THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
'57 
ROBERT DOUGLAS. 
A pioneer nurseryman and one who is highly regarded 
by nurserymen, horticulturists and forest preservers 
everywhere, is Robert Douglas, of Waukegan, Ill. More 
than four-score years of age, he is still actively engaged 
in the nursery business with his sons. His presence is 
sought at many horticultural meetings and at the annual 
conventions of the American Association of Nurserymen 
he is warmly welcomed. 
Robert Douglas was born in Gateshead, England, on 
April 20, 1813. He came to America in 1836, and located 
permanently at Waukegan, in June, 1844. He was the 
first to raise evergreens from seed in the open air in this 
country. Up to that time all of the foreign evergreens 
were imported from Europe at two or three years old 
and the native kinds were brought 
from the woods and planted in the 
nurseries. Mr. Douglas was the 
first to plant and care for artificial 
forests in America and on the 
largest scale that any have been 
planted. He can point to thou¬ 
sands of trees, now 30 to 40 feet 
in height, that he planted at one 
year old v hen he was over 70 
years old. In one county in Kan¬ 
sas he planted over 3,000,000 trees 
on two sections of land that are 
now fine fores’s. 
Garden and Forest last year gave 
an interesting sketch of Mr. Doug¬ 
las. He was among the earliest 
of the pioneers who crossed the 
continent at a time when such a 
journey meant considerable hard¬ 
ship. When settling down he 
started from the Green Mountains 
in a buggy in the year 1844, and 
found himself in the middle of 
June in the country about Chicago. 
It was very difficult in the confu¬ 
sion to find accommodations, and he had to sleep on the 
floor of a hotel through early comers having preempted 
the dining-room tables. The next day he started for 
dryer land, and kept on until he reached Waukegan, about 
Chicago, where his horse gave out and left him, as the 
saying is, “stranded ; ’’ but there he made his home. His 
first great effort was as a nurseryman, in raising apple and 
pear seedlings: up to that time very nearly the whole of 
the apple and pear stocks used in America were imported 
from the old world, although some smaller efforts had 
been made in Western New York, His experiments with 
raising evergreens continued through several years, until 
he discovered that regular moisture and partial shade 
were essential features of success. He made arbors, the 
shade of which was furnished by brush from the woods, 
and in this way managed to make the raising of evergreen 
seedlings a perfect success. He was the first to recognize 
the fact that the blue spruce of Colorado, then called 
Abies Menziesii, was much hardier than the supposed 
same species from the Pacific coast, and it was through 
this discovery by Mr. Douglas that the Colorado spruce 
became so popular. When Dr. Warder discovered that 
the catalpa tree of the West was a different species from 
the catalpa of the East, and much better fitted for a tim¬ 
ber tree than that species, Mr. Douglas was one of the first 
to enter largely into its culture. They have planted over 
three million of trees in Scott County, in Kansas, alone. 
Not only is Mr. Douglas’ name esteemed everywhere 
among horticultui ists for the great good which he has 
done to the art of horticulture, but also for his personal 
worth and character is he as highly esteemed. Good 
humor and good feeling are strong points in his character. 
THE SUDDUTH PEAR. 
Probably no new fruit has ever 
claimed a place in horticulture 
with as many remarkable qualities 
as has the Sudduth pear; bringing 
test covering more years than 
many of our leading varieties of 
fruit have been in existence. 
The original tree growing near 
Springfield, Illinois, is 76 years 
old and has never failed to pro¬ 
duce a crop in forty years, bearing 
80 bushels in a single season. The 
old tree is over 10 feet in circum¬ 
ference and some 55 feet in height, 
and it is claimed by parties familiar 
with the tree from 40 to 60 years 
to be absolutely free from blight 
or disease. 
Grafted trees of the Sudduth, 
their ages ranging as follows: 6 
years, 30 years, 46 years, 52 years 
and 58 years, carry all the char¬ 
acteristics of the parent tree. The 
standard trees have come into bearing three years from 
the branch graft. 
The fruit is medium size, ripening in October and is 
almost coreless and seedless. It has always been almost 
entirely free from worms. Color, when thoroughly ripe, 
a greenish yellow, skin stronger than common. The 
quality is excellent for both a canning and dessert fruit 
being preferred to all other varieties for preserving in the 
locality where it is known. 
The Sudduth pear is being introduced by Augustine & 
Co., of Normal, Ill. Twenty page illustrated catalogue 
of the Sudduth free upon application. 
BEST NURSERY PAPER PUBLISHED. 
I. L. Buchan, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.—“ Enclosed find ft in pny- 
ment for The National Nurseryman for one yeiir. T consider it the 
best nursery paper pnl)lished,” 
