56 



The Florists' Review 



June 27, 1912. 



The departments mentioned are enu- 

 merated with merely the garden or veg- 

 etable seed trade in mind, while there 

 are several other branches of the busi- 

 ness, any one of which is important 

 enough to constitute an industry in it- 

 self; to-wit, field seeds, flower seeds, 

 bulbs, plants, shrubs, nursery stock, 

 and side lines galore, as, for example, 

 agricultural implements, garden tools, 

 fertilizers, poultry supplies, holiday 

 greens and decorations, and so on. 



No one man has yet come to my no- 

 tice who has sufficient administrative 

 ability to even endeavor to encompass 

 this whole field, or even a very large 

 proportion of it. The leading and most 

 successful field seed men have man- 

 aged to keep busy while confining them- 

 selves to field seeds; those who have 

 made the most success in garden seeds 

 have been those who have confined 

 themselves, practically speaking, to 

 garden seeds, and usually to one or two 

 departments of the garden seed busi- 

 ness. To be sure, many take up in an 

 incidental way two or more depart- 

 ments supplementary to their main 

 business, and in the slack season fill 

 in with the side lines, but the industry 

 in all its ramifications covers too broad 

 an expanse for one man, or even for 

 one organization, and to attempt to 

 cover it would be to spread out so 

 thin that one would not be able to 

 skim any cream off from such a shallow 

 depth of milk. 



Distribution Better Than Production. 



As for myself, my efforts are con- 

 fined to the growing of seeds for the 

 trade. You know it's the other side 

 of the road that always seems the 

 smoother. It may be as a result of 

 that natural illusion that seed distribu- 

 tion appears to me to be a more satis- 

 factory department of the business than 

 seed production. I believe that the 

 business of the seedsman, the distrib- 

 utor of seeds, is both the less harass- 

 ing and the more profitable branch of 

 the business. As already admitted, this 

 may be an illusion due to the fact that 

 it is an estimate of one fellow's job 

 as seen through another fellow's 

 glasses and from the other side of the 

 street. I imagine nevertheless that this 

 view is pretty well based on facts, and 

 while it is not within the scope of this 

 paper to treat this question, I may 

 state that one of the most trying and 

 disastrous contingencies of the seed 

 business is crop failure, and unmistak- 

 ably this oft recurring burden falls 

 with greatest weight upon the grower. 

 The seedsman is hurt too, of course, and 

 peals forth to the heavens a mighty 

 wail, but the noise a man makes is not 

 a trustworthy gauge of the pain he may 

 be suffering, for while the seedsman's 

 contract must be delivered short there 

 is always some corner of this universe 

 from which the shortage may be filled; 

 of course at an increased cost, but 

 nevertheless at a profit, for his cata- 

 logue has not yet been issued, and 

 when it is, his selling price is set to 

 show him his margin, and in fact in 

 many cases the short seasons are the 

 seedsman's best seasons, for instead of 

 loading his lofts and depleting his bank 

 balances on account of unsalable mer- 

 chandise, he turns his entire stock into 

 money and a good portion of it at ex- 

 traordinary profit, for on that which 

 comes to him on his contracts he reaps 

 an unusual margin because of the 

 greatly advanced values. But the 



WINTERSON'S SEED STORE 



166 N. WABASH AVENUE. CHICAGO 



ALL FLORISTS' SDPPLIES 



We have a complete stock — send along your Rush 



Orders and we will fill promptly. Send for catalogue 



**Perfect Shape" Wire Work It Staya Where it is Put 



Mention The BeTlew when yon write. 



PREMIUM AMERICAN PANSY SEED -NOW READY 



H<»cn«rian Strain -^ selection of the most beautiful varieties, notable for their large size and 

 iico|i«iaii tJiiniH perfection of form and coloringf. We offer this mixture after over thirty 

 years' experience in pansy seed and plant growing for both the retail and wholesale trade, and rec- 

 commenditfor those having critical customers. Pkt., S5o; lOfO aeeds, SOc; hi oz., $1.00; H 

 OS., $1.78; OS., $e.OO. 



TaaIo'c /«ianl PriTD ^Irain I'his is a mixture made up from the best of the giant varieties 

 IVUIC a Uiaill. WtUX ouaill ^j^ji jhe correct proportions of the dlflerent shades and colors 

 for general sale. This mixture will surely please you. rkt., 15o; 1000 soeds, SOo: ^ oz., 70c; 

 h oz., $l.t0; oz., $4.00. 



"HOW TO GROW PAN8IB8," with prlo* Ust of many 

 vartetlos and mixtures, sent free to any address 



William Toole A Son, - Pansy Heights, Baraboo, Wis. 



Mention The Review when yoo write 



PHIIST SEED 



Walter P. Stokes, Seedsman 



Send for New 

 Crop Price list 



Philadelphia 



Mentlos The Reiiew when yoa writa 



■stabUstaed In IMS 



ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS NAMUS. New 



crop seed expected in a week or so. 



■LEPHANT'fi BABS (Caladium esculentum). 

 Good bulbs, 7/9 inches circumference, $2.50 per 

 100. Cash with order. Only a few left. 



A few cases LONGIPLORUMS. MUT^TIFLO. 

 BUMS, 6IGAHTXUM8 and LILT OP THX 

 VALLKT PIPS in cold storage. Write for 

 prices. 



J.ILThorbi]rn&Co.".Sr%;«^ 



Mention The Review when yoa write 



PRIIVIUyA 



K. llltlCll*>l'iL»l>CtJJllC.l 



Unrivaled for size of flower, purity of color and 

 highest development. They represent tli* beat 

 specialists have so far produced. Seeds and plants. 



J. L. SCHILLER, Toledo, O. 



Mention The Review when vou write 

 NSW CROP 



Blsparagus Blumosus Bhnus 



Wlseonaln Oreenheaee Grown Seed 



Not to be coapared with the inferier Calif onla 



and Florida oatdoor grown seed. 

 1000 seeds. $S.50: 6000. $10.25; lO.MO, $80.00 



G. H. HUNKa CO., Secdnei, Pfilwiikee, Wii. 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



Owing to the backward season In Cali- 

 fornia, all Winter and latt Sweet Pea 

 Seed will be late in maturing. To avoid 

 late deliveries, I will send all early orders 

 of Winter Sweet Pea Seed directly from 

 our ranch In Lompoc, Cal. These will 

 reach my farthest customers not later than 

 August lOtb, saving over four weeks' time. 

 Send all letters of Importance to Lompoc, 

 Cal. We will have all the leading colors 

 and many novelties. Orders booked now 



My ne\7 Ust of Winter S\7eet Pea Seed 

 has been mailed, if you have not received a copy, 

 ask for one. 



Here Is a testimonial from one of many 

 satisfied customers: 



Mt Airy, Md., Feb. 28, 1913. 



Dear Sir: — We have been cutting very line 

 peas this season from your stock. Stems 18 

 and 20 Inches, with 8, 4 and S flowers, and in 

 several Instances with 6 flowers to a stem. Ton 

 deserve and receive great honor from the trade 

 for bringing Winter flowering Sweet Peas to 

 their present high position In the market. Tea 

 have already done more for the florist than the 

 great Bnrbank will ever do. 



JBSSB P. KINO. 

 We have also only the best Spencer snd 

 Unwln late Sweet Pea Seed on band now, 

 also other Florists' flower seed. Send tor 

 list 



ANT. C. ZVOLANEK 



BOUND BROOK, •:• NBW JBR8BT 



Mention The Review when yon write. 



