THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
3i 
AS TO NOVELTIES. 
Without Them Progress in Varieties is Impossible, Says Professor 
Bailey— The Tendency is to Go Too Far In the Reduction of 
Varieties—Cause of Increase in Competition — The Growth 
of General-Purpose Nursery Stock— Single Ideals. 
In his bulletin on “Impressions of Our Fruit-Growing In¬ 
dustries” Professor L H. Bailey says: 
There is a decided tendency in this country to limit closely 
the number of varieties of any fruit when setting a plantation. 
Some of the most successful fruitgrowers would limit the 
varieties of apple, pear, or strawberry to three or four. Yet, 
as a matter of fact, the really good varieties of any fruit are 
usually numbered by scores, sometimes by hundreds, and val¬ 
uable novelities are always being introduced. Here, then, is 
a conflict. If the advice of fruitgrowers is to be followed, it 
would seem that the introduction of novelties is unnecessary ; 
and yet without novelties progress in varieties is impossible. 
It is true that varieties should be few in most plantations, 
but the reason is that most American fruitgrowers are raising 
fruits for the general or open markets ; and in these markets, 
uniformity of product is almost imperative. But if it is fatal to 
grow many varieties when the world's markets are in view, it 
may be equally unsatisfactory to grow very few varieties when 
special or personal markets are in view. 
I believe that the tendency is to go too far in the reduction 
of varieties We are reducing fruitgrowing to a single ideal 
and are thereby increasing the competition in that direction. 
There are varieties for different uses, different soils, and dif¬ 
ferent geographical regions ; and a variety which fails in every 
region but one, may still be worth introducing. It is the com¬ 
monest mistake to recommend a variety for any region merely 
because it thrives in some other region. Because Ben Davis 
is eminently successful in the mid-continental region is no 
reason for supposing that it will be equally good in New York; 
in fact it is a presumption against its thriving equally well in 
New York, for a variety rarely does equally well everywhere. 
A fruitgrower in western New York asked me if I would advise 
him to plant Arkansas apples. I told him no, but I advised 
him to test them. 
A variety which is suited only to the general market is most 
profitable in that region in which it thrives best. It is doubt¬ 
ful, for instance, if the New York grower can compete long in 
Kieffer pears with growers in the middle and southern states, 
and it is certain that those regions cannot compete with New 
York in Bartlett and Seckels. Wherever a fruit reaches its 
highest development, there it should be grown ; and local 
varieties are often best adapted to local and personal market. 
The nurseries grow fruit trees to supply the demand for gen¬ 
eral-purpose varieties, and as a consequence they tend to re¬ 
duce varieties and make them uniform over the whole country. 
Many of the fine dessert varieties cannot be obtained at nur¬ 
series. With the refinement of our horticulture more varieties 
will be grown. The more fully the horticulture of any country is 
developed, the more perfectly are the various localities and 
needs supplied. In this direction we have much to learn from 
Europe, for one is there impressed with the great numbers of 
varieties which are actually known and grown. But in Europe 
the fruits are grown for local and personal markets ; here we 
grow for the world’s markets, and varieties must therefore be 
few in comparison. 
Since the selection of varieties is a question of locality and 
of the personal ideals of the grower, it follows that those lists 
of varieties are most valuable, other things being equal, which 
are made by the most local and circumscribed societies. 
IRecent ||>ublications. 
The annual report of the Tree Planting and Fountain Society of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., for 1898 , can be obtained of the secretary, Lewis Col¬ 
lins, 177 Remsen street, Brooklyn. 
The thirty-second annual report of the Ohio State Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, for 1898 , has been issued by the secretary. W. W. Farnsworth, 
Waterville. It contains a large amount of practical information based 
on the experience of the noted horticulturists, nurserymen and scien¬ 
tists of Ohio. 
“Trade of the Philippine Islands,” is a recent bulletin by Chief 
Hitchcock, U. S. section of foreign markets, Washington. D. C.- 
“Spraying for Profit,” has been issued by Prof. II. E. Weed, Griffin, 
Ga.; Columbus, O., Horticultural Society Journal for December, 1898 ; 
Bulletin of the N. Y. State Museum, by State Entomologist Felt on in¬ 
jurious and other insects. 
Professor T. D. A. Cockerell. New Mexico Experiment Station has 
published a bulletin on the codling moth in that territory ; J. M. Sted- 
man, Missouri Station, the fringed wing apple-bud moth, a new 
orchard pest; C. L. Marlatt, Washington, D. C., the peach twig borer; 
M. V. Slingerland, N. Y. Cornell Station, the quince curculio; F. II 
Hall and V. M. Lowe, N. Y. Geneva Station, raspberry saw-fly and 
grape vine flea beetle. 
Attractive catalogues have been issued by P. J. Berckmans Co., 
Augusta, Ga., describing fruit and ornamental trees, roses, greenhouse 
and bedding plants. Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, have issued 
a neat little leaflet quoting an article from the New York Evening 
Post on the advantages of the ampelosis in covering unsightly 
walls ; also the beauties of Japan clematis. Chase Brothers Co., Roch¬ 
ester, issue this spring a novel catalogue consisting wholly of colored 
plates of fruits offered. 
“Landscape Gardening ” is the title of a useful volume by Professor 
Samuel T. Maynard, of the Massachusetts Agricultural College and 
Fruit Growers Association. It is addressed particularly to home 
makers. The author describes in plain language the kinds of trees and 
shrubs best adapted to varying conditions of home ornamentation and 
by the use of many illustrations shows clearly the effects that may be 
produced for and against an artistic arrangement. He has divided the 
subject into two parts : Ornamenting new homes; renovating and 
improving old homes. An entire chapter is devoted to the description 
of ornamental trees and plants. Insects and diseases receive attention. 
The book is of special interest to nurserymen. 12 mo. pp. 838 , figures 
165 , including full-page half-tones, cloth, $ 1 . 50 . New York : John 
Wiley & Sons. 
Number 6 of Vol. X, of the Experiment Station Record, summarizes 
a report by Professor J. A. Balmer. of Washington state, on damage to 
fruit trees by the severe freeze of Nov. 1896 , which is of interest in 
view of the cold weather of last February. He says the damage was 
greatest where the land was lowest in the Walla Walla, Snake river 
and Yakima valleys and the Palouse country. Of trees under appar¬ 
ently the same conditions, one may have been severely affected while 
another of the same variety 25 feet distant escaped uninjured. Na¬ 
poleon cherry proved to be very tender. Of popular varieties of 
apples, Yellow Newton, Esopus, Yellow Bellflower and Fall Pippin 
proved most tender. The hardier varieties are Ben Davis, Fameuse > 
Red June, Twenty Ounce, Blue Pearmain. Jefferis. Red Astrakan, 
Yellow Transparent, Limber Twig. Seedling peaches proved much 
hardier than budded trees. Late summer irrigation and cultivation 
proved injurious. 
