THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
107 
Hn Common Council. 
Editor of National Nurseryman: 
I notice in your issue of August, page 81 , article on “ Mov¬ 
ing Large Trees ” a statement that “ Trees 8 inches in diameter 
can be taken up and moved one thousand feet at an average 
cost of $50 each.” This is an exorbitant price. I take up 
trees 8 to 10 inches in diameter and move them short dis¬ 
tances, say one-half mile or less, for $ 5 , or I go out 6 or 10 
miles into the country and bring them in for $ 10 . I lift them 
with from one to two tons of earth, and carry them any dis¬ 
tances and set them down where wanted. I had three men 
and a team working at them several months during last fall, 
winter and spring. 
I also notice in the same number an article from W. E. 
Wellington of Toronto, in favor of fall planting of fruit trees. 
Would like to ask how he prevented the black or dead streak 
on the side of the tree a little to the west of south, that often 
kills the tree ? This often occurs, at least in this part of 
Michigan, when we have hard winters ; more during the first 
winter after planting than later. 
Port Huron, Mich. L. B. Rice. 
Under date of September 10 th, Mr. Wellington, Toronto? 
writes : 
“ In reply to the question about “ black or dead streaks on 
the sides of the trees, a little to the west of south,” and a pre¬ 
vention of the same, I think the remedy lies, when planting 
the tree, to slope it toward the south-west. 
“ These spots on the bark of the tree are caused by the hot 
sun. Where there are small orchards, a sure remedy is to 
place a narrow board on the south-west side of the tree, to 
shade it. 
“ In sections where there are very hard winters, and trees 
are destroyed as above stated, they should be very low headed. 
As soon as the trees get two or three years of age, and well 
headed, there is very little danger of such trouble. 
“ In any case, they should be sloped well in planting, to the 
south-west, which will be sure to remedy the trouble very 
materially. 
Toronto, Ont. W. E. Wellington. 
CROP REPORT. 
The crop report for September is as follows : 
While a decline in the condition of apples is reported from almost 
every important apple growing state, the condition is still above the 
ten-year average in 37 of the 45 states from which reports have been 
received and considerably above such average in Ihe important states 
of Maine. New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, 
Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. 
The peach crop of 1900 has been one of the largest, if not absolutely 
the largest on record, the production in New Jersey, North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia and Tennessee, 
being double or nearly double the ten-year average ; in Delaware, 
Maryland, Virginia and Georgia, more than double such average ; and 
in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Arkan¬ 
sas, 50 per cent, more above the respective averages of those states for 
the last ten years. 
Theodore Bechtel, Ocean Springs, Miss., Sept. 3, 1900.— “I 
feel as though I were out of the profession when I do not see the 
National Nurseryman.” 
A GREAT PEAR TREE. 
Quincy, Ills., boasts of the greatest pear tree in the West 
It is located on the premises of Mrs. Schraag, 924 State street 
It is 28 years old and for twenty years it has been bearing 
pears, the average weight of which for the twenty years has 
been one pound. These pears have never brought less than 
$2 a bushel and the yield has varied from eight to fifteen bush¬ 
els. Last year the yield was twelve bushels. The prospects 
are good for another big yield this year, but as the pears are 
only half grown it is impossible to make an estimate at this 
time. The tree stands thirty-five feet high and the longest 
branches are fifteen feet in length.—Coleman’s Rural World. 
THE WILLETT PEACH. 
Wallace P. Willett, writing to the Country Gentleman, notes 
the fact that the Willett Peach is one of the seven varieties 
that did well in a trial of 225 varieties at the Michigan Exper¬ 
iment Station. He says that the original seedling tree was 
grown in the yard of his city home, no W. 48 th St., New 
York city, from a peach stone brought from South America. 
He exhibited specimens at the American Institute fair in 1874 
and received a diploma. He writes : 
A nurseryman who saw the peaches there, begged of me some cut¬ 
tings the following year, which I sent him, and from those cuttings he 
propagated the Willett peach. I also sent him fruit from the original 
tree, which fruit he placed before the Pomological Society of the State 
of New York, who named it the “ Willett Seedling,” and pronounced 
it “the finest late peach grown,” as he wrote me. I have never taken 
the trouble to look up that record, and don’t know if it exists to-day. 
I have never been without the Willett peach, and never failed in any 
year to have specimens measuring at least 9 inches in circumference 
and weighing at least 9 ounces each, always having received my fresh 
supply from said nurseryman until his death, His successors have not 
been as careful of the propagation, and quite shamed me with my 
friends, among whom I have been accustomed to distribute trees, by 
sending me for the Willett an entirely different and inferior peach ; 
in fact a white clingstone, which decayed on the trees before ripening. 
Fortunately, I had several true Willetts on my place, and now produce 
my own trees, true to name. I find the Willett is entered in many 
catalogues South and North, and now West. 
Sitting on my piazza two autumns ago, a tree agent came along 
soliciting orders. Looking over his catalogue, I was confronted with 
a fine picture of the “ Willett Seedling” peach, with letter-press copy 
of myself as its producer, with all particulars. I took the gentleman 
to my peach garden, and showed him the perfected originals of his 
drawings. 
Now, after 25 years’ test, if the testimony of those who see and taste 
and raise the Willett peach from trees that I have distributed is worth 
anything, it is not too much to say, as said the Pomological Society, 
the first years of its introduction, “The Willett Seedling is the finest 
late peach grown,” and I may perhaps congratulate myself on having 
given to the world a peach of beauty and a joy forever. 
FROM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. 
William Fell, Hexham, England, established upwards of a century, 
by royal warrant nurseryman to II. R. II. the Prince of Wales, Aug. 
18, 1900.—“ We have pleasure in handing you herewith subscription 
for the National Nurseryman for 12 months. Kindly acknowledge 
receipt. 
“We consider your journal an excellent trade organ. The articles 
which appear therein from time to time, discussing and bearing upon 
trade questions, have been read by us with much pleasure and interest 
and we feel sure that the discussion of the many important questions 
that have appeared in your paper have a beneficial effect all round 
bearing on scientific as well as trade subjects.” 
