144 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
THE NURSERY PATRONS. 
Horticultural Societies In Eight States Hold Annual Meetings 
—Nurserymen as Officers—Iowa Congressmen are Asked to 
Favor Federal Scale Bill—Maryland Inspection—Hardy 
Apples for Canada—“ Sorrows of the Tree Peddler.” 
The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Iowa Horticultural 
Society was held at Des Moines, December 12-15. lt was re ‘ 
solved that the sense of the society is that orchards should 
be cultivated until July 1, and that the cultivation should be 
followed by a good suitable crop. C. L. Watrous, of the exec¬ 
utive committee of the American Association of Nurserymen^ 
started the discussion by reading a paper on the management 
of orchard and nursery land He said : 
It is our misfortune instead of our sin that for the past ten or fifteen 
years we have been handicapped and distracted among ourselves by 
discussion and heart burnings over foreign fruits, which have finally 
been rejected, instead of being free to solve problems of interest like 
this one of tillage and enrichment of fruit lands, so that with the least 
outlay of labor and money we may secure the most and the best fruits 
which means in the end the greatest return for our labor. 
There is one comfort to us in Iowa—our soils are originally of the 
very best. If we will treat them with a moderate amount of intelligent 
care, they will last us in fertility and friendly helpfulness much longer 
than the soils at the command of fruit growers in the East and the 
North. There must be rotation in tillage, and rotation of clover crops. 
Lauds in the worse condition must have cover crops that will thrive 
under difficulties. Rye, corn and peas may succeed where clovers 
could not, but clovers may come later after the soil has been somewhat 
improved. 
Silas Wilson, formerly president of the American Association 
of Nurserymen, said the Iowa society should declare itself up¬ 
on this subject. The society appropriated $300 for a display 
of fruit at the Paris Exposition. Prof. Craig reported that the 
abnormally hot weather of last May interfered with the plant 
breeding experiments, but that the crossed seeds are stratified 
and will be sown in carefully prepared beds next spring The 
object of the work is the production of hardy export varieties 
of apples; of improved varieties of hardy plums; of pears bet¬ 
ter adapted to prairie conditions than those we now have 
Plant breeding stations were established as follows: C. G. Pat¬ 
ten, Charles City; R. P. Speer, Cedar Falls; A. Branson, New 
Sharon; B. A. Mathews, Knoxville; C. L. Watrous, Des 
Moines. 
A resolution was adopted asking Iowa’s congressmen to work 
for a law to protect fruit growers from imported (foreign or 
interstate) insect pests, San Jose scale or other. 
W. H. Lewis, Winterset, said regarding the Iowa inspection 
law: 
It appears like requiring a large and useless expense for inspection 
when it is asserted that no scale is or ever has been in this state, when 
we consider in the case of the first infection, the scale is so minute and 
so difficult to be seen that to so examine as to be able to safely assert 
that no scale existed therein, all the inspectors that have ever been in 
this state could not inspect within the time required by the law, even 
one of the larger commercial nurseries. In states farther east the pest 
has been spread by infected stock from inspected and certified nurseries, 
so it seems official inspection can not safely be relied upon. 
It seems to this writer, that the most efficient means of protection 
against this pest, is the constant watchfulness of every citizen and 
especially of the horticulturists and nurserymen. If it is objected that 
a lack of knowledge prevents this vigilance from being effective, it is 
pertinent to ask if it is possible that legislation can supply this want of 
knowledge. 
A legislative committee, composed of C. L. Watrous, Silas 
Wilson, A. L. Plummer, J. G. Berryhill and M. J. Wragg, was 
named. A resolution endorsing M. J. Wragg for a fifth term 
as superintendent of the horticultural department of the state 
fair was adopted. 
NORTHWESTERN IOWA. 
A small but enthusiastic band of fruit growers gathered at 
the eighth annual meeting of the Northwestern Iowa Horticul¬ 
tural Society at Spencer, December 5—7. I he officers were 
M. E. Hinkley, president; W. B. Chapman, secretary, and B. 
Schoutz, treasurer. As at the Southeast and Northeast meet¬ 
ings, the topic of greatest interest was the root killing of nur¬ 
sery and orchard trees. Professor Craig advised surface pro¬ 
tection of orchards and cover crops. 
The subject of hardy stocks drew out considerable discus¬ 
sion. The general opinion favored own-rooted trees in the 
case of cherries and plums; next to own-rooted trees in plums 
in hardiness stood Americana stocks. For cherries the Morello 
stock had given better satisfaction than Mahaleb or Mazzard. 
The latter appeared to be somewhat more tender than Maha¬ 
leb. Prof. Hansen, of South Dakota, told of the Russian 
practice of using the true Siberian crab, Pyrus baccata, as a 
stock for the cold regions. This crab is found here and there 
throughout the Northwest. He recommended collecting the 
seeds for the purpose of growing hardy seedlings. Although 
the year had been a se\ere one, the losses heavy, fruit grow¬ 
ers were hopeful that next spring would see a large setting of 
trees. 
MINNESOTA. 
A poet and several enthusiasts enlivened the thirty-third an¬ 
nual meeting of the Minnesota Horticultural Society, at Minne¬ 
apolis, December 5-8. J. T. Grimes furnished the poetry and 
also started the enthusiasm by referring to the finding of a 
catalpa on the shore of Lake Minnetonka. Close upon this 
came the statement of the success achieved by J. A. Cummings, 
of Eden Prairie, in growing sweet potatoes in the frigid climate 
of Minnesota and his remark that if he lived long enough he 
would see peanuts and dates grown on farms in that state. 
Among those at the meeting were J. M. Underwood, A. W. 
Latham, E. H. S. Dartt, and Wyman Elliott ; also C. G. Pat¬ 
ten, Charles City, la. 
The legislative committee, Chairman Wyman Elliott re¬ 
ported that the legislative bill for inspection of nursery stock 
was killed at the last session of the legislature mainly through 
the efforts of members of the association, who did not under¬ 
stand it. The trouble was that the nurserymen in Minnesota 
could not do business in other states, for the reason that there 
were inspection laws in force, and no provision for inspection 
in Minnesota. If a bill had passed providing for such inspec¬ 
tion, all nursery stock which left Minnesota tagged by the in¬ 
spector could be handled in other states having inspection 
laws. It was advised that the bill be presented again at the 
next session of the legislature. 
The Jewell Nursery Co. won first and second premium on 
apples. There were eulogies of Peter W. Gideon, and flowers 
and specimens of his Wealthy apple were offered in great num¬ 
ber. The question whether the numerous Wealthys had de¬ 
parted from the style of the parent was raised and a large 
number of shoots from the original tree were brought by Mr. 
Gideon’s successor to be distributed and grown in various 
parts of the state, the fruit to be tested at a future meeting. 
A novel exhibit was contained in some very short large 
