62 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
A MAMMOTH NURSERY CELLAR. 
VISIT TO THE BRIGHTON GROUNDS OF THE BROWN 
BROTHERS CO., ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
Editor of The National Nurseryman: 
Knowing that your readers are interested in all that 
concerns the progress of the science of horticulture, I 
have transcribed for your use some notes made on the 
occasion of a recent visit to the nursery of the Brown 
Brothers’ Company in Brighton, and which relate chiefly 
to their large frost proof-cellar. 
The grounds occupy a high situation adjoining Brighton 
village, and comprise seventy acres. Upon them were 
built, last year, the storage cellar, two large packing 
houses, work shop, label and moss buildings, a modern 
tenant house and a large barn. It is here and in the 
adjoining town of Irondequoit that the company’s stock 
is grown on this side of Lake Ontario, their large Can¬ 
adian nurseries Being located at Ridgeville, near St. 
Catharine’s. 
The Brighton cellar is a stone structure 214 feet long, 
80 feet wide and with an average height of 18 feet. Its 
walls are two feet thick, on a stone foundation four feet 
below the surface of the ground, and four feet thick. 
There are both inner and outer walls, by which method 
of construction an air space is formed all around the 
building. On either side in the center are huge entrance 
doors, placed directly opposite each other. Through one 
of these the stock is drawn in the late fall, the other 
opening into an immense packing house, where the stock 
is boxed. The roof of the cellar is supported by fifty-six 
oak posts which rest upon brick and stone piers. Pure 
air and abundance of light have been provided for by ten 
box ventilators in the roof, each about 6x10 feet. Water 
is brought to the cellar from a tank of 200 barrels capa¬ 
city which is supplied by a wind-mill located on the bank 
of a convenient stream, so that stock may readily be 
sprinkled whenever necessary. Quite a respectable train¬ 
load of moss is required annually for the firm's business. 
The capacity of the cellar is over one million trees and 
shrubs. Last winter there was one pile of 36,000 dwarf 
pears alone. At one end of the building are numerous 
rows of racks for the reception of all small stock. 
The large building connecting with the cellar opens 
upon a platform 100 x 30 feet in size, where the stock is 
finally brought after being packed. Here the heavy boxes 
are weighed, then transferred to the waiting wagons for 
removal to the various freight houses. The platform is 
just enough higher than the wagons to permit of loading 
directly from the trucks. It goes without saying that the 
saving of time and labor thus affected is well appreciated 
by the employees of the shipping department. 
So perfectly frost proof is this storage cellar and so 
properly ventilated by its system of ventilators that stock 
is perfectly free during the severest weather from any 
trace of frost. The cellar was thoroughly tested last 
winter when the thermometer outside frequently ran 15 
degrees below zero, and at no time was it below 38 degrees 
above zero in the cellar. 
From the same perfect system of ventilation and from 
the manner of the construction of cellar, so far no trace 
of mildew to any extent had been discovered on the 
stock. All practical nurserymen will appreciate this fact, 
which I mention because the trouble in most storage 
cellars has been mildew. 
As a large quantity of each variety of stock ordinarily 
handled by nurserymen is corded alphabetically in the 
cellar each fall, in such manner that each variety can be 
reached without interference with other sorts; and as the 
packing facilities are amply sufficient, this company can 
fill its retail and wholesale orders in the spring long in 
advance of other houses without these facilities. 
Another but no less important point is this ; that from 
the time the stock is put into this cellar in the fall until 
it is taken out of the box at destination it is constantly 
under cover, and not for a moment exposed, while in the 
hands of this company, to the elements. Nurserymen 
desiring early spring shipments will appreciate this, as in 
many instances long delays occur in the spring of the 
year except where cellars and packing houses similar to 
these described are used. Another point concerning 
spring shipments is that the company do all their ship¬ 
ping from Brighton, and consequently can make quicker 
time than if shipments were obliged to go through the 
Rochester freight houses where there is more to handle. 
Mr. M. J. Franks, the company’s efficient foreman, 
accompanied me about the place, and to him I am 
indebted for the information gathered. One of the most 
interesting features of my visit was the knowledge 
gained as to the modus operandi of filling an order under 
the system in vogue here. I yield to the temptation to 
describe it briefly, for the benefit of nurserymen who are 
on the lookout for “ pointers.” 
An estimate having been made in the early fall for 
both wholesale and retail of the probable spring sales of 
each variety, stock amounting to three-fourths of the 
estimate is stocked or corded in the cellar with aisles 
between so that all the different varieties may be easily 
reached. A section the entire width in centre of the 
cellar running between two large centre entrances, above 
described, and 50 feet in breadth is left free for running 
stakes which are driven at intervals, forming spaces 
alphabetically arranged and which, when orders are being 
shipped, are kept filled by men who carry trees from the 
corded stock reached by the general aisles. Certain small 
kinds are not corded up, but are heeled in in sand in 
another section of the cellar. Tags are given out to the 
runners by a man who stands in the entrance between the 
cellar and the packing-house. 
The runners get the trees called for and carry them 
into drop stakes driven just outside the cellar in the 
packing-house. Here they are checked and passed over 
to men who tie them in baling machines, whence they go 
to the sorters. The sorting, by the way, is done both by 
the name of sale and by the number on the tags, each 
sale having its separate number, a method by which mis¬ 
takes are not liable to occur. The bundles are then put 
in bins and counted as placed. The number of large and 
of small bundles is shown on a red tag which came 
attached to each lot of tags for the various sales, the 
small stock having been run out a little in advance at one 
end of the cellar and put in crates in a separate packing- 
room, 30x80 feet. These crates are put on low vehicles, 
known as Farmers’ Handy Wagons, and drawn into the 
principal packing-house, where small meets large, first 
going into bins and thence to boxes the final packing 
being done on a level plank floor, 30 x 100, under cover. 
The continuation of this floor forms the large outside 
platform. 
The entire system of packing has been so thoughtfully 
planned that the loss of time and stock is reduced to a 
minimum, and the firm packing floor and platform enable 
two or three men to carry the heaviest loaded box upon 
an ordinary railway hand truck to the scales and thence 
to the wagon. 
Mr. Franks informed me that the company is gradually 
increasing its list of sorts, and besides its large general 
