2IO 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 



The Meeting of Nurserymen in New 

 Yorl<, June 4 to 6. 



The fears of some nurserymen that an 

 annual meeting held in New York might 

 prove unsiiccessful, because New York is in 

 no sense a leading nursery point, were liy 

 no means confirmed. The attendance dur- 

 ing tiie first week of the past month at the 

 convention was large, and the interest ex- 

 cellent. Nearly 300 representative nur- 

 serymen were present from all parts of the 

 country. The wives of a number of the de- 

 legates were also in attendance. There was 

 a live interest in all the proceedings which 

 indicates that the nurserymen are more and 

 more appreciatmg the gain that comes from 

 these annual gatherings and exchange of 

 views concerning important topics bearing 

 upon their business. 



Rktiring President's Address. Mr. 

 Sweet alluded to the fact that it is 1.5 years 

 since nurserymen first assembled in Nation- 

 al Convention. He spoke of the influence 

 which fruits and fruit trees have from the 

 first exerted in shaping the destiny of man- 

 kind. It should be one of the chief ends of 

 this Association to elevate the business of 

 supplying trees and plant so as to attract 

 the best men and the best talents of our 

 country to the ranks of horticulturists. 



Reference was made to the altered condi- 

 tion of the nursery business in the life time 

 of our Republic. Kven middle-jiged men can 

 easily rememl)er when Western New York 

 had practically a monopoly of the nursery 

 business. The center of nursery production 

 has long ago moved many miles west. To 

 day there are more nurseries west of Cent- 

 ral Ohio than thirty years ago there were in 

 the entire United States. There had been 

 great changes in the methods of producing 

 stock since the war, and today the chief 

 difficulties no longer lie in the production 

 of the fruits, but in finding a safe market. 



If a discouraging condition of things in 

 the matter of fruits is realized , it is so large- 

 ly as a result of the fact that we have out- 

 grown the primitive state of things when 

 the business was new, the country new, and 

 the prices large. Could the general public 

 be made to learn of the meagre profits which 

 now are realized by nurserymen in propor- 

 tion to risks and outlay, they would be 

 more ready to stand by the legitimate grow- 

 er and pass by the unprincipled men who 

 join the ranks only long enough to make a 

 single planting in a place, for it is true that 

 no other business of like magnitude is sub- 

 ject to such extreme risks as is ours. The 

 winter's biting frost that makes a millio- 

 naire out of plumbers, may make paupers 

 of many nurserymen. 



Still we must remember that the general 

 producing of many has during the past few 

 years rapidly declined. Investments that a 

 few yeai's ago yielded seven percent will 

 now scarcely average three per-cent. I 

 therefor consider that the outlay is not such 

 as to make us either over-sanguine, or des- 

 pondent. The sturdy-going, intelligent 

 grower may feel that he may yet reap fair 

 remuneration. 



Mr. Sweet thinks that a chief factor of 

 uncertainty lies in the undersirable fact that 

 may arise as a result of the recent increase 

 of the tariff by the Canadian Goverment. 

 The magnitude of export trade to Canada is 

 greater than is generally understood. One 

 firm in Western New York paid this spring 

 between $.5,000 and $0,000 duty on exports 

 to (Canada. If this adverse legislation was 

 in any sense in retaliation against the pass- 

 age of the McKinley bill, then this conven- 

 tion should urge upon Congress the adop- 

 tion of a reciprocity treaty with Canada 

 which shall remove these artificial barriers. 



The extension of the fruit market, and 

 with it the tree market, the introduction of 

 improved varietes and appliances for cul- 



ture, preserving and marketing of fruits, 

 should all occupy our attention for stimula- 

 ting trade. 



"It is a most ennobling thought", Mr. 

 Sweet remarked, "that our vocation con- 

 stantly tends to ameliorate the condition of 

 the human race and adds to the sum total 

 or human happiness. Today the king at 

 his royal table and the artisan from his tin 

 pail enjoy alike the Bartlett Pear, the Grape 

 and the Orange. Is this not better than half 

 the deeds of half the so-called statesmen and 

 warriors since the world began?" 



Some New Fruits. Mr. Vandeman alluded 

 to the Lyon as a fine red Grape, much like 

 the Delaware but larger, the appearance 

 being quite similar to the Catawba with a 

 flavor nearly its equal; medium in season, 

 originated in Michigan by a Mr. Chichester. 

 Colraln somewhat resembles Martha, being 

 a white Grape. The quality is fair and in 

 productiveness it equals the Martha. Mr. 

 Campbell reported that he had produced if 

 for two years, was satisfied that it was a 

 true Labrusca with the general charaster- 

 istics of the Concord, except color. It was 

 larger in size of bunch than the Martha and 

 somewhat better quality but earlier. He 

 thinks it is much more valuable than Mar- 

 tha. Its season is between Martha and La- 

 dy. While the skin is somewhat thin, it 

 will ship as well as Worden. Wooflrnff 

 Rtil. Mr. Vandeman spoke of this as a 

 good grower and very fine except for its 

 color. Skin rather thick, but a good mar- 

 ket Grape. Mr. Campbell has confidence 

 that this will prove a good popular market 

 Grape and also a Grape for the million. 

 While its quality is not .so high as to recom- 

 mend it as one of the finestamateur Grapes, 

 yet many like it as well as any kind grown 

 while it would be sure of appreciation with 

 the masses, he was satisfied, with the Con- 

 cord. It has sold well in market, its pe- 

 culiar color being an attraction. The vine 

 is a healthy, hardy grower and very attrac- 

 tive. Mr. Hubbard reported that he had 

 seen some very productive vines of this va- 

 riety, the bunches produced being of fine 

 appearance. Orccn Mmintai'ii. Mr. J. W. 

 Manning had seen this variety for two 

 years in succession at the Hoyt Fruit Farm, 

 and pronounces it very early, a good grower 

 and entirely hardy. Mr. Hulibard had seen 

 it at Geneva, where it presented quite a 

 promising appearance, being very early 

 and good quality. 



The KiuU Pear was alluded to as of Mis- 

 souri origin, aiid for keeping qualities is the 

 best Pear he has yet seen. He would class 

 it in quality with Lawrence, and makes it 

 even better than Vicar. The flesh is solid, 

 the skin is yellow. It kept all winter, and 

 in his judgment was well worthy of atten- 

 tion. The Itlaltii Pear, Mr. Vandeman says, 

 is much like Duchess in size, shape, and 

 flavor. Still in his judgment he would not 

 yet conclude that it was more hardy than 

 others. It has no Japanese blood, but is 

 probably a seedling of Duchess. 



The Garfield Apple, the same gentleman 

 declared to be one of the hardiest, being not 

 far behied Ben Davis in size. The fruit is 

 handsome in appearance, having a red 

 stripe, is slightly conical, of quite good 

 quality, originated in Northern Central Ill- 

 inois. The Laciin Apple, of Lacon, 111., re- 

 sembles the last, and has stood winters 

 where others died. The Shirk in an India- 

 na variety, .season the same as Bailey Sweet, 

 luitthe fruit is larger, very sweet and the 

 tree a better grower than that variety. He 

 esteems it as a very fine fall sweet Apple. 

 The BuUmitii, a variety widely distributed 

 in Illinois, Mr. Vandeman feels satisfied is 

 the Red Canadian. Ituinhor disai)points 

 him much. It is a late keeper but poor in 

 qualily, of a greenish color. Pffffer, a var- 

 iety originated in Wisconsin, was thought 



to be better than Pewaukee and fully as 

 hardy. Another variety called ll'/ri(?.vor is 

 a medium-sized red fruit, handsome white 

 fle.sh, good quality, and very hardy. Ear- 

 ly Uiilden is a very nice yellow summer Ap- 

 ple, very attractive and very tart, hence va- 

 luable for cooking. It is not quite as early 

 as Harvest. A'aiimp, medium size, green- 

 ish yellow, flavor very good, October, No- 

 vember, hardy. The Foi/ik?/?);/, a variety 

 of New England origin, is quite hardy in the 

 extreme north of New BjUgland. Itisared 

 striped Apple on yellow ground, medium 

 sized, good quality winter fruit. 



Attention was called to the increased in- 

 terest in nut culture. There are varieties of 

 the native Chestnut superior in quality and 

 size to the ordinary, and these should be 

 sought out for propagation. No Japanese 

 Chestnut equals the native in quality. The 

 Diiliiiiit originated at Dover, Delaware, is 

 fully twice as large as the ordinary nut. 

 JViic (»ci!7/)if(;, which is a large tree, yields 

 fully ScjO.OO income per year from the nuts. 

 Pnnnjiin is about the best Chestnut, all 

 things considered. It is as large as Dupont, 

 yields enormously, bears young, and is of 

 good quality. It is not a foreigner in his 

 judgment. The Nutnlm is a large foreign 

 variety of poor quality. 



A delegate present said that these large 

 varieties are never as good as our smaller 

 natives but added that cooking improves 

 the large class byovercoming the astringency 

 in the skin of the kernel. Mr. Jenkins of 

 Ohio observed that trees when young bear 

 larger fruit than the same when older. 



The Prcnn nut, is recommended for the 

 rich alluvial landsof the South. Mr. Vande- 

 man states that its culture will prove very 

 valuable if confined to the Southern States, 

 and does well as far north as central Indi- 

 ana. The Mi\ricaii Pdiwrnlirll nut, grown 

 in Mississippi is three times as large as the 

 ordinary varieties, most delicious in flavor. 



The Crdnddll Currant, Prof. Bailey 

 says, is the coming fruit, and attention 

 should be given to fixing and improving it 

 by propagating from the best plants. 

 To be continued. 



Pickle Growing for Profit. 



WALTER UORMAN, NIAGARA CO., N. Y, 



Cucumber pickles are a great money crop 

 in this vicinity, almost every farmer plant- 

 ing his one, two and three acres annually, 

 and thus often materially adding to the 

 otherwise not magnificent returns of his 

 farm operations. 



To make the most of it, planting should 

 not be delayed too long; early June being a 

 good time, and usually more profitable than 

 if done later, although many fields are 

 planted, or at least replanted (when the bugs 

 have devoured the first sowings) as late as 

 July. The earliest planted fields are often 

 out of the way of harm from bug depreda- 

 tionswhenthe later ones suHer badly; andat 

 any rate we must try to get the advantage 

 of a long bearing period, rather than run 

 the risk of having one-half of the crop spoiled 

 by an early fall frost. 



The land selected for the crop should be 

 in good condition— the richer the better — a 

 young, fertile Clover sod often giving excel- 

 lent results. Manure is to be used without 

 stint, if the field is only moderately fertile, 

 and usually applied broadcast; and plowed 

 under. On soil already rich, however, we 

 often use only a shovelful or two of good 

 well-rotted compost in the hill— and this is 

 a commendable and profitable practice any- 

 way. We plow the land in the usual way, 

 turning the furrows over nicely, then pul- 

 verize it thoroughly by means of Disk har- 

 row and smoothing harrow, going over the 

 Held repeatedly and in different directions, 

 until we have a perfect seed bed. The next 

 step is the marking out both ways, which is 



