II 
PARK AND ce:me:te:ry 
P, S. PETERSON & SON'S NURS. 
ERIES, CHICAGO, 
Just a half century has elapsed since 
]\Ir. P. S. Peterson left the employ of 
Louis Van Houtte, the famous Euro- 
pean horticulturist, to come to this 
country, and a few years later, in 1856, 
he established in a modest way, seven 
miles northwest of the city, a nurser> 
that h'hs since gradually extended ita 
borders until it now covers 486 acres, 
and offers to the botanist, the horticuL 
turist, the forester, the floriculturist and 
the landscape gardener, whether prO' 
fessional or amateur, an opportunity for 
scientific research or pleasant and 
piofitable inspection that amply repays 
the time consumed. The writer re- 
cently accepted an oft repeated invita- 
tion from Mr. Wm. A. Peterson, the 
nranaging partner of P. S. Peterson & 
Son, to visit the nurseries, and was sur- 
prised to find within the limits of the 
city of Chicago an establishment of 
such extent and variety and abundance 
of material. 
Characteristic of western ideas, one 
finds things done here on a scale so 
large as at times to seem almost in- 
credible; nursery rows a half mile long, 
many of them planted to one variety 
of a tree, and block after block, each 
containing thousands of the better 
known varieties of ornamental trees at 
various periods of development con- 
fronts the visitor as he is driven over 
the twelve miles of well-kept roads that 
traverse the grounds. Thoroughness 
seems to be the watchword of the pro- 
prietors in the conduct of these e.x- 
tensive and scientifically conducted 
grounds. The frequent fertilizing and 
interrse cultivation of the nursery rows 
has produced a condition of soil con- 
ducive to the most favorable results. 
The thrfty appearance of foliage on re- 
cently transplanted trees and shrubs, 
despite the recent drought, shows how 
readily the fibrous roots, even of im- 
ported stock respond to the favorable 
environment. The services of from 
thirty-five to seventy men are required 
the year round according to the season 
to plant, transplant, cultivate, propa- 
gate and handle the large quantities of 
misery stock that are shipped during 
the spring and fall. Families of a 
number of the employes reside within 
the limits of the nursery, and the fact 
that many of these have remained here 
continuously for from five to twenty- 
three years is evidence of their effi- 
ciency. 
A water system of modern equip- 
ment that would be adequate for the 
requirements of a town of 3,000 people 
is in operation for the exclusive use 
of the nursery. The power house, 83 
feet steel tower and reservoir with 
capacity of 30,000 gallons are seen in 
one of the illustrations. Water is forced 
through two miles of pipes which are 
connected with patent hydrants at con- 
venient intervals throughout the. 
grounds. 
An interesting feature, and one that 
possesses advantages not common, even 
in the largest nurseries in this country, 
is the natural forest of eighty acres 
lying entirely within the limits of the 
nursery on either side of the north 
branch of the Chicago River. Through 
this delightfully wild stretch of woods 
one follows a tortuous Indian trail, 
once trod by the Pottawatomies on their 
way to and from the Indian settlement 
at the mouth of the river, from which 
has risen the metropolis of the west. 
This tract should be preserved in its 
present condition of sylvan beauty and 
be made a part of Chicago’s park sys- 
tem. In the rich soil of this virgin for- 
est such natives as the sassafras, nanny- 
berry (sheep-berry) and strawberry 
tree grow most luxuriantly. Majestic 
elms 150 feet in height, grand old oaks 
and many others of the numerous in- 
digenous trees and shrubs and native 
flora are to be seen. From here the 
native stock is transplanted and propa- 
gated, and the seeds of the finest speci- 
BIRD'S-EYE view of PETERSON’S NURSERIES, BOOKING EAST FROM WATER TOWER. 
A FIELD OF PAEONIAS, PETERSON’S NURSERIES, CHICAGO. 
