408 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
F. A. Wiggins, Vice President and sales manager ot 
the Washington Nursery Go., Toppenisli, Wash., writes: 
There is a growing feeling among coast nurserymen 
that the American nurserymen must get out from the con¬ 
tinued purchase of European grown nursery stock. Loss 
and shrinkage is always so heavy that we can well afford 
to pay, if necessary, considerably more for American 
grown stock. We cover a sufficiently wide range of 
climatic and soil conditions in the United States so that 
we can propagate everything which the nurseryman 
needs. The central states and Pacific states excell par¬ 
ticularly in seedlings, besides almost everything in the 
line of ornamental propagating stock, and the same we 
think is true of the eastern part of our country. In other 
words: by encouraging the development of the industry 
in the various localities where nurserymen excell in the 
propagation of any particular item we can shortly make 
ourselves independent of European growers. 
This question was discussed freely at every session of 
the joint convention of the Pacific Coast and California 
Associations at San Francisco in August, and was in fact 
one of the most lively uiscussions on the program. The 
consensus of opinion among all nurserymen present was 
that the time had come to stand together as American 
nurserymen and help develop that phase of the industry. 
Reasoner Bros., Oneco, Florida, are sending out a very 
beautiful catalogue. A glance through it makes the 
nurseryman realize what an extensive country the 
United States is and what a tremendous variety of plants 
can be grown in the various sections. 
On the outside of the front cover there is a very good 
illustration in colors of the new grapefruit Foster. This 
variety is claimed to be the finest and only grapefruit with 
the rose-pink tinted flesh. The origin is a true sport, a 
single branch on a large Walters tree, discovered by Mr. 
iR. B. Foster, at the Atwood grapefruit grove. Mr. Fos¬ 
ter budded several trees from this sport some years ago 
and has fruited it out several seasons. 
The back cover contains three illustrations in color, 
Common Guavas, Ruby Orange and Seedling Mangos, 
giving the catalogue a very tropical effect. 
Texas is a big state and the people in it have big ideas. 
Walter G. Verhalen. son of George F. Yerhalen, Scotts- 
ville, Texas, called at “The National Nurseryman” office 
looking for information pertaining to the rose market. 
What is the total amount of imports of roses into the 
United States from European sources? 
What quantities of field-grown roses are used for pot 
forcing by eastern florists and the standard varieties 
used for that purpose. 
Is the forcing of the Wichuraiana roses for Easter in 
lieu of Azaleas taking place to any great extent? 
Mr. Yerhalen grows roses almost exclusively on own 
root and has the climate and peculiar local conditions 
that- produce plants suitable for forcing, ripening the 
wood to the very tip. Although a comparatively young 
business, their output is a quarter of a million this year, 
with unlimited capacity for increase and they are looking 
for customers with a capacity to absorb carload lots. 
At the Texas Nurserymen’s meeting, J. R. Mayhew, of 
Sherman, executive committeeman from the southwest 
of the National Nurserymen’s association, spoke on the 
relation of the state associations and the individual nur¬ 
seryman to the national organization. Mr. Mayhew 
stressed the need of co-operation among the nurserymen 
of the nation, and urged every member of the Texas as¬ 
sociation to join the national organization and attend the 
Convention in Milwaukee next June. 
It will be gratifying to nurserymen when the rules 
concerning the shipment of stock by parcel post are 
past the transition stage. Just at present it is very 
difficult to know exactly where we stand. According 
to the ruling of the attorney general of the State of Wash¬ 
ington the law requiring inspection of plants shipped by 
mail is unconstitutional. Possibly if we possess our¬ 
selves with patience a little longer the matter will settle 
itself and we shall be able to ship nursery stock within 
the United States without being hampered by a lot of 
foolish rules and regulations. 
We note with regret “The Fruit Grower and Farmer” 
published at Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, will suspend 
publication until the close of the war. One of the main 
causes given was- the cessation of business by the Ger¬ 
man Potash Syndicate and the reduction of advertising 
by the fertilizer companies. 
A letter from the Aurora Nurseries, Aurora, Illinois, 
advises us that they have had an exceptionally good 
growing year, with the result that ornamental shrubbery 
has made better growth than any previous year. 
“NIPPING TROUBLE IN THE BUD” 
In your Journal, Vol. 23, No. 9, page 328. you give a 
very good article on “Nipping Trouble in the Bud,” which 
interests us very much, inasmuch as we are manufact¬ 
urers of Cyanide. On page 329 underneath the sketch 
of the gas generator arrangement the dosage is given, 
using Cyanide of Potassium.” We wish to call your 
attention that cyanide of potassium has been practically 
displaced by cyanide of sodium for fumigation work as 
well as for other uses to which cyanide is put, and also 
it is very likely that Mr. Dodge did not actually use 
cyanide of potassium, but in its place 98-99 per cent, 
cyanide chloride mixture. He also may have been 
aware of the fact that he did use cyanide chloride mix- 
turt, but has reported in terms of cyanide of potassium 
as this has always been the common way of reporting in 
Nursery Journals. We have found such reports to be 
common among all users of cyanide, some times uninten¬ 
tionally. As there has been a good deal of confusion 
due to the various number of grades of cyanide on the 
market, it would simplify matters greatly if everybody 
would use sodium cyanide and so report. 
R. N. Sargent. 
