THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
ICQ 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE. 
The National Nurseryman, the only trade journal for 
nurserymen, a bound volume of which was on exhibition at 
the Paris Exposition, was awarded the Grand Prize. 
OCTOBER PURPLE PLUM. 
Stephen Hoyt’s Sons, New Canaan, Conn., last month sent 
us samples of. the October Purple plum. The samples were 
over-ripe on arrival, but they indicated what has been repeat¬ 
edly said, that this is one of the best Japanese varieties The 
fruit is of large size, rich purple color, juicy, sweet, and of 
excellent flavor. Stephen Hoyt’s Sons make a specialty of the 
October Purple. 
WORDEN SECKEL PEAR. 
Samples of the Worden Seckel pear received last month 
from Smiths & Powell Co., Syracuse, N. Y., again attested the 
fact that this variety is one of the best, if not indeed the best 
for dessert purposes. Its fine-grained, sweet, juicy flesh, 
brilliant coloring and trim, regular, graceful shape combine to 
make it especially attractive. The samples sent were from 
one tree, a dwarf, six years old, raised in the company’s pri¬ 
vate garden without spraying or any special care. Of the 132 
pears on the tree, all but two were practically perfect. 
FRUIT GROWING IN GEORGIA. 
G. H. Miller, the well-known nurseryman of Rome, Ga., 
president of the • North Georgia Fruit Growers Association, 
and one of the largest orchardists in the state, says that the old 
red hills of Georgia, good for nothing else, have been found to 
contain just the soil for peaches, apples and pears, while the 
climate is all that can be desired. He says that the extent to 
which the new industry has developed is far from being appre¬ 
ciated, even by the people of the South ; that in the territory 
tributary to Rome there are no less than 600,000 peach trees, 
100,000 apple trees and 25,000 pear trees. His estimate as to 
the yield of these trees in a good year is as follows : Peaches, 
1 , 000,000 crates ; apples, 300,000 crates ; pears, 25,000 crates. 
BALTIMORE HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
It is planned to hold a horticultural exhibition in Baltimore 
from May until October, next year. These are the dates of 
the Pan-American Exposition, but it is believed that the recent 
census has shown that there are people enough in the Union to 
make two exhibitions a success; certainly there is fruit enough. 
A committee on arrangements has been appointed. Another 
committee will report on the advisability of organizing a per¬ 
manent horticultural society or of reviving the Maryland 
Horticultural Society. The twenty acres and the large Casino 
building in Electric park will probably be the site of the 
exhibition. 
We hope the project will be carried through successfully 
It cannot fail to add to the demand for nursery stock. 
PEACH GROWING IN NEBRASKA. 
The exhibits at the Nebraska State fair develop the fact that 
a large number of orchardists are planting the peach in com¬ 
mercial quantities. Most of the commercial peach orchards 
are located in the southeastern part of the state. John T. 
Swan of Nemeha county has 8000 peach trees in orchard, and 
will plant nearly as many more in the spring of 1901 . E. M. 
McComus of Nemeha county raised about 5000 bushels this 
season. C. H. Barnard has 25 acres. O. P. Dovel of Nemeha 
county has 2000 trees in orchard. Isaac Williams of Nemeha 
county secured a crop estimated at 2000 bushels this season. 
One orchard located 235 miles northwest of Lincoln well up 
in the northwestern portion of Nebraska, has a promising 
peach orchard of 1500 trees that is reported in good condition 
out of which good results are expected, indicating that the 
peach can be much more widely grown in the state than has 
been thought possible. This orchard is in charge of T. C. 
Jackson, a mile from the ( herry county line, located on the 
North Loup table, where needed moisture is retained entirely 
by cultivation. 
Large exhibits of plums were made by F. R. Martin of 
Omaha, J. A. Yeager of Fremont, E. E. Smith of Lincoln. 
RECOGNITION OF THE ORIGINATOR. 
Again and again have efforts been made to secure protection 
for the originator of varieties, either of fruit or ornamental 
stock, through legislation. It seems to be generally conceded 
that it is impossible to secure anything in the way of a patent 
on varieties. 
It is now proposed that in the absence of protection, there 
may at least be substantial recognition ; that a cash award 
should accompany success in the production of a variety 
having positive merit. 
Along this line are the prizes offered at annual meetings of 
horticultural societies and, of more recent origin, the offering 
of cash prizes of considerable amounts for the origination of 
an ideal. The offer of the Minnesota Society of $ 1,000 for a 
hardy apple as good as the Wealthy leads in this line. A. K. 
Bush, Dover, Minn., in a plea for a generous premium in cash 
or legal protection for any and all worthy seedlings, says : 
If we, as Minnesotans, take this matter in hand and do the right 
thing by a fruit so worthy as the Wealthy, other states, by our example, 
will be more ready and willing to render proper recognition unto their 
valuable seedlings and the men who originate them. In a country like 
ours, where property rights are so jealously guarded by national and 
state legislation, I believe the originator of any seedling tree or plant 
should be able legally to control his production as much as the man who 
patents an invention. I am not able to say just how this can be accomp¬ 
lished and not interfere with a rapid introduction and dissemination of 
those which are really valuable. The proper place to settle those 
questions is not in the courts but before just such gatherings as this, 
where all are interested, practical and intelligent judges of what is 
right and just, also in the best interest of a progressive horticulture, 
such as this society represents, with its membership which we con¬ 
fidently expect will include 1,000 representative Minnesotans during 
the year 1900. The state should be much more interested in seedling 
fruits than we and should pay for them generously. If one citizen can 
afford to give $100 for a collection of seedling apples, the state of Min¬ 
nesota, to maintain its dignity in this matter, should give, at its state 
fairs, at least $1,000 for seedling fruits adapted to our climate, soil and 
other Minnosota conditions. 
