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BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENT. 



FIFTIETH YEAR 



OP THE 



MOUNT HOPE NURSERIES 



We take pleasure in offering the first edition of our General Catalogue. It is published 

 with a view of placing our various publications in the most convenient' form for our 

 customers. All our catalogues are included here, under one cover, excepting the trade 

 list or number 4, which, as heretofore, will be issued separately and mailed to the trade, 

 and to such other purcha'^ers as are entitled to wholesale rates. 



Although the descriptions in this general catalogue are necessarily brief, we have made 

 them sufficiently comprehensive to answer every purpose, and we are sure that the book 

 will be found very useful to all who are interested in fruits and flowers. 



We take especial pleasure in addressing our patrons at this time, for this year we cele- 

 brate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of our Nursery. Beginning with a few 

 acres and no capital except industry, perseverance and a determination to succeed, we made 

 progress slowly at first. On two occasions fire destroj^ed all of our buildings and hail ruined 

 our stock, and so very discouraging was the outlook that we were on the point of giving 

 up the business; but, after carefully considering the matter, we resolved to make another 

 attempt, and starting anew, put forth all our energies, and from that time, success crowned 

 our efforts. Space will not permit or we could give many interesting facts and experiences 

 which would show conclusively that success was only achieved by years of hard labor, 

 mental and physical; but being young, strong and ambitious, we did not take into account 

 labor, so long as we accomplished what we set out to do. 



The history of the progress and development of the business cannot be shown in any 



better way than by quoting from our catalogues issued at different times, as the demands 



of our business required. In the preface to our catalogue issued in 1846, six years after 



starting, the following statement is made: 



" Our Nursery grounds are quite extensive. We at present occupy FIFTEEN acres 

 and are prepared to plant six more the ensuing autumn. Our purpose is, and has been 

 since the formation of our establishment, to make here in Western New York, a collection 

 of fruits unsurpassed by any in the country, embracing every valuable variety of either 

 native or foreign origin, adapted to our soil and climate; with this end in view, we have 

 y* been gathering from time to time from every quarter, such varieties as we have found to be 

 held in high estimation in their respective localities. Two years hence we shall have a 

 superb list of American fruits; our extensive personal acquaintance with the principal fruit 

 growers and Nurserymen in England and on the continent has enabled us to make arrange- 

 ments to receive annually any new and valuable fruits that may be brought to notice. Our 

 practice is to plant a specimen tree of every variety cultivated in order to test it under our 

 own observation; our specimen grounds now contain upwards of two hundred varieties of 

 4ipples, one hundred and fifty oi' pears, sixty of cherries, fifty of plums, &c." 



We invite particular attention to this reference to our experimental orchard, which, as 



will be seen, was commenced early in the history of our establishment. This experimental 



