July 12, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists' RevieW, 



477 



pointed out that, while it is . his duty to 

 carry on the distribution in accordance 

 with the wishes of congress, the money 

 expended for vegetables and flower 

 seeds could probably be more profitably 

 used for the introduction of new and 

 rare seeds, such as grains, forage crops, 

 cotton, tobacco, and the like. Tne large 

 quantities of seed needed make it im- 

 possible to use the rare varieties, even 

 if there were a sufficient number of new 

 and valuable varieties of vegetable seeds 

 each year to fill the requirements. The 

 number of really new and desirable 

 varieties of vegetables that appear each 

 year is extremely small, and the seeds- 

 men of today are so thoroughly awake 

 to the importance of introducing novel- 

 ties that any new variety quickly finds 

 its way to the trade. 



"It is only the standard varieties of 

 vegetable and flower seeds, therefore, 

 that can be used in the general free 

 distribution. These are in more or less 

 regular supply in the trade, and while 

 the stocks vary in quality it is not diffi- 

 cult for those who understand the busi- 

 ness, and who know the sources of supply 

 to secure each year first-class seeds at 

 reasonable prices. This office aims to 

 get seeds of the best value. This, of 

 course, does not mean the cheapest seed, 

 as every one knows that the value of 

 vegetable seed is not measured solely 

 by the price. Vitality and trueness to 

 type, or purity of stock, are of the 

 utmost importance, and of these the 

 latter can be determined only by a field 

 inspection. Experts must therefore be 

 employed who know the general char- 

 acter of each grower's stock, and part 

 of whose business it is to visit the prin- 

 cipal growers at least once each year to 

 keep posted on their work and on the 

 quality of their stock. The objects kept 

 in view are (1) to obtain good seeds — 

 as good as those sold by the best mail- 

 trade houses (though they are no better, 

 since the seeds are bought mostly from 

 the growers who supply the seed trade) ; 

 and (2) to get these seeds at the best 

 prices. 



' ' The seed needed is secured in one 

 of two ways: (1) It is bought outright, 

 the seeds being on hand at the time of 

 purchase, or (2) it is contracted for, 

 the department agreeing to pay a fixed 

 sum for all seed of satisfactory quality 

 delivered up to a given amount. All 

 seeds offered are considered by a special 

 committee, which consults with the seed 

 experts of the bureau of plant industry, 

 and recommends purchases in accordance 

 with the following considerations: 



(1) The known quality of the stocks 

 offered. 



(2) The reputation of the firm mak- 

 ing the offer. 



(3) The price, calculated upon de- 

 livery at Washington, D. C. 



"The price, though important, is 

 never the first consideration; good seeds 

 must be secured at a fair price, and 

 'the best value' is the watchword in 

 the work. The ;'?(lo irg of the seed 

 is done by contract. 



"In order to have first-hand informa- 

 tion about the quality of the seed used 

 for congressional distribution, to keep 

 up with the times in the matter of new 

 varieties, and to do something toward 

 systematizing the knowledge of Amer- 

 ican vegetables, trial grounds are main- 

 tained at the Arlington Farm and on 

 the Potomac Flats, near Washington, 

 and annual trials are conducted at 

 various places in the United States. All 

 of this work is under the direction of 



W. W. Tracy, Sr., whose long experience 

 at the head of a large commercial trial- 

 ground, and whose intimate knowledge 

 of vegetable varieties especially qualify 

 him for this work. At the Arlington 

 larm tests are made of samples of all 

 lots of vegetable seeds distributed 

 through congressional orders. Here also 

 the principal new varieties offered by 

 seedsmen each year are tested. 



' ' Besides the tests at Arlington, the 

 trialground work looking to the prep- 

 aration 6f standard descriptions of all 

 the recognized vegetable varieties is car- 

 ried on at a number of places in the 

 United States. Several hundred samples 

 are planted on each of these tracts, so 

 that the effect of different soil and 

 climate may be noted for each variety. 

 Careful notes are kept on these tests, 

 and from the field descriptions that are 

 made it is purposed to issue standard 

 descriptions oi all the recognized varie- 

 ties as soon as possible. It is hoped 

 that these bulletins may become useful 

 hanuuooks for the seedsmen, especially 

 for such as cannot well conduct extensive 

 tria^grounds, and that in course of time 

 the catalogue descriptions may be more 

 unified than is the case at present." 



T 



FRENCH SEED CROPS. 



After the long period of rainy weather 

 which we had here (and in most Euro- 

 pean countries, as I hear), at the third 

 week of June we are now enjoying 

 bright sun, such as we have not been 

 seeing for a long time. The result is 

 that the soil has become so dry all of 

 a sudden, that farmers are now anxious- 

 ly waiting for some rain. Most biennial 

 plants were planted some time ago, in 

 a pitiable condition, being so very 

 small and tiny that the question was 

 whether or not they would get on. Be- 

 sides, they were stuck into a wet, badly 

 prepared soil, in which they could not 

 possibly find any strength at all. The 

 sudden change in the weather, becoming 

 so very hot and dry, terribly affected 

 those young plants, which were either 

 burnt down or forced to shoot up quick- 

 ly to seed. We may easily realize that 

 under such circumstances they will pro- 

 duce but a very small quantity of seeds. 



Such is the case this season for swedes, 

 turnips, carrots, beets, mangels, etc. Of 

 course this will be no great inconvenience 



HENRY MEHE 



Quedlinburg, Germany 



■* Grower and Exporter of Choice 



Beet, Vegetable and Flower Seed 



Own cultures nearly 3,000 acres. 



PANSIES 



HENRY MEHE'S "Triumph of the Giants" 



the most perfect and most beautiful in the world, 

 $5 00 per oz.: $1.50 per 14 oz.: 75c per 1-16 oz. 

 Postage paid. Cash with Order. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Danish Seed 



CAUIil FLOWER Snowball and Haage's 

 Extra Early Erfnrter Uwarf . 



CABBAGE, White Amaser (Stonehead). 

 Write direct to the grower. 



CHRIS. OLSEN, cf^wer Odense, Denmark 



he Royal Toltenham 

 Nurseries Ltd.^lfVfir 



Managing Director, A. M. C. VAN UOt aST. 



Dedemsvaart, Holland 



Headquarters for Hardy Perennial*, araone 

 which are the latest and choicest. 13 acres de- 

 voted for growing this line, including Anemone, 

 Aster, Campanula, Delphinium, Funkias, Hem- 

 erooallis, Hepaiica, Incarvillea, Iris, Peonies. 

 Phlox decussata and suffruticosa. Primula. 

 Pyrethrum, Tritoma, Hardy Heath, Hardy Ferns 

 Also 5 acres of DafTodils, 12 acres of Conifers, 

 specially young choice varieties to be grown on; 

 8 acres Rhododendrons, including the best Amer- 

 ican an& Alpine varieties; 2 acres Hydrangeasw 

 We make it a point to grow all the latest novek> 

 tiea in these lines. Ask for catalog. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



HOLLAND PEONIES, ROSES, 

 EVERGREENS, HOLLIES, ETC. 



French Fruit and Ornamental Stocks 



English Manetti Stocks for Florists 

 and Nurserymen 



Lily of the Valley Pips 



Finest brand Berlin and Hamburg Pips. 



Raffia from Stock and for Import 

 Direct Importer of Dutch Bulbs 



Please apply for quotations, etc.. to 



H. Frank DarroWf Importer 



Saccessor to Aag. Rhotert 

 20 Barclay St., P. O. Box 1250, New York 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Some of our Conifers. 



H. DEN OUDEN & SON, «ro»e' So^^'^Jf 



nursery stock for the American trade. Catalogue 



free on demand; also views in our nursenei. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



Bulbsl Bulbs! 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Please ask (or 

 Wholesale Trade List 



K. VELTHUYS 



Hillegom, Holland 



Bulbs! Bulbsl 



Maoetti Stocks 



One million fine, one-year, Engllsh-^rown. 

 Also a large stock of Roses, all leading kinds,, 

 per 1000 strong plants. Quantities shipped an 

 nually to leading American Arms. Referencet 

 Bassett & Washburn, Chicago. 



W. C. SLOCOCK, Woking, Surrey, England. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 

 XiABOEBT STOCK OP AXmIm 



BELGIAN PLANTS! 



Asaleas, Araucarias, Sweet Bays, 

 Pahns, Begonias, Gloxinias, etc. 



LOUIS VAN HOUTTE PERE 



GHENT, BeUciom. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



