MR. VAUGHAN It seems to me it would be better to put this question of standard adopted by this association on different seeds separate from the contract. It has been suggested that this should be adjusted between the parties themselves, but if there is a reasonable standard, in other words if there is a common law, it would be an advantage. Now, with all contracts, when we come to go into this detail, or that detail, or the other detail, and we go to a lawyer and he will tell you that it is not a matter about your lease, or your contract, but that the common law protects you so and so. A man selling you goods may come some sharp trick on you, but the common law will not allow him to be too shrewd. It won't permit it. Now, if we fix a certain general, normal standard on these different things, we need not incorporate that in the contract, but when a man proposes to deliver you 43 per cent. test seed, you refer him to this average standard and say: "Now, I will make you such a proposition to settle." We, in coming together as we have now in the seed trade, a large commercial body, we are in different shape from what Mr. Thorburn was when he contracted for the cabbage seed on Long Island a hundred years ago. We are meeting large classes of different men. We need a general contract. I haven't any doubt about that. What methods some other individual, in a smaller way in the beginning did, and has continued to do through the old traditions of the house, I don't think concerns us. It is the habit and custom among men of large affairs and large business to have contracts. We are due to have a form of contract, and I think in the same way we are due to have a normal standard, and then there are little differences to be adjusted. But there is the question of the standard. We are none of us willing to be bound by the government standard, but why not have a committee to make one approximately; give it a range, say from 80 to 90; let it range in there, so as not to work a hardship on men under certain conditions, but at the same time make it normal. There will be little details come up for general discussion before your committee, and you can decide in a general way the details. We could discuss by the hour all these little details, but what we want is, in general terms, that will be broad, what each item will be accepted at, both by the grower and the buyer; that they will accept certain cardinal facts in the con

tract. That is what we want. The details will take care of themselves afterwards; but a broad, general contract, like a broad real estate contract, on those lines, a form of that kind can be drawn.

MR. C. L. ALLEN- Mr. President, I would like to say a word. Mr. Vaughan is absolutely right, Mr. Robinson is absolutely right, but you may not all be correctly understood. Now, it is the work of that committee to go out and fix some standard, some quality of seed that they are to deliver, and then one of the parties knows, if the grower relets his farm, that he can show this to the farmers, and that they must not expect anything to be accepted that is not up to the standard. You will shut out a great many poor farmers, you will shut out a great many poor samples and you will stop a great many poor stocks from coming on to your market. It seems to me an intelligent committee, as could be selected from this body, could frame some contract and standard of value that would be of very great importance to the trade in general, and I should be very glad indeed to see that done. For instance, take cabbage seed; that is one of the most difficult things in the world. This year the standard of seed should not be set to you, Mr. Vaughan, or anybody else, at any less than 93 per cent. Last year, with the same growers and the same seed, while it looked fairly well, it would not come up to a standard of 85 per cent. What is the reason? This year we didn't have a drop of rain during the flowering season; consequently the fertilization was perfect. Last year we had a very great amount of rain and the fertilization was very low. Now, let all these things be understood. Let your committee that is appointed take the whole of these points into consideration, and great good can be done to all around.

MR. CORYELL-The question has been brought up as to vitality; I would like to know what standard could be arrived at on the question of growing peas. One field will germinate 90 per cent. when another will germinate 100 per cent., and so on, and no two varieties of peas hardly will stand under similar circumstances the same test. One will germinate higher than the other will. Consequently we should have a standard for all varieties of peas in order to be satisfactory to the trade and to the grower, and they should be put in the contracts. By so doing, that is placed before the man who grows for him,

the farmer, and that will put the farmer in a position that he must get his seed up to a certain stage of germination and power in order to get the price he is to get for his peas. I think it would be a benefit if the committee would take up that matter and fix some certain standard relative to the germination of seed of the various kinds. Wrinkled peas never germinate as heavily as smooth peas.

MR. BRASLAN-I thoroughly agree with Mr. Vaughan, but one thing suggests itself to me and that is, could not this association have a certain man on a salary to do the testing of the seeds and to make these bases of germination so that when the various growers in the various lines send out their goods, the dealers will have one party or one testing station? As far as I am concerned, we are willing to go on any standard that will be adopted by this association.

MR. CORYELL-I hardly think that would do, unless you had a testing station in the East and also at Portland and the far west California. Perhaps Mr. Braslan would like to have that testing station up near his place.

MR. BRASLAN Oh, no.

MR. C. L. ALLEN- Mr. Chairman, that testing station business would be a farce of the highest order. The test must be between Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Burpee, and the men that they place their contracts with to grow the seed, and their terms must be with those farmers to whom they relet it, and those points can be easily arranged by the parties.

MR. CORYELL- Correct.

THE PRESIDENT - Mr. Vaughan, will you frame the motion that you have in mind?

MR. VAUGHAN - I would rather have it separate from the contract. That would be my judgment about it. I move that a committee be appointed to submit a report as to the normal standard test on all varieties of seeds that are dealt in by the association.

MR. MCCULLOUGH I would like to suggest to Mr. Vaughan whether or not it would not be possible for us to have it referred to some standing committee. We have standing committees appointed by the President each year, and nothing whatever for them to do.

MR. VAUGHAN - That is perfectly agreeable to me.

MR. MCCULLOUGH-We have a committee on experiment stations; why not refer it to that committee?

MR. VAUGHAN — That would be the best way in the world. MR. MCCULLOUGH We have standing committees, and why not give them something to do? If we appoint special committees for everything, the standing committees have nothing whatever to do.

MR. VAUGHAN I will change my motion and move that it be referred to such committee as to the Chair may seem expedient.

The motion was carried.

THE PRESIDENT - There are several papers on the programme and it would seem that we had better get along as fast as possible. There is an article on "Seed Trade Associations - What Have They Accomplished?" There are five papers on that subject. The first in the order is "The American Seed Trade Association ", by Mr. F. H. Ebeling of Syracuse, New York. Mr. Ebeling is not present with us. but he has sent his paper, which the secretary will read.

MR. MCCULLOUGH Would it not be well to read some of the papers of those who are present here and allow this to

wait?

THE PRESIDENT

Perhaps that would be well. If that is the pleasure of the convention, it may be done. The next paper on the programme, then, would be the “Wholesale Seedsmen's League," by W. Atlee Burpee of Philadelphia.

MR. BURPEE Mr. President and gentlemen, you will be very glad to hear that I have only a brief paper, so that I will delay you but a few minutes.

SEED TRADE ASSOCIATIONS WHAT HAVE THEY

ACCOMPLISHED?

WHOLESALE SEEDSMEN'S LEAGUE.

BY W. ATLEE BURPEE.

A familiar saying is that Competition is the life of trade," and yet when conducted chiefly upon the line of cutting prices competition is certainly the death of profits." Most of us remember only too well the conditions that obtained in the seed trade of several years prior to the summer of 1899. A number of seedsmen seemed to simultaneously recognize the fact, as one of our members has expressed it," that if a wholesome change was not shortly brought about it would not be worth while to continue the persistent effort and capital in the business, for almost any other line would give and was giving much more profitable results."

In the short period of its existence the Wholesale Seedsmen's League, both in the year prior and since its incorporation, has accomplished great good, notably in the mutual confidence and good fellowship that has been brought about. The members have been very frank in the free exchange of facts relative to growing crops, existing stocks, probable prices, and prospects in general. Data thus collected have been carefully considered at the frequent meetings of the directors and the resulting information distributed among the members, together with wholesale prices on leading items, which has resulted in increased profits not only to members of the League, but also to the seed trade generally.

This work of the League has seemed to demonstrate that competition should not be confined to cutting prices, - that rather there should be friendly rivalry as to quality of goods and methods of doing business.

As the meetings of the full membership are only held once a year, the work is done largely by the directors, who frequently meet in New York. It is only fair to state that the directors bear their own traveling expenses and that these are pro-rated so that a member from Minneapolis would be put to no more expense for transportation than a member from Boston or Philadelphia.

While the chief value of the League's work has been in preventing the sacrifice of stocks, yet there are three other points in which good has really been accomplished.

I. Pleasant relations have been resumed with the United States Department of Agriculture, and the system of seed distribution as arranged by Prof. Galloway, with the approval of Secretary Wilson, has been radically altered and improved, with a view to bringing the least possible harm to the legitimate seed trade.

2. Through the efforts of the League, and notably of President Bruggerhof, better facilities have been obtained for entering foreign seeds at the custom houses.

3. The Bureau of Credit has done much toward the prevention of poor accounts for its members. It has also proved an efficient method for the collection of overdue accounts. Further than this, the Bureau of Credit has improved the relations between members of the League and their customers; it has diminished the claims for allowances, discounts, etc., made upon League members, and has also reduced the exactions of customers as regards time taken for the payment of accounts, as compared with what existed or condition before its establishment.

was the

In conclusion, permit me to emphasize the fact that the League, as yet, is only in its infancy. With the hearty coöperation and continued good will of its members, it is sure to uplift the tone of the entire seed trade; for, while its membership is confined to wholesale