THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
116 
early to say anything about spring trade. The prospect seems 
to me fair, as I have already filled more orders for spring de¬ 
livery than ever before at this season.” 
Springfield, N. J., Oct. 17.—Flemer & Felmly : “We 
are doing our usual fall business in the retail department and 
think our trade orders will exceed those of a year ago by 25 
per cent. We note a brisk demand for apple and cherry. 
Pear, plum and peach are moving slowly. We are looking for 
a brisk spring trade.” 
West Chester, Pa., Oct. 17.—George Achelis : “ In re¬ 
gard to this fall’s trade, I would say that it opens out rather 
slowly, most likely on account of having too warm weather 
and no night frosts. Last night we had the'first white frost. 
I believe that the sales will come up to those of last fall in 
number, but may amount to more in money, because apple 
trees are higher in price and in better demand. Cherries, too, 
command a better price and promise to be very scarce for 
next spring. I could not express any opinion in regard to the 
prospects for spring—it would only be guess-work.” 
Boston, Oct. 24—Harlan P. Kelsey: “Fall sales are 
very satisfactory so far, and prospects are especially good 
for spring trade.” 
CENTRAL STATES. 
Painesville, O., October 14,—The Storrs and Harrison 
Co : “ We have been having wet weather and are behind on 
digging and are too busy to tell much about aggregate busi¬ 
ness. We should judge, however, that orders for fall will foot 
up in the aggregate fully as much, if not more, than last fall, 
and some stock at better prices. 
“We consider the prospect for next spring to be the best 
the nursery trade has had for a good many years, and believe 
before the close of spring that stock will be closer than it has 
been in this country for years. There is no reason why all 
kinds of stock should not bring an advanced price for next 
spring.” 
Bridgeport, Ind., October 14,—Albertson & Hobbs: 
“ Our agents’sales for this fall are fully equal in amount to 
those of a year ago and made by about two-thirds the force, 
so we consider them better than we have had for some years 
and think more care has been taken in securing them. In¬ 
quiries at wholesale are very strong and it seems that the sup¬ 
ply of stock is going to be used up very close. In fact there 
will be but little surplus for spring. Agents generally report 
bright prospects for spring trade while prices at wholesale have 
advanced very materially, especially on apple and cherry ; and 
we miss our guess if there does not prove to be a shortage on 
other lines of stock before spring and if they do not command 
better prices than they have been. We are just commencing 
our packing. Season has been very warm and it is really too 
early to give an intelligent report.” 
Spaulding, III., October 15,—Spaulding Nursery Co.: 
“ Wholesale trade this fall is very good, considerably better 
than we expected, especially on standard pear. We feared 
our fine blocks of pears would go begging and that we would 
probably burn some next spring, but fall trade is playing havoc 
with our blocks, selling at fair to good market prices. Retail 
trade for fall is considerably larger than fall ’97. Some buyers 
will not get all their wants supplied for spring 1899. 
Normal, III., Oct. 20,—W. A. Watson & Co.: 
ness is somewhat better than a year ago. 
and prices on some items have improved. Pear and plum are 
very abundant and prices are very low, while cherry and apple 
have almost doubled in price since a year ago. We look for 
a very heavy spring trade.” 
Greenville, O., Oct. 21,—E. M. Buechly : “We find our¬ 
selves at this date with a larger amount of business both 
wholesale and retail than for several years past and everything 
looks favorable for a brisk trade in the spring. We are nearly 
sold out of the Greenville apple already. Berry plants are un¬ 
commonly fine owing to favorable growing weather, and 
promise an enormous crop for 1899.” 
New Carlisle, O., Oct. 21,—W. N. Scarff: “Our sales to 
date are equal to last year. Orders running strong on rasp¬ 
berries, currants, blackberry plants, black-cap tips and straw¬ 
berry plants. The prospects for spring are certainly good as 
there is not 50 per cent of the small fruit stock in the country 
there was last fall. Owing to the advance in fruit trees; many 
dealers expect to work small fruits which will also help the 
demand.” 
IN THE SOUTH. 
Baltimore, Oct. 15.—Franklin Davis Nursery Co.: “The 
season with us is very late and orders up to this time have not 
come in quite so freely as last year. However, there seems 
to be considerable inquiry and, in our judgment, there is a 
better tone to the market than a year ago. We expect our 
usual trade for spring.” 
Berlin, Md., Oct. 13 . —J. G. Harrison & Sons : “ Our fall 
sales so far have been lighter than we have had them some 
seasons, but the demand is very strong, and, as we stated some 
time ago, there will be an increase in the price of peach trees 
before January 1st, as there is not a very heavy supply of 
peach in the country or in localities that are free from scale 
and other pests. We have had some parties write us saying 
they hoped the letter I wrote in the National Nurseryman 
some time ago would come out true in regard to the increase 
of prices of trees. We have a fair reason to believe that we 
will get better prices before the first of April than we have 
sold stock for in several years.” 
Richmond, Va., Oct. 17.—W. T. Hood: “Our sales have 
been one-fourth less than last season for fall sales, and it has 
been much harder to sell in our territory. The weekly aver¬ 
age of agents has been a quarter to a third less than in former 
years. I think that the low prices at which trees were sold 
and offered to the trade and large planters has had a great 
deal to do with the agents making small sales. We reduced 
the prices last spring on apple, standard pear and peaches, 
and we will have to handle nearly as many trees as we did last 
season, and we will not have much surplus to offer the trade 
for spring except in peaches. Our planting of this season 
has done well, especially of apple, which we think will make 
us a fine lot of trees for fall of ’99. We do not do much for 
spring but sell our surplus to the trade, which we hope will be 
better than last year, as we had to burn last spring nearly 
100,000 of peach, apple and pears. With us, if we do not dig 
apple at two years we have a large portion that is too large at 
three years and never hold over as four years.” 
18,—C. M. Griffing, secretary and 
“ It is rather early in 
trade, as we are just 
Judging from the lively demand there 
j Macclenny, Fla., Oct. 
treasurer of the Griffing Brothers Co.: 
Fall busi-Jfcthe season to give a report on our fall 
Orders are larger ^(commencing to ship. 
