THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
295 
Deans of the Nursery Business 
We are very liai)])y lo have heeii perinitted to ])ul)lisli 
the ])holograi)li of Mr. Abner Iloopes, senior member of 
the linn of Iloopes Ilrolliers and Thomas, West Cliester, 
Pa., and we feel very sure that many readers of the “Na¬ 
tional Nurseryman” will be pleased be waived bis ob- 
jeetions to having bis pieture published for once, es¬ 
pecially those who have bad the ])leasure of meeting and 
knowing Mr. IIoo])es, in years past, and recall bis genial 
})resence at the eonventions in which be took sueb an ac¬ 
tive part. 
It was bis one deep regret that be could not meet bis 
many nurseryman friemls at the Philadelphia Conven¬ 
tion. 
There are few niu’series in Amei'iea that can boast of 
l)eing established on the same gi’ound taken up and 
cleared in Colonial times by the ancestors of tbe ])rescnt 
owners, sueb as is tbe ease with tbe Iloopes Brothers k 
Thomas Co. 
Here is a firm whose family came to America in 1683 
from England, settled in the Chester Valley. 
Tbe great-great grandfallu'r of the pn'sent senior mem- 
b(‘r of tbe firm, Mr. Abner Uoo])es, took uj) the land and 
cleared it, so that tbe land occupied by tbe preseid Iloopes 
Nurseries was brought into cultivation before the end ot 
tbe seventeenth century. 
Tbe founder of tbe firm was Josias Iloopes, who like 
all good English stock bad an intense interest and love for 
trees and plants. He was a botanist of considerable 
note. 
Tbe actual beginning of tbe great nursery of today 
EIBE AT NEW ENGLAND NUBSEBIES 
Fire destroyed several of tbe buildings of the New 
England Nurseries. 
Tbe fire was discovered in tbe pumping station, a two- 
story building, wbicb was destroyed. The water supply 
was consequently shut oil and some 200,000 plants in tbe 
greenhouses suffered damage. 
A large storehouse just back of tbe packing bouse was 
saved, though it received a good scorching. One end 
of another storehouse was burned off. In tbe packing 
shed that was destroyed there were a carload of lumber 
and a large number of hot bed sashes. These also were 
lost. 
The entire loss is estimated at about -$10,000, partly 
covered by insurance. Defective wiring is believed to 
have caused tbe fire. 
J. G. Bacbler has ])urcbased tbe interest of A. \ . Wick- 
strom in the Tolleston Nurseries, Portland, Oregon, and 
is now sole proi)rietor. 
George C. Boeding, Fancber Creek Nurseries, Fresno. 
California, has been aj)i)ointed a member of tbe federal 
exemption board. 
may be said to date from bis impoilation in 1853 of orna¬ 
mental and fruit trees from James Backhouse and Son, 
York, England. Some of these plants are still growing 
on tbe nursery. 
In 1852 be built a small greenhouse and gradually ac¬ 
cumulated a large collection of plants. 
Tbe present Mr. Abner Iloopes was a younger brother 
and work('d with him iu tbe upbuilding of the business 
under tbe name of Iloopes and Brother. In 1886 George 
B. Thomas was taken in as an office partner changing 
tbe name to Iloopes Brother & Thomas. 
In 1904 the Thomas interest was purchased by Charles 
E. Cattel and Wilmer W. Iloopes, who were taken into 
the firm, resulting in 1907 in the present corporation of 
Iloopes Brother & Thomas Co., West Chester, Pa. 
It may he that in many lines of business, youth, energy, 
efficiency atul pusli can shorten time in l)uilding large en¬ 
terprises but in growing trees and building up a nursery 
business worth while, time and lots of it is needed. It 
takes years to grow trees and years more to see them 
mature, select and improve stock as well as a sound bus¬ 
iness policy adhered to by each succeeding generation. 
The House of Iloopes has grown very much in the same 
way as the choice specimen trees on their office grounds. 
Although one of the pioneer nurseries of the United 
States it has kept in step with the times and is completely 
up-to-date in its stock, facilities and methods. 
BOLL OF HONOR 
It is the purpose of the National Nurseryman to pub- 
tish a roll of honor consisting of the names of those nur¬ 
serymen serving in the United States army in the present 
war. We shall appreciate it if our readers will send 
us their names and photographs if possible. 
Lloyd C. Stark, Major of the Field Artilleiy, U, S. 
Officers’ Reserve Corps, 
Vice-President and a Director of Stark Bros, 
Nurseries and Orchards Co., Louisiana, Mo. 
President of the National Association of Nurseries. 
Meredith P. Reed, Captain, Sixth Company Section U. S. 
Officers’ Reserve Corps. 
Vincennes Nurseries, Vincennes, Indiana. 
George C. Taylor, Rattery F, Second Pennsylvania Artil¬ 
lery. Thomas Meehan & Sons, Germantown, Phila. 
Wade Muldoon, Headquarters Train and Military Police, 
Mt. Gretna, Penna. Thomas Meehan & Sons, Ger¬ 
mantown, Philadelphia. 
The Watrous Nursery Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 
was placed in the hands of a receiver by the District 
(’ourt, on August 11th. H. L. Merkel, former secretary 
of the company, has been appointed receiver. 
