156 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
just past, although it overreached our expectations, fell 
far short of our usual trade. We handled about the same 
amount of stock, but the prices were very much lower 
than usual. Our deliveries went off very well, and collec¬ 
tions were better than we had anticipated. Our trade is 
both wholesale and with dealers. We have a large surplus 
of apple and cherry on hand for spring, but are short on 
most other things with the exception of strawberries, of 
which we have large quantities. 
Our last spring’s plant of apple grafts, and our bud of 
peach and cherry far exceeded any previous plant in this 
section, being about 800,000 apple, i 50,000 peach, 100,000 
cherry and 20,000 plum. Our buds have taken excep¬ 
tionally well. The outlook for spring trade is very 
promising at present. At this time last year everything 
was dead as it possibly could be ; now it is quite dif¬ 
ferent. 
We have changed our firm name since fall delivery from 
H. M. Simpson Co., to H. M. Simpson &Sons;Wm. 
Simpson of the old firm retiring, and H. M. Simpson’s 
two sons, Robert A. and Harry D. Simpson coming in. 
H. M. Simpson & Sons. 
KANSAS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Kansas State Horticultural Society held its 28th 
annual meeting in Fort Scott, on Dec. 11-13. The re¬ 
port of delegates on condition of crops, orchards, vine¬ 
yards and small fruits in 1894, and prospects for 1895, 
showed that in many parts of the state the Ben Davis 
apple tree is dying out extensively; also the Willow 
Twig. The first named is more apt to fail in heavy soils. 
The condition of orchards is unusually good for 1895. 
A bountiful fruit harvest in Kansas for the season of 1895 
was believed to be assured. 
A paper by J. Nixon, of Kellogg, brought up the sub¬ 
ject of the whole-root system. A vigorous discussion 
followed. A number of the members thought the 
“ whole-root ” business a fraud and an imposition upon 
the public. Major Holsinger, of Rosedale, said he was 
much surprised to find any intelligent Kansas fruit¬ 
grower advocating the fraudulent system of “whole-root” 
practice. A. Willis, of Ottawa, said that his experience 
with patrons wanting the so-called “ whole-root ” trees 
was unprofitable. The system was a delusive bait to 
catch those who were susceptible of being humbugged. 
A. H. Griesa, of Lawrence, said that those who advo¬ 
cated the “ whole-root ” system, or “ oak root process,” 
invariably misrepresented facts from beginning to end, 
and that all such were frauds upon the public. 
E. J. Holman, of Leavenworth, introduced this resolu¬ 
tion: “That the ‘whole-root’ theory is a humbug, a de¬ 
lusion and a snare.” He denounced the various methods 
adopted by unscrupulous nurserymen to advance their 
personal interests at the expense of their customers, in 
the disposal of scrawny so-called “ whole-root ” trees, at 
three prices asked for honest trees by trustworthy nur¬ 
serymen, Jacob Faith, of Montevallo, thought if it were 
not for the oily-tongued fruit tree agent, there would not 
be many orchards in Missouri to-day. Through them 
the orchards have largely been founded, notwithstanding 
the fact that a good many get humbugged at times. 
Secretary Brackett offered an amendment to Mr. Hol¬ 
man’s motion : “ That this society disapproves of the 
claims set forth by nurserymen in regard to the propaga¬ 
tion of trees by the ‘ whole-root ’ system or theory. 
The amendment was lost, and Mr. Holman’s resolution 
was adopted by a large majority. 
Secretary George C. Brackett discussed the different 
varieties of strawberries, and suggested a conference of 
nurserymen of the state to secure a greater reliability 
and uniformity in the naming of plants. 
The location of the principal office of the society was 
changed from Lawrence to Topeka. The next annual 
meeting will be held at Wellington. 
After adjournment a special car carried the members to 
the residence of Colonel U. B. Pearsall, secretary of the 
Hart Pioneer Nurseries, where a reception and banquet 
were given by the colonel and his family, assisted by 
Mrs. Major Combs, Mrs. M. J. Coventry, and Mrs. H. B. 
Hart. 
IOWA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The annual meeting of the Iowa Horticultural Society 
was held in Des Moines, December 12-13. C. L. Watrous 
offered a resolution directing that as much of the appro¬ 
priation as was deemed advisable he expended in experi¬ 
mental work in the way of cross-breeding, testing new 
fruits, etc. He said that the honor of the society had 
been pledged to the legislature to expend this money in 
experimental work. Capt. Bacon and J. G. Berryhill urg 
ed the e'^tablishment of a central experiment station. J. 
M. Elder favored a complete re-organization of the ex¬ 
periment business, and G. B. Brackett agreed with him. 
R. P. Speer thought that the several experiment stations 
should be retained, and that a competent man should be 
sent around to inspect the stations. The society decided 
to devote $1,000 to experimental work. Among the 
papers read were the following: “Nursery Propagation 
and Management,” by J. C. Ferris, Hampton; “ Benefits 
of Cutting Back Trees and Shrubs in Nursery,” by G. D. 
Thomas, Des Moines. A. F. Collman in a paper on 
“Climatic Modification of Fruits,” said: “Iowa is very 
favorably situated ; being about in the geographical cen¬ 
ter, east and west, and the vapor from the Atlantic and 
the lakes is carried west, from the Pacific east, and from 
the Gulf north, and meet the cold current of air from the 
North along the two great rivers which bound Iowa on 
the east and west. This cold current cools the atmos¬ 
phere and the vapor falls in the form of rain, which 
accounts for the fact that Iowa has a greater rain fall 
than other states; we also have a thorough system of 
drainage by many rivers and streams which empty into 
