THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
45 
EDWARD MORRIS. 
Edward Morris of Fonthill, Ontario, is the son of an 
extensive English farmer who came to Canada with his 
family and settled in Ontario, when the subject of this 
sketch was ten years of age. After devoting a portion 
of the early part of his life in procuring an education, 
Edward Morris commenced while young in the mercantile 
business, in which he was engaged for fifteen years, and 
succeeded thereby in gaining a competency. But wishing 
to change his occupation for one more suited to his taste, 
he purchased a large farm in the Niagara district, Ontario, 
for the purpose of fruitgrowing. He planted thereon a 
large orchard of pears, plums and apples, and soon after 
became interested in growing small fruits. He was a 
pioneer in the Province of Ontario in that branch of 
horticulture. 
His success thus far in fruit 
growing created a demand for 
plants, hence the idea was con¬ 
ceived of the nursery business, for 
the consummation of which he 
joined forces with a neighbor, S. 
W. Hill, who had a small nursery 
of fruit trees. The firm name was 
E. Morris & Co. While together 
their business prospered, and, find¬ 
ing the demand greater than they 
could supply from their present 
capacity, they purchased the Font- 
hill Nurseries, then containing 100 
acres. 
After two more years of in¬ 
creased business Mr. Hill accepted 
an offer from Stone & Wellington 
and sold his interest to them. 
The firm name then became Mor¬ 
ris, Stone & Wellington. These 
gentlemen have continued the 
business since 1878 with a marked 
increase from year to year until it 
has assumed immense proportions. 
They purchased farms in the neighborhood as the require¬ 
ments of the business demanded, and now the property 
comprises over 700 acres and can be classed as one of the 
largest nurseries on the continent. 
Messrs. Stone & Wellington do the retail part of the 
business, with the head office in Toronto, and branch 
offices in Montreal, Chicago and British Columbia. Mr. 
Morris has the entire charge of the wholesale department 
and the growing of the stock. 
The success of this extensive industry is largely due to 
the energy and untiring efforts of Mr. Morris, who, in his 
knowledge of horticulture, has but few peers in this 
country. This, with his business ability, enables him 
successfully to manage the industry in its various depart¬ 
ments. 
But his labors have not been confined to the massing 
of fruit, flower and ornamental stock of the successful 
nursery described, for his influence and example have 
radiated throughout the surrounding country, changing 
the manner in the cultivation of many farms by the adop¬ 
tion of fruit growing, resulting in increased revenue 
thereby; and whatever the future may hold for him the 
past and present will stand as a monument of respect for 
him in the minds of many of those whom he has benefited 
vwth his example and advice in the manner of planting 
and cultivating the soil. 
A PRETTY THEORY. 
At the meeting of the Peninsula Horticultural Society 
a well-known horticulturist advanced and advocated the 
absurd theory that, by .the budding or grafting of one 
kind of plant upon the roots of 
another, all new root growth would 
be like the bud or scion which was 
inserted into the root, i. e., when 
pear scions are grafted upon quince 
roots, the new growth of roots will 
be pear roots, etc. He claimed 
that the pear leaves elaborated the 
sap from the quince root, and 
changed it into pear sap; hence 
the new roots would be pear and 
not quince roots. Those present 
at once questioned the truth of 
the statement, and instances were 
cited where the roots of dwarf 
pear trees had sent up quince 
shoots, and the peach roots upon 
which plum had been budded sent 
up peach shoots. It is a very 
pretty theory that the leaves 
change the sap to that of the kind 
of plant of which the leaves are 
the foliage; but it does not hold 
good, else why does thepotato 
root, for instance, upon which the 
tomato has been grafted, still con¬ 
tinue to yield tubers instead of tomatoes? Theory and 
practice must necessarily go hand in hand; but practice 
'does not carry out the above theory in any instance — 
Rural New Yorker. 
Minnesota spends $20,000 annually in bounties for tree¬ 
planting. 
Frederick C. Schraub, commissioner of agriculture of 
New York State, in his annual report says that chapter 
338 of the laws of 1893 provide for the suppression of 
disease among fruit trees, and under this law the com¬ 
missioner appointed last year the following gentlemen to 
take charge of this work, but no report is made by them 
of the work accomplished: Miles Frost, Athol ; George 
H. Howard, New Haven; F. M. Fairchild, Hester, and 
R. W. Travis, Vincent. 
