THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
157 
GEORGE ELLWANGER. 
It is with more than usual pleasure that we present 
with this issue a likeness of the senior member of the 
pioneer nursery firm in America, Ellwang-er & Barry. Mr. 
Ellwanger is the oldest nurseryman in the country. He 
and his distinguished co-laborer, the late Patrick Barry, 
more than half a century ago e.stablished a business which 
has extended from coast to coast and has led to the invest¬ 
ment of large sums of money in broad acreages. P'ifty-four 
years ago Mr. Ellwanger, who as the son of influential par¬ 
ents in Germany, had acquired a love for plants and flowers, 
came to America in search of native plants. As he passed 
through New York State on his way to Ohio he was 
greatly impressed with the beauty of the Genesee country. 
He returned to Western New York and determined to de¬ 
velop the great possibilities of fruit culture which he was 
quick to perceive this country afforded. In 1838 Messrs. 
Pdlwanger and Barry set out together to create and supply a 
demand for fruit. They selected their stock in Phirope by 
personal visits to France and Germany, shipping the stock 
to this country in sailing vessels. The nursery comprised 
seven acres at first and was on the site of the present 
extensive establishment. The climate and soil in this sec¬ 
tion led to its selection for this purpose. So successful were 
the efforts of this firm that it sold not only all its own trees, 
but also all that could be raised by others in the vicinity. 
P'ruit growers and nurserymen who started in business in 
the West came to this firm for specimen trees. Ivllwanger 
& Barry established large nurseries in Columbus, O., and 
Toronto, Canada, and sold them. After producing a brisk 
trade in fruit trees this firm created a demand for ornamental 
stock which increased rapidly. From the pioneer days to 
the present time the firm has kept pace with the wonderful 
progress in fruit and ornamental tree culture, much of 
which has been the direct result of its efforts. The Mount 
Hope nurseries comprise over 500 acres. They are the 
most complete in the world. There are others that cover 
more territory, but none in which the various species of 
fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, vines and plants are so 
fully and so well represented. 
In daily attendance upon the duties of the business 
which his close and constant observation has done so much 
to build up, Mr. Ellwanger stands at the head of one of the 
most important industries of America, ably assisted since 
the death of Patrick Barry, on June 23, 1890, by the lat¬ 
ter’s son, William C. Barry, the best known and most prom¬ 
inent of the younger nurserymen and horticulturists of the 
country. 
Well may the trade honor and respect the venerable 
gentleman who taught the first principles of the business and 
whose activity has kept at high mark the aim which others 
have sought. Mr. Ivllwanger is one of Rochester’s most 
prominent citizens. He is a director of the Trust and Safe 
Deposit Company, a director of the hlour City National 
Bank and a trustee of the Monroe County Savings Bank ; 
he is also interested in a large amount of valuable real estate 
in the center of the city. He is a thoroughly practical nur¬ 
seryman, understanding every detail of the business. 
pp:achp:s on plum stock. - 
Moses Price of Smyrna, Delaware, recently pulled from a 
tree growing in his side yard two large highly colored 
peaches resembling the Reeves variety, but cling.stone in 
character. Now there is nothing remarkable in plucking 
two fine peaches from a tree, but there is something wortln^ 
of note to fruit growers in the fact that they did not grow 
on a peach but plum stock. The bud was taken from a 
seedling that grew up at the side of a pig pen and bore very 
fine peaches, but died before the tree matured because, it is 
thought, of too much .stimulating manure. There is another 
interesting feature about this plum tree bearing peaches. It 
bore this year four varieties of fruit which he had budded 
into it—plums, cherries and besides the peaches above 
named, an earlier budded and large limb bore some very 
nice peaches of the Mountain Rose variety. Here would 
seem to be a hint to our nurserymen. If Mr. Price can grow 
fine peaches on plum stock, why can’t they, and thus, in a 
measure, defy the devastation of the yellows ?—Boston Fruit 
and Produce Journal. 
According to the Nnv England Farmer several pear 
trees in the suburbs of Boston more than 200 years old are 
still bearing fruit. 
