340 



HORTICULTURE 



September 2, 1911 



Seed Trade 



The Bean Crop. 

 With the exception of beans and 

 corn, seed crops are now practically 

 made for this year, although it may be 

 some weeks before accurate informa- 

 tion as to the percentages of the va- 

 rious items which will be delivered on 

 contracts can be given. Beans are al- 

 most matured but there are some late 

 plantings which will require some ten 

 days or two weeks more to fully reach 

 maturity. Any beans remaining green 

 after the 15th of September will be in 

 '•cold storage'' and never will mature. 

 We believe that barring a wet harvest 

 there will be beans enough to meet all 

 requirements and samples should be 

 fine. It is possible that two or three of 

 the more fancy varieties will be some- 

 what short, but taken as a whole there 

 will be no famine in beans this year. 



strain their impatience and give the 

 growers time to learn something defi- 

 nite about their crops. 



Corn, Peas and Root Crops. 

 We have heretofore, reported early 

 varieties of sweet corn as being in poor 

 condition, all indications pointing to a 

 short crop. Of medium early and late 

 varieties, there will probably be fair 

 crops, especially, should frost hold off 

 until past the middle of September. It 

 cannot be denied that corn is late, and 

 a severe frost within the next two 

 weeks would probably cause very se- 

 rious damage. With reference to gar- 

 den beets, mangels, carrots and root 

 crops in general, we can only repeat 

 what we have previously said, that 

 there will be a severe shortage in near- 

 Ij all lines but cannot give any more 

 definite information at this writing. 

 We hope to be able to say something 

 more next week. Under pressure from 

 their customers, a few growers of peas 

 have sent out estimates of what they 

 expect to deliver on contracts, but 

 such estimates are not very reliable 

 and when final deliveries are made, 

 they are likely to show a difference of 

 from 10 to 20 per cent, either way and 

 possibly even more. 



About Contract Deliveries. 

 It is of course, excusable in buyers 

 to want to learn as early as possible 

 what will be delivered on their con- 

 tracts. At the same time, they should 

 realize that any estimate furnished at 

 this date can be little more than a 

 guess, and is based entirely on field 

 estimates which vary as to results 

 from ten to forty per cent. Should the 

 growers' figures be too high and he 

 finds he cannot deliver the percent- 

 ages named in his preliminary esti- 

 mates, the buyer is liable to feel that 

 he has been misled or that the grower 

 is not giving him a square deal. On 

 the other hand, if he underestimates 

 and delivers a larger percentage, it is x 

 sometimes unsatisfactory, as the buyer 

 will say that he has covered his short- 

 age based on the preliminary estimates. 

 We believe it is the duty of growers to 

 inform their customers of the general 

 progress of crops in which they are in- 

 terested but when it comes down to es- 

 timating precentages, it is quite an- 

 other matter, and growers are fully 

 justified in declining to give figures 

 until they can do so with actual 

 knowledge of what their crops are go- 

 ing in yield. This is an old story and 

 one that is gone over ever; j'ear and 

 probably will be an annual incident in 

 the business until buyers learn to re- 



Crop Report From Holland. 



The 1911 Crop Report from Sluis & 

 Groot, Enkhuizen, Holland, 'gives the 

 following information: 



The winter was very mild so that all 

 perennials could stand it well, but a 

 continuous drought caused trouble and 

 many remained weak. In spring we 

 got a heavy frost which, although not 

 so fatal as in other parts of Europe, 

 has also done much harm. Radish, 

 cress, mustard, turnips and cauli- 

 flower, which at first seemed to be to- 

 tally lost, gradually recovered them- 

 selves, and those annuals that were 

 wholly destroyed could be re-sown. 

 After this we got very favorable 

 weather which, with the nice rain in 

 June, did much good to crops that were 

 yet looking very poor, and restored 

 them, so that generally speaking the 

 stand, though not brilliant, may be 

 called satisfactory. 



Beans Dwarf. — Average stand, suf- 

 fered much from drought, may re- 

 cover. 



Beans Running. — Stand under mid- 

 dling, partly threatened by disease and 

 only a small crop expected. 



Beans English. — Very much dam- 

 aged by lice, and the yield will be un- 

 der middling. 



Beets. — Stand is general unsatisfac- 

 tory. 



Cabbage, White and Red. — Contin- 

 ual drought in spring kept the plants 

 backward and some even perished. 

 The further development was satisfac- 

 tory. The crop in general will be un- 

 der middling we think. 



Savoy, Brussels Sprouts, Borecole. — 

 In general a little better. We expect 

 a good average crop. 



Cauliflower. — Has suffered from 

 frost, notwithstanding may give an 

 average crop. 



Celeriac. — Did not grow in spring. 

 Shows many open places and promises 

 but a small crop. 



Chervil. — A considerable part of the 

 plantations has been lost. The re- 

 mainder produced a good crop. 



Corn salad. — A large acreage was 

 sown, but a good deal got lost on 

 account of the great heat. Little more 

 than half crop. 



Cucumber. — There is a good stand 

 until now, and may produce a good 

 crop. 



Garlic Bulbs. — Good. 



Kohl Rabi. — Only a small area 

 planted. Stand under average. 



Mangel Wurtzel, Sugar Beets. — Few 

 planted, which partly developed un- 

 satisfactory and we expect therefore 

 a small crop. 



Onions. — But a small area planted. 

 Stand satisfactory. 



Parsley, Parsnip, Peas. — Stand satis- 

 factory. 



Radish Summer. — There is a good 

 stand until now. 



Radish Winter — Partly satisfactory, 

 mostly bad. 



Spinach — Promise a moderate crop. 



Scorsonera. — Produced a satisfac- 

 tory crop. 



Swedes, Turnips. — Both suffered 

 much from frost in spring and are 

 promising but a small average crop. 

 Some turnips badly damaged by worms 

 in the pods. Many plantations yield 

 one fourth or less than average crop. 



Flower seeds. — Although the weather 

 for flower seeds in general was not 

 equally good, the present standing of 

 the crop gives anticipation for being 

 in every respect satisfactory. 



Notes. 



Clarence Kennerly, formerly of Kan- 

 sas City, Mo., has taken an interest in 

 the Alexandra Seed Co. of Augusta, 

 Ga. 



H. W. Gordinier of Troy, has had 

 some little difficulty in settling with 

 the insurance companies on his recent 

 loss by fire. We understand Mr. Gor- 

 dinier and the insurance adjusters 

 could not get together on the value of 

 the salvage in seeds and as a conse- 

 quence all seeds in the establishment, 

 prior to the fire have been disposed of 

 and he receives the full inventory 

 value of the same. 



The Mott Seed Co. have moved from 

 Watervliet to Troy, N. Y., and are now 

 within a block of the city market, iu 

 a very excellent location and should 

 do a largely increased business. The 

 aim of this concern is to furnish the 

 highest possible grades of seeds re- 

 gardless of cost and we believe there 

 will be a sufficient number of buyers 

 who will appreciate this fact to make 

 their business a success. 



The aster seed crop in Germany is 

 in bad shape. From February on un- 

 til middle of July there was almost no 

 rain and the plants were simply dried 

 up. The situation is especially un- 

 fortunate as last year the summer 

 weather came too late and seriously 

 affected germination so that there was 

 no stock to carry over. Asters require 

 a slow, cool, moist summer to give the 

 qualities of substance and size in the 

 flower and to produce seed that will 

 give good results. In a warm climate 

 the seed crop may be better as to 

 quantity but the quality is not there. 



CELERY PLANTS FOR THE SOUTH 



Iti Xorth Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and 

 other states, celery plants can he put out 

 now and be able to compete with the North 

 for the high price celery will bring this 

 winter. There is a demand now in these 

 states. I have some small plants for $2.50 

 per thousand. Also very large plants. 



WARREN SHINN, 



Woodbury, N. J. 



GIANT 



English Cyclamen Seed — best strain, $9.00 

 per 100. Pani-y Seed — home grown. $5.00 

 per oz. Mignonette Giant, greenhouse 

 forcing, $5.00 per oz., Vs oz. $1.00. 



SKIDELSKY & IRWIN CO. 



1215 Betz Bldg. Philadelphia 



Burpee's Seeds 



PHILADELPHIA 



Blue List of Wholesale Prices mailed 

 only to those who plant for profit. 



COLDWELL LAWN MOWERS 



Hand — Horse — Motor 

 Known All Over the World 



Catalogue on Request. 



NEWBURGH, N. Y. 



