Part I.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 19 



siderably higher than last year, but in proportion to the in- 

 creased prices of crops, fertilizer is cheaper than ever before." 

 The inference from this and other similar statements is that 

 they are offered as an excuse for the large advance in prices of 

 fertilizer, and to forestall objection to the increase by the 

 farmer. They practically declare that the farmer's bank 

 account is larger than formerly, and warrants an additional 

 draft upon it. 



The Seed Situation. 



Reports recently received by the Board from many seedsmen 

 in Massachusetts and other parts of the country, concerning 

 the seed prospects for 1918, indicate that a very serious and un- 

 fortunate condition confronts the farmers and gardeners as well 

 as the seedsmen themselves. The opinion, as expressed by a 

 large majority of our correspondents, prevails that the supply, 

 both of field and garden seeds, will be unusually limited, and 

 that prices will be considerably advanced. 



The war alone is not the cause of this situation. Unfavorable 

 weather conditions for the development and ripening of seed 

 stock which existed throughout the entire country during the 

 early fall were factors responsible for the great shrinkage indi- 

 cated in these crops. Very poor weather conditions for the 

 maturing seeds were also experienced in Holland and Denmark. 

 There is reason to believe that the same causes which have 

 brought about a shortage have also impaired the quality of the 

 seeds in respect to their germinative power. 



There has been some increase in the production of seeds in 

 this country since the commencement of the war, but the 

 increase is more than oifset by the decrease in the quantity of 

 seeds which are being imported from abroad. It is doubtful 

 whether the contracts which have been placed in foreign lands 

 for seeds will be filled to any great extent, not only because of 

 the poor crop conditions there, but also owing to the embargo 

 on exports in force in those countries. 



The kinds of farm and garden seeds of which there seems to 

 be a particularly limited supply are as follows: some kinds of 

 field corn, all clovers, ruta baga, turnip, sweet corn, cabbage, 

 cauliflower, beet, bean (except, perhaps, pole Limas), carrot, 

 spinach, radish, pepper and tomato. 



