288 Specialties for JVur scry men. 



be supplied by nursery agents, who would themselves be supplied in 

 greatest variety by the various dealers, or rather growers. 



Each grower should have for exhibition on his grounds specimens of 

 every tree or plant he has for sale, that buyers might see the full beauty 

 and habit, and know the future, of the smaller plant they buy. 



We have been led to these remarks by a chance visit recently made 

 to the well-known establishment of Messrs. Parsons & Co., of Flushing, 

 Long Island. To say we were greatly pleased would be too faint praise. 

 We were impressed at once by the neatness, order, and beauty of all 

 we saw. Messrs. Parsons are beginning to follow a specialty, or rather 

 several specialties, as within the scope of their large establishment, and 

 while not neglecting fruit trees, they propose to devote themselves chiefly 

 to ornamental trees, evergreens, rhododendrons, hardy azaleas, and ca- 

 mellias. 



Their rhododendrons are very fine. We saw magnificent specimens 

 of all the varieties mentioned by Mr. S. B. Parsons in a recent article 

 in this Journal ; thousands of thrifty salable plants, and tens of thou- 

 sands in fine growing condition. Of the varieties especially recom- 

 mended by Mr. Parsons we obtained splendid plants. The evergreens 

 are noticeable features, and of these and other ornamental trees there 

 are fine specimens, as well as a large stock of salable plants in splendid 

 order. Such lines of propagating houses filled with conifers, rhodo- 

 dendrons and camellias in process of propagation, such magnolias, 

 such a weeping beech, so fine pines and firs, we have seldom seen. It 

 is a dangerous place for the lover of fine trees to visit, for if he order 

 only a small plant of each of which he sees a specimen, he will come 

 away impoverished, yet rich withal. 



We propose, at some future time, to describe the grounds and trees ; 

 suffice it now to return to our text,' and urge attention to specialties, so 

 that it may not be true, as it now unfortunately is, that we grow a little 

 of everything, and nothing well. 



