NOV 18 1898 
88U5 
The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyright, 1893. by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
Vol. IV. • ROCHESTER. N. Y., FEBRUARY, 1896. No. 1. 
WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURISTS. 
The forty-first annual meeting of the Western New 
York Horticultural society was held January 22d to 23d, 
at Music Hall, in Rochester, N. Y. There was an attend¬ 
ance of 400, including many nurserymen, at the opening 
session. President William C. Barry, of the firm of El 1 - 
wanger & Barry, in his annual address said : 
There are to-day in New York State thousands of acres of land, 
which if properly drained would yield handsomely. Is it right that so 
much land in this great state, with its favorable climate, should go to 
waste ? I think not! Too much should not be undertaken at one time, 
but if the owners will from year to year, as their means permit, put in 
drains, their farms in a short time will be ready for tillage and plant¬ 
ing. I invite your attention to this question because it seems to me to 
be one of great importance at this time. 
The extremely dry weather which prevailed the past summer over a 
large extent of territory, and the damaging effects it had on crops, has 
impressed many growers with the importance and necessity of provid¬ 
ing a permanent water supply for their crops. Small fruits, especially, 
strawberries, raspberries, blackl>erries. etc,, suffered extremely and if 
water dbuld have been obtained at the time the fruit ripened many 
crops might have been saved. How to obtain this supply of water is 
the question. Whether it be possible by the aid of wind power to 
secure enough and retain it in reservoirs for emergencies is a subject 
which merits consideration. J. H. Hale, who is to be with us, has just 
completed extensive irrigation improvements and now has a water 
supply for his peach orchard and small fruit plantations. A reservoir 
has been constructed upon a hill near the farm and the water supply is 
sufficient to irrigate the farm and to furnish fifty families besides. 
We expect to much from old orchards. They have already paid for 
themselves, many times over, and have outlived their usefulness. Still 
they are permitted to occupy valuable ground, and besides yielding 
nothing, are an eye-sore, greatly detracting from the natural beauty of 
a place. During the winter months these uninteresting and unprofit¬ 
able objects should be removed and cut up into fire-wood ; in spring, 
new orchards should be planted on well-prepared ground, under¬ 
drained and sub-soiled. Notwithstanding the prevailing low prices ; 
no mistake can be made in planting fruit trees. The rich lands which 
are at our disposal, and the remarkably favorable climate which we are 
blessed with should be taken advantage of. There is a question as to 
the advisability of spending labor and money on some kinds of crops, 
but the fruit grower can, if he will, continue to make an honest and 
good living at this pursuit for years to come. 
I have the pleasure and gratification of stating that the insect pests 
and fungous diseases which a few years ago threatened the entire 
destruction of orchards and vineyards have been so controlled by 
remedies and preventives that no great injury need be feared in the 
future, so long as ordinary care and diligence are exercised by the 
orchardist. It is true that the beneficial effects resulting from spraying 
cannot be fully estimated until the treatment is more general, yet 
enough has been learned to satisfy the most incredulous that spraying 
is a success, if not an absolute necessity. 
The winter was unusually severe. Frost remained in the ground till 
quite late in the spring and the planting season was of short duration, 
about one month. Dry weather was a marked feature of the spring 
season; instead of a heavy rainfall such as may be expected in spring, 
it rained only twice in six weeks and then only in small quantities and 
for a very brief period. Unnatural and unseasonable heat prevailed 
.for a week or more in May causing all kinds of fruit trees to blossom at 
the same time. The intense heat was followed by a sudden and great 
fall of temperature and severe frosts occurred on the 12th, 20th, and 
21st of May, doing great damage to strawberries, cherries, grapes and 
vegetables. Beginning with May 30th, Memorial day, and continuing 
for a week intensely hot weather was experienced, the mercury rang¬ 
ing between 90° and 95° every day. The drouth continued through June 
and July and August injuring raspberries, blackberries and currants. 
On September 15th came the first killing frost, but not until late in 
November did rain of any consequence fall. Eighteen hundred and 
ninety-five will long be remembered for its extraordinary drouth and 
yet in spite of it we had bounteous crops. 
President Barry referred to the death during the year 
of John J. Thomas, the first president of the society; 
Charles E. Cook, one of the largest fruit growers of 
Western New York; George Moulson, Samuel Moulson, 
Thomas Smith and Edward Smith, nurserymen, and 
Ethiel C. Sherman, members of the society. 
Among those at the meeting were: Ex-President J. H. 
Hale of the American Association of Nurserymen ; J. J. 
Harrison, of Storrs & Harrison, Painesville, Ohio; S. D. 
Willard, Geneva; W. Brown Smith and Wing Smith, 
Syracuse; G. C. Snow, Penn Yan; E. Moody, Lockport; 
George A. Sweet, Dansville; Theodore S. Hubbard, 
Geneva; Professor I. P. Roberts, Ithaca; Professor S. A. 
Beach, Geneva; William R. Rupert, Seneca Falls; E. 
Morris, Fonthill, Ont.; Professor VanDeman, Washing¬ 
ton; L. V. Woolverton, Grimsby, Ont.; William Smith, 
George A. Atwood, D. H. Patty, Geneva; H. S. Wiley, 
Cayuga. 
Several papers on horticultural topics were read and 
the discussions were, as usually, very interesting. The 
question box proved a valuable feature of the programme. 
President William C. Barry and Secretary John Hall 
were re-elected. The other officers for 1896 are: Vice- 
presidents, S. D. Willard, Geneva; W. R. Smith, Syra¬ 
cuse; George A. Sweet, Dansville; C. L. Hoag, Lockport; 
executive committee, Charles M. Hooker, Rochester; C. 
W. Stuart, Newark ; Nelson Bogue* Batavia ; E. A. Powell, 
Syracuse; H. S Wiley, Cayuga; chairman of committee 
on native fruits, W. C. Barry; on foreign fruits, George 
Ellwanger; on nomenclature, W. C. Barry; on ornamental 
shrubs and trees, George H. Ellwanger; entomology, M. 
V. Slingerland, Ithaca; garden vegetables, W. Paddock, 
Geneva; botany and plant diseases,W. Paddock; chemistry, 
Dr. G. C. Caldwell, Ithaca; flower and bedding plants, 
James Vick. 
GEORGIA FRUIT GROWERS. 
The Georgia Fruit Growers’ Association effected a per¬ 
manent organization at its annual meeting in Macon on 
January 21st. The membership of the association is not 
confined to Georgians, as the name might indicate. Gen¬ 
tlemen from New England and the western and eastern 
