THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
45 
IN THE WEST. 
Elgin, Ill., April lO. —E. H. Ricker, manager Ricker 
National Nursery Co.: “We have traced back on our 
books taking in the cash sales received during January, 
February and March, 1892, ’93, ’94, ’95. We find that 
March of this year there was received, in new cash orders 
$448.98 more than the same period of 1892, in 1893 dur¬ 
ing the same time we received $290.82 more than the same 
period this year. During this year we have received 
$1,203.74 more than was received during the same period 
of 1894. As to the orders which have been received, 
where cash did not accompany the orders, we think 
we have many more this year than we have had 
other years. During January of this year we received 
more cash than in the same time in any of the previous 
years, and more in February, with the exception of Feb¬ 
ruary, 1893, which was only $34.28 ahead of our receipts 
for February of this year. 
“We think the outlook for the evergreen business for this 
spring is fair, and expect to receive fully the average num¬ 
ber of orders from this on. Our trade is somewhat later 
than that of those in the fruit business. We generally 
continue shipping until the middle of May. Within the 
last few days orders have been on the increase. We are 
hoping for a better future in the nursery trade.” 
Fort Scott, Kan., April II.—President C. W. Combs 
of the Hart Pioneer Nursery Co. said to-day: “Never in 
our experience for the last ten years have we seen such a 
demand for nursery stock of all kinds. We started out in 
the forepart of the season with an immense stock of every¬ 
thing, particularly grape vines; in fact, a larger stock of 
everything than ever before, and to-day we are completely 
sold out of everything, except perhaps a few plum, which 
we have no doubt will go in a week or two. We have 
been out of grape vines for two weeks and it is almost 
impossible to find them anywhere in the West. Not 
alone with us is this condition of affairs, but also with 
most of our brother nurserymen, from what we can learn 
from their reports. 
“ Our retail sales have been about the usual amount, 
but our wholesale and transient cash sales have increased 
twice their usual amount. Our collections so far are about 
up to the usual standard, and taking it altogether, our past 
season has been more than satisfactory with no expec¬ 
tations of putting a single tree on the brush pile that don t 
belong there.” 
Bridgeport, Ind., April 13.—Albertson & Hobbs: 
“Since the opening up of the packing season, which was 
unusually sudden with us, we have been so crowded day 
and night that we have not had time to think much about, 
let alone prepare an account of our spring business. In a 
general way we would say that we have never gone 
through a busier or more crowded season, this now being 
only the fourth week since we could commence handling 
trees, andjthe weather has been so warm that the buds 
have begun to swell, yet stock that has been dug and 
heeled in is in good condition. As a whole, trade has 
been much heavier than we expected, especially has this 
been the case in apple and in all small fruits, though the 
demand for pears and plums has not been quite up to 
what we expected, judging from the past year or two, and 
the tendency in prices has seemed to be downward rather 
than upward, as was expected. The small order and 
agents’ trade has been smaller than usual, though the 
commercial planting demand has been much heavier. Con¬ 
sidering the severity of the winter and the general financial 
condition of the country, our trade has been most satis¬ 
factory, and while we have some surplus stock, it is by no 
means what we had reason to expect. 
“ Messrs. Simpson & Co. of Vincennes, reported a much 
heavier trade than they expected when packing season 
opened up, but we have no reports from other nursery¬ 
men, though from the way their orders have been coming 
in we certainly think the trade generally has been very 
satisfactory, and as there is every indication now for a 
good pear and apple crop throughout the state, we think 
the outlook for the coming season’s trade is better than 
it has been for years and believe that the winding up of 
the business for 1895 and ’96 will show less surplus stock 
in the country than there has been for years and we hope 
very material advances in prices.” 
Louisiana, Mo., April 13 .— C. M. Stark, president 
Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards Co.: “This is our 
busy time. We grow stock in quantity to sell and sell it 
we do. But now for a while longer is the time for action, 
vigorous action, rather than theory or opinion. Besides, 
results tell and when satisfactory, as they are, speak for 
themselves. The season has been most favorable for 
spring work. Young stock was never in finer condition. 
Trade conditions are reviving and with good crops, which 
now promise well, a prosperous season is ahead. There 
is an awakening, a revival in almost all lines and those 
who work hard enough will always get their share of 
trade. In brief, we have grown more stock; we have sold 
more stock.” 
Geneva, Neb., April 20 . —Youngers & Co.: “ We have 
done a considerably larger business than last year. Al¬ 
though the prices realized have not been what we hoped 
they would be, or what they ought to have been, yet con¬ 
sidering the general condition of the country, they have 
been very fair. The demand has run largely for a better 
class of goods. There has been quite a revival in the de¬ 
mand for ornamental and shade tree stock, and an in¬ 
creased tendency on the part of all buyers to want a bet¬ 
ter class of stock. We are also pleased to report that 
collections have been exceptionally good, running more 
than 50 per cent, ahead of last year at the same season. 
“Our shipping commenced somewhat later than is 
usual with us, and the great bulk of our business was done 
in two weeks’time. Still, trade is.holding up very well 
now, and is liable to continue for two weeks to come. So 
far as we have been enabled to inform ourselves, our 
neighbors are enjoying the same increase of trade that we 
report. 
