Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-08
HlGH-PRlCED 6EEDS.
Figures Which Astonish Unsophisticated
Cultivators of Country "Garden Sass

Figures Nhich AstOntsh UnsOphistichteu
Cultivators of Country "Garden Sass
New York SUM-
Iii many Of ccs around and in the big
produce exchange there are numerous lit
tie shallow boxes piled on window-sils,
tables, and desks. The boxes are gener
ally filed with corn and wheat and other
grain, samples of the stocks held In the
Zig elevators and stores along the river
fronts and in the fleets of canalboats in tho
Brooklyn basins A grain dealer was
running his hand through sample of
No / spring wheat when man said:
"Good as gold "
"Yes hut unlike some other farm pro-
ducts, it is not worth its weight in gold. "
"Squashes, for instances"
"Perhaps you would like to know some
thing about high priced farm products
There is new variety of oats called the
Clydesda.e. A measured bushel weighs
fifty one pounds While they will not re.
tain their full weight in this country, they
will double the market value of the pro
duct of an oatted. The enterprising
farmer pays 50 bushel for the seed
There is the new Fife spring wheat, which
sells for SO bushel, and the new style of
field corn, known as Chester Mammoth
and Golden Dent. sells for about the same.
In the matter of garden seeds the
farmer must pay prices that make him
squeaL Last year u Newark man brought
out what is known as Henders ms white
plume celery Unlike common celery it
does not need to be banked up to whiten
the leaves. and, what is more, these leaves
are as much like ostrich feathers as any
thing you can imagine. During the
American Institute fair the plants on ex-
hibition were frequently torn to pieces by
guests, who used the leaves for button
h ole bouquets The seedman who is in.
PRODUCING the plant paid $3.50 for small
truck load of the plants. and he now sells
the seed at SO pound.
"A new French bean is selling at so
cents quart The new Eclipse beet seed
sells for ~. 80 a pound. while the seed OF
the new lettuce called the { ak eaf sells
for 81 90 an ounce Even new variety
of parsley is high priced, the seed OF the
style called Emerald selling for ~. W a
pound.
"lou sarcastically mentioned the
know all about squasbes There was a
specimen of a new squash on exhibition in
this town last fall for several weeks that
weighed 223 pounds Its flavor was as
excellent as its size was enormous. The
seeds obtained from this big squash sell
for cents apiece, or SO an ounce.
"But when you want to find farm pro
ducts that are really worth their weight IL
gold you must take the flower seeds raised
by the farmers wife This year there is
great variety of new flowers. L
would bewlder you to name them
These seeds are always sold by thu
packet at from 25 to 30 cents Tha
sounds cheap, but there are new styles il
daisies, ladys slippers, petunias, and pan
sizes, the seeds of which are worth in thu
market by the ounce sum that will taxi
your breath away, The petunia gradi
fora is a sample 1t is an exceedingly.
beautiful flower The packages of seet
contain 300 or 400 seeds EACH but thu
seed is an impalrable powder almost, it i
80 fine. The package retails at IS cents
but by the ounce the seed is worth 5000
An ounce will make 5000 packages 1o'
can see what the retail price of t1owe
seeds and the retailers profits are iron
that statement.