4 
American Agriculturist, December 22, 1923 
The Outlook in 
the Seed Market 
Reserve Supplies Are Low—A Seasonable Fruit Note 
T HE 1923 crop of timothy seed is one of the 
smallest in yields that has been harvested 
in a number of years—in fact the supply of 
timothy seed available for spring sowing is 
about 70 per cent, normal, while the quality 
in general is only average. 
The fall of 1922 was very dry and the 
timothy plants in the West did not develop 
good roots. The spring of 1923 was cold and 
wet which caused the crop to be about three 
weeks late all during the season. The above 
conditions would not permit a high yielding 
By A. L. BIBBINS 
present time, and should the exportations 
continue, such might make quite a bullish fac¬ 
tor in the market. 
Active Interest in European Clover Seed 
With our American crop of Red Clover seed 
about 45,000,000 pounds less than last year, 
American seedsmen are turning their attention 
to the European supply of seed. Undoubtedly 
a great deal of seed can be brought from 
our crop is very short and consequently feel 
that they can obtain pretty good prices for 
their seed. On the other hand, American im¬ 
porters know that the Europeans badly want 
the American dollar and with the rates of 
exchange so strongly in favor of the American 
dollar more seed can be purchased to-day 
with our dollar than was possible a few months 
back. The wise farmer will not purchase the 
European seed at any price as it is not well 
adapted to our northern conditions. Some 
will have to take it or go without because of the 
shortage of strictly northern-grown domestic 
seed. 
PUTTING SMALL FRUITS TO 
BED 
BY DAVID STONE KELSEY 
At the Fruit Show ast month, the Hudson Valley cooperatives were much in evi¬ 
dence. In the foreground is the exhibit of the Hudson River Fruit Exchange, with 
the Clintondale Cooperative in the background. The producers of Storm King brand 
were also represented as were several individual growers. 
The feature of the Champlain Valley exhibit at the Fruit Show, put on by the Clin¬ 
ton and Essex County Farm Bureaus and representing several individual growers, 
was the deeper color of the fruit. New England showed no deeper color. 
The Chautauqua Grape Growers’ exhibit at the Fruit Show reminded us of a bank of 
velvet. France could show nothing finer. 
crop so the supply of seed was certain to be 
affected to some extent directly from the 
weather conditions. 
Last spring farmers throughout the West 
fed hay about three weeks longer than usual, 
as the season was so late that stock could not 
be put out to grass. The extreme consuming 
period lowered the stock of hay on the farms 
and made it more necessary that all hay avail¬ 
able from the 1923 crop be harvested. 
Just before harvesting, the market for hay 
was very strong—in fact it still remains strong. 
With the timothy fields in such States as 
Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota showing a very 
poor prospect for seed, and with hay bringing 
a good price it is only natural that farmers 
should cut a greater acreage than usual for 
hay. This resulted in less acreage being cut for 
seed and the yield of acreage cut was not up to 
normal, consequently the supply of seed har¬ 
vested from the 1923 crop was about 30 per 
cent, less than normal. 
Some years the short crop is off-set by a 
carry-over of old seed, however, there was 
almost no carry-over to make up for the short¬ 
age, as the previous year’s crop was not overly 
large and in fact, had to be helped out by a 
carry-over of old seed. There is some old seed 
on the market, much of which shows a very 
inferior germination test. This probably will 
not reach the farmers in its present state as 
most houses owning any of the seed would not 
care to ship out such low germinating seed. 
Some may probably blend it with fresh new 
crop seed, and gradually work it off in that 
manner. 
The market price for timothy is very strong, 
in fact at the present time is about 50 cents per 
bushel higher than any time during the last 
two or three years. It is thought that it will 
advance perhaps $1.00 more depending upon 
the amount of seed farmers will use next 
spring. Some seed is being exported at the 
York, some seed has arrived at Philadelphia 
and Baltimore. 
An Italian seedsman states, “Increasing 
interest is being shown in your country in the 
importation of the Italian Red Clover of new 
crop, dodder free from Italy and France.” 
The American market will determine the 
prices, the Europeans holding for as good a 
figure as they feel American houses will pay. 
The Europeans are well aware of the fact that 
When to Mulch 
Any time between ground freezing and the 
first snow, we mulch (always on frozen ground 
—never on snow or mud) with plenty of very 
coarse, stiff material, other than manure, 
forest leaves or pine-needles—preferably plain 
common corn stover, though sometimes pea 
or potato haulm, barley or rye straw,—oat 
straw or buckwheat tend to smother, which is 
the chief objection to forest leaves and pine 
needles, while stable manures bring weeds and 
grass-seeds. 
However, for taking care of currants, goose¬ 
berries, shrubs, new-set hedges, asparagus 
seedlings, and any other young stuff still in the 
nursery-row, a combination of corn-stalks and 
light, curly forest leaves is about ideal. Also 
every one of the items objected to above make 
(Continued on page ^32) 
Europe as some sections have quite a large 
supply but it is not thought that enough can 
be obtained abroad to more than make up half 
of our domestic shortage. 
Up to date, over 2,800,000 pounds of Euro¬ 
1 71 OR more than twenty years we struggled 
along with about average success in winter¬ 
ing our raspberries and similar small fruits, 
following the direction of experts about as 
did the Jap cook, whom his mistress found 
throwing away a newly broken, perfectly good 
egg. When questioned, his alibi was that in 
first showing him how to mix that cake, she 
had thrown away the first egg, and had often 
told him sternly to do exactly as he had seen 
her do. 
But accidentally I one day learned the prin¬ 
ciples of winter protection, since when we have 
scored about 100 per cent, success. It was in 
a summer after a winter so severe that very 
few raspberries or even blackberries had 
wintered through and were fruiting. But 
going across-fieids I came across some red 
raspberries in a low fence-corner that were 
loaded with ripening fruit. Then and there 
was studied out this victory over the cold— 
there canes stood even lower than the last 
year’s golden-rod and other perennials whose 
friendly “shade” and snow-holding influence 
had saved them from both d y-freezing and 
sudden thaw. t 
pean seed have arrived at the Port of New 
York and it is thought that this represents 
about 12 per cent, of Europe’s surplus clover 
seed. In addition to the seed received at New 
Two Conditions That Kill 
There are just two killing winter conditions 
that get between the small-fruit grower and 
success; persistent zero gales that literally 
freeze dry and so kill the berry and grape canes, 
and the diametric opposite of this, too sudden 
thawing after intense cold. The latter accounts 
for most of the dead strawberry crowns found 
in spring, though sometimes careless owners 
permit surface water to smother them with ice. 
But if perfect surface drainage and sufficient 
coarse shade protection be provided, neither 
the sudden thaw of a clear February sun on a 
still day after a zero night (which thawing 
ruptures the tiny germ-cells of the tender, 
growing parts) nor the smothering ice-sheet of 
March need be feared. No moist, shade-pro¬ 
tected cane will ever be injured. 
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