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The Weekly Florists^ Review* * : dbcembeb 24. 1908. . 



endorse th,e American Seed Trade Asso- 

 ciation's resolutions and schedule for 

 specific duties on seeds and bulbs, dated 

 December 2, and filed with yOur honor- 

 able committee. 



The Schedule on Bulbs. 



T, J. Outerbridge, representing Henry 

 & Lee, New York, appeared before the 

 Committee on "Ways and Means and made 

 the following statement: 



"I shall, as briefly as possible, draw 

 your attention to section 251 of Schedule 

 G, relative to tariff revision, as touch- 

 ing all classes of bulbs and bulbous roots, 

 which are cultivated for their flowers, 

 whether imported from Japan, China, 

 Bermuda, France, Holland or Germany, 

 which are the principal markets of pro- 

 duction, and from which sources of sup- 

 ply are derived the majority of bulbs 

 that new enter the United States for 

 consumption and for the production of 

 blooms or flowers for decorative purposes. 



"First. Lily bulbs and their product 

 may be correctly termed as an article 

 of luxury to a greater or lesser de- 

 gree, and as such, in our opinion, should 

 pay a duty of from twenty-fivo to thir- 

 ty per cent ad valorem, which amount 

 enters to such a small degree in the 

 price of the flowers to the consumer as 

 to be hardly noticeable. 



"Second. The business in lily bulbs is 

 largely done by solicitation of orders 

 from seedsmen and florists for a period 

 of the first six months of the year, or 

 from January to June, at which time ad- 

 vance orders are booked and orders placed 

 abroad for the supply, which is imported 

 into the United States and entered for 

 consumption from June to December. 



"Third. With a protective tariff of 

 twenty-five to thirty per cent, it is our 

 opinion that the interests of the people 

 engaged in this trade are better protect- 

 ed, inasmuch as such a duty will serve 

 as a means of protecting the importers 

 and the purchasers of the bulbs, and 

 the florists who force the bulbs into 

 bloom, from the likelihood of detrimental 

 consignments of cheap and inferior bulbs 

 being thrown on this market at or near 

 the close of the season, and so interfere 

 with the sale of the higher qualities 

 brought into the country under advance 

 import orders. 



' ' We therefore respectfully request that 

 the committee either retain the pres- 

 ent tariff of twenty-five per cent ad 

 valorem on all grades and varieties of 

 lily bulbs, or if there is to be any 

 change in the tariff that the rate be 

 increased to thirty per cent ad valorem, 

 as it is at present assessed on all agri- 

 cultural and garden seeds." 



In reply to a question, Mr. Outer- 

 bridge said he "had reference to the 

 bulbs imported from the places named. 

 The bulbs imported from Japan are 

 longiflorum, auratum and speciosum; 

 those imported from Bermuda are the 

 Harrisii and longiflorum; those import- 

 ed from Holland are lilies and different 

 varieties of hyacinths, tulips and narcis- 

 sus. From France there are imported 

 Roman hyacinths and narcissus, from 

 Germany lily of the valley and from 

 China Chinese narcissus. We are asking 

 for a continuation of the duty, and if 

 you wish to raise it to thirty per cent, 

 five per cent more." 



Nurserymen Propose Free Bulbs. 



William Pitkin, representing the Amer- 

 ican Association of Nurserymen, appeared 

 before the Ways and Means Commit- 

 tee and, preliminary to asking a number 



of changes and increases in the rates 

 on nursery stock, stated: 



"We ask that the following items be 

 placed on the free list, for the reason 

 that they are not propagated in this coun- 

 try, and we must depend on foreign 

 countries for our supply, viz.: Bhodo- 

 dendrons, azaleas, tulips, crocus, hya- 

 cinths, narcissi, jonquils, lilies, lily of 

 the valley." 



THE SEED SITUATION. 



The general situation in the seed trade 

 has not changed materially from the re- 

 ports of a week ago, Christmas trade 

 has kept many busy in lines somewhat 

 removed from shortages and surpluses of 

 seeds, and consequently little stir has 

 taken place. It is likely that we will be 

 well into the new year before the seed 

 dispensers wUl get busy to cover where 

 shortages exist, or to push out surpluses. 



Peas are probably the most annoying 

 item to get a proper line on. Beans are 

 not worrying anyone very much, judging 

 from current reports. Many varieties of 

 water melon are hard to locate, and what 

 can be located is quite inferior as to 

 germinating quality. Some of the musk 

 melons are scarce and high. Beets of 



By the way, that advertisement of 

 Bouquet Green in 



t\ltf% 



did the business all ri^ht. Through 

 it we sold out every crate we had — 

 and the fact is we thought we, with 

 many others, would have it to bum. 



CURRIE BROS. CO. 

 Milwaukee, Wit., Dec. 18, 1908. 



some sorts are short; in one or two in- 

 stances very much so. Sweet corn is 

 developing more plentiful than some of 

 the growers originally reported it. The 

 canners' sorts, such as Evergreen, Old 

 Colony and Country Gentleman, are 

 turning up at points where they were 

 not looked for. 



Contract orders for 1909 crop are com- 

 ing in freely at prices much higher than 

 those prevailing at the same time last 

 year. Onion seed has steadied and the 

 prices reported at present values corre- 

 spond to those named in the Eeview of 

 some weeks back. The summer varieties 

 of squash are reported scarce. Hubbard 

 and Marrow will be easy; Warty Hub- 

 bard not so plentiful, and a choice article 

 of this sort scarce. 



The demand for the canners' varieties 

 of tomato has increased to such an ex- 

 tent that, although a fairly good supply 

 is in sight, a shortage of some of the 

 most popular varieties is quite likely to 

 develop. The cucumber situation is such 

 that extremely high values may be looked 

 for long before the demand is over. The 

 White Spine sorts are not so scarce as 



All Growers of Mushrooma 

 ■hould buy their 



SPAWN 



direct from 

 the Best Eng^lish Makers. 



Johnson's* Ltd** are the 



chief makers of Spawn and 

 growers of Mushrooms in Eng- 

 land. Their Spawn-hricks are 

 scientifically inoculated with 

 fine Virgin Spawn and this 

 year's stock is better than ever. 



Prices and particnlare on 

 application. 



Send one shilling (24 cents) for onr 

 new book on Mi^shroom Culture. 



ADDRESS : 



JOHNSON'S, Ltd. 



4.4 Bedford RoWf 

 LONDON, ENGLAND. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



COLD STORAGE VALLEY 



Very finest grades of H^pburg Valley, for 

 shipment as desired. 



Fruit and Onuunental Stocks. 



French srrown, best quality, carefully selected, 

 graded and packed. 



KncUali Manattl Btoeka. 



Grown especially for florists' use. 



HoUaad Plants. 



Roses, Peonies, Rhododendrons, Boxtrees, 

 Clematis, Conifers, etc. 



Uly of tbe VaUey. 



Finest grades of Berlin and Hamburg for Im- 

 port. 

 For catalogs, speclaloffers, etc.. please apply to 



H. FRANK DARROW, 



Importar Wliolasalar 



P. 0. BOX 1250, 26 Barclay Street, NEW YORK 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Holland Bulbs 



. Maathnla & Van Alphen, wholesale bulb 

 growers and exporters, Lisse, near Haarlem, 



Holland. Superior quality, low prices. 



Sole American Agint, 

 J. MEERKAMP VAN EMBDEN. ML Vernon, N. Y. 



Ask fob Catalog. 

 Mention The Review when yon write. 



CAULIFLOWER Og^t^A 

 A B B A G E ODOU 



LILY OF THE VALLEY PIPS 



HJALMAR HARTMANN & CO. 



12 Stormgwle, Copenhagen, Denmirk. 

 Alwa,y» Mention the.... 



Florists' Review 



When Wrltlnar Advertiser* 



