Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-08-01
WARNING ISSUED
BY FARM BUREAU
Seedsmen's Dat Claims Regarded
Extravagant
over $4,000 Worth Sold in One Coun-
ty> Buyers Required to Sign Orders
Not Subject to Countermand.

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 a letter to this office dated July
10 from County Agent II. +. johnson of
Newport (Nt0, we are advised against
dealing with certain seed oats statesmen.
In the past few weeks Charles Dienbeck
of Little Falls, n. Y, has sold over 5000
worth of seed in and about Orleans coun-
ty. This man represents the George X.
IIigbie company of Rochester, n. Y.
"IIe is selling Alberta Cluster seed oats
in minimum lots of ten bushels each at
S32 80 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 will be
paid for through the local banks by the
farmers.
"The following extract from The Rural
New Yorker, which is a reliable agricul-
tural 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 X.
IIigbie & Co. of Rochester, n. Y. Will
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 it?
| never have had any one give me gold
dollars as yet &c. +. G."
Reply in Rural New Yorker:
" 'Thp circular matter enclosed dee-
cribes Higbe's Improved Mammoth Clus-
ter oats, and the Hustler potato, which,
it is claimed, was produced from seed
ball, and offered to growers for the first
time As stated in the subscribers let
ter, it is claimed that the oats will pro-
duce $50 bushels per acre, and the po-
tatoes $50 per acre. George X Higbie &
Co. also ran a business under the name
Rochester Seed company and Farmers
Seed company.
The circular matter urging G. f. G.
to become an agent for the seeds offers
him a commission Of 25 per cent so that
farmers who ray 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
for 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. Higble
& Co. can give information about the val
} he of the seeds Our files, however, show
that in season past this same firm
-, made similar claims for the Lincoln po-
, tato, the Rapid Transit potato and the
r Speedwell, the RoXburg. etc. If any of
? these varieties for which equally extrava-
, CANT claims were made have proved their
worth, it 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 $
Granary Filler oats. etc. We shall be
r glad to have reports from any farmers
d who have found any of the varieties
{ named superior to standard varieties
t Our reports thus far have been to the
n contrary.
" We see no more reason for crediting
T the claims made by this firm for the
n 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
S members OF the American Seed Trade as
. ISOLATION We doubt if the association
t would approve of the methods and ex-
!. travagant claims employed by this and
other firms selling seeds to farmers "