This article was written by seed dealer James Vick (1818-1882) of Rochester, New York, in pages 21-24 of Vick's Illustrated Floral Guide for 1873.
OUR SEED HOUSE
It is acknowledged that I have the largest and best regulated retail Seed House in the world. It is visited by thousands every year from all parts of this country, and by many from Europe, and 1 take pleasure in exhibiting everything of interest or profit to visitors. As hundreds of thousands of my customers will probably never have the opportunity of making a personal visit, I thought a few facts and illustrations would be interesting to this large class whom 1 am anxious to please, and be, at least, an acknowledgement of a debt of gratitude for long continued confidence, which I can feel, but not repay.
Two Catalogues are issued each year, one of Bulbs in August, and on the first of December a beautiful Floral Guide:, of 130 pages, finely illustrated with hundreds of engravings of Flowers and plants and colored plates. Last year, the number printed was three hundred thousand at a cost of over sixty thousand dollars. In addition to the ordinary conveniences of a well regulated Seed House, there is connected with this establishment a Printing Office, Bindery, Box Making Establishment, and Artists’ and Engravers’ Rooms. Everything but the paper being made in the establishment.
To do this work fully occupies a building four stories in height (besides basement) sixty feet in width, and one hundred and fifty feet in length, with an addition in the upper story of a large room over an entire adjoining block.
BASEMENT
The large basement is arranged with immense quantities of drawers, &c., for storing Bulbs. Here, too, are stored the heavier kinds of Seeds, in sacks, &c., piled to the ceiling. The heavier packing is also done here.
FIRST FLOOR
The first floor is used entirely as a sales-shop, or “store,” for the sale of Seeds, Flowers, Plants and all Garden requisites and adornments, such as baskets, vases, lawn mowers, lawn tents, aquariums, seats, &c., &c. It is arranged with taste, and the songs of the birds, the fragrance and beauty of the flowers, make it a most delightful spot in which to spend an hour.
SECOND FLOOR
On the second floor is the Business and Private Offices, and also the Mail Room in which all letters are opened. The opening of letters occupies the entire time of two persons, and they perform the work with astonishing rapidity – practice making perfect – often opening three thousand in a day. After these letters are opened they are passed into what is called the Registering Room, on the same floor, where they are divided into States, and the name of the person ordering, and the date of the receipt of the order registered. They are then ready to be filled, and are passed into a large room, called the Order Room, where over seventy-five hands are employed, divided into gangs, each set, or gang, to a State, half-a-dozen or more being employed on each of the larger States. After the orders are filled, packed and directed, they are sent to what is known as the Post Office, also on the same floor, where the packages are weighed, the necessary stamps put upon them, and stamps cancelled, when they are packed in Post Office bags furnished us by Government, properly labeled for the different routes, and sent to the Postal Cars. Tons of Seeds are thus dispatched every day during the business season.
THIRD FLOOR
Here is the German Department, where all orders written in the German language are filled by German clerks; a Catalogue in this language being published. On this floor, also, all seeds are packed, that is, weighed and measured and placed in paper bags and stored ready for sale. About fifty persons are employed in this room, surrounded by thousands of nicely labeled drawers.
FOURTH FLOOR
On this floor are rooms for Artists and Engravers, several of whom are kept constantly employed in designing and engraving for Catalogues and Chromos. Here, also, the lighter seed are stored. In a large room adjoining, is the Printing Office, where the Catalogue is prepared, and other printing done, and also the Bindery, often employing forty or fifty hands, and turning out more than ten thousand Catalogues in a day. Here is in use the most improved machinery for covering, trimming, &c., propelled by steam.
MISCELLANEOUS
The immense amount of business done may be understood by a few facts: Nearly one hundred acres are employed, near the city, in growing flower seeds mainly, while large importations are made from Germany, France, Holland, Australia and Japan. Over three thousand reams of printing paper are used each year for Catalogues, weighing two hundred thousand pounds, and the simple postage for sending these Catalogues by mail is thirteen thousand dollars. Over fifty thousand dollars have been paid the Government for postage stamps last year. Millions of bags and boxes are also manufactured in the establishment, requiring hundreds of reams of paper, and scores of tons of paste-board. The business is so arranged that the wrappers are prepared for each State, with the name of the State conspicuously printed, thus saving a great deal of writing. as well as preventing errors.
I had prepared several other engravings of German Room, Printing Office, Artists’ Room, Counting Room, Mail Room, Post Office, &c., but have already occupied quite enough space give readers somewhat of an idea of the character of my establishment. Another year, I may give further particulars. James Vick
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James Vick was one of the merchants who dominated the floral nursery industry in New York in the 19C. James Vick was born in Portsmouth, England on Nov. 23, 1818. In 1833, at the age of 12, he arrived in New York City to learn the printing trade. By the time he moved to Rochester, he had acquired skills as a printer & writer.
In 1837, he moved with his parents to Rochester, New York, where he set type for several newspapers & journals. In 1849, James Vick was elected corresponding secretary of the Genesee Valley Horticultural Society. From 1849 through the early 1850s, Vick edited & then bought the popular journal The Genesee Farmer in 1855. He later owned part of a workers’ journal and helped to found Frederick Douglass’s North Star.
With Vick as editor, the publication became more elegant & circulation rapidly increased. A year later he sold out to Joseph Harris. On the death of A. J. Downing, James Vick bought "The Horticulturist" & moved it to Rochester in 1853. For for 3 years he published this with Patrick Barry serving as Editor. It was devoted to horticulture, floriculture, landscape gardening, & rural architecture.
About this time, Vick started to grow flowers & began sending seeds out by mail to the readers of his publication. Vick also started importing seed stock. In 1855, he established a seed store & printing house in Rochester for his growing mail order business. In 1856, Vick started "Rural Annual and Horticultural Directory". The first half was a seed catalog & the second a list of nurserymen. This was taken over in 1857 by Joseph Harris who continued it until 1867.
With Vick’s knowledge of chromolithography & printing, he produce a catalog & later a monthly magazine. The first, "Floral Guide and Catalogue" was printed in 1862. His "Floral Guides" provided gardening advice, quality color prints, & reached a circulation of 250,000. He entertained his readers with anecdotes, published letters he had received, & had a special section for children.
By the 1870s, as many as 150,000 catalogs were sent out each year. A staff of more than 100 worked in the office & packing house. There were over 75 acres of seed gardens scattered about the city. In 1878, Vick started a paper, "Vick’s Illustrated Monthly" which was published by the Vick Seed Company in Rochester & in Dansville until 1909. This magazine was sold by subscription. Vick also printed a set of chromolithograph prints which were either sold or offered as premiums with large orders.
Vick was one of the most successful American horticultural seedsman, writers, & merchandisers of his day. The Vick Seed Company continued into the 20C before being sold to the Burpee Seed Co.
Thanks to the Smithsonian Libraries Biographies of American Seedsmen & Nurserymen
