14 



The Florists^ Review 



Jandary 18, 1917. 



THE COAL CRISIS COMES 



EMBARGO ON SMOKELESS COAL. 



Bailroad Stops Western Shipments. 



This has been the coldest week of the 

 winter in the central states and it has 

 brought the crisis in coal, of which there 

 have been so many forebodings. 



The most serious event of the week 

 has been the imposition of an embargo 

 on coal shipments by the Norfolk & 

 Western railroad. This is the road which 

 brings out of West Virginia nearly all 

 of the smokeless coal used in the green- 

 house establishments in the cities of the 

 central states. January 13 it imposed an 

 embargo on shipments for points west of 

 Columbus, O., the reason assigned being 

 that the railroads connecting at that 

 point were not able to move the freight 

 west and that a congestion had occurred. 

 It was stated that the embargo would be 

 raised as soon as the congestion is re- 

 lieved, but for several days no coal for 

 growers west of Columbus has been ac- 

 cepted from the mines. 



Coal Like Molasses in Januaxy. 



The movement of coal cars always is 

 slowest at this time of year. Snow and 

 zero temperature present the worst possi- 

 ble conditions for railroading and grow- 

 ers are accustomed to irregularity in de- 

 liveries during such weather as has pre- 

 vailed in the central states for the last 

 few days. The great trouble this year 

 is that with rare exceptions everyone is 

 getting along on the hand-to-mouth 

 basis. There are a few forehanded grow- 

 ers who had their bunkers full of fuel 

 before the autumn squeeze, and who 

 have been able to secure sufficient de- 

 liveries so that the reserve stock still is 

 untouched, but in most cases suppliers 

 have known which florists had reserve 

 stock and have diverted deliveries to 

 the point that reserve stocks necessarily 

 have been consumed, so that nearly ail 

 growers are dependent on the more or 

 less daily deliveries to keep from freez- 

 ing up. 



While no serious losses have been re- 

 ported, every florist knows of a dozen 

 others who do not have coal enough to 

 run them another twenty-four hours un- 

 less they get deliveries. 



Spot Prices. 



During the mild weather of early Jan- 

 uary the spot market weakened a little; 

 consumption was lighter and cars were 

 moving at an unusual rate. But with 

 the return of zero the spot market has 

 taken another jump. Large numbers of 

 buyers who heretofore have obtained de- 

 liveries on their contracts have been 

 forced into the market during the last 

 week and the result has been that prices 

 this week are the highest yet known. 

 They vary widely, in accordance with 

 the estimated desirability of the prospec- 

 tive customer. 



Passing the Buck. 



While the situation is the most serious 

 that ever confronted the greenhouse 

 trade and the general public, there is 

 time for acrimonious debate as to the re- 

 sponsibility for it. The coal man places 

 it upon the railroads, but the railroads 



promptly pass it back to the coal trade, 

 asserting that custom in the fuel busi- 

 ness is responsible for the present burden 

 on consumers. The railroads point out 

 that their yards are congested with cars 

 loaded with coal that are bandied back 

 and forth among brokers under the re- 

 consignment plan that has become cus- 

 tom in the coal trade. It is asserted that 

 the reconsignment privilege has been 

 employed all season to hold shipments 

 off the market and thereby raise the 

 price. 



Growers Are Paying the Price. 



A few of the large producers selling 

 direct to consumers still are making de- 

 liveries at the contract figure. The 

 writer of this article has within the last 

 few days seen the invoices of two of 

 the large West Virginia producers who 

 are delivering coal to growers at $1.50 

 per ton f. o. b. the mines, although the 

 same coal could be sold at considerably 

 more than twice that figure on the open 

 market. These producers assert that 

 they are sending no coal to the open 

 market, but are delivering their entire 

 output to contract customers. 



But in the majority of cases one rea- 



son or another has been found for rais- 

 ing the price to contract customers. In 

 one case it was impossible to get cars 

 for delivery of the contract coal, but 

 another and inferior kind of coal could 

 be delivered at a somewhat higher price. 

 In another case the quality deteriorated 

 until the buyer asked that deliveries be 

 stopped. In some cases the seller has 

 stated plainly that he would raise the 

 price or quit. One way or another, near- 

 ly every florist now is paying hitherto 

 unheard of prices for his coal. Those 

 who pay promptly are being taken care 

 of below market quotations, but they 

 nevertheless fail to get fuel at contract 

 rates. 



Next Season's Prices. 



Difficult as is the present situation, 

 thought is turning to contracts for next 

 season. The matter is up for attention 

 earlier this year for two reasons. Dur- 

 ing the dull years just passed the prac- 

 tice of contracting was largely aban- 

 doned and reliance placed on the open 

 market. The reaction naturally is 

 toward greater numbers than ever be- 

 fore contracting for next season. Also, 

 in other lines of business contracts are 

 being made earlier than usual and grow- 

 ers fear that the output of mines may be 

 placed under contract before their own 

 greenhouse interests are taken care of. 

 Inquiries as to contracts for next year 

 indicate that the producers are not inter- 

 ested except at prices rather more than a 

 dollar a ton higher than the contract 

 prices for this season. 



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MOLES AND MEN 



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TO EXTERMINATE MOLES. 



I read the letter of F. W. & C, in The 

 Eeview of December 28, stating that 

 they are troubled with moles in their 

 sweet pea beds. Some years ago I was 

 annoyed by moles just as F. W. & C. 

 are and I tried almost every known 

 remedy, but without avail. Then one of 

 my employees, an old man from Holland, 

 told me that if I would procure some 

 salt fish he would rid the place of the 

 moles. Surely enough, in less than two 

 weeks not a trace of the pests could be 

 seen. He dug holes in the runs, dropped 

 into them pieces of the fish about the 

 size of a walnut and then closed the 

 holes. He told me to repeat the dose 

 if any of the moles returned. I spread 

 the good news to my neighbors and they 

 also have freed their places of moles by 

 following the same method. The old 

 man explained the operation of the rem- 

 edy by stating that the moles love fish 

 and the salt kills them. Whether that 

 is the right theory or not, the plan 

 worked well for me and may do so for 

 others. W. M. Coleman. 



MOSS'S MENAGERIE. 



Eecently I noticed several inquiries 

 in The Eeview as to how to get rid of 

 moles in the greenhouse. I have often 

 wondered in what way moles are de- 

 structive. 



I have been using solid beds for about 

 five years and they have been and are 

 full of moles. So far the moles have 



never injured anything, neither lettuce, 

 sweet peas, carnations nor mums. The 

 moles make the beds unsightly, perhaps, 

 but the first time they come along after 

 a bed has been spaded I turn the hose 

 into their runways, and after that they 

 go so deep that they are not noticed. 

 These deep runways make good sub- 

 irrigation ditches. 



I am quite sure moles destroy enor- 

 mous quantities of white grubs and 

 wireworms, both of which are destruc- 

 tive in the beds. If I were not already 

 plentifully supplied with moles, I cer- 

 tainly would advertise in the papers 

 that I needed more of them. An inter- 

 esting feature is that the moles have 

 followed the same routes in the beds 

 from year to year. No matter how 

 often or how deep a bed is spaded, they 

 will not miss the old track more than 

 three inches in as many years. They 

 have periods of activity and then seem 

 to be dormant for weeks at a time. 



Toads, I think, also are useful around 

 a greenhouse. In the spring when sow 

 bugs and slugs begin to get active, I 

 announce to the boys in the neighbor- 

 hood that I will pay 10 cents each for 

 good, fat toads, and my houses soon are 

 cleared of anything big enough for a 

 toad to eat. I put them up in the 

 benches, where they will remain jfor 

 weeks at a time. One 3-legged fellow 

 has been with me for three years. 



Several years ago a bright boy went 

 down to the creek and found a few 

 toad nests. I almost fainted when he 

 walked in with 600 or 700 baby toads 



