THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
PENNSYLVANIA NURSERYMEN APPEAL. 
A despatch to the Philadelphia Times from Harrisburg 
under date of October 2 ist says: “The nurserymen in this 
state have been cut off from the Maryland market by the 
passage of a law by the legislature of that state forbidding 
trees and nursery stock to come within its borders that are 
not accompanied by a certificate of the qualified state officer 
that the stock in the nursery is free from San Jose scale and 
other dangerous insect pests. The Pennsylvania nurserymen 
appealed to Secretary of Agriculture Edge for advice and 
yesterday he appointed a staff of agents to make the required 
examination and issue certificates showing the condition of 
nursery stock. 
“ There is no appropriation to pay the salary and expenses 
of the agents and they will have to look to the nurserymen who 
ship trees and other stock for their pay. This will particularly 
cut Pennsylvania nurserymen off from the Maryland trade, as 
nearly all the dealers in this state cannot compete with the 
Maryland dealers on account of the expenses incurred by the 
examinations. It is strongly suspected that this, rather than 
the danger of receiving insect pests from Pennsylvania trees> 
is the cause of the enactment of this law.” 
BRITISH-GROWN FRUIT. 
An audit, prepared by the Gardener's Magazine , of the great 
exhibit of British-grown fruit shows that three more dishes 
were staged this year than at the exhibition held in 1894, but 
as compared with last year’s show, there was a drop of over 
one thousand dishes, this decrease being to a material extent 
due to there having been fewer entries in the great trade classes. 
The number of dishes staged this year was 2,152, against 3,176 
dishes in 1895, a decrease of 1,824 dishes. The decline in the 
number of varieties was considerable, but not more than might 
have been expected, considering the large number of varieties 
that produced good crops last year which in the average sea¬ 
son, such as this, bear indifferently. Proceeding to an analysis 
of the figures we find that 1,083 dishes of apples were staged, 
against 1,938 dishes last year, and 1,027 dishes in 1894. The 
numbers of varieties shown in the three years were 168, 201 
and 172 respectively. Of pears, 795 dishes in 116 varieties 
were staged, against 779 dishes and 98 varieties last year, and 
629 dishes and 107 varieties in 1894. Grapes ranked next in 
importance, and of these 135 dishes in 22 varieties were staged; 
as compared with 97 dishes and 18 varieties in 1895, and 105 
dishes and 21 varieties in 1894. This increase in the number 
of entries in the grape classes was, as shown in the report, 
accompanied by a material improvement in quality. 
In the entries of plums there was a material decrease, only 
38 dishes having been staged, against 101 dishes last year, and 
90 dishes in 1894. The number of varieties of plums was 16, 
28 and 21 respectively. Cherries also show a considerable 
drop, owing chiefly to the difficulty that has been experienced 
in keeping the fruit sound, as in the case of the plums, during 
the long period of wet weather previous to the show The 
number of dishes was 6, as compared with 12 in 1895, and 7 
in the preceding year, and the number or varieties was 2, 
against 1 in each of the other two years. Damsons dropped 
to 4 dishes in as many varieties, against 18 dishes and 7 
varieties in 1895. A very large decrease is observable in the 
case of peaches, for only 24 dishes were contributed, as com¬ 
pared with 80 dishes in 1895 and 51 dishes in 1894. There 
were i2 varieties, the same number as in 1894, against 19 last 
year. Nectarines show even a larger proportional decrease, 
for 4 dishes were staged, against 18 last year, and 15 in 1894. 
Of nuts, 19 dishes were staged, as compared with 26 last year ; 
and, on the other hand, there was a considerable increase in 
the entries of quinces, 17 dishes having been staged, against 14 
in 1895 and 6 in 1894. 
Among apples, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Ribston Pippin, King 
of Pippins and Warner’s King led in the number of dishes 
displayed ; pears, Pitmaston Duchess, Marie Louise, Doyenne 
du Comice, Beurre Diel and Durondeau ; peaches, Sea Eagle 
and Lady Palmerston ; plums, Coe’s Golden Drop, Monarch 
and Bryanston Green Gage ; grapes, Muscat of Alexandria, 
Alicante and Black Hamburgh. 
THE STORM IN FLORIDA. 
Macclenny, Fla., Oct. 5. —On September 29th this place 
was visited by the most severe gale that this section of Florida 
has ever experienced. For a time all telegraphic communica¬ 
tion was cut off. Locally the storm did a great deal of dam¬ 
age to buildings and property. The damage done to the 
nursery and other property of the Pomona Nursery was com¬ 
paratively slight, the proprietors, the Griffing Brothers, losing 
only two tenement houses and a large sixty-foot tool house, in 
which the tools were somewhat damaged ; and the destruction 
of upwards of two miles of fence. The office buildings, graft 
room, commissary, packing houses and stables sustained but 
little damage. 
The nursery stock was not damaged in any way further than 
to have the foliage somewhat bruised from the severe whipping 
which it received, which caused some of the trees that they 
would liked to have grown as late in the season as possible to 
ripen up earlier than they desired. All of their plum, persim¬ 
mon, mulberries, pears, figs and the greater portion of their 
peach were not damaged as they were fully matured and ready 
for immediate shipment. Their facilities for the quick execu¬ 
tion of orders were not impaired in any way. 
SPINELESS GOOSEBERRY. 
A chief feature of the test of the Spineless gooseberry 
which is offered in large quantities by C. H. Joosten, New 
York City, is its freedom from mildew. That it has other 
drawing qualities is evidenced by the reports of well known 
nurserymen. J. W. Adams & Co., Springfield, Mass, say : 
“We have not seen any mildew upon them.” Edmund Haug, 
Detroit : “ Plants bought of you have made fairly good growth. 
Have had no trouble with mildew thus far, notwithstanding 
they were liberally watered ” W. H. Salter, Rochester : “ My 
opinion of the Spineless gooseberry is quite favorable. They 
have made a good growth. I have seen no mildew as yet, and 
that I consider most important.” Joseph H. Black & Co., 
Hightstown, N. J.: “ Notwithstanding the unfavorable season, 
we find that the Spineless gooseberries have made a fair 
growth. We have found no rust or mildew upon them.” 
Eugene Willett & Son, North Collins, N. Y. —“ Our adver¬ 
tisement in the journal has been very satisfactory.” 
