T" 



'HE American Ass(3cia- 

 tion of Nurserymen 

 meets in New York 

 early in June. The associa- 

 tion is now firmly established, 

 and its mission of usefulness 

 is assured. It seems to us 

 pertinent to suggest that the time has come when 

 the association should widen its policy somewhat, 

 and discuss more matters of general horticultural 

 interest. We do not mean that it should invite to 

 membership horticulturists in general, for it must 

 still maintain its particular and special work ; but 

 it should fall in with the progress of the time in 

 a desire to aid in the general elevation of horti- 

 culture ; and it is hardly necessary to add that such 

 breadth of view would at once advertise the associ- 

 ation and its members. The fact is, there is a gen- 

 eral and often strong feeling that nurserymen are 

 too little concerned in the welfare of the planter 

 after the bill of plants is sold, and the impression 

 is by no means rare that they are, as a class, unre- 

 liable. These unfortunate and unfounded suspi- 

 cions have arisen largely from'the fact that nursery- 

 men have been too seclusive, have not taken a 

 sufficiently active part in the horticultural societies 

 and in the discussion of current topics. The 

 nurserymen and the planters are too widely separ- 

 ated for the mutual good. 



But let their national association put itself in line 

 with general discussion and progress, and a power- 

 ful reactionary movement will begin. Why cannot 

 the association, for instance, do something as a body 

 towards popularizing the movement for reform in 

 the names of fruits and trees ? Why can it not ad- 

 vise nurserymen to use the names of fruits promul- 

 gated by the American Pomological Society ? And 

 why can it not urge or adopt reformation in the 

 abominable and nonsensical names of ornamental 

 trees and shrubs ? 



Why can it not discuss in a broader spirit the 

 art and science of the growing of young trees ? 

 Why can it not give us most valuable information 

 concerning the influences of soils, fertilizers, meth- 

 ods of culture, methods of propagation and climate 

 upon stocks ? In a time like the present, when the 

 value of grafting and budding is so much discussed, 

 and when foreign journals are questioning the very 

 utility of the practice, an association like this should 



come forward with incontrovertible proofs of the 

 efficacy of the practice. 



In short, has not the American Association of 

 Nurserymen a great responsibility in the general 

 elevation of the art and science of horticulture ? 



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DON'T deprive yourself and famil)' of fruits 

 and vegetables. 



Don't depend upon wild berries. 



Don't depend upon the market. 



Don't set aside your poorest land for the fruits 

 and vegetables. 



Don't plant in a restricted area which is closely 

 fenced in. 



Don't plant in little beds. 



Don't plant in an old orchard. 



Don't plant largely of anything which will demand 

 greatest labor when other work is most pressing. 



Don't get plants or seeds from neighbors who are 

 neglectful in culture, or who do not grow the finest 

 varieties. 



Don't put great faith in novelties. 



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AN International Horticultural Congress, which 

 we urged in our last issue in connection with 

 the World's Fair, could accomplish much 

 for our country. Its general influence should be 

 good, and the specific advantages would be limited 

 only by the money at command and the abilities of 

 those in charge. We have several important spe- 

 cific applications in mind, one of which refers to 

 the collection and publication of horticultural in- 

 formation. The collections of fruit and fruit-prod- 

 ucts, plants and appliances would afford a great 

 opportunity for some genius to epitomize our pres- 

 ent knowledge and practice. An extensive and ex- 

 haustive report, a monograph, could be made upon 

 every fruit and vegetable, and upon nearly every 

 handicraft of horticulture, through the aid of the 

 exhibitions, the men and the collateral evidence and 

 suggestions which such an institution should furn- 

 ish. It is the opportunit}' of a century. 



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THE time will come when we shall breed varie- 

 ties of plants, when the originator shall pro- 

 ceed upon known and definite lines of plant 

 variation. This exact knowledge will be born of 

 exact observation and experiment. For the most 



