THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
116 
IN THE CENTRAL STATES . 
Conservative Estimate by Storrs & Harrison Co.—Late Season 
Hampers Work of Moving Stock — Shortage in Apple and 
Cherry Due to Failure of Full Crop Rather Than 
to Excessive Demand—At Xenia, O., 
and Bridgeport, Ind. 
Painesville, O., October 22.—The Storrs & Harrison Co.: 
“ It has been a very dry fall in this vicinity, and to a consid¬ 
erable extent, in that portion of the country from which the 
bulk of our business is drawn, and we think perhaps the soil> 
being so extremely dry for planting, may have discouraged 
some from planting. From this, or some other cause, the de¬ 
mand has not been as great as we had anticipated. Still we 
have been busy, have had no frost to date to loosen the leaves, 
making the stripping slow and expensive. This, with the 
dry, hard ground, has made it slow getting out nursery stock ; 
and, notwithstanding, we have had the aid of Mr. Adams’ 
patent steam digger, we have found it difficult to keep up with 
our orders with over two hundred hands employed. We find 
the switch from the L. S. & M. S. Ry. to our packing house 
greatly facilitates shipping, and is especially advantageous in 
loading bulk cars. 
“As to the prospect of the nursery business, we think it 
might be brighter than it is, for, if these prosperous times do 
hot create a demand for nursery products, equal to the pro¬ 
duction, what will be the result when the times change and 
demand falls off. At present there appears to be an abund¬ 
ance, if not an excess, of most things in the fruit line, except 
apple and cherry, and the shortage in these two items is not 
so much due to an excessive demand as to failure of a full 
crop of trees from various causes. Ornamental trees are doing 
about the same as fruit trees, there being an apparent shortage 
in a few things, and a surplus in the many.” 
Xenia, O., October 17.—McNary & Gaines : “This being 
our first business at this point, we cannot make comparisons 
with former years. Our trade, however, is good. The ex¬ 
tremely warm weather in the early part of the season caused 
it to open up rather sluggishly, but this soon changed to a 
steady active demand for almost all lines of stock. Business 
has the right tone, and indications are favorable for an active 
spring trade, when the anticipated shortages in some lines will 
be fully realized.” 
Bridgeport, Ind.. October 18.—Albertson & Hobbs : “It 
is too early yet to say very much about fall sales. The sea¬ 
son is very late with us, and it is only this week that we have 
had frost enough to cut the leaves and ripen up stock that 
grows late. Much of it yet green for handling. 
“ We think a great mistake is made in attempting to handle 
stock before it is properly matured. Our orders up to the 
present time are fully equal to our expectations, and ahead of 
those of any for the past five years. Inquiries and orders con¬ 
tinue to come in, and it looks like there was going to be a 
pretty good general clean-up, and that for spring many kinds 
of stock would be scarce. With prices as they are now rolling, 
the nurseryman will certainly have very little chance to com¬ 
plain of this year’s business. Certainly, many who put off 
supplying their wants until late will find it very hard to do so 
if special varieties can be had at any price, 
“We have had a very good growing season, and stock is in 
nice shape, excepting late ripening. With the present condi¬ 
tions, the collections should certainly be good, and when the 
fall balance is made up it should show up very nicely. 
“Apple, cherry, and Keiffer pears will certainly be very 
scarce, and other kinds of stock will be used up well. We 
also look for a shortage in apple seedlings before the season 
is over.” 
Vincennes, Ind., October 23. —H. M. Simpson & Sons : 
“While it is a little early to tell definitely how the present 
fall’s business will compare with last fall’s, we believe it will 
be fully double. We are having a very busy trade on one-year 
cherry at good prices, and we cannot complain of any single 
kind, unless it is peach, which are going a little slow. The 
season has been remarkable for warm, fine weather, and just 
enough rain to make the ground dig well. We have had but 
three good frosts thus far, which makes stripping a little more 
expensive. 
“ Prospects for spring are flattering, and we will have good 
stock of apple, peach, plum, and two-year cherry to offer. 
Help is scarce and orders are many.” 
Shenandoah, Ia., October 22. —E. S Welch: “Our fall 
trade has been excellent. Prices are better on the average 
than any season that I can recall. We are still busy packing 
and shipping for the regular fall deliveries, and will not get 
through before the first of November. There is a brisk de¬ 
mand for all lines of stock, and we notice considerable im¬ 
provement in the trade for ornamental trees, shrubs, roses, etc., 
over other years. 
“The demand for apple, cherry, and Americana plum is 
very active, and I think these lines will be cleaned up very 
close by the time spring trade is over. Collections are good.” 
NURSERY INSPECTION IN NEW YORK. 
. Under date of October 2, C. A. Wieting, Commissioner of 
Agriculture of New York State wrote : 
“The Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of 
inspection up to the first of October 1900 to 338 nurserymen, 
348 duplicates have been issued for filing in other states. 
The inspectors examined no orchards having an acreage of 
2,724. 
“In 1898, 6,749 acres of nurseries and 469 acres of vine¬ 
yards were inspected. 
“In 1899,6,015 acres of nurseries and 817 acres of vine¬ 
yards, 499 certificates were issued to nurserymen and 64 cer¬ 
tificates were issued to vineyardists " 
OPENING FOR FRUIT GROWING. 
Colman’s Rural World says in a recent issue: 
There is a region within 50 or 60 miles of St. Louis in which land is 
yet very cheap and which is as well suited to pear growing as is the 
famous Huntsville, Ala., distriit; and not only for pears, but all fruits. 
This opinion is fully concurred in by such authorities in fruit growing 
as R. J. Bagby, New Haven, Mo.;M. Butterfield, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 
and N. F. Murray, Oregon, Mo. An additional point of advantage 
that this Southeast Missouri country has for fruit growing is that there 
is a large population in that district engaged in the mining industry 
and which affords a splendid local market for fruit and other farm pro¬ 
ducts. It is a matter of surprise that this region has not long since 
been more fully developed agriculturally than it has at this time. 
