4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
states mingled with the natives of Georgia in full fellow¬ 
ship. They had all come together in a common cause, 
for the Ohioans, New Englanders and others are Georgia 
fruit growers, even if their residences are located in other 
commonwealths. 
The object of the organization is for mutual protection 
and for formulating methods whereby the returns for the 
fruit crop will be larger. Many evils were pointed out in 
the handling of last year’s c-rop. 
A constitution was adopted and these officers were 
elected: President, John D. Cunningham, Marietta; vice- 
president, Louis Rumph, Marshallville; secretary, John 
A. Sibley, Tifton; treasurer, W. O. Tift, Tifton. The 
following directors will manage the affairs of the associa¬ 
tion during the interim between the meetings: N. H. 
Albaugh, Fort Valley; John D. Cunningham, Marietta; 
J. F. Wilson, Tifton; J. M. Hughes, Dublin; W. T. Cope, 
Tivola; S. M. Weyman, Griffin; B. P. Moore, Marshall¬ 
ville; W. A. Brannon, Moreland; Rawls McDonald, 
Cuthbert. 
The membership numbers 70 and includes all the promi¬ 
nent growers of the state. The meeting was enthusiastic. 
The fruit prospects are all the brightest. The trees are 
about in the same condition that they were at this time 
last season. This year, in addition to the good prospects, 
there are about three or four times as many trees that 
will bear. There are good times ahead if the crop is 
made, and the arrangements for handling it are the best 
that have yet been presented by an organization. 
NORTHWESTERN FRUIT GROWERS. 
The Northwestern Fruit Growers’ association at its 
recent meeting elected the following officers: President, 
Dr. N. G. Blalock, Walla Walla ; treasurer, W. S. Offner, 
Walla Walla; secretary, C. A. Tonneson, Tacoma; vice- 
presidents, for Oregon, Emile Schanno, The Dalles; for 
Washington, R. C. McCrosby, Garfield; for Idaho, H. A. 
Russell, Kendrick; for British Columbia, John Kirkland, 
Ladners. 
C. L. Whitney of the Northwestern Nurseries, Walla 
Walla, in the discussion of “Qualities of Ideal Nursery 
Stock,” said : 
Ideal nursery stock, in my opinion, consists of trees, shrubs and 
plants propagated and grown to perfection or nearly so. An ideal tree 
must have a good, healthy, whole root; a smooth, stocky, symmetrical 
body, and a well-formed head. In other words, nursery trees must 
possess three cardinal virtues—perfect tops, bodies and roots, and the 
greatest of these virtues is roots. 
I care not how well and beautiful a tree has been grown in the nur¬ 
sery, if when dug it is taken up by careless hands, whose spades chop 
and mangle the life-giving, fibrous roots, leaving only half on the tree, 
and these few badly bruised and broken, the rest of the roots in the 
ground. Such a tree will get a backset from which it will 
take a long time to fully recover, and will go to its new location and 
commence its growth witli small degree of confidence, little capital, and 
credit. It will be a long time before you see big, red apples on that 
tree. While on the other hand, if its next door neighbor, who has had 
the same care and cultivation, enjoyed the same soil, climate and sun¬ 
shine, is taken up by careful hands, taking care to get the roots, then 
packed in the best possible manner, so that it will reach its destination 
in the best of condition, that tree, if properly planted, will scarcely 
know it has been removed from its training ground and will make a 
growth that will make the planter feel proud, and the heart of the nur¬ 
seryman rejoice. 
Quite as much depends upon the proper planting of a tree, and its 
after cultivation as in its nursery growth. Both go hand in hand to 
make up ideal nursery stock, and ideal orchards. 
Some prefer the low headed tree, branched from eighteen to thirty 
inches from the ground. This is the kind of a head that the planters 
on this side of the Cascade range generally prefer, while on the other 
side of the mountains they want their trees headed much higher. Not 
so high, however, as our grandfathers used to prune, so that they could 
drive a yoke of oxen with a load of hay underneath the apple tree, with 
no danger of the oxen eating the apples nor the lower branches brush¬ 
ing off the hay, but prefer their trees headed from three and one-half 
to five feet from the ground. Many planters, however, prefer one year 
old trees without any heads formed and what we call straight whips. 
Then they decapitate the tree when they want the top formed. 
I am a firm believer in the whole root tree, either budded or grafted. 
In my humble opinion it is far superior to the piece root graft. The 
budding can be done in August and September and the buds should be 
cut from bearing orchards with the fruit on the trees. Then there will 
be no possible chance of getting the varieties mixed. 
DO NURSERYMEN CONTROL IT? 
In the issue of December 15, 1895, of the Fruit Grower s 
Journal, published semi-monthly at Cobden, Ill., the 
editor, Dr. A. M. Du Bois, says: 
The State Horticultural Society held its annual meeting at Kankakee, 
December 12. It is said there wars a fair attendance at the meeting. It 
is perhaps unfortunate that growers generally have lost confidence in 
the state society as an organization. They believe it to be run largely 
in the interest of nurserymen and others who are looking for an office 
in the society by which they can get their share of the appropriations 
made by the legislature. The local experiment stations, so far as 
known, have never yet benefited horticulture, but they afford sinecure 
offices for men wdio contribute comparatively nothing to the welfare of 
the growers. It is a matter for 'regret that such should be the fact, 
but it is a fact, nevertheless, however regretable it may be. 
In the next issue of the Fruit Grower , a communica¬ 
tion from E A. Riehl, Alton, Ill., director of experiment 
stations for Southern Illinois appears. Among other 
things Mr. Riehl says : 
I note your attack on the State Horticultural Society in the Fruit 
O-rower of the 15tli inst. To say that I am surprised is to state it mildly. 
What you say is not from your own knowledge, for you have not 
attended the meetings enough to be familiar with the workings of the 
society. 
There are, unfortunately for Southern Illinois, a few men residing in 
that section \v ho look upon the money appropriated for the society by 
the legislature, as so much to be divided among whoever can get a 
chance at it, and they have tried to make such use of the funds as 
would benefit themselves. Not having been allowed to do so, they go 
through the country telling every one who will listen that there is a 
set, clique or gang in control, using the funds for their own benefit. 
Who are these fruit growers who “have lost confidence in the 
society ? ” They are these same disappointed soreheads. I could name 
them and count them all on the fingers of one hand. They believe the 
society run in the interest of nurserymen ? Are these complainants not 
nurserymen also ? No, dear doctor, the accusation is not true. There 
are, in truth, some nurserymen in the society, and they are valuable 
members, but they do not use the society to further their own business. 
Mr. Goodrich has growing in his station 34 varieties of new and un¬ 
tried apples, 35 varieties pears, 94 varieties peaches, 17 of plums, be¬ 
sides cherries, grapes, strawberries, raspberries and other trees, plants 
and vines. These cover fully three acres, which must be cultivated, 
records made of their growth and their value when they fruit, and 
careful report made to the society every year. Mr. Goodrich has just 
