THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
114 
The National Nurseryman. 
C. L. YATES, Proprietor. RALPH T. OLCOTT, Editor. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., 
305 Cox Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
The only trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in Nursery Stock of 
all kinds It circulates throughout the United States and Canada. 
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 
One year, in advance, _____ $1.00 
Six Months, ______ 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance, - - - 1.50 
Six Months, “ “ - - - 1.00 
Advertising rates will be sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. 
[^’“Drafts on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are 
requested. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester, as second-class matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., September, 1897. 
TRADE CONDITIONS. 
There are indications upon all sides that business conditions 
throughout the country are improving. Whether or not it is 
admitted that this improvement is the result of a change of 
federal administration, it is certain that the settlement of the 
tariff question has been the chief cause of effects now noted. 
And aside from the particular tariff schedules enacted, it is 
admitted that confidence has been restored in business circles 
by a knowledge of where we stand ; that the assurance of even 
four years of freedom from tariff changes, regardless of the 
nature of the measure itself, will give a new lease to business 
life. 
So far as the nursery schedule is concerned, the new tariff is 
a compromise. Opinions of leading nurserymen, the members 
of the tariff committee of the American Association, are given 
in another column. All national tariff measures must be com¬ 
promises so long as present tariff-making methods prevail. It 
is far better, generally speaking, for the stability of the coun¬ 
try, that there should be a compromise, and so avoid, as far as 
possible, radical changes corresponding to the extreme views 
of either of the dominant parties. But the next revision of 
the tariff should be scientific rather than partisan. To Senator 
William B. Allison, of Iowa, much credit is due for the reten¬ 
tion of as many of the nurserymen’s suggestions as appear in 
the new schedule, in spite of the opposition headed by Senator 
Vest. One of the principal points in which the new tariff dif¬ 
fers from the old one is the substitution of specific for 
ad valorem duties to a considerable extent. This is noticeable 
in the nursery schedule. It is argued that the specific system 
is a more certain producer of revenue, and prevents fraudulent 
valuations at the custom house. With an ad valorem duty 
the protection is less as foreign prices decrease, and that is 
just the time protection is most needed. 
It is believed that there are better days in store in the imme¬ 
diate future for the American farmer, upon whose prosperity 
depends the welfare of the country. No trade is more directly 
affected by the farmers’ adversity or prosperity than is the 
nursery trade. There is a prospect of a very large European 
demand upon this year’s wheat crop of the United States, 
which is expected to be at least 30,000,000 bushels larger than 
that of last year, while the average price is likely to remain 
twenty cents per bushel higher than that of last year. The 
farmers of the Western states have been driven to the utmost 
economy by the experience of the last few years. The ten¬ 
dency among them will be to devote attention to making 
investments only where profits appear to be reasonably sure. 
This tendency will easily be directed to the planting of com¬ 
mercial orchards as the result of the marked success in fruit¬ 
growing of recent years, when fruit-growing is made a specialty; 
and as the result, also, of improved conditions which will sup¬ 
ply means for procuring the trees. 
In addition to the favorable conditions in internal affairs, 
there is promise of largely increased returns from our foreign 
trade. For the year ended June ist, our export trade was the 
largest in the history of the country, exceeding $1,050,000,000. 
That of the preceding year was $880,000,000. The balance 
of trade for the fiscal year would have been nearly $400,000,- 
000, had it not been that during the last four months many 
large importations were made in anticipation of new tariff 
rates. 
The nursery trade will share the feeling of confidence in the 
promise of better times. 
DANSVILLE STOCK IS PRIME. 
In the August issue of the National Nurseryman our 
Dansville, N. Y., correspondence was to the effect that drought 
had affected nursery stock at that point. Leading Dansville 
nurserymen at once declared that they had experienced no 
drought, and that all Dansville stock was in unusually fine 
condition. 
We were at a lo'S to account for the conflicting statements, 
but upon investigation found that the correspondent under 
date of July 15th had exaggerated the effect of the extremely 
hot weather of the preceding fortnight, when the Genesee val¬ 
ley was the hottest place in the United States, the mercury 
reaching 98° and 99°. It was fear that was not realized. 
The fact is, that nursery stock at Dansville was not in 
the least affected, and that under the copious rains of the 
latter half of July the stock has the appearance of the finest 
in Western New York. Nurserymen who have been going to 
and from Dansville lately from various parts of the country 
bear testimony to this effect. 
TRADE BRIGHTENING UP. 
M. J. Wragg, of John Wragg & Sons Co., Waukee, la.: 
“The outlook for trade is brightening up, and there seems 
to be a healthy demand for the time of year. Our sales to 
date are better than they have been in some years. The fruit 
crop with us is better than we have had in several years past. 
All kinds of small fruits in abundance. Cherries were a heavy 
crop. Grapes and blackberries promise well. Plums and ap¬ 
ples we believe will be above the average.’’ 
