The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-07-31
Seedsman's Claims About
Seed Oats Regarded
Extravagant
OVER $1,000 WORTH
SOLD IN ONE COUNTY
Buyers Required to Sign Orders Not
Subject to Countemand-Rural New
Yorker Expresses Is Views Concern
ing Firms Claims.


Information furnished by the Wind
ham County Farm Bureau Office to the
publications of the county, which is re-
garded as of special value to the rural
communities, is in the nature of warn
ing with respect to the purchase of seed
oats. A communication from the agent
says:
In letter to this Office dated July
10 from County Agent H. F. johnson of
Newport Vt.), we are advised against
dealing with certain seed oats statesmen
In the past few weeks Charles Dilenbeek
OF Little Falls, n. Y, has sold over IS 900
worth of seed in and about Orleans coun-
ty. This man represents the George X.
Hlgble company of Rochester, n. Y.
He is selling Alberta Cluster seed oats
IN minimum lots of ten bushels each at
s32.5 so per lot The farmer is required to
sign the order which is not subject To
countermand. The oats will be delivered
next January or February and viii be
paid for through the local banks by the
| farmers
The following extract from The Rural
New Yorker, which is a reliable agricul-
turai paper, furnishes the best informa
ton at hand concerning this seed house:
Question by subscriber to Rural New
Yorker:
:" Enclosed find an offer of George K.
Higble Co. of Rochester, Y. Y. VIII
you let me know what there is to his
claims of $50 bushels per acre of oats.
4so bushels of potatoes, etc. If it is a
fraud, do you know what to do with its
| never have had any one give me gold
dollars as yet aG r Co
Reply in Rural New Yorker:
The circular matter enclosed des-
cribes Higbie's Improved Mammoth Clus
ter oats, and the Hustler potato, which.
/ 1t IS claimed, was produced from a seed
ball, and offered to growers for the first
time. As stated in the subscribers let
ter, 1t is claimed that the oats will pro-
duee $50 bushels per acre, and the DO
tatoes 4S0 per acre. George K. Higbie &
Co. also ran a business under the name
Rochester Seed company and Farmers
Seed company.
The circular matter urging G.. Z. G.
to become an agent for the seeds offers
him commission of 25 per cent so that
farmers who pay So per bushel for seed
| oats and an equally extravagant price for
the seed potatoes are contributing one
quarter of the amount paid for the seeds
Tor the services of the salesman. Both
the oats and potatoes are supposed to be
entirely new varieties, and naturally we
and no one else except George X. Higbie
d Co. can give information about the val
ne of the seeds. Our files, however. show
that IN season past this same firm
made similar claims for the Lincoln Do
/ tato, the Rapid Transit potato and the
speedwell, the Roxburg, etc. If any of
these varieties for which equally extrava-
CANT claims were made have proved their
worth, 1t is not shown by their being
grown at all generally The rule is that
seed of exceptional merit is catalogued
and sold by seedsmen generally after the
first season or two. Similar claims made
for the Mammoth Cluster oats were
made for the Great Dane oats, Higbie's
Granary Filler oats, ETC. We shall be
glad to have reports from any farmers
who have found any of the varieties
| named superior to standard varieties
Our reports thus far have been to the
contrary.
| we see no more reason for crediting
the claims made by this firm for the
present seeds than for the claims made
for all the other seeds in past seasons.
which have now apparently been dis
carded. 1t is significant fact that none
of these Rochester seed houses selling
seeds through agents in this way are
members of the American Seed Trade as
soeiation. We doubt if the association
rwould approve of the methods and ex-
travagant claims employed by this and
other firms selling seeds to farmers !"