I I 2 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
AMERICAN ORCHID COLLECTIONS. 
Eugene Y. Low, of the great orchid house of Hugh 
Low & Co., London, England, was in Rochester on Sep¬ 
tember 22d. He visited the orchid collection of William 
S. Kimball of this city. He said that Mr. Kimball is one 
of the most liberal and successful growers of orchids in 
America. The collection of the late Frederick Ames of Bos¬ 
ton is the most valuable in this country. Next in order 
are those of Hicks Arnold of New York ; Charles G. 
Roebling of Trenton, N. J., and Mr. Kimball of Rochester. 
Mr. Kimball’s collection of cypripediums is the most val¬ 
uable in the world. 
“The flowering of orchids,” said Mr. Low, “ is a mat¬ 
ter of speculation. Here is the most common specimen, 
the cypripedium ursique from Assam, India. It is green 
with heavy spots of purple-brown. It is the variety usually 
sold for cut flowers at from 25 to 75 cents per blossom. We 
sold Mr. Kimball 100 plants of this variety for 90 cents 
each several years ago and from one of these plants he 
secured a light yellow flower without spots and with a 
beautiful margin of white. This specimen is valued by 
Mr. Kimball at ,^1,000. He might not find another 
equally valuable in ten thousand seedlings. 
“ What is the highest priced orchid in existence? ” 
“ I think the honor is claimed for a specimen of the. 
cypripedium stonei platytaenium, valued at ,s&5,ooo. This 
plant was imported twenty years ago and flowered in the 
collection of the late John Day, ot London. It was sold 
once for $700. One specimen is now owned by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence and another by Baron J. W. H. Schroeder. It 
flowered first in 1867. It has broader and shorter petals 
and a higher color than the type from which it originated. 
Ordinary specimens without its marked characteristics are 
worth only $5.” 
This is Mr. Low’s nineteenth visit to America where 
he spends several months each trip. He paid a high com¬ 
pliment to George Savage, Mr. Kimball’s chief gardener, 
whom he regards as one of the most competent men in the 
country. 
AMONG THE FRUITS. 
Jacob Moore of Attica, sends us samples of his new 
pear, Moore’s Sugar. It is from seed of Seckel fertilized 
by Duchesse d’Angouleme. It is of handsome color, 
larger than the Seckle, sweet and very juicy. It ripens 
before the Seckel and is an abundant yielder. 
Some one said last year that all the claims for the 
- Crosby peach were fully sustained, except in regard to 
size.' J. H. Hale sent us recently samples of this peach 
which measured 10.^ and ii.t inches in circumference. 
The pit is small and the color and quality of the fruit 
are excellent. 
The Ricker National Nursery Co., Elgin, Ilk, sends 
us a sample of a seedling apple, which it says is from a 
chance seedling discovered in the woods. The tree is 
still young and a vigorous grower. The apple is of 
medium size, of cream and pink color, much in appear¬ 
ance like Smith’s cider. It is very tart. It belongs to 
the class of winter apples and looks as though it would 
keep well. This company will propagate it and will top 
work it upon Duchess stock. 
A sample of the Dempsey pear sent by Stone & 
Wellington, Toronto, bears out the excellent reputation 
which this pear has attained. 
NOTES ON BIRCH GRAFTING. 
It is a well-known fact that increasing stock of dif¬ 
ferent species of birch by budding often results in 
failure, and it is my experience that where this is the 
case success can be obtained by grafting. Budding has 
almost always been the process employed, as very few 
have had the necessary experience in grafting fine orna¬ 
mentals in the open. Numerous experiments both here 
and in Europe in grafting, have resulted in failures ; 
and wherever this has been the case it has been caused 
by using wood of one year's growth. For grafting of 
the birch I would recommend wood of several years’ 
growth, taken from trees which had been cut back sev¬ 
eral years before, to be grafted on old wood. I have 
grafted many birch trees by the method mentioned and 
have always obtained most satisfactory results. I would 
specially commend this process for grafting the popular 
Betula alba var. Youngii pendula on common birch. 
With proper care and manipulation results are obtained 
fully equal to those in grafting Salix caprea var. pendula. 
Rochester, N. Y. Hugo Lilienthal. 
AN OREGON INCIDENT. 
It is astonishing how many people there are who can 
be imposed upon in the matter of purchasing fruit trees, 
says the Rural Northwest, of Portland, Ore. Quite 
recently a case was reported in which a man living near 
Portland and within a mile or two of three nurseries, 
bought a number of Duchess of Oldenberg apple trees 
from an eastern nursery and paid 75 cents each for the 
trees. The agent who sold the trees led the man to 
believe that the Duchess of Oldenberg was a new and 
rare variety which could not be obtained from Oregon 
nurserymen. Another man living within gun shot of 
Mr. Failing’s nursery in East Portland paid a dollar 
apiece for Idaho pear trees for this season’s planting, 
and was much surprised to learn that they could have 
been obtained from Mr. Failing for 15 cents each. 
