62 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
JACKSON & PERKINS’ NURSERY. 
Attractive views of the grounds of Jackson & Per¬ 
kins, at Newark, W.ayne county, N. Y., are presented 
in this issue. The firm of Jackson & Perkins com¬ 
menced business as market gardeners in 1864, making a 
specialty of small fruits, but some fifteen years since they 
began in a small way growing a few roses and hardy 
ornamentals and selling them at wholesale to dealers 
and other nurserymen. From the start they gave satis¬ 
faction to their customers and they have each year in¬ 
creased their planting and sales until they now have, in 
the several lines to which they give special attention, no 
superiors as propagators. They were especially fortun¬ 
ate in securing as their foreman one of the most suc¬ 
cessful men at such work in this country. This gentle¬ 
man is thoroughly conversant with everything that has 
to do with the propagating and growmg of all ornamen¬ 
tal and nursery stock, and has entire charge of both the 
greenhouse aud outdoor work. 
While they grow a large assortment of general nur¬ 
sery stock comprising the more valuable varieties of 
fruits, the principal attention of this firm is given to 
roses, clematis and fine ornamentals. In these lines 
they have been especially successful. Of clematis they 
are undoubtedly larger growers than any Holland firm, 
and they probably have the largest stock in this country. 
Their success with clematis has only been gained by 
many years of careful experimenting and painstaking 
study. Of roses their propagation reaches something 
like 175,000 yearly, and their stock has a well-deserved 
reputation for fine quality. Last season they success¬ 
fully introduced a new climbing rose, the Empress of 
China, which takes the first place in its class as a per¬ 
petual bloomer. It has already found a large sale. 
They have several fine new roses to offer this year. A 
number of others, some of foreign importation and some 
of their own originating, they are thoroughly testing and 
will offer soon, if found to be of value. Of clematis 
they also have several new kinds on trial, one a Rocky 
Mountain variety which promises to be of considerable 
worth. In ornamental shrubs their newest thing is a 
beautiful white lilac of European importation which 
bears an immense truss of'double flowers. The bunches 
of flowers are much larger than those of other varieties. 
Of all ornamental plants such as Japan snowballs, lilacs, 
wistarias, ampelopsis, honeysuckles, etc., which are so 
difficult to propagate successfully, and which add so 
much to the outside decoration of fine homes and 
grounds, they have large and fine stocks. Their collec¬ 
tion of pseonias is probably the largest and best in this 
country, comprising the finest varieties obtainable in 
Europe, and many native sorts. 
The greenhouses as shown in the frontispiece are ten 
in number. Two recent additions are certainly as com¬ 
plete and well equipped as is possible. They each cover 
2,300 square feet and hold some 75,000 small roses and 
clematis. The interior view in the frontispiece partially 
shows one of these houses. The center bench is filled 
with clematis and on the side, the benches there having 
been taken out, are planted ampelopsis, both being 
grown to produce wood from which to propagate. 
Jackson & Perkins make it the leading feature of their 
business to supply nurserymen and dealers with choice 
specialties as “leaders” for their salesmen. For this 
purpose they have correspondents in Japan and nearly 
all the European countries who have instructions to be 
continually on the look-out for new and valuable varie¬ 
ties in the ornamental line. When anything of sup¬ 
posed worth is found it is sent to them, thoroughly 
tested and if found to be of value is then offered to the 
public. They have no retail trade, their business con¬ 
sisting entirely in supplying retailers and dealers. 
A WESTERN GROWER’S COMMENTS. 
Regarding the spring trade, Stark Brothers, Louis¬ 
iana, Mo., said recently: “The nursery business is no 
longer, if ever it was, the uncertain thing depicted by 
many; but of course the market has ups and 
downs, changes . of fancy, etc , with trade shifting 
from place to place. A section takes immense lots 
of Ben Davis apple, say, for a year or two, then 
comes a lull ; now one trouble with some of our grow¬ 
ers is they have a big trade on one line, like Ben Davis, 
and depend on one region for their orders ; soon there is a 
letup in planting caused by low prices or a failure or two 
of the apple crop and then the question is, where to market 
the Ben Davis ? Some are still asking the question and 
sending out surplus lists of apple, not much else. With an 
apple crop, and good general crops, there will be few sur¬ 
plus apple lists around this time next year, for many wes¬ 
tern growers not only reduced their plant, but have poor 
stands ; one cause was the severe rain storms of last May 
and June which injured grafts. Our Rockport plant escap¬ 
ed all disasters and promises for fall the finest, as it is the 
largest block of all whole root apple we have yet grown. 
Aside from apple, other stock for fall as well as the spring 
plants, about same as a year ago, considerable increase in 
peach, plum and pear. All buds escaped the blizzard of 
March 28th, which seems to have done so much damage fur¬ 
ther south ; in fact the natural order of weather seems to be 
reversed, southern fruit growers and nurserymen suffering 
most; it seems we shall soon have to paraphrase our friend 
Heikes and write ‘between the blizzard lines.’ ” 
“ Franklin Davis said years ago, ‘ grow good trees, good 
sorts, and don’t bother about the future. ’ Forecasting is 
all right but some forecast the wrong way; they have a sur¬ 
plus and expect a good market, and vice versa. This 
speculative growing seems all wrong. A general and reg- 
