The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyright, 1899, by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
“ The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue.’' —Othello, Act II, Sc. 3 . 
Vol. VII. ROCHESTER. N. Y., MARCH. 1899. No. 2. 
PACIFIC COAST GROWERS. 
Extensive Horticultural Interests of Washington, Oregon, and 
Idaho—Effective Education in the Production of Fine Fruit 
— Growers, Shippers, Railroad Men, Commission Men 
and Consumers Rapidly Getting Together. 
The enterprise which characterizes every movemont on the 
Pacific coast was manifest at the sixth annual meeting of the 
Northwest Fruit Growers’ Association, at Spokane, Wash., 
Januarv 24—26. There was a large attendance of growers, 
shippers, packers, and commission men. A delegation of the 
last named from Minneapolis, Chicago and other points was 
present. Dr. N. G. Blalock, the president, in his address, 
said: 
I think we can congratulate ourselves on the outlook. Daylight is 
appearing, and, while the financial sky is by no means clear and bright 
over all classes, and while dark and unfavorable shadows hover over 
portions of the laboring classes, there are now more bright linings visi¬ 
ble than have been observed for the past six years. 
This is especially so in the western horizon. Washington, Oregon 
and Idaho, with their wonderful and diversified resources, are the 
brightest stars in the galaxy of states to-day, financially speaking. 
More of our people are employed in the different vocations at remun¬ 
erative salaries than in any other section of the United States or of the 
world. Our wheat, barley, corn, oat and rye fields, our mines of gold, 
silver, copper, lead, iron and other precious metals, our varied inter, 
ests, our fisheries and our fruit, poultry and vegetable industries em¬ 
ploy more of our citizens of the laboring class in proportion to the 
population than in any other portion of the United States. Our capa¬ 
bilities based upon the natural resources of these three states, are 
almost unlimited. 
A great object of this association is to bring the growers, the pack¬ 
ers and the shippers in closer touch with the commission men, the 
railroad men and the consumers to the mutual benefit of all. This 
object is important and should not be neglected. 
As a consequence of the present high tariff on prunes a number of 
prune orchards have been cut down and other crops planted in their 
stead. I can refer to one orchard of 6,000 prune trees, which were 
loaded down with fruit last spring, but were pulled up and consigned 
to the brush pile and the laud sowed to wheat. Such would not be 
the case were prune growing and shipping profitable. I think it will 
only be necessary to call the attention of the railroads to this fact in 
order to secure a reasonable reduction in rates so as to encourage the 
continuance of prune culture. 
Professor F. A. Huntley of the University of Idaho dis¬ 
cussed tree raising, advocating low headed trees on the ground 
that the food that is collected by the roots has but a short dis¬ 
tance to circulate in reaching the top and is less of a draft on 
the vitality of the tree than in the case of the high-headed 
tree; also the trunk of the tree is less exposed to various forms 
of injury through severe climatic conditions, which would 
have greater chance to harm the high-headed trees and thus 
hinder the perfect development. 
E.. J. Palmer, Minneapolis, representing a prominent com¬ 
mission firm, said: 
There is no question that the apple orchards in the eastern states, 
namely Michigan, Ohio, New York and the New England states are 
deteriorating rapidly. The orchards have, to a large extent, been neg¬ 
lected, and the results are that the quality of the fruit is not what it 
used to be in former years. While the apple crop of 1898 in Michigan 
and New Y ork was a fair one as to quantity, the quality was generally 
poor. 
The orchards in the southern states, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, 
are generally new, and the fruit, as a rule, much more satisfactory. 
But from past experience it has been abserved that they have a good 
crop, usually, only every other year. 
There is no question that you grow as fine an apple in Washington, 
Oregon and Idaho as can be produced in the United States, and we 
think you will, nearly every year, find a satisfactory market in the 
East for your best fruit, if more care is exercised in the packing and 
shipping. 
We would suggest that you discontinue growing so many varieties, 
especially the new ones, and that you turn your attention to such as 
are well known in the eastern markets, viz.: Spitzenburghs, Wine- 
saps, Jonathans; in fact, the trade in the East prefers a red apple, and 
such grades as will make fancy stand stock. Straight cars of such 
goods will sell to much better advantage than mixed cars containing so 
many varieties not familiar to the trade. 
Regarding the packing, sorting and shipping, we would suggest 
that you can not be too careful along this line. Stock should be care¬ 
fully graded as to quality, size and color. Each grade should be 
packed separately. 
Resolutions were adopted urging the raising of the standard 
of excellence in fruit growing and of obtaining better trans¬ 
portation rates ; also demanding federal and state legislation 
protecting pure food products. 
The transportation committee reported that it had conferred 
with the railroad representatives and had asked a reduction of 
the rate on dried prunes and a rate on green prunes and pears 
at the same figure as apples ; also that this rate apply equally 
to straight or mixed cars of apples, pears or prunes, at a mini¬ 
mum weight of 24,000 pounds. 
The following officers were elected : Dr. N. G. Blalock 
president ; F. L. Wheeler of Yakima, vice-president for Wash¬ 
ington ■; L. A. Porter of Lewiston, vice-president for Idaho; 
E. L. Smith of Hood River, vice-president for Oregon ; E. 
Hutcherson of Ladner, vice-president for British Columbia ; 
C. A. Tonneson of Tacoma, secretary ; W. S. Offner of Walla 
Walla, treasurer. 
Tacoma was selected as the place of meeting for the con¬ 
vention next year. 
COyNECTICLT. 
The eighth annual meeting of the Connecticut Horticultural 
Society was held at Hartford, Feb. 1-2. President J. H. Hale 
presided and in his address said that the increasing demand 
for fine fruit has constantly kept ahead of the increase of pop¬ 
ulation and even at low prices the grower received greater net 
profits than from the other average farm crops of the state. 
Mr. Hale advocated the setting out of acres of the abandoned 
farm lands to good varieties of red winter apples, saying that 
they could easily be made to pay dividends of $1,000 per acre. 
He favored thorough plowing and constant stirring up of the 
