142 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
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, ______ .-75 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance, - - - 1.50 
Six Months, “ “ _ _ _ i.oo 
Advertising rates will be sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this oflBce by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. 
IC^’*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., November, 1897, 
THE FALL TRADE. 
Special reports to the National Nurseryman regarding 
fall sales indicate the usual amount of business was done in 
most instances, and in many there was a marked increase. 
Prices remain low, but there is a general feeling of confidence 
that the spring business will be much better. Trade through¬ 
out the West and Northwest has greatly improved over that of 
last year. Crops have been large and the growth of nursery 
stock has been good. 
The revival in business conditions generally came too late 
this year to help nurserymen to a marked extent. The long 
spell of dry weather deterred much business until spring, and 
the San Jose scale talk may have had some effect upon the 
plans of planters in certain localities. But the business already 
contracted for spring is very encouraging, and the promise of 
a shortage in certain lines of stock gives hope that prices may 
materially improve in the spring. 
We take this occasion to thank our correspondents for their 
active interest in reporting conditions in their respective locali¬ 
ties, and the outlook generally as it appears to them. We are 
assured by nurserymen that our trade reports are of much 
interest. Their co-operation in this matter produces a feature 
that represents in a marked degree the advantages of a trade 
journal. 
LAWS AND PESrS. 
The subject uppermost in the minds of nurserymen during 
the present year has been insect legislation. The history of 
the nursery business must record that in 1897 the chief topic 
that engaged the attention of nurserymen, horticulturists and 
entomologists was that relating to fruit and tree pests, and par¬ 
ticularly the San Jose scale. 
And now, just at this period of cessation in law making, it 
is well to pause and review the situation. As the result of 
the rapid increase of injurious insects and plant diseases, many 
of the states have adopted laws governing the treatment of 
orchards or nursery stock, or both. And an effort has been 
made to secure federal legislation upon the subject. A bill 
prepared by the American Association of Nurserymen at its 
last annual convention, in St. Louis, is awaiting introduction 
in congress, endorsed by the leading nurserymen of the coun¬ 
try and by leading entomologists. 
In the meantime nurserymen are cheerfully complying with 
the provisions of state laws regarding the shipment of stock 
and entomologists are studying the subject of insect pests with 
great vigor in the endeavor to present to nurserymen and 
horticulturists additional information whereby the progress of 
the pests may be retarded, and the pests if possible exterm¬ 
inated. 
As the result of a calm consideration of the subject, which 
the National Nurseryman was foremost in advocating, en¬ 
tomologists, horticulturists and nurserymen have evinced a 
disposition to get together and by every means in their power 
co-operate for the common object. 
Pending the resumption of active measures in the direction 
of additional legislation, it may be of advantage to consider 
the views of those who have made a long study of the subject, 
in the light of special knowledge and experience upon their 
part. Reports of the discovery of pests in certain localities 
are apt to concentrate attention upon a special pest or a 
special locality and cause the general situation to be over¬ 
looked. The question has reached a stage where it is neces¬ 
sary to take a broad view of the field and endeavor to settle 
upon a plan systematic and somewhat permanent as against 
the desultory action that has prevailed. 
In the October issue of this journal the views of a contribu¬ 
tor upon the subject suggested strongly the idea of co-opera¬ 
tion which we have earnestly advocated from the outset and 
which, we believe, is now admitted by all to be the proper 
method. And while laws are doubtless necessary, it appears 
to be the general opinion among those who have given the sub¬ 
ject the most thought and who are best qualified to judge, that 
obnoxious laws are unnecessary. 
No one, we believe, will controvert for a moment the asser¬ 
tion that Professor Liberty H. Bailey of the horticultural de¬ 
partment of Cornell University is one of the most prominent 
specialists in the country, and that he has proved by his 
earnest work and prolific results that he is heart and hand in 
sympathy with the fruit growing interests of the Union. In 
his latest book, “ The Principles of Fruit Growing,” which 
has received the highest commendation by the horticultural 
press of two continents, he has devoted some of the early 
pages to the subject under consideration. 
In Professor Bailey’s remarks, reproduced in another column 
of this issue, he calls attention to the insurmountable difficul¬ 
ties in the enforcement of laws designed to control the spread 
of noxious insects and fungi, and suggests that the best laws 
of this nature are probably those which are not mandatory, 
but which provide a protection or a legal remedy in case any 
person considers himself to be endangered or injured by the 
perverseness or the negligence of another. “ And,” he adds 
