December 2, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



767 



Educational Trains 



now bring the (acts from the Experiment Station direct 

 to the Farmer. 



The Experiment Station men are anxious to discuss the questions of most value 

 to tl the routes. Ask them to bring along an exhibit of fertilizer 



material, and to tell you how to get the most plant-food for your money. 



Recently one train gave demonstrations of actual fertilizer mixing. Soon many 

 will Jo so. Take your fertilizer dealer to these trains. Ask him to sell Potash 

 Salts and brands containing six to ten per cent. Po 



We shall be glad to semi yon, free, pamphlets prepared by the best practical 

 authorities on fertilizers for various crops and soils. Write today, mentioning 

 crops and soils that you wish to improve. 



GERMAN KALI WORKS, Inc. 



I imiiiirnl.il Building, Bulllmore Monodnock Block. Chicago 



93 Nassau Slreet, New York 



Seed Trade 



American vs. English Grown Sweet 

 Peas. 



The following interesting communi- 

 cation has been sent to the trade press 

 of Great Britain by George YV. Kerr. 

 I can cordially endorse same as it 

 thoroughly agrees with knowledge 

 gained from my own training in Eu- 

 rope and my subsequent experience in 

 America extending over a period of 

 28 years. Any Britisher who doubts 

 the superiority of American-grown 

 seed either in strain or vitality should 

 consult what that experienced Eng- 

 lishman. Edwin Lonsdale, has to say 

 of the extraordinary results in size 

 and perfection of bloom attained in 

 that favored spot — the Lompoc Valley 

 in California, with the sweet pea. I 

 saw some of the Hemus samples at 

 Fordhook trial grounds last summer. 

 They were nothing to brag of. Very 

 much mixed and not true to descrip- 

 tion. I believe Lompoc Valley is the 

 sweet pea "paradise." 



GEORGE C. WATSON. 

 Gentlemen: — 



A few days ago I received :i verj daintily 

 gotten up Sweet Pea Catalog from Eng- 

 land an. I. being a great adm rei .if our 

 Queen "f Annuals and always thirsting 

 for further knowledge pertaining thereto, 

 I Immediately proceeded to consume Its 

 contents and. having done so. feel it my 

 duty to unburden myself on some remarks 

 eon'tnined therein. 



The Introduction contains some rather 

 ai ei i u 1 1 it assertions, some of these appar- 

 entlj being dlr ici id agah ocks of 



other Sweet Pea -i allsts (?). hut the 



lirst to hold inv attention was the follow- 

 ing statement: "The public are then sold 

 seed grown in the soft climate of Califor- 

 nia, whhh seed is not. I maintain, besl 

 calculated to stand the trying vagaries of 

 the English climate." 



I would not -ay that Calif ornlnn-grown 

 Sweet Pea 



English seed, hut I have seen very little 

 of the latter for some time; for. Judging 

 by the many English 1 i el rj each 



year the germinating qualities are "way 

 down." though I must in say that 



tl tew -rowers are 



all thai could be desired, . i oachlng the 

 "domestic" (home-grown) samples. 



Last season I handled forty-seven novel- 

 ties (?) from the firm who sent me the 

 catalog referred to above. The packets 

 contained in all 1010 seed-, 286 of which 

 germinated. Twenty three of the varieties 

 were true to description, though most of 



these were practically Bynonymous with or 

 Inferior to existing sorts, the only differ- 

 ence heing the name; endit were so mixed 

 that it uas impossible to tell what was 

 intended for the variety; thirteen were en- 

 tirely Oiandllloras. although sold as Spen- 

 .-ers: of threr \ariefies no se -ds germi- 

 nated The seed was carefully plant..! In 

 pots during February and given cool green- 

 house treatment. California seed planted 

 on same date and under .entieal condi- 

 tions germinated 95 per cent. And yel this 

 grower has the audacity to criticise Amer- 

 ican-grown seed, apparently forgetting that 

 it were hotter to "consider the beam that 

 is in thine own eye" ere attempting to re- 

 move the mote from thy brother's eye. 



It is clear that the writer of l In- 

 lions in < i u.'st ion has no earthly idea of the 

 seed grow ing conditions of CaluTornl 

 such a statement would never have been 

 made: for, as a matter of fact, the condi- 

 tions there are ideal for the production of 

 perfect seed, and as the temperature is 

 equable, neither too hot nor too cold, the 

 resulting crops are unsurpassed, having 

 the highest germinating qualities and be- 

 ing full of viL'or. The seed is planted dur- 

 ing February, the temnerature al that time 

 and duriiir the earlier stages of growth 

 ranging from 40 to 50 deg. Fahr., while 

 during the summer and ripening period it 

 seldom l'ocs above 75 to 80 deg. Pahr. As 

 a role there are no rains after April, but 

 during July and August heavy fogs come 

 in from the sea each night, thus supplying 

 all the moisture required for the growth 

 of the plant and also preventing the pods 

 from bursting and ripening prematurely. 

 As regards the soil, it is questionable ! 

 it has its equal in the world, the depth 

 of virgin (?) soil in some localities heing 

 h. rd to determine, and as no artificial fer- 

 tilizer of any description is used, the 

 Sweet Tea In California develops a natural 

 growth, never heine forced by stimulants. 

 th.- icsuit being that disease is practically 

 unknown. 



In introduction, paragraph No. 4, the 

 grower further says: "An untrue stock 

 alwavs again produces rogues, even when 



Hi,. - i is saved only from flowers true 



,.,..-• i B this new Sv. . .a is 

 or Iduff to catch the penny of the gullible 

 public? 



Paragraph No v National - 



Pea Society nrher heavily. I was a 



the Impression thai thai body, 

 i ,ni It tl pei sonal friends of 



i and thoroughly impartial 

 work. 



Trusting vou will find a corner for the 

 of your paper. 

 I am. Yours truly. 



, A KERR. 

 town. Pa., Nov. 23. 1011. 



Excerpt from Sweet Pea List of 

 \Yillinm J. In win. Histon. Cambs., 

 England. Autumn. 1911. 



U several of the very best S 



illy in this conn- 

 trv I have during the last two seasons 

 he.ii experimenting in Califon la. I proved 

 the seed first-class is regards germinating 



Horseshoe Brand Bulbs 

 for immediate shipment 



FORMOSUM 



6/7 $10.00 per case 350 bulbs 



6/8 15.00 " " 370 



7/9 18.00 " " 300 



G1GANTEUM 



6/8 $20.00 per case 400 bulbs 



7/8 21.00 " " 350 



7/9 22.50 " " 300 



8/10 25.00 " " 250 



I 24.00 " " 200 



10/11 22.50 " " 150 



L2 JU.OO " " 130 



ALL f. o. b. NEW YORK 

 Terms 3 months or 5% for cash 

 with order. Cold Storage deliver- 

 ies at any time during the season. 

 Fall deliveries of advance orders 

 for Japan Lily Bulbs can be made 

 f. o. b. New York, Pittsburg, Chi- 

 cago, Cincinnati, Memphis and 

 Toronto. Deliveries in other cities 

 can be made in lots of 250 cases, up- 

 wards. 



Write us 



Not BOW l.'rip.p 

 But llow Good 



Ralph M. Ward & Co. 



12 West Broadway 



NEW YORK CITY 



LATE DUG FORMOSUM 



Fine Large Bulbs Thoroughly Ripened 



Per ioo iooo 



79 in. (250 bulbs to case) {7.50 $65 00 

 9 10 in. 1200 " " ) $11.00 $100.00 



A. HENDERSON & CO. 



30 E. RANDOLPH ST., CHICAGO 

 Headquarters for 



SUMMER FLOWERING BULBS 



Send Jor Trade List 



John Lewis Child's 



Flower - LONG ISLAND, N.Y 



Gladioli, Lilies, Iris, Madeira 

 Vines, Cinnamon Vines 



and other Summer Flowering Bulbs 



Send toy f I 



E. S. MILLER 

 Wadi ng River, N. Y. 



In ordering goods please add "I saw 

 it in HORTICULTURE." 



FREE 



NICOTINE AND 



TOBACCO POWDER 



SEE N. ». STOOTHOFF CO. ADVERTISEMENT ON 



PAGE 780. 



