Trade of 



Choice Stocks of 



GARDEN, FARM 



AND 



FLOWER SEEDS 



Please Write Now for Our 



CONTRACT PRICES 

 Langport, Eng. 



SEEDS FOR FLORISTS 



SPECIAL STRAINS 



OUR ASTERS, CVCLA.MEN AND PM- 

 MULAS ARE t'NEQL AI.LED. 



Trade List Ready. 



THOMAS J. GREY CO. 



32 Sooth Market St. , Boston, Mass. 



NEW CROP SEEDS 



FOR FLORISTS 



Asl< for 1914 Catalbgnes 



Joseph Breck & Sons Corp. 



Seedbmen 



47-54 No. Market St., BOSTON, MASS. 



Removal Notice 



We beg to announce that on March 1st 

 we moved to our new offices on the 

 8th floor ot the Wooiworth Building, 

 Broadway and Barclay .St., New York. 



Yokohama Nursery Co. 



Send for list of 



Choice Gladioli 



JOHN LEWIS CHILDS 



Flowerfield, L. I„ N. Y. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Ross Bros. Co., Worcester, Mass. — 

 General 1914 Catalogue and Price List 

 of Vegetable, Grass and Flower Seeds. 

 A lively book of 124 pages whicti will 

 well fill its place as adviser and friend 

 to the man or woman with a garden. 

 Agricultural implements are also listed. 



Racine Nursery Co., Racine, Wis. — 

 Wholesale Catalogue for Spring, 1914. 

 A nice poc)<et-size list of ornamental 

 material. Good stock tor garden pur- 

 poses and wortli buying. Some of 

 these . days it will be advertised in 



HoRTICUTUKE. 



More Red Devil Cutters Used Annually Than All Others Combined 



I x.MirH « li KM EN WAY CO., 



Send Oc. for sample No. 024 

 and Booklet 40 styles, and 

 anderutand why. 

 SEND FOB BOOKLET ANT- 

 HOW. 



161 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK 



