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The Round of the Year in the Seed Trade 
By Charles Johnson 
C OMPARED to its healthy and satisfactory condition today, tlie 
seed business in America 15 or more years ago was in a quiescent 
state. Then outside of tlie various metropolises of the country, the 
number of regular retail seed stores was, comparatively speaking, quite 
inconsiderable, and they were located few and far between. 
In the smaller cities at that period most all the business in bulk 
seeds, especially that of vegetables, was confined as a side line to the 
leading grocery, drug, hardware, flour and feed and general merchan- 
dise stores, stocks being carried by them in small quantities, very much 
cut up, varying according to the extent of trade done by each store, 
but as a rule the attention given by these stores to selling seeds was 
with the indifference that is usually manifested toward all side lines. 
But today in 1917, we find at least one well equipped seed store, 
with up-to-date fixtures, drawers and bins, in every small city situated 
in the midst of a rich, populous agricultural territory, in all the States 
of the Union, and Canada also. 
Numbering perliaps upward of a thousand these many new stores 
are all flourishing, bringing their respective proprietors a good, com- 
fortable living, indeed quite a few of them producing much more than 
a living. Hardly a fortnight or so passes but another new seed store 
is announced. 
As just indicating the expansion of the mail order seed houses in 
our country within the past decade, the mere statement will suffice 
that all these mentioned new seed stores issue a catalog, circulated by 
mail. Many of these catalogs are as elaborate in their make up, as 
handsomely illustrated and printed as are the catalogs issued by the 
best of the older mail order seed houses. 
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Section V 
Special Articles 
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Special Articles in the 1917 Edition 
The following articles appeared in the 1917 edition of this Annual: 
Alpine House as a Feature 
Florists’ Red Letter Days 
Fuel Supply 
Greenhouse, A Living Out of One 
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Hardy Plants, Raising a Stock of 
Property, Buying A 
Retail Store Business, Starting into the 
Vegetable Crops Under Glass 
