THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
FRUIT US MOISTAISA . 
Trees and Shrubs Which Thrive There—Those Which Do Not— 
A Productive Soil—Growth of Commercial Orchard Demands 
In Mountain States—Large Field Open to Nurserymen. 
S. M. Emery, Bozeman, Mont., introducing his subject 
“ Fruit Prospects in Montana” at the Omaha convention said: 
“ Though seven years have elapsed since I met with you it 
seems but yesterday. I fully appreciate the pleasure of this 
meeting. Now you talk about coming to the West when you 
come to Omaha. Why bless your souls, you just entered the 
western territory when you crossed the Missouri river. 
Montana is half way between the Pacific coast and the great 
lakes. We consider Omaha as the effete East. Montana is 
half way between the Pacific and the great lakes and I beg of 
you not to encourage the feeling that you are in the West.” 
Taking up the subject proper, Professor Emery said : 
“ Montana lies along the backbone and ribs of the main range 
of the Rockies, and as the epicure finds the choicest, tenderest 
cuts of the animal along either side of the backbone, so do we 
catch the richest soils of this continent along the valleys 
which are the natural water-courses draining these sources of 
perennial moisture. 
“ The geologists and soil experts give us a scientific disser¬ 
tation upon the formation of this country, in which they say: 
‘ There is seldom a difference between the soil and subsoil, as 
there is under the more humid climate of the East. The soils 
generally are silty in character and contain relatively little 
very fine material having the properties of clay. The relation 
of some of these soils to water and crops is very remarkable. 
They absorb moisture so readily, lose it through evaporation 
so slowly, and yet supply the needs of plants so regularly and 
abundantly, that they can stand long periods of drought, dur¬ 
ing which the crops continue to grow without any signs of suf¬ 
fering for lack of water. The farmer in these favored sections 
is as familiar with the fact that certain soils will withstand 
drought of six months’ duration as our eastern farmer is that 
his crops require rain at intervals of a week or ten days. 
“ Chemical analysis shows a double content of the three 
great essentials, nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid, and 
doubtless when the great original mud-pie of the Montana 
regions was manufactured, double handsful of these potent 
seasoners were stirred in, in place of the usual quantity. We 
are not dependent solely upon the scientific labors of the 
chemist for this knowledge. Each plant that grows in this 
matchless soil gives eloquent testimony to the character of the 
food it receives. Frequently wheat, barley and oats yielding 
60, 75 and 125 bushels respectively, give satisfying proof of 
soil fertility. Potatoes have turned out at the rate of 1,200 
bushels per acre, and alfalfa, the king of all crops, frequently 
gives seven tons per annum. 
“ Of wild fruits, there are strawberries, the size of walnuts, 
huckleberries that cannot be passed through a medium sized 
finger ring, gooseberries, raspberries, service berries, elder 
berries, currants, buffalo berries and plums, and the general 
quality and superabundance of the wild fruits is the most seri¬ 
ous bar to the fhtroduction of domestic varieties. 
‘ Since 1867 a few enthusiastic Johnny apple seeds have 
been planting trial orchards. Early shipments of trees came 
by mule train or pack saddles, by freight teams, by steamboat 
and under conditions that would seemingly deter the most 
enthusiastic amateur from attempting to secure stock. They 
were experimenting with the same apples that were set in 
Minnesota and Wisconsin 31 years ago, with the difference 
that whereas in the latter states one must hunt up the original 
order sheets to remember what was purported to have been 
purchased, all other evidence of the transaction having been 
obliterated in Montana, many of these old pioneers are stand- 
* n g> vigorous and thrifty producers of full crops of splendid 
fruit. Delaware Red, McIntosh Red, Alexander, Wealthy and 
Duchess apples, Peach, Bradshaw, Lombard, Yellow Egg, 
Pond’s Seedling plums, Bartlett pear, Clapp’s Flemish Beauty 
pears, Early Richmond, Windsor, Bigarreau, Montmorency 
cherries are leading varieties for Montana.” 
Professor Emery gave the result of tests with shrubs. Of 
five varieties of lilac, white althea, flowering currant, sumach, 
snowball, two Tartarian honeysuckle, alder and golden alder, 
all were dead ; of three varieties of spireas, Japan quince, 
Kerria japonica, one-third were dead ; of two varieties bar¬ 
berry, tamarix, flowering plum, ilex, mahonia, two-thirds were 
dead. Of the trees that kill were named the Norway maple, 
soft maple, mountain ash, purple beech, purple maple, golden 
elm. Of the trees which live are the horse chestnut, European 
linden, purple maple, cut-leaf birch, white ash, Kilmarnock 
willow. 
“ I have been amazed,” said he “that intelligent progres¬ 
sive men, as many of you are known to be, should have over¬ 
looked the mountain states and have been content to fill orders 
calling for single dozens when good men are planting a 
hundredfold as many in single orchards in the mountain 
states. Single orchards run from 500 acres and downward. 
The last census of the United States showed a per capita 
wealth of $3,249 in Montana.” 
AN ENTERPRISING FIRM. 
In spite of the “ hard times ” cry, almost universal among 
nurserymen, unmistakable evidence of prosperity may be seen 
at the establishment of Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, New 
York. This enterprising house is this summer adding to their 
already complete plant another large storage cellar one hun¬ 
dred feet long by sixty feet wide, a larger packing shed and 
three additional greenhouses each ninety feet long by fourteen 
feet wide. 
The cellar is one of the best constructed buildings of its kind 
and for its purpose to be found anywhere and will undoubt¬ 
edly prove of the greatest advantage and convenience and it, 
together with the cellars previously built, will give Jackson & 
Perkins Co. storage room to the extent of nearly 300,000 cubic 
feet. 
The erection of the three new greenhouses was made neces¬ 
sary by the marvelously increased trade of this firm upon own 
root roses. This line has always been a leading specialty with 
them and of late years they have found it quite impossible to 
fill anywhere near the demands of their trade With the addi¬ 
tion of these new greenhouses, they expect to propagate a 
plump one-half million of roses a year, besides almost an equal 
quantity of clematis and other plants. 
PLEASED WITH IT. 
Elmer Sherwood, Odessa, N. Y.. June 30, 1898.—“ Enclosed find 
$1.00 for a year’s subscription to the National Nurseryman, which 
I consider the brightest trade journal iu existence.” 
