THE NATIONAL 
representative trade journal should impart. Owing to the 
lack heretofore of a nursery trade journal, it has been nec¬ 
essary to some degree, to cultivate a taste for trade litera¬ 
ture. That such efforts on the part of the publishers of 
The National Nurseryman have not been without effect 
is proved by the fact that the ver)' men who expressed the 
opinion that this journal was the organ of an individual, 
have during the last year repeatedly stated that they were 
much mistaken. 
The National Nurseryman is published in the inter¬ 
ests of the trade. It is unnecessary to say that to 
anyone who has given it more than a passing glance. It 
has had the endorsement of the leading nurserymen of the 
country from the start and its publishers will strive to 
merit that endorsement at all times. 
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL. 
• II 
The National Nurseryman acknow'ledges the compli¬ 
ment paid it by the American Association of Nurserymen 
in making it the official journal of the association. We 
trust that the members will freely use its columns for the 
expression of opinion on the many topics which come up 
for discussion. The cordial manner in which the propo¬ 
sition to make this the official journal was received at 
Niagara Falls shows that its friends and supporters are in 
every state in the Union ; and from Canada and Europe 
comes the same hearty commendation. 
That was a graceful act on the part of the conven¬ 
tion at Niagara Falls, to make up a purse for Mr. Bull, 
the originator of the Concord grape. It showed due 
appreciation of the benefits resulting from Mr. Bull’s 
work. That, as well as the evident disposition among 
the majority to encourage the introduction of new varie¬ 
ties, was in line with our appeal last month, to protect 
the originator. The nurseryman owes much to the men 
who are successful in producing standard varieties that 
are new. Such men should not be in a condition of 
want. 
A. L. Wood, of Rochester, brought to the office of 
The National Nurseryman a few days ago several boxes 
of fine specimens of the Greenville strawberry. The variety 
cannot be surpassed. The flavor is pronounced and there 
is a richness which we have not found in any other straw¬ 
berry. 
While popular opinion throughout the United States 
pronounces Bordeaux mixture the best insecticide, it is 
of interest to know that the French preparation, Schloesing 
insect destroyer, is gaining ground as almost a panacea for 
the ills that trees and plants are heir to. It is claimed that 
this preparation will radically destroy all insect life and 
cure all cryptogamic diseases. 
NURSERYMAN. 77 
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION — Continued. 
as the tariff law is concerned these products ought to be 
treated in the same category; consequently the issue of 
protection was really not involved in this question, and the 
protectionists and free traders could stand on common 
ground and consistently ask congress to admit nursery 
products free of duty. In the next place, it was essential, 
in order to relieve the market from the glut of stock, to find 
some foreign outlet, if possible. The only available outlet 
must be across the Niagara river into Canada. Prior to 
1890 nurserymen had a large trade in Canada, but on the 
passage of the McKinley act the Canadian government 
retaliated by placing specific duties on trees imported from 
the United States. Those duties ranged from ten per cent, 
ad valorem up to four cents per tree specific duty, or an 
average duty of twenty to thirt}^ per cent, ad valorem, and 
on some grades reaching as high as 100 per cent. The 
result of this Canadian tariff was largely to diminish the 
exportation into that country, and that outlet being thus 
cut off', it has helped to glut the home market with an over¬ 
stock that has either been sold at a loss or been consigned 
to the brush pile. Should congress place them upon the 
free list, as w'as done in the Wilson bill, there was ewery 
reason to believe that the Canadian government would 
reciprocate, and American nurserymen would regain the 
Canadian trade. If this could be accomplished it wmuld 
have a considerable tendency towards putting the nursery 
industry on a healthy basis. 
Regarding Mr. Sweet’s statement that under the present 
tariff the purchaser paid the tariff, in addition to the cost of 
the stocks in France, Mr. Albaugh asked if it were not a 
fact that foreign stocks were cheaper the last four years 
than ever before, and if the growing of Mariana plum stocks 
in the United States had not lowered the price of foreign 
Myrobolan plum, stocks, at least one-half Mr. Sweet’s 
answer was not considered decisive. 
Mr. Morris, of Fonthill, Ont., said he wished to cor¬ 
rect Mr. Sweet’s statement that the present rate of duty 
on nursery stock in Canada was put on in a spirit of 
retaliation. “In Canada,” said he, “ the principal po¬ 
litical question which has divided the parties has been 
high duties or low. The party favoring high duties, or 
as it is known there, the “National Policy,” came into 
power about 17 years ago, and the aim was then, and 
has been since, to put sufficient duty on to protect all 
native industries. It is my opinion that Canada is ready 
to accept any reasonable proposition regarding reciproc¬ 
ity in the general products of the two countries.” 
Mr. Sweet, (to Thomas W. Bowman, Rochester, 
N. Y.)—“Was not the placing of duty upon nursery 
stock imported from the United States to Canada a 
retaliatory measure ” 
Mr. Bowman. — “It was. At the first session of 
Parliament after the government of Sir John A. Me- 
