THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
indications at present are, that the coming apples of the 
Northwest will come from a blending of the American and 
Russian apples. An apple as hardy as Hibernal, as choice as 
a Jonathan, and as long-keeping as the Ben Davis, would be 
worth millions of dollars to the Northwest. Efforts in this 
line are now being made at the experiment stations of Iowa, 
South Dakota, and other states, and by enthusiastic fruitmen 
outside of the stations. May the good work go on. 
PLUMS. 
In the Dakotas and Minnesota none of the Chickasaws are 
hardy, and you must get well down into Iowa before they are 
safe. None of the Japanese varieties are hardy and the 
Russians are shy bearers. Only the native plums of this region 
(Prunus Americana), such as De Soto, Wyant and Wolf, are 
of any value. The list of hardy and valuable Americana 
plums is a long one and our chief concern at present is to cut 
down rather than to lengthen it. But the tender stalks upon 
which they have been propagated chiefly up to this time are 
the bane of prairie plum culture. Myrobolan, St. Julien, 
peach, Marianna, apricot and Chickasaw stocks all root kill, 
leaving the hardy top to die. This was abundantly proven in 
the winter of 1898-99 over a large area of the Northwest, and 
it is time to call a halt. The only commercial stocks suitable 
for the Americana plums are American seedlings. All other 
stocks are a disappointment on the open prairies of the 
Northwest. Quit it. 
This change in propagation of the plum will not necessarily 
take away any business from the nursery centers of the South 
or East ; they can get seed from the Northwest as well as any 
one for trees intended for Northwestern use, but my position 
is, that Southern and Eastern nurseries cannot continue to use 
tender stocks, and send such trees North. The winters kill 
too many trees, planters become discouraged, and agents find 
it harder each year to sell. 
For a dwarf plum stock the native Sand cherry of the 
Northwest is promising. While the experiments under way 
in Iowa, South Dakota, and other places, have not been con¬ 
tinued long enough to determine fully its value, the present 
indications are : 1. The roots are perfectly hardy in our 
worst winters. 2. The tree will be dwarfed to perhaps two- 
thirds full size, but will bear very early. 3. For amateur 
culture in small gardens there is an excellent field for Amen 
cana plums on Sand cherry stocks, providing the trees will 
not need too much care in heading back to prevent getting 
top-heavy. 
PEARS. 
For this luscious fruit we are obliged to cast longing eyes 
towards milder regions. Some Russian pears are hardy enough, 
but none appear to be blight-proof. The other races of pears 
winter-kill as well as blight. Quince stocks winter-kill, so 
that the dwarf pears are out of the question. We are looking 
anxiously for the man who will give us a remedy for pear 
blight. 
(To be continued.) 
A PLACE OP ITS OWN AND ABLY FILLED. 
Bay View Nurseries, James McColgan & Co., Atlantic High¬ 
lands, N. J., June 12 , 1900 —“Enclosed please find one dollar to renew 
our subscription to the National Nurseryman. We are glad to say 
that we think your journal has a place of Jts own and it ably fills its 
place.” 
87 
Hmono ©rowers anb ^Dealers. 
W. C. Barry, Rochester, N. Y., visited Boston last month. 
W. B. Cole. Painesville, O., called upon nurserymen of Western 
New York last month. 
A. Willis, Ottawa, Kan., and AV. H. Smith, New Carlisle, O., were 
callers at Western New York nurseries in July. 
The Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y., are investigating the 
value of evaporated sewage from cities as a fertilizer. 
A Branson, New Sharon, Iow-a, nurseryman, has been nominated for 
Congress on the prohibition ticket in the sixth district of Iowa. 
The Corinth, la., Nursery Company has been incorporated with 
$ 50,000 capital stock by A. C. Necke, Ada Necke and A. N. Hill. 
Herman Berkhan, New York, agent for Levavasseur & Sons, Ussy 
and Orleans, France, called upon Western New- York nurserymen last 
month. 
• 
The sixteenth annual convention of the Society of American Florists 
and Ornamental Horticulturists will be held at the Grand Centra] 
Palace, New T York city, August 21 — 24 . 
President J. M. Underwood, of the Jewell Nursery Co., Lake City* 
Minn., writes: “ The last season’s business was quite good in our state. 
Prospects for the coming year are fair, although many parts are now- 
suffering from drouth.” 
John Watson, Brenham, Texas, is the vice-president of the Ameri¬ 
can Association of Nurserymen, representing the state of Texas. He 
was at the Chicago convention. It was incorrectly reported that W. E. 
Watson was the representative. 
' Smiths & Powell Co., Syracuse, N. Y., have sold their interests in 
the greenhouses and floral business to their old associate, P. R. Quin¬ 
lan, and as florists they retire from the field. They still continue the 
nursery business, which, together with their many other interests, will 
keep them fully occupied. 
The dutiable imports of plants, shrubs, and vines amounted to $ 52 , 
304 in May, 1900 , against $ 32,438 in May, 1899 . The free imports of 
seeds amounted in May, 1900 , to $ 45 , 170 , against $ 41,282 for May, 
1899 . The dutiable imports of seeds amounted to $ 59,662 for May, 
1900 , against $ 18,861 for May, 1899 . 
E. Alvin Miller of Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y., accom¬ 
panied by his wife, sailed from New York July 14 th on the steamer 
“ Pennsylvania ” for Hamburg, intending to spend several months in 
Germany, Belgium and France. Mr. Miller is planning especially to 
visit the leading European rose growers. 
The Kalamazoo, Mich., Nursery and Floral Co. has been incor 
porated with a capital stock of $ 10 , 000 . The officers are: C. A. Maxon 
president; Judge J. M. Davis, vice president; C. A. Krill, secretary 
aud treasurer. W. C. Cook, formerly of Chicago, will be manager. 
Four houses, each 20 x 100 , are to be built at once and additions will be 
made later. 
Baker Brothers, Fort Worth, Texas, early last month sent specimens of 
the Eagle, also called the Everbearing or Neverfailing plum. They 
said: “The original tree now has on its twenty-eighth successive crop, 
and ripe fruit can be gathered during the summer from it six to nine 
weeks.” The plum is small, round, of orange hue, and very firm skin 
The flesh is juicy and of high flavor. 
The Chase Nursery Company, of Riverside, are doing a splendid 
work near Perris, says the California Cultivator. They took hold of a 
large acreage of dry land and commenced a systematic development of 
water by means of wells. As a result they are to day raising 1,000 
inches of water, using pumps operated by electricity, and have hund¬ 
reds of acres of the very finest kind of alfalfa. 
Irving Jaquay, Benton Harbor, writes: “ Michigan has begun to ship 
her peach crop of the early varieties. It has been many years since w-e 
have had the amount of rain during the summer that we have had up 
to the present time this year. There is no danger from drought from this 
on, therefore, we expect the crop of late peaches will be fine. Apples 
are a fair crop. Cherries were a light crop. All indications are that the 
demand for stock for the coming season will be good. Trees have 
made a fine growth, better than usual. We think the outlook is gen¬ 
erally encouraging.” 
