9 6 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
NEW ENGLAND. 
Waterville, Maine, August 10.—J. L. Merrick & Co.: “Our 
sales for this season will be about the same as last fall, and the 
prospect for the coming spring sales is good.” 
Boston, Mass., August 15. — H. M. Whiting, Whiting Nursery Com¬ 
pany : “Our sales are equal to those of last year at this date; the 
result of a larger number of men in the field. We anticipate only 
moderate results for the balance of the season and for spring delivery 
as our salesmen do not seem to command sufficient enthusiasm to over¬ 
come the present poor condition of trade.” 
Salem, Mass., August 15.—Southworth Brothers: “Our sales for 
this season as compared with last fall at same time have been consider¬ 
ably larger, and judging from present outlook we expect increase of 
business the coming spring.” 
central states. 
Bloomington, III., August 10.—Phoenix Nursery Company: 
“Our orders through salesmen this season we think will compare very 
favorably with those of other seasons for the past three years. We 
find it takes lots of work to sell trees these close times.” 
Sandwich, III., August 12.—H. C. Graves & Sons: “ Retail sales 
about one-half as large as last season, fall ’95.” 
Chicago, III., August 11.—Luke Brothers Company : “ In figur¬ 
ing up our books we find that we have had a very nice increase thus 
far of from between 34 and 35 per cent, of the gross amount of business 
done. Our advertising seemed to take better and our men as a rule 
have done better this season which makes us hopeful for a good spring’s 
business. We expect our business this year will be very much larger 
than anything we have done heretofore.” 
Spaulding, III., August 12.—Irving Spaulding, secretary and treas¬ 
urer Spaulding Nursery Co.: “ By increasing our force of salesmen we 
are holding ourselves up to where they were last season, and expect to 
do better business and larger retail business this fall than for several 
seasons past.” 
Nashville, Tenn., August 14.—A. W. Newson, Cumberland Nur¬ 
series : “ Our sales to date. $92,000; will reach about $100,000. This 
is about $12,000 more than last year. Most of our work is done for 
fall and winter delivery. We commence selling for fall about January 
15th and continue sending out salesmen until April 1st; and commence 
delivering October 25th and continue until Christmas, frequently 
running us over into the new year. 
“ We do little for spring, from $5,000 to $15,000, and pay little 
attention to spring delivery as it interferes with our fall work. Every¬ 
thing is so hot and dry here just now, that nothing could be done for 
spring, and we do not expect to put out any new before October 1st.” 
in the west. 
Lake City, Minn., August 11.—J. Cole Doughty, secretary Jewell 
Nursery Co.: “ Our retail sales are somewhat larger in volume than 
at this season last year. This does not imply any particular improve¬ 
ment in business conditions, but simply indicates that we have striven 
just that much harder to secure orders. We are about through harvest 
and grain is turning out about sixty per cent, of what it was estimated 
one month ago. 
“ The free silver craze is catching a great many of our farmers, par¬ 
ticularly those who have the ’95 crop still in theii^granaries. They are 
being told that free silver will bring the prices of grain, etc., back to 
where they were in ’92 and ’93 and, ‘ The wish being father to the 
thought,’ they want to believe it. 
“No political contest for years past has equaled the present one. 
It not only disturbs business everywhere, but in localities it paralyzes 
it. One agent writes, ‘ ‘ The first question I am asked when I introduce 
my business is, ‘ Are you for silver or gold ? ’ and an equivocal answer 
does not always go.’ ’ Let the result of the contest be as it may, there 
can be no doubt that the damage to business in a presidential elec¬ 
tion year is incalculable. There are probably 5,000,000 active business 
men affected by this election excitement. Why in the world they per¬ 
mit it to occur every four years is a profound mystery. 
“Coming back again to the previous question, stock is growing 
fairly well. We never had finer plum trees, small fruits, grape vines, 
etc., but apple trees are considerably blighted, particularly hybrid or 
crab apples. 
“Strawberries were a failure and plants not overly strong now, 
owing to the dry weather; raspberries and blackberries a fair crop ; 
grapes promising well. The extreme hot weather combined with the 
drought will tend to mature stock early. We look for an early fall and 
pray for two feet of snow the coming winter.” 
Greeley, Colo., August 11.—George J. Spear : “My sales for this 
fall are about two-tliirds of what they were last fall; and last fall’s 
sales were about double those of any preceding year, which makes this 
fall’s sales about a third more than any preceding year, except the fall 
of ’95. 
“ I attribute the falling off of this season’s sales over last wholly to 
the low price of all kinds of produce. Yet there appears to be great 
interest taken in horticultural affairs, and judging from the first few 
weeks’ business would think the sales would increase instead of diminish 
from now on.” 
Warrensburg, Mo., August 14.—L. Mohler & Bro.: “Think our 
sales are equal to the same time last year, but not so many commercial 
orders ; and indications for spring trade are good, especially if the agi¬ 
tation over the money question becomes somewhat settled.” 
Yankton, S. D.. August 12.—George H. Whiting: “Welookfor a 
very large increase, perhaps double that of last year, due to the fact 
that the rainfall has been much greater this season than for several 
years past. The past two or three falls have been unusually dry and 
therefore discouraging to planters generally in this vicinity. 
“Our fall sales here are very insignificant in the retail trade as com¬ 
pared with those of spring as there is very little planting done here in 
the fall except such small stuff as can be given winter protection, and 
planters usually prefer to let the nurserymen do the wintering of the 
stock. The prospects are also very flattering for next spring’s trade.” 
Salt Lake City, Utah, August 12.—M. E. Callahan, treasurer and 
manager Pioneer Nurseries Co.: “Trade is about the same as last 
year. We don’t look for any improvement until after W. J. Bryan’s 
election.” 
IOWA. 
Atlantic, Ia., August 12.—Silas Wilson: “Our sales up to this 
date are really better than last year. We have had an abundance of 
rain throughout the Mississippi Valley this year and crops are good. I 
think spring sales will be good also ; think the agitation of free silver 
here is not doing business any good.” 
Shenandoah, Ia., August 10.—D. S. Lake: “We do more of a 
wholesale than retail trade, but I would judge that our retail trade this 
fall will be about the same as last year. It is most too early to give a 
definite idea of what the spring sales will be, but would estimate that 
they would be about as usual.” 
Des Moines, Ia., August 10.—C. L. Watrous : “It must be said, 
in truth, that this has been the most unfavorable season for retail 
nursery trade that I have known in many years. By this 1 mean, 
especially, the taking of orders for future delivery. Prices of all farm 
products have been very low, and our seasons of abnormal drought have 
been followed by this one of equally abnormal rain. The uncertainty 
of our financial future, due to the free silver agitation, is also affecting 
all business unfavorably. When men look into the future with fear, 
they are slow to incur auy avoidable obligation. Other men in the 
West may have had an entirely different experience this year, but there 
are not any that I know. I think the prospect for spring sales is much 
better than for fall.” 
Davenport, Ia., August 11.—Nichols & Lorton : “Retail sales 
with us are about the same this fall as fall 1895 and the prospects for 
spring 1897 are better than spring 1896. We also wholesale in car lots 
and find twenty per cent, more than fall 1895.” 
Charles City, Ia., August 10.—Sherman Nursery Co.: On the 
whole we do not think that our fall deliveries will vary materially from 
those of 1895. Our business has suffered from the general depression 
and we think the outlook for spring trade is anything but good.” 
Perry, Ia., August 13.—Edmondson Brothers : “ Our sales for this 
fall’s delivery show a decrease of ten per cent, from sales of 1895. We 
attribute this largely to the extremely wet harvest we have had and to 
the agitation of the presidential campaign. We are expecting better 
sales for spring delivery; as crops, outside.of small grain, are good, and 
with better weather and harvest out of the way sales will improve. 
