IN THE ORCHARD. 



335 



A Partial View of the Tree Cellars at the Helderleigh Nurseries. 



To avoid delay in tfce shipping of nursery stock the Helderleigh Nurseries at Winona have erected a tree cellar capable of stor- 

 ing 250,000 trees. The building is here shown as photographed during July by an editorial representative of The Horticulturist. The 

 nursery stock, consisting of a general assortment, is stored in the stone buildings at each end, and is packed in the centre division, one 

 of the doors of which, through which the teams drive, is open. 



Stock is sent out untrue to name, it is re- 

 placed free of charge or the money is re- 

 funded." 



When it is remembered that there are 200 

 acres in nursery stock, and that the small 

 trees are placed very close together in rows 

 three or four feet apart, some idea of the 

 extent of these nurseries can be formed. 

 Again, remembering that in all this planta- 

 tion there is scarcely a weed to be found, the 

 cost of cultivation alone, it will be seen, 

 amounts to no low figure. The aim is to 

 get strong, thrifty stock, and that can be 

 ^secured only by intense cultivation. A 

 large force of cultivators 'is kept going all 

 through the summer to conserve soil mois- 

 ture and keep down the weeds,, so that the 

 young trees may obtain all the plant food 

 possible. 



Owing to the rapidly increasing number 

 of orders and to Mr. Smith's anxiety to sup- 

 ply only the best stock to his customers and 

 in first-class condition, two large frost-proof 

 cellars have been built for winter storage. 

 Each of these is 100 x I08 feet, and between 

 them is a covered shed for packing the 

 stock and preparing it for shipment. A 

 good idea of the rapid growth in sales can 

 be gained from the fact that in 1898 a win- 

 ter storage building 40 x 80 feet was all that 

 was used. Some two years ago a second 

 large cellar had to be constructed. 



The young trees are placed in these store- 

 houses in the fall and the roots well packed 



in mellow soil. The numerous varieties of 

 the different kinds of trees are carefully 

 placed in alphabetical order, and roped so 

 as to guard against mistakes. As soon as 

 spring opens and frosts are over packing 

 commences. In this large covered shed 

 packing can go on under any weather con- 

 ditions, which is a great advantage in a sea- 

 son such as the spring of 1904. This build- 

 ing also ensures proper packing, a very es- 

 sential point. To guard against the spread 

 of the San Jose and other scale insects all 

 stock purchased is fumigated for 45 minutes 

 before being packed. . This is done under 

 the supervision of the government inspec- 

 tor. 



A commendable feature of Mr. Smith's 

 management is the fact that he employs the 

 same men at the same work year after year 

 once they have proved themselves capable. 

 Some workmen have been in his employ 

 since the inception of the nursery in 1882, 

 and many have now built houses and made 

 comfortable homes for themselves and their 

 families in the neighborhood. 



With a nursery such as this, employing 

 125 men in the busy season and over 80 dur- 

 ing the summer months, Mr. Smith is doing 

 a mighty share to build up the fruit indus- 

 try of Canada and encourage home produc- 

 tion. Visitors are always welcome at the 

 Helderleigh Nurseries, of which only a 

 slight conception can be gained from this 

 description. 



