H. G. Hastings Co., Seedsmen, Atlanta, Georgia. 
1 
United States Food Administration 
LICENSE No. G-0627@ 
A year sometimes brings great changes, and 1917 was one of those years. We, in conuuon with the other larger seed houses of the 
United States are under general control of the Food Administration and operate under a license Issued from Washington. 
This country is not only at war, but is a very large part of the greatest war the world has ever seen, and in it each one of us must 
do his or her part in service of our country. 
War is an abnormal condition. It upsets all usual calculations, plans and conditions, and the longer it lasts the more abnormal and 
upset things will be. It is estimated that there are not less than twenty-five million able-bodied men under arms now, with not less than 
ten million either killed or permanently disabled. 
These tens of millions of men have been withdrawn from productive industry, not less than half of them from agriculture and the 
production of food. As a perfectly natural result the world’s supply of food is constantly growing less and less, putting on the United 
States not only the burden of feeding her own hundred million mouths, her soldiers in the field both at home and abroad, but the sol- 
diers and people of the Allied countries as well. 
These general conditions naturally opened the way for the wildest speculation in food and similar products. The result of this kind of 
speculation was shown in the climbing prices of fiour before the Food Administration took hold of the situation on that particular item. 
The Food Administration was formed primarily to protect the people from wild speculation in food and similar products. With that 
end in view, the Food Administration was created by Act of Congress at the request of President Wilson. Under this Act of Congress 
every person, firm or corporation dealing in food or similar products and doing a business above a certain fixed amount must secure a 
license from the Food Administration. 
Under this license each business must follow certain rules or else have their license cancelled. The object of these rules is to protect 
the public from the results of speculation, or, in other words, protect both the people of the United States and of Europe (except the 
Central Powers of Germany and Austria) from excessive prices in so far as it is possible to do so. 
One of the rules of the Food Administration is that all food products (including seeds) be sold by weight instead of by measure as has 
been common practice in the past. In so far as the seed business is concerned this applies principally to beans, peas, com and potatoes. 
A part of the seedsman’s catalogue must go into the printer’s hands from 10 to 12 weeks before it goes to you. In our own particular 
case that portion of this catalogue containing garden peas, cotton and field corn had already been printed with the regular pricing by 
pint, quart, peck and bushel. Further, the packages for all these items in these sizes had been manufactured and it was impossible to 
have other packages manufactured in time for the 1918 spring business. In the case of all varieties of beans and sweet corn you will find, 
that while offered for the sake of uniformity by the pint, quart, peck and bushel, the net weight of each quantity is given. 
In the offers of field corn by quantity the weights are: pints, 14 ounces; quarts, 28 ounces; pecks, 14 pounds; bushels, 56 pounds. In 
potatoes, peck, 15 pounds; bushel, 60 pounds. In garden peas, the round or extra early varieties, such as John E. and Alaska, weigh as 
follows: Pints, 15 ounces; quart, 30 ounces; peck, 15 pounds; bushel, 60 pounds. In the case of the wrinkled varieties, such as Surprise, 
Nott’s Excelsior, Gradus, Home Delight, Bliss* Everbearing, etc., the weights are: Pints, 14 ounces; quarts, 28 ounces; peck, 14 pounds; 
bushel, 56 pounds. 
By the time our next catalogue is issued it will be possible for us to so adjust our business that peas, beans, corn, potatoes, etc., can 
and will be offered only by weight, doing away entirely with pints, quarts, pecks and bushels as priced quantities. 
We are in full accord with the purposes of the Food Administration and will co-operate with it to the fullest extent possible 
Alphabetical Index Showing Page For Catalogue Reference 
Flower seeds are listed on pages 76-85. 
Summer Flowering Bulbs are listed on 
pages 85 and 86. 
Plants for the “Home Beautiful” are listed 
on pages 87 to 95. 
So far as possible, in making up this cata- 
logue, we have arranged the vegetables, 
fiowers, bulbs and plants in alphabetical 
order. 
Alfalfa Page 72 
Artichokes 69 
Asparagus 6 
Bacteria, Soil Inoculation 71 
Beans, Garden 6-11 
Beans, Soy or Soja 66 
Beans, Velvet 64 
Beets 12-13 
Beggarweed 67 
Bene 67 
Broccoli 12 
Brussels Sprouts 11 
Buckwheat 69 
Bug Death 96 
Bulbs 85-86 
Bulletins, Hastings’ Free Farm 51 
Cabbage, Seed and Plants 14-18 
Cane, Ribbon, Orange. Amber 66-68 
Cantaloupe 26-28 
Carrots 19 
Cauliflower 13 
Celerlac 19 
Celery 19 
Chard, Swiss (Sea Kale) 12 
Chervil (for seasoning) 20 
Chufas (Earth Almonds) 70 
Citron, Green Giant 31 
Clovers 72 
Collards 19 
Corn Broom, Kaffir, Jerusalem 66 
Corn, Chicken 68 
Corn, Field . .52-55 
Corn, Pop, Roasting Ear, Sweet 20 
Cos Lettuce, White Paris 25 
Cotton 58-63 
Cress 23 
Cucumbers 21-22 
Eggplant 23 
Endive 23 
Ferns 92 
Feterita 66 
Fetticus (Corn Salad) 23 
Flowers, Seeds and Bulbs 76-86 
Flowers, Live Plants 87-95 
Fungicides . . . 96 
Garlic 35 
Gherkins 21 
Gourds 23 
Grasses .73-75 
Herbs — all kinds 45 
Honey Dew Melon 28 
Horseradish Roots 40 
Insecticides 96 
Kale (Borecole) 11 
Kohl Rabi 23 
Leeks 35 
Lespedeza 72 
Lettuce 24-25 
Millet (German and Pearl) 67 
Mustard 32 
Okra 33 
Onion, Seed and Sets 34-35 
Parsley 33 
Parsnips 33 
Peanuts 69 
Peas, Garden or English 36-37 
Peas, Field or Cow 65 
Peppers 38-39 
Pe Tsai (Chinese Cabbage) 17 
Plants, Summer Flowering 87-95 
Potatoes, Irish 40 
Pumpkins 41 
Radish 42-43 
Rape 70 
Rice, Upland 67 
Rhubarb (Pie Plant) 40 
Rutabaga 50 
Salsify 45 
Seeder, or Hand Sower 96 
Sorghum (Cane) 66 
Spinach 45 
Squash 44 
Sunflower 67, 84 
Teosinte 67 
Tobacco 65 
Tomato 46-48 
Turnips 49-50 
Vines (See Plants) 87-95 
Watermelons .29-32 
This Catalogue Copyris;bt^(|, 1917,, by H. G. Hastings Co.. Atlanta. Georgia. 
