4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN, 
THE Hi. ULTURISTS. 
Nine Societies Hold Annual ..eetlngs—Nurserymen in the Front 
Ranh at All of Them—New Jersey, Kansas, Vermont, 
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska, Ontario, West, 
ern New York and the Northwest. 
The Kansas State Horticultural Society held its thirty-first 
annual meeting at Topeka, December 28-30. President Fred 
Wellhouse and other prominent fruit growers were present. 
Much discussion arose on the culture of the apple. B. F. 
Smith, Lawrence, spoke of new fruits and nomenclature. He 
said less improvemant in apples has resulted than in any other 
fruit. A. H. Griesa, Lawrence, urged the weeding out of 
worthless fruits. J. W. Knodel, Woodruff, discussed the 
growth of evergreens in Northwestern Kansas. J. F. Cecil, 
Topeka, reported on small fruits. William Cutter, Junction 
City, reported on peaches and grapes, and A. L. Brooke, 
North Topeka, on legislation. Edward Taylor, Edwardsville, 
thought the question of dealing with insect enemies should be 
left to the enterprise of individuals. Mr. Brooke thought 
there should be legislation to authorize a state entomologist to 
inspect nurseries and orchards. “ I think San Jose scale a 
serious thing, and most uncomfortably close to us,” said he, 
“and it will be closer. We should make a strong effort to 
combat scale.” Other nurserymen present were: Mr. Holman, 
of Leavenworth; Mr. Stannard, of Ottawa; W. J. Peters and 
J. H. Skinner, North Topeka; L. R. Taylor, Topeka, and E. 
Albertson, Ind. 
Professor H. E. Van Deman described Kansas’ rank in horti¬ 
culture. • 
Reports from the various counties on insects show them 
pretty general over the fruit area. No San Jose scale was 
reported, but codling moth, plum and apple curculio, tent 
caterpillar, fall web worm and root louse are numerous. 
The following officers were elected: President, Hon. Fred 
Wellhouse, Topeka; vice-president, Hon. J. W. Robertson, 
El Dorado; treasurer, Major Frank Holsinger, Rosedale; sec¬ 
retary, William H. Barnes; entomologist, E. A. Popenoe. 
VERMONT. 
The second annual winter meeting of the Vermont Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at Middleburg January nth and 12th, 
and was a great success. The attendance was not very large, 
but the programme was good and the papers exceptionally 
meritorious. The discussion over apple growing, spraying, 
insects, grape culture and plum growing were especially 
energetic and interesting. Considerable dissatisfaction was 
expressed with the present list of market apples ; though gen¬ 
eral opinion favored Baldwin, R. I. Greening, Northern Spy, 
York and Fameuse. The Vermont growers of Arctic were 
not represented at this meeting. Railroad worms and tent 
caterpillars have been giving a good deal of trouble and much 
anxiety is felt about the San Jose scale. 
C. A. Hiijisdill gave a live paper on grape growing. Moore’s 
Early, in h.'s opinion, is best of all grapes for Vermont. He 
recommended also Worden, Delaware, Diamond and Green 
Mountain. Some combination of spur and renewal pruning is 
usually best, but most folks don’t prune enough. 
Professor F. A. Waugh gave an illustrated lecture on “The 
Fine Art of Girdening,” advising the selection of common 
hardy plants for ornamental planting and their arrangement in 
simple groupings, instead of in helter-skelter, unmeaning mix¬ 
tures. 
J. E. Crane spoke highly of Japanese plums, several varie¬ 
ties of which he has fruited. He specially recommended Red 
June, Abundance, Burbank. All these are hardy and reliable 
in Vermont. They are comparatively, but not quite, free from 
black knot and curculio. 
L. M. Macomber has had best success with American plums, 
esp-.cially Americana and Chickasaw varieties. The latter are 
mostly quite hardy, especially after they become established. 
Pottowattomie has been a constant and successful bearer. 
DeSoto and Wolf have also proved profitable. 
A. A. Halladay has made money with plums, especially with 
Lombard and the Japans. Of the latter, Burbank seems to be 
best and most profitable. He has proved by extended experi¬ 
ments that close pruning and careful thinning of the fruit are 
very profitable operations in plum culture. 
The old officers were re-elected as follows: T. L. Kinney, 
president, and F. A Waugh, Burlington, secretary. Among 
the nurserymen of the society present were Charles A. Hinsdill, 
North Bennington; Luther Putnam, Cambridge; F. W. Spicer, 
East Enosburgh; T. H. Hoskins, Newport. 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
The thirty-ninth annual meeting of the Pennsylvania State 
Horticultural Society was held at Lancaster, January 18-19. 
Among the nurserymen present were Calvin Cooper, Bird-in¬ 
hand ; W. P. Brinton, Christiana ; Howard A. Chase, Phila¬ 
delphia ; W. B. K. Johnson, Allentown ; William H. Moon, 
Morrisville ; J. G. Engle, Marietta; John F. Rupp, Shire- 
manstown ; T. C. Woods, Harrisburg ; Thomas Rakestraw, 
J. W. Pyle, Willowdale. Professor S. B. Heiges, U. S. pomolo- 
gist, president of the society, and Dr. George G. Groff, of 
Bucknell University, gave the society the benefit of their 
special knowledge. The latter discussed the outlook in the 
state regarding San Jose scale. 
J W. Kerr, of Denton, Md., read an excellent paper on 
“ The Future of Plum Culture.” He said : “We are still 
struggling with the alphabet of its culture, but with rational 
methods.and conservative plans, plum growing may become 
profitable to the raiser.” Mr. Kerr has an orchard of over 
7,000 plum trees. In answer to a question as to what native 
variety he would recommend for planting, he replied that the 
Charles Downing, the Milton, the Whitaker, Chickasaw, 
Smiley and Wild Goose are to be preferred. 
The following officers were elected : President, S. B. 
Heiges, York ; first vice president, Howard A. Chase, Philadel¬ 
phia ; second vice president, Calvin Cooper, Bird-in-FIand ; 
third vice president, Gabriel Heister, Harrisburg ; recording 
secretary, Cyrus I\ Fox, Reading ; corresponding secretary, 
W. P. Brinton, Christiana; treasurer, J. Hibbard Bartram, 
Milltown. Harrisburg was selected for the next place of 
meeting. 
NEW JERSEY. 
The twenty-third annual meeting of the New Jersey Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at Trenton January 5th and 6th. 
Professor John B. Smith, state entomologist, spoke on “Insects 
Injurious to Fruit in 1897.” Among other things, he said: 
I know that you all expect to hear something of the San Jose scale. 
I am happy to be able to say that I believe that the insect can be con¬ 
trolled with comparatively little trouble, but will say at once that no 
such thing as extermination now is possible in this state, though it is 
possible to completely rid one or a hundred trees or an entire orchard, 
