A BIG r> LSI NESS FIRM. 



6i 



ble one. like those of the nurseries that have 

 been described in The Horticulturist, the 

 business has grown to such an extent that 

 everything has to be done on a large scale. 

 In addition to the wholesale department, 

 and the greenhouses and trial grounds al- 

 ready described, it has been found neces- 

 sary to establish a retail store on King 

 street, as well as branches in Hamilton and 

 Winnipeg. Some conception of the volirme 

 of business transacted may be gained from 

 the fact that over loo.ooo catalogues. 



Lilies Growing in Bermuda 



A view of one of the fields of lilies as grown in Bermuda under 

 contract for the Steele Briggs Seed Co., of Toronto, is here shown. 

 In Bermuda lilies are grown to perfection. 



printed in English and French, are dis- 

 tributed every year, describing the seeds, 

 small fruits, fertilizers, garden tools, etc.. 

 that the firm deals in. 



SEED MUST BE CLEAN. 



A most interesting piece of apparatus at 

 the wholesale warehouse is one used for 

 cleaning the seed. This is accomplished 

 by a sort of fanning machine. " A\'e have 

 to exercise great care," said Mr. Annan- 

 dale, " to see that the seed we send out is 

 free from all impurities. The germinating 

 seed is the heaviest, and when we turn the 

 blowing machine on the seed the lighter im- 

 purities are forced out. 



" As most of the seeds sold through our 

 retail branches, and the firms with whom 

 we do business, is put up in small packages 

 many hundreds of thousands of these paper 



packages are required. On this account 

 we have found it necessary to instal ma- 

 chinery for the special purpose of making 

 these bags. One machine will make 35,000 

 in a day. These bags are printed on ordi- 

 nary printing presses on the premises and 

 then filled and sealed by another machine 

 at the rate of 28,000 per day. The card- 

 board cartons containing larger seeds, such 

 as sugar corn. peas, beans, turnips, man- 

 golds, etc.. are filled by a machine similar 

 to that used for tea packages. 



" As the greater part of our business is 

 done on a commission basis, assortments of 

 our seed neatly arranged in cases for dis- 

 play are sent out early in the year to mer- 

 chants all over Canada, and after the sea- 

 son is over the cases, with any unsold seeds, 

 are returned. A staff of carpenters i5 em- 

 ployed in repairing seed cabinets and boxes 

 which come back in a damaged condition." 

 ." The great bulk of your seed must be sold 

 in Canada," said the representative of The 

 Horticulturist. " Yes," replied Mr. An- 

 nandale. " outside the older portions of 

 Canada w^e find that ^lanitoba and the 

 Northwest, including the Yukon, furnish a 

 field for almost unlimited expansion. Of 

 the colonial markets Australia is the best 

 we have." 



In the wholesale department Mr. E. F. 

 Crossland is manager. The other leading 

 ofiicers of the company, besides ^Ir. An- 

 nandale, are Air. R. C. Steele, president; 

 Mr. S. E. Briggs, vice-president, and Mr. 

 W. D. Steele, 



Although the representative of The Horti- 

 culturist found a great deal to interest him 

 in what he saw he was informed by Mr. An- 

 nandale that a visitor to the company's trial 

 grounds and green houses is most enjoy- 

 able from July till the end of September^ 

 when there is a profusion of bloom. With 

 such institutions as these Canadians may 

 well look forward hopefully to the future 

 of the horticultural interests of the Do- 



