HANDS up all those of you who remember McHattie’s Farm Seeds, Chester?
The company used to be situated at Gorse Stacks, near the bridge over the canal between Frodsham Street and Brook Street.
Brousing through old papers in my garage recently, I came across an old McHattie’s catalogue. It was, in fact, the last catalogue the company produced prior to its take-over by Dickson, Brown and Tate, of Timperley, and it is dated 1971.
At one time Chester was a national centre for seed distribution. In the 19th century the city became a centre for market gardening, plant nurseries, and seed merchants, and as early as 1837 Chester market gardens were supplying places like Liverpool.
The coming of the railways further cemented Chester’s pre-eminence, and Dicken’s became one of the largest businesses of its type in the country.
As well as supplying bedding plants and trees, together with farm and garden seeds, garden tools and agricultural implements, at one time it undertook commissions to design gardens for country houses.
By 1911 at least 413 people worked in Chester nurseries or related businesses, double the number in 1861. One of the most prominent nurserymen was James Hunter, a leading advocate of the need for scientific testing of seeds: his firm was the first to offer a guarantee of purity, genuineness, and germination rate.
McHattie & Co was one of the oldest seed merchants in the city. With its slogan, “Our aim... quality; service; satisfaction”, McHattie’s had a wonderful reputation among farmers far and wide, particularly in Wales and Cheshire.
I obtained this special ‘final’ catalogue when I was appointed travelling sales representative for Dickson, Brown and Tate.
In my initial training session Mr WE Dodd, managing director of Dickson’s (who had its own new catalogue) told me: “I will give you this McHattie’s catalogue to use alongside ours.
“We have just taken over the company but we are continuing with its popular seed straights and mixtures as they have such high regard among the customers you will be calling on.”
These words rung true, for as soon as I mentioned McHattie’s to the farmers I was immediately accepted and welcomed: indeed most of them proudly showed me their rich, healthy, green pastures they had created from McHattie’s seeds.
Not only was the company famous for its quality, it had a top reputation for its superb blends for leys.
I bet there’s still some permanent pastures out there, with McHattie’s mixtures of early, medium and late flowering perennial ryegrasses and white clovers, still producing the goods.
On its final back page the McHattie’s catalogue reads: “Better seeds mean bigger crops..... Seedsmen in nine reigns, 1803 to 1971.”
It’s always a shame to see good old companies fade away... but that’s progress, I suppose.
