18T6.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



281 



passed, and this energetic, industrious man has 

 also passed through trials and tribulations which 

 so many experience. Thanks to the Great Giver of 

 all good, Mr. Smith has now a son-in-law as 

 partner, and from four acres his nursery 

 'has grown to over five hundred, most admirably 

 filled with a collection of all the best varieties of 

 trees and shrubs, arranged in a most systematic 

 manner, and grown healthy and stocky. His 

 residence is in the' city limits, but most of the 

 nursery and farm proper is outside thereof. 

 Mr. Powell, now his son-in-law, and partner in 

 business, we found a gentleman of intelligence, 

 industry and perseverance. His leading fancy, 

 however, is the improvement of stock — as 

 neat cattle, horses, &c. — and so by his fancy the 

 firm are working up ground that it embraces in 

 difierent localities somewhere near 1,250 acres. 

 As it may interest some of the readers of the 

 Gardener's Monthly, we will say that the landed 

 property of Smith & Powell embraces one tract 

 of 120 acres, one of 16 acres, one of 50, one of 

 53, one of 700, one of 100, one of 18, &c., acres. 

 These have the lands best suited to a healthy 

 growth of trees, and are given specially to them, 

 the balance being used for pasture or farm pur- 

 poses. Upon the old homestead, as it were (16 

 acres), are not only the residence, but many good 

 things in the way of ornamental trees. There is 

 a Kentucky coffee tree 50 feet high, and 20 feet 

 broad in its branches ; also a Magnolia tripetela 

 of a rounded form in branches of 20 feet each 

 way. This concern has given special attention 

 to trees for street or ornamental planting, and 

 the show of maples, elms, &c., is too great to 

 write of. Of fruit trees, a great variety and of 

 all ages are in blocks on land suited to their 

 healthy vigor, and all are treated so that the 

 buyer can have a stocky tree with low branches 

 if he so desires. Passing along we noted Louis 

 Phillippe cherry, a variety which the writer im- 

 ported from Le Roy in 1854, and which has no 

 equal as a preserving fruit. Again as I passed a 

 stake labelled " Elliotth Favorite," Mr. Smith said, 

 that of all the sweet cherries this was the best in 

 flavor and quality. I found naany new features 

 of value in the management of this concern, and 

 of them I will first mention the practice they 

 have of taking up, the varieties of fruit trees, 

 and re-planting them in blocks, so that any one, 

 needing an orchard at once, can take these trees, 

 plant them with their fibrous roots, and the fol- 

 lowing year obtain fruit. 

 Next, I noticed among evergreens that every 



other row was of a more stocky and compact 

 nature than its associate. I asked the how and 

 why ? The answer : We root-prune them by the 

 use of an underground plow, which Avith a horse 

 attached on each side cuts under the tree and at 

 the same time cuts the side roots without in the 

 least disturbing the tree, yet it at once forms 

 new fibrous roots, and when removed a hedge 

 of four feet high can be made as perfect as if it 

 had been planted at one foot high and yearly 

 trimmed. While we note this, we must not for- 

 get to say that this concern keeps up a full stock 

 of all the best evergreens and other ornamental 

 trees of all sizes. Neither should we neglect to 

 tell the readers of the Monthly that we found the 

 true Corsican pine in these grounds. Those who 

 know of the Corsican know that among the 

 long-leaved pines it is one of the best. It is 

 between Austrian and Scotch, compact, hardy 

 and beautiful as a specimen tree, or as a hedge. 

 Ere I leave my readers let me say that I saw a 

 mile of Honey Locust hedge that four years since 

 was started with two-year-old seedling plants from 

 the grounds of Smith & Powell, and that was now 

 four feet high, and so thiek and perfect that not 

 a bird or animal could pass through it. Again I 

 must note the fact that S. & P. make plantation 

 belts of evergreens to check the forces of winter 

 winds, and in the making they have alternated 

 the black American Spruce with the Norway, 

 and its silvery, glossy foliage contrasts most 

 beautifully as well as gracefully. Passing over 

 the grounds we noted seedlings of varieties of 

 trees, located as our own as well as their judg- 

 ment told that the soil was suited to their 

 healthy growth. We asked if they should use all. 

 The reply w^as, we expect to do so, but while we 

 make no pretension to grow stocks for sale, we 

 are ready to sell to an honest and reliable man 

 who desires to grow trees healthy and true to 

 name. To close these random remarks, let me 

 say that every person who visits Syracuse, N. Y., 

 should go over Smith & Powell's nursery and 

 farm grounds. 



[Since this letter was in type, we believe we 

 have seen it in another publication. It ought 

 therefore to be credited to the publication in 

 which it first appeared. We have therefore to 

 say to our co-temporary that it was received by 

 U6 supposing it to be original. We have to make 

 this explanation as we would not have the Gar- 

 dener's Monthly even suspected of using the 

 property of its neighbors without proper credit. 

 We are glad, however, to insert the article, for 



