THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE 27 
49o * 
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN 
NURSERYMEN. 
Sixteenth Annual Meeting. 
[RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.] 
This meeting was held at Minneapolis, 
Minn., June 3 to 6. The following officers 
were elected for the coming year: Presi¬ 
dent, J. Van Lindley. North Carolina; 
Vice President, W. J. Peters, Ohio; Secre¬ 
tary, C. A. Green, New York; Treasurer, 
G. A. Whiting, Dakota; Executive Com¬ 
mittee, W. F. Heikes, Alabama; W. C. 
Barry, New York ; J. G. Carpenter, Nebras¬ 
ka. Place of meeting for 1892, Atlanta, Ga. 
Opposed to the World’s Fair Horti¬ 
cultural Commission. 
President Emery, in his opening address, 
said, among other things: 
‘•We have to congratulate ourselves upon 
the improved tone of the nursery business: 
because nursery stock is worth from 25 to 
40 per cent more at wholesale than it was a 
year ago is no good reason why indiscrim¬ 
inate planting should be indulged in. Past 
low prices have discouraged heavy settings, 
and the overplus has thus been reduced, 
and prices have risen to a point where it 
pays the grower to produce stock. 
“ The near approach of the time set for 
opening the World’s Fair compels attention 
to it. The fact is patent that California is 
determined by fair means or foul to control 
the horticultural department. The work 
of the classification committee, of which 
a member from California is chairman, is 
strangely ludicrous. The fact that four 
classes are assigned to horticulture, and 14 
to viticulture shows the animus. A chief 
of the horticultural department, a Cali¬ 
fornian, has been appointed ; his appoint¬ 
ment has not been confirmed, the princi¬ 
pal opposition coming, first, from his own 
State, and, next, from the horticulturists 
of the country at large. Under his manage¬ 
ment and dictation we can expect the 
wines, brandies and citrus fruits of Cali¬ 
fornia to head the procession, and her dried 
fruits and flavorless orchard products to 
occupy space that rightfully should belong 
to the class of fruits that are the bone and 
sinew, so to speak, of the business. A vig¬ 
orous protest against such folly is in order, 
and failing to secure the recognition that 
our suggestions as nurserymen of the 
United States entitles us to, we ought to 
wash our hands of the entire matter, and 
respectfully decline to be used to bolster up 
the pomp and circumstances of bursted 
booms and departed glory.” 
A Talk About Apple Trees. 
J. V. Cotta said : “ We may have to wait 
another quarter century or longer before a 
perfectly hardy race of late keepers of good 
quality shall have been produced and dis¬ 
seminated to such an extent as shall secure 
the needed supply of this class of apples, of 
which the Northwest is all but destitute, 
since our few hardy and reliable sorts are 
only summer and fall apples. To repeat 
the mistakes of the past and force, as It 
were, the old assortment of varieties as 
grown by the common modes of roof-graft¬ 
ing or budding, whether on piece roots or 
whole roots, would seem to be about as 
foolish an undertaking as intelligent men 
could be guilty of. 
“ There is one way by which varieties too 
tender when grown by root-grafting or 
budding may be produced, that will endure 
climatic adversities about 200 to 300 miles 
further north than they can if grown by 
another mode, and this method is top¬ 
grafting them standard-high upon per¬ 
fectly hardy, free-growing, congenial stocks 
previously grown by root grafting, or, in 
other words, double-working. I have 
grown trees by this method for nine years 
with entirely satisfactory results. 
“ Double-working as a matter of course, 
means double expense at least and often 
more, and to compete with the products of 
that famous belt of country known as the 
* Nurseryman’s Paradise,’ which stretches 
from Lake Erie in a west-south-westerly 
direction, via Southern Missouri, to Kansas, 
with branches running south 4 below the 
blizzard line ’ in Alabama, is impossible. 
“ The winter of 1882 to 1883 was the first of 
the three very severe ones that have done 
the Northwest greater harm than any pre¬ 
vious ones since settlement by the white 
man. At the opening of the spring of 18831 
found my root-grafted trees in the same 
blocks (having had the same treatment as 
to cultivation, as those top worked) with a 
few exceptions—such as the Duchess and 
the crabs—almost ruined, most of them 
being dead to the ground, while my top- 
graited trees of the same sorts came out 
sound to the tips, without a branch being 
injured. 
•• j would no more think of planting an 
orchard of root grafted or budded trees, 
less hardy than the Duchess, even in 
northern Illinois, than of attempting to 
grow figs or oranges there as a commercial 
venture.” 
Pruning and Transplanting Ever¬ 
greens. 
Charles F. Gardener, Osage, Iowa, said : 
“ I have had no experience in transplant¬ 
ing or pruning evergreens in any State ex¬ 
cept Iowa and only on two kinds of soil, 
common limestone prairie and black soil 
prairie. On these two kinds, all the hardy 
evergreens can be grown with perfect suc¬ 
cess and absolute certainty. In transplant¬ 
ing four points are to be remembered: 
‘T. Perfect preparation of soil by plowing, 
harrowing, planking, etc. I prefer to have 
the ground plowed in the autumn, then to 
plow again, but very shallow, in the spring. 
“ 2. One should procure, if possible, nur¬ 
sery-grown trees, and buy them of some 
reliable nurseryman, or, what is better, 
he should grow them himself from seed. 
“3. The roots must be protected every 
second from the time the trees are dug 
until they are again covered with earth. 
"4. The soil should be packed firmly 
about the roots. 
“ By proper observance of these rules, fol- 
fowed by continuous and shallow cultiva¬ 
tion, keeping the ground absolutely free 
from weeds and grass and as nearly level as 
possible, a failure is never to be feared. 
“ In planting, we use different sized dib¬ 
bles for the smaller sized trees ; those too 
large for the dibbles I plant in furrows 
thrown by the plow. Dip the roots of all 
plants in mud as soon as lifted, and drought 
will never injure such an evergreen planta¬ 
tion. I pay no attention whatever as to 
whether it rains or shines and have not 
watered a plant after it was set out, for more 
than 20 years. As to the time for transplant¬ 
ing, it is my opinion that the very best time 
for any variety of tree is just as the buds be¬ 
gin to swell; but with us they can be 
planted with perfect success from April to 
November. If not planted out until after 
the new growth is well advanced, it should 
be nearly all cut off before the trees are 
dug. 
“ With regard to pruning evergreens for 
ornamental purposes, one must first have 
in mind what is to be desired, then clip In 
the branches in such a way as to make the 
skeleton to the desired form, generally in 
May, but it may be done later in the sea¬ 
son. The next season, after the new growth 
is well advanced, clip it back with the 
shears, bearing in mind at the same time the 
object to be attained. The branches that 
make the greatest growth may again be 
clipped back in October. This clipping 
back of the new growth Is for the purpose 
of making the tree more dense. 
“ In pruning trees in forest culture, follow 
the old maxim: ‘ Prune when your knife 
is sharp and your tools in good order.’ 
The greatest enemies to evergreens in our 
country are weeds and grass. To have the 
best success these should be carefully kept 
out. In yard and lawn planting care should 
be taken that the trees are not too crowded. 
Many fine specimens of conifers are ruined 
by planting them too close to deciduous 
trees. Give them plenty of room. 
“ In setting trees from 4to 15 feet high, we 
use plenty of water, from 2 to 20 pailfuls to 
each tree, and we also use fine, well pulver¬ 
ized earth in filling up, and the water will 
pack the earth about the roots better than 
it can be done in any other way. After set¬ 
ting, I never water the tree again. The 
sand mulch keeps the earth from baking. 
“In growing evergreens from seed, the 
first thing is to prepare the beds, which 
should be four feet wide running east and 
west, and be raised three or four inches. 
Drive stakes 14 inches high— i. e., 14 inches 
high after they are driven in the ground—on 
the north side, and on the south side a row 
12 inches high lengthwise of the beds. 
On these stakes nail strips of boards two 
inches wide and an inch in thickness; rake 
the soil until it is perfectly pulverized; 
sow the seeds broadcast so that they will 
average about four to the square inch; 
then run a garden roller over the bed, 
lengthwise, twice if necessary, to firm each 
seed in its place in the earth. Then cover 
the bed with evergreen leaves to the depth 
of two inches, watch the seeds closely ; as 
soon as they have sprouted, rake off the 
leaves into the alleys between the beds and 
cover the latter with white sand fr.om one- 
fourth to a half inch in depth. 
“ The shades are made of laths put to¬ 
gether in frames four feet square, the laths 
three-fourths of an inch apart. Lath frames 
are put on the strips, nailed to the top of 
the stakes, the laths crossing the bed north 
(Continued on next page.) 
A BICYCLE FREE. 
T HE BICYCLE has come to stay. It is just as much fun to a farmer’s boy as to 
any other fellow to ride a “ bike.” To many men a bicycle is preferable to a horse 
on decent roads, being faster, costing less to buy and less to keep. The demand 
is so great that the scores of manufacturers can scarcely keep pace with it. We have 
arranged with the makers of one of the best machines in the market, the GENDRON. 
so that we can supply “ bikes ” to our subscribers on easy terms. 
THE GENDRON No. 1, figured above, is the best among several that we investigated 
for the use of boys and girls weighing 80 to 120 pounds. It is made of steel tubing and 
steel dropped forgings—the best possible material for such purpose. The ball bearings 
and all the fittings are of prime quality. 
SPECIFICATION.— Wheels: Both 24 Inches by % inch Tires; tangent spokes with 
adjustable nipples; geared to 38 inches. Frame: Weldless steel tubing; semi-hollow 
steel forks; dropped forgings throughout; ball-center head; adjustable cones in wheels, 
yoke and pedals. Finish : Enameled black, with handle bar, brake fittings, seat rod, 
braces, cranks, pedals and nuts all highly nickel plated on copper. 
By removing the upper cross-bar—a work of two minutes—the machine is ready for 
use by girls. The weight is 40 pounds. A tool bag, containing an “ Acme ” wrench, screw¬ 
driver and oiler goes with each machine. All the parts are interchangeable, so that any 
needed repairs may be had readily. 
PRICE, $40.00. 
How to Get it Free. By sending us a club of 75 subscriptions to The 
Rural New-Yorker or The American Garden, at prices named in our “confidential 
letter” of last winter, you will get this bicycle without money cost. If the “confidential 
letter ” has been lost, send for another copy of it. See special offer at foot. 
At a Low Price for Cash. We will send this machine (No. 1) to our 
subscribers only for the very low price of §29.00 in cash, and three subscriptions at 
the prices in the “confidential letter.” Regular net cost price of the machine, $40.00. 
The Gendron Safety No. 4. For Adults. 
This No. 4 is a larger and stronger machine throughout, and will easily carry a man 
of 170 pounds. It is also interchangeable for ladies’ use. Weight of machine, 52 pounds. 
SPECIFICATION.— Wheels: 28 inches front and 30 inches rear by %-lnch solid 
tires ; tangent spokes. Frame: Weldless steel tubing ; semi hollow steel forks ; dropped 
forgings throughout; ball-center head. Bearings: Adjustable balls to both wheels, crank 
axle and pedals. Finish: Enameled black, with handle bar, brake fittings, seat rod, 
braces, cranks, pedals and nuts all highly nickel plated on copper. All the parts are 
interchangeable. PRICE, $90.00. 
HOW tO G©t it Fr©©. We will send this wheel free to any present 
subscriber who will send us 125 subscriptions to The Rural New-Yorker or The 
American Garden on the terms of our “ confidential letter.” 
Or we will sell the machine to subscribers only at §69.00 cash, and five subscriptions 
additional at the prices in our “ confidential letter.” 
The machines are sent by express or freight, from New York or Toledo, at the 
expense of the purchasers. This offer is open until September 1st next. 
pf° If you get less than 75 or 125 subscriptions, every one you get will help pay for the 
machine at the rate of 60 cents each. For example, if you get 25 subscriptions, this will 
reduce the cash cost of either machine by the amount of §15.00. So that for No. 1 you 
would need to send us only $24.00 additional; or for the No. 4 only $54.00 additional. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, Times Building, New York 
