Peter Henderson Seeds - Quality, and "Weird" Selections

This Abobra looks like it would be an adorable little red pickle! Any chefs looking for a bit of sparkle on the plate?  See Wikipedia entry at end of post.

          

1883.  One hundred and thirty-one years ago.  What caught my interest here is that it was a relatively new practice to have test plantings, enough so that Henderson mentions it as a forward thinking process that was good for business.  

What interesting plants he is selling!  I wonder if Logee's offers any of these plants.  I am lucky to live near Logee's greenhouse.  In winter it offers a wonderful respite from the weather.  Old specimen plants are planted in the ground in the old greenhouses.  You should see the huge passionflower vines!  And the heavenly smelling Ponderosa lemon flowers, and the gardenias...and, and...

"Probably from the fact that our long experience as Practical Gardeners made us realize the necessity more strongly than most seed dealers, we very early in our career as seedsmen inaugurated the practice of testing all seeds before selling; this we were enabled the more readily to do from our possessing not only extensive grounds, but the best equipped greenhouse establishment in this country,  which gave us opportunities at all seasons to carry on the practice. 

From the comparatively small tests begun in 1872, this practice has extended and become so systematized, that the past season it required the entire use of one of our largest greenhouses for our seed tests during the fall and winter; and afterwards in spring, in the open ground, we had set out many thousand plants representing the stocks in Vegetable Seeds alone of over 900 growers. 

Our illustration above is a reproduction of a section of our Seed-testing Greenhouse as it appeared last winter. All these tests are carried on under the personal supervision of Peter Henderson and the other members of the firm, and, as the author of "Gardening for Profit."' has had as long and as varied an experience as most men in operations connected with the soil, it will be seen that we are placed in a position to judge not only as to the germinating qualities, but, what is of far more importance, the purity of, and the kinds of seeds best suited for all gardening purposes. 

If, therefore, you can buy seeds as cheaply from us— and we think that if you will compare prices you will find that you can— it will certainly be to your interest to do so.  Besides this we have an Experimental Garden, wherein we grow samples of all Novelties in "Vegetables and Flowers as they appear ; the advantage of this will be quickly seen, as it enables us not only to judge of what is meritorious, but, what is far better, by this test to discard all varieties with which, in our opinion, it is worse than useless to encumber our lists."

By the way, here is a photo of Bryonopsis for sale on eBay.  Most web references are to investigating its anti-microbial effects!  It is called Lollipop plant maybe?  I did not see any major seed company sources for it.  

And this Abobra was another toughie to find offered anywhere today. 

1863

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abobra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Cucurbitales
Family:	Cucurbitaceae
Genus:	Abobra Naudin.
Species:	A. tenuifolia
Binomial name
Abobra tenuifolia (Gillies) Cogn.

Abobra is a monotypic genus of the gourd family containing the one species Abobra tenuifolia (syn. Abobra viridiflora Naudin., Bryonia tenuifolia Hook. & Arn.). It is native to South America, and sometimes cultivated as ornamental plants and also for its edible fruits. Common names include cranberry gourd.

Good Read About Sutton's Seeds, Plus Side Trip Into Coppicing

"Do day-dreams come true? 

Are boyish fancies ever realised? 

Sometimes. 

There was once a quiet lad about the town of Reading whose ideal was to own a garden nursery."

I continue to be interested in how some seed companies thrive over decades, some now into counting centuries.  A search for "seed testing for quality" brought me to Successful Business-men: Short Accounts of the Rise of Famous Firms, with Sketches of the Founders, 1892.  It is a good read.

"When that son, Mr. Martin Hope Sutton—the virtual founder of the present gigantic establishment —was born in Waterloo year, his father was involved in great loss by reason of a bank failure. But, with characteristic British energy, he named his boy "Hope," in anticipation of a better day dawning."

I went to Suttons web site to see their history page.  It is a worthwhile read, if only for the Google satellite map of their company headquarters in Paignton, Devon!  

The landscape around them is so foreign to my American eyes, with wooded areas,  defined by fields,  named - Peter's Copse, Shopdown Copse, Oathill Copse.  I wonder why some are called a "Wood" and others a "Copse".  I suppose the species in the the copse were, in fact, coppiced.

"Lime Coppice at Westernbirt Arboretum which is a staggering 2000 years old!"

Tom Ward, in this The Basket Makers’ Landscape, explains:

"A copse is a thicket of shrubs or stump sprouts. 

Coupe in French means a blow or a cut. To coppice a 

woody shrub or tree one cuts the main stem(s) back to the 

ground to force new growth. Pollarding is to cut the plant back 

to the central stem, usually at head height or above, to stimulate 

the same kind of regeneration. This is usually done during winter 

when the plant is dormant; the spring sap flow brings nutrients up 

from storage in the roots and the bare branches or stump grows 

new buds under the bark that sprout and grow rapidly. 

The long skinny twigs that grow from this process provide good material 

for a wide range of human artifacts. They are called withies, and 

bundles of them are called faggots, fascines, or brindles. 

The stump is called a stool and many other simple words are also 

associated with this type of forest and land management, often 

called standards-and-coppice forestry. The standards are the 

overstory or timber trees left standing for their good form and 

genetics and for multiple other reasons." 

Following history in a nutshell by the BBC, from www.sutton-seeds.co.uk

Sutton Seeds was founded in Reading in 1806, by John Sutton.

This book is a current publication.

It was initially named the 'House of Sutton' and supplied corn.

John was joined in 1832 by his sons Martin Hope and Alfred.

It was then that the business moved to its famous premises in Market Place and they launched the flower and vegetable seed business.

In 1836 Martin Hope became a partner and the 'House of Sutton' became Sutton & Son.

The company continued to expand and in 1873 new offices and warehouses replaced the premises in Market Place.

These new premises were huge and even had their own fire station along with cottages for the firemen, and stables.

In 1962, Suttons moved to state-of-the-art premises on the A4 London Road.  But in 1976 the company relocated to Torquay, because Reading couldn't provide enough staff and in 1998 the firm moved to Paignton.

Now the firm is part of an international seed distribution business called Vilmorin.

Tin box, approx. 70 years old the eBay listing said...

This is fun :-)  Shiny seed bags are icky, but a little mod work would fix that.

1857 - Anaglyptography Sells Seeds for Gerney & Algeier, Seedsmen

Here's the rub...I can't show you much here.  But it is worth taking a look at and the links are below!! Since I can't post the image (see below where to view it) here is a sample of anaglyptography.  It is a section of the Australian outback from 1839 :-)

Cool, huh?!

Three Expeditions Into the Interior of Eastern Australia 1839 

First, visit the Library Company of Philadelphia's web site to view a very interesting trade card. The card is from Gerney & Algeier, seedsmen & florists, 69 Chestnut St., Philadelphia - c. 1857.
Besides being early, this card has another  feature that makes it stand out - the process by which it was produced - anaglyptography.

Then go to Richard Scheaff's great ephemera site to read about the process and view more examples.

He defines anaglyptography  "as “the art of copying works in relief, or of engraving as to give the subject an embossed or raised appearance; — used in representing coins, bas-reliefs, etc.”  In point of fact, the process has also been used for portraits, frames, and other dimensional objects. 

Trade Cards from James Vick, Seedsman

Trade cards are just so pleasant to collect.  The tulip below is my favorite.  Die cut cards have something extra.  James Vick was one of the best promoters of his business through advertising that I have encountered.  If you haven't read the previous posts about him there are links after the new images.

Previous Posts 

Vick, James - Rochester, New York....................................................(1) (2) (3) (4)

Pumpkin Floods

Pumpkins appeal to me!  and this bit of history brings to mind interesting pictures...

The Pumpkin Flood of November 10, 1810

The Pittsburgh Press - Jan 6, 1936

1847 pumpkin freshet -The freshet of '47, as it has been called, was also termed the " pumpkin flood," from the fact of its occurring at the time when that product was still in the fields, and all in reach of the overflowing streams were swept away. No other serious damage was done by the flood of 1847. That flood and the rise in 1811, are frequently confused by the term " pumpkin flood " applying to each.

1811 - On the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania- from the 1887 History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
The first occasion upon which the river rose to an extraordinary height was in the month of November, 1811. There were no bridges on the river at that time, but those across the several streams in the county were almost entirely swept away. The crops of the season had not been fully gathered, and those on the lowlands were carried away by the waters. At times the surface of the water seemed literally covered with pumpkins swept from the fields along the river, and from that fact that this was ever afterward termed the " pumpkin flood." This event was not single to this locality, as a like flood occurred at at the same time on the north branch of the Susquehanna, which extended far up toward the head waters of that stream, and was there known as the "pumpkin flood." No serious damage was done to property in the locality of the West Branch, as settlement was in its infancy, but slight as the loss was, the burden of it was felt by the struggling pioneers.

1786 Then there was the the "pumpkin fresh" (freshet) of 1786.   October 6, 1786: Pumpkin Flood The wet autumn of 1786 culminated in a flood of vast proportions in Pennsylvania, known as the Pumpkin Flood.

1753. At Harpers Ferry, where the waters of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converge, floods have inundated the Lower Town since the first white settlers arrived here more than two centuries ago. In 1753 "The Pumpkin Flood," was so named for the great numbers of pumpkins washed down from the gardens of nearby Indian villages.

Hop To It! 1837 - Ferment for Bread

Hops in bread?  When I first scanned the page I missed the word bread and hoped I had found a pumpkin beer!  This is very interesting...and gives me an extra push to plant hops.  I have wanted to for years but just never get around to it.

The Female's Friend, and General Domestic Adviser: Including a Complete Alphabetical Receipt Book. Instructions in Dress Making, &c - 1837

hops

1829 - Pumpkin Tensions Between the North and the South

The following letter appeared in the 1829 The American Farmer.

Great Produce Of Pumpkins

Taylorsville, Hanover Cy. Va. -  October 28, 1829

Sir,—I yesterday weighed the produce of three pumpkin vines, raised in my garden  among a crop of beets. There were forty-three pumpkins, that came to perfection, which weighed 1899 1/2 lbs.; besides there were a number that did not ripen. Sixteen of the largest weighed as follows: 67 1/2, 67, 66, 66, 66, 64 1/4, 63, 63, 63 1/2, 62 1/2, 62 1/2, 62, 60, 56 1/2, 52 and 50 lbs. I never before noticed the weight of the produce of a vine, and take the liberty of asking you if you ever did, and what was the greatest weight. I have known a single pumpkin to weigh 82 lbs.; it was raised a good many years past, in this neighbourhood, by Col. Win. O. Winston.

Wm. W. Taylor.

In January of the next year the periodical reprints this response to Mr. Taylor! (From the New England Farmer -Dec. 1829.)

PUMPKINS

Mr. Editor,—I observed in your New England Farmer of 4th inst. an article headed, "Yankees beat this if you can!"  from the New York Evening Post, giving a statement made by Mr. W. W. Taylor, of Taylorsville, Va. of his having raised in his garden the past summer, amongst some beets, three pumpkin vines, which produced 43 pumpkins that came to maturity, weighing 1899 1/2 lbs- the largest of which weighed 67 1/2 lbs.; besides these a number that did not ripen.

Being a native of New England, and in possession of facts that still give to her the palm,  I have been induced on reading the above, to give you the following statement for publication, notwithstanding its substance was noticed in several of our newspapers some years since.

In April, 1815, I planted in my garden among some cucumbers, one pumpkin seed.      On the 29th September following, I called on several of my neighbors to assist in gathering and witnessing its productions— the result was as follows: 44 pumpkins weighing 1040 lbs.; the length of the vine, including its branches, 105 rods, or 17,321 feet—circumference of the vine's stem 9 1/4 inches. 

Ten of the largest pumpkins weighed 923 1/3 lbs., viz., 135, 126 1/4, 97, 94, 91, 90, 90, 76, 64, 60 lbs., the remaining thirty-four weighed together 116 3/4 lbs. The noted tornado of 23d September so much injured the vine, that I considered it useless to leave the pumpkins any longer on it, notwithstanding it was in its most flourishing state at the commencement of the gale. 

The vine was spread on a grass plat, back of my house as it was measured, where it remained for public inspection from three to four weeks. On the the 14th morning after it was wide spread, I discovered twenty fresh blossoms on it. The month of October was remarkably mild, and judging by the appearance of the vine, could it have remained in the ground undisturbed through the season, its product would have been increased at least fifty per cent.

I raised also in the same garden the past season, a French turnip, which weighed 20 lbs, 10 oz-, after being closely trimmed. It was taken out of the ground in the month of September.

Respectfully your obedient servant,

J. Johnson. Jewett City, New London Co. Conn. Dec. 8, 1829.

Not that anyone would bother to add up the above pumpkin weights...but just in case one of you is that thorough, don't be surprised to find they are wrong.  It is impossible to read the blurry scans of the fractions and the OCR rendered them with great imagination!!  One was changed to Ariz. from 1/3...go figure...