128 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
at 12 cents; potatoes, 15 cents, and grain at proportionate 
prices, it is mighty hard to secure business in big blocks. 
“ The demand for apple, of the hardy, iron-clad sorts, 
and for plum of the American type has been very good, 
but cherry and pear sales have fallen off fifty per cent, as 
compared with last year. We would be glad to say 
something cheerful and present an optimistic view of the 
coming winter’s canvas, but the conditions do not, in our 
judgment warrant it. Orders countermanded and inquir¬ 
ies withdrawn where good business was offered have never 
been so common in our experience, and yet we live and 
hope for an improvement in the times and a change of 
heart in our patrons.” 
Waukee, Ill., October 14.—John Wragg & Sons Co. ; 
“ We are now in the rush of our fall trade. The pros¬ 
pects for a big wholesale trade are good in the West, and 
we see no reason why this will not be one of the best 
years in a long time for the nurseryman, when it comes 
to the round-up next March.” 
Tadmor, O., October 22.—The fall packing has been 
going on in the Miami Valley for the past three weeks, 
and from conversations with the nurserymen and personal 
knowledge, would say we believe it is larger in the way 
of retail sales than for the past few years. 
George Peters & Co., of Troy, O., are doing a rushing 
business as usual. 
The firm of Fergus & Dysinger, of Tadmor, O., have 
opened up with a good retail trade.- 
Peter Bohlender, of Tadmor, O., reports an increased 
sale over that of any previous fall trade. 
The Farmers Nursery Co. also report their retail and 
dealer trade as larger than in any previous season. 
The Albaugh Nursery & Orchard Co. have,^we think, 
an increased sale over that of last fall. Taken in all the 
sales of the valley are far better than has been generally 
supposed. 
In the matter of spring sales we can see no reason why 
they also cannot be good, as the valley nursery stock 
which is usually good, is very fine the present season. 
The likelihood exists that in the valley there will be a 
scarcity for spring of No. i grade of apple and peach, 
although medium peach will be in surplus. Blackberries 
will be scarcer than common, but there will be the usual 
surplus of raspberry and strawberry. While cherry is in 
surplus there is not the surplus of fine 2-year that some 
think, and if spring sales open well it will take a greater 
part to supply the retail trade. 
Plum are scarce, and it is likely will advance in price by 
spring as will, we think, apple also. 
The annual banquet to florists, seedmen and nursery¬ 
men given at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 
August 14th, was attended by 100 guests. 
The reported experience of six or eight Iowa nursery¬ 
men give Shaffer’s Colossal raspberry the credit of being 
an excellent variety so far as quality is concerned, but a 
poor drouth resister and not a success as a market variety 
on account of its color. 
OREGON ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
Salem, Ore., October 15. —The regular meeting of the 
Oregon Association of Nurserymen was held here on 
October 2d and 3d. Papers were read by G. W. Henry, 
Hatzic, B. C.; Leonard Coates, Napa, Cal.; C. F. Lansing, 
Salem ; Professor U. P. Hedrick, Oregon Agricultural 
College; C. H. Gibbs, Aumsville; Thomas A. Sharpe, 
Agassiz, B. C. The attempt to secure the attendance of 
nurserymen from other portions of the Pacific coast with 
a view of forming a general organization was not success¬ 
ful. 
M. McDonald, F. W. Settlemier and A. McGill were 
appointed a committee to confer with the State Board of 
Horticulture regarding'a modification of some laws affect¬ 
ing nurserymen. 
In the course of his paper Mr. Sharpe, superintendent 
of the experiment farm at Agassiz, said that the Pacific 
coast region, from Northern California to British Colum¬ 
bia, possesses conditions which are specially favorable to 
the nursery business, and that the trees which are grown 
in this region are more likely to give satisfaction when 
taken to colder and more rigorous sections than the trees 
which are propagated in regions subject to extremes of 
heat and cold. Mr. Sharpe is a competent horticulturist, 
a keen observer and has had rare opportunities for obser¬ 
vation along this line, says the Rural Northwest. .There 
has long been a popular impression which is opposed to 
his views. On the other hand an Eastern horticultural 
authority noted a year ago or more the fact that trees 
propagated in California proved more vigorous in Northern 
Ohio than trees propagated at home. It is certain that 
we have here most favorable conditions for the nursery¬ 
man, and produce nursery stock which is unequalled else¬ 
where in the United States. The trees which have been 
propagated by reliable Oregon nurserymen have given the 
best of satisfaction in all portions of Idaho and in Mon¬ 
tana, Colorado and Utah, and the sale of Oregon trees is 
gradually being pushed further East. The time is likely 
to come when the greatest nurseries in the United States 
will be found in Oregon. 
Mr. Henry’s and Mr. Coates’ papers were as follows: 
NUHSEKY INTERESTS OF RKITISII COLUMBIA. 
The uurseiy business in British Columbia is really but yet in its 
infancy. What I mean by this is that up to the present time not nearly 
enough nursery stock has been grown in the Province to supply the 
home demands. True, there have been nurseries doing a business in 
the country for some length of time and propagating some of the stock 
they handle ; but until within the last few years, the most of the fruit 
tiees planted were imported either from Oregon and Washington or 
from the eastern states and Ontario. This is not because good nursery 
stock cannot be produced here ; on the contrary, without doubt as fine 
trees as can be grown in any part of the world are now being produced 
by some of our home nurseries. It is a great pity for the fruit growers 
of British Columbia that our home nurseries have not become more 
extensive, and that more care and judgment have not been used by 
planters in buying their trees. We do not mean to say as good fruit 
trees cannot be had from nurseries of Oregon and Washington or some 
parts of the East as in British Columbia, or that the nurserymen of 
these places are less careful with their stock as to quality and varieties 
