THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
said of the quality the better. Idaho again, the only 
sort to blight in nursery rows — 2-year trees. Of newer 
plums, the Japanese sorts have been largely budded, 
particularly Red June and Orient, as well as all the buds 
to be had of Majestic, a perfect free-stone Damson and 
the largest Damson by far we have yet seen. In peaches, 
heavy on Alberta as usual, together with Sneed, North¬ 
ern Apricot — a variety doubtless equally hardy as 
Crosby, with the advantage of larger sLe and most ex¬ 
quisite quality ; Gold Dust, a large yellow cling, charac- 
ized by President Evans of the Olden Fruit Co. as ‘ the 
finest cling peach ever seen.’ In cherries, the Abbesse 
(Abbesse de Oignes, Sweet Duke) is not only the finest 
grower we have ever propagated, but the tree has proven 
hardy even in Iowa and fruits abundantly, and, although 
a Duke, is nearly as sweet as the Heart cherries.” 
Lake City, Minn., Nov. 28.— The Jewell Nursery 
Company reports much progress during the year. The 
fall sales with them were nearly if not quite up to the 
standard. They planted this season over two million 
trees and plants. In this planting were 450,000 apple, 
10,000 plum, 100,000 shade, ornamental and evergreen 
trees, 100,000 grape, 250,000 currants, 200,000 rasp¬ 
berries and blackberries, and 100,000 ornamental shrubs, 
climbing vines and roses. 
West Chester, Pa., Nov. 25.^— Hoopes Brothers 
& Thomas report : “ The present autumn is fully up to 
the general overage owing to the increased demand for 
certain kinds of stock.” 
A FRENCH EXPERT’S OPINION. 
A recent issue of the New York 7 contained an in¬ 
teresting talk with Henri L. de Vilmorin, of the great seed 
house of Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., Paris, upon American 
horticulture, thus supplementing that paper’s extended inter¬ 
view with George Nicholson of the Royal Gardens, at Kew, 
Pingland. M. de Vilmorin is perpetual secretary of the 
Agricultural Society of P"ranee, perhaps the most important 
organization of its kind on the continent; is vice-president 
of the National Horticultural Society of P'rance, and the real 
executive of that body. He is the author of many import¬ 
ant papers on the breeding of cultivated wheat and other 
economic plants, and is esteemed highly by scientific men 
and horticulturists of all countries. At the recent Congress 
of Horticulture in Chicago he read a paper on “ Pedigree 
or Grade Races in Horticulture.” “ My recent trip through 
the United States,” said he, was more largely designed for 
the study of agriculture than of horticulture. With this 
special mission before me, I framed my itinerary more with 
a view to seeing large fields of wheat than to observe the 
development of horticulture. Naturally, however, I took in 
as much in the way of horticulture as I could, because it is 
in my line of business and I am much interested in anything 
connected with the subject. I send many seeds to the 
United States, and I wanted to be well posted in the matter 
of local tastes, and have well-defined ideas as to what sort 
of articles they liked. I saw a great deal in traveling about 
and in my studies on the subject of horticulture which pleased 
me very much. I had been here three years ago, and in 
my recent travels what I distinctly saw was a great change 
for the better. One of the first things I noticed during my 
first visit, and which still forces itself on the attention, is the 
rarity of private gardens here. It strikes me that the people 
do not form the same attachment to a family place in this 
country which they do in the old world. 
‘‘ The horticultural work at the World’s Fair in Chicago 
was certainly creditable and the more so because, as you 
know, it was accomplished under unusual difficulties. It 
shows very well how difficult it is with the American climate 
to turn to good account many pretty annuals with which we 
in Europe accomplish such good results. Here there is not 
time to develop these strong plants before they are scorched 
and burned by the summer sun. Some of the California 
plants and your own native plants do well. After all, the 
establishment of parks, extensive pleasure grounds, consist¬ 
ing chiefly of grass, trees and shrub plantations, are more to 
the American taste and have higher possibilities here than 
mere flower gardens ; but I have had much gratification and 
admiration at what I have seen all over the country. I 
noticed a very great change in the Arnold Arboretum in the 
space of three years, and some of the plantations are already 
giving a most picturesque effect which is pleasing to the 
eye. One great advantage of the arboretum is the oppor¬ 
tunities it affords for giving comparative ideas. It shows, 
for instance, in different species the many varieties of one 
and the same tree, and demonstrates the habit, the appear¬ 
ance and the rate of growth of the type, and of its different 
forms, and that is a very important part in education on this 
subject. Some of the groups of large trees, such as the oak 
and the maple, the ash and the hickory, are showing already 
what they will become in time. I happened to be more 
familiar than most of my countrymen with the subject of 
autumn colors in the foliage of American trees, as I was bred 
and educated in the middle of plantations begun sixty years 
ago by my grandfather, who was an intimate friend of the 
Michaux, especially the younger, who sent him seeds of all 
the Eastern North American trees, and the plantations made 
at that time are now full-grown trees, that in the dry and 
cold climate of Central France turn as bright in their colors 
as the same species do in America. This plantation is so 
well known that every autumn visitors travel long journeys 
to see these rows of red and scarlet and orange and yellow 
American trees, so brilliant in the October sunlight. 
‘‘ One of the parts of this country which struck me most 
forcibly in the studies of horticulture was California, which 
is so entirely different in its climate from the rest of America. 
Flowers seem to be great favorites there, and beautiful gar¬ 
dens are not so scarce as in other parts of this country. 
Those of Governor Stanford at Menlo Park are especially 
