THE NATIONAI. NURSERYMAN 
335 
healthy and ample deposits, and that lai’^ely hy agricul¬ 
tural depositors. 
There also is a spirit of outdoor im|)rov(‘m(*nl of homes, 
street ways, parks, cemeteries, (dc., which is very no¬ 
ticeable and gratifying, so that altogether, the nursery¬ 
man may he said to be in good shape and reasonably 
pros[)erous. The |)ast s^^ason’s slocks wcue pri'lty well 
cleaned ii[) with cash collections gr(‘atly Ixdter lhaii in 
the two or three years previous. 
Growing stocks too, are making uj) well, good grades 
being already assured at this time. As already indicat¬ 
ed, while the orchard enthusiasm has (juicted down from 
the high pitch of a few yeai s ago. to a more normal and a 
saner basis, curtailing somewhat the demand for fiuit 
trees, yet the growing interest in ornamental plantings 
is producing an increased demand for shades, ever¬ 
greens, roses, shrubs and other ornamentals, balancing 
in a measure, the falling otT in the trade* for commercial 
fruit plantings. 
Aggressiveness 
It has been well said “The nurseryman sets the j)ace 
in horticulture.” The nurseryman is the vanguard, so 
to speak, of the horticultural forces of our country. It 
is for the nurseryman to seek out, conserve and supply to 
the ])lanters of our country those things which will best 
fill their needs. It is the nurseryman largely, who has 
taken note of the want of adaption of the old line of 
fruits, which were growm back in the older states, and it 
is he, wdio more than any other class of men. has discov¬ 
ered, ju’opagated and built into our new^ horticulture, the 
North China, the Spanish and the Honey types of 
peaches. The Chicksaw, the American, the Jajianese 
and the hybrid jilums, the Oriental pears, the southern 
types of apples, the berries, the grajies, etc., the fruits 
wdiich are especially suited to Soutlnvestern conditions. 
Gre.\ter Improvements Yet to re Made. 
And though much progress has been made towards 
improvement of our standard fruits. I feel we have not 
reached our goal. There are further comiue.sts to be 
made in the interest of southern fruit growing. We 
need, for example, a yellow freestone peach for shipping 
north wdth the carrying and fine apjiearing qualities of 
Elberta, w hich excclls that variety in flavor, and in 
hardiness of bloom, in short, more reliable in bearing. 
We need an Elberta w ith Ihe (juality of Chanqiion, Mixon 
Free or Belle of Georgia, and the ])rolificness of Mamie 
Ross, Bessie Kerr or Sahvay; yes. w^e need 
a number of such varieties, one ripening 
wdth Early Wheeler, the best ol the wdiite 
fleshed varieties, another with Carman, another with 
Belle of Georgia, with our present Elberta, with Mixon, 
with Sahvay, thus covering the w hole season. It is 
plain we have not yet reaclied the highest ideals in our 
peach lists, but that peach grow ing may be made yet 
more profitable by the creation, discovery and introduc¬ 
tion of various varieties .still further improved. The 
same holds good as to improvement of our ])lums, ])ears. 
apples, cherries, grapes, berries, and also our citrus 
fruits. This is largely the work of the nurserymen, as¬ 
sisted by tbe progressive orchardists of our country. 
Our Ornamental Depart.ment. 
Here is presented an eijually altraclivc fii'ld. There 
is if possible a greaf(;r ne(*d of improvi'uuil in Ihe oina- 
mcntal stock olfeied hy our nursciymi'ii to tiu* ornami'n- 
tal jilanters of our rajiidly devclo|)ing country. Wi^ are 
just now" emerging from our utilitariam stage* to that of 
aestheticism. Our people arc d(*manding bi'autiful 
homes, parks, cemeteries, e*tc., as we*ll as geieiel eire'harels. 
Much elisappointment has be*cn e*x{)e*iie‘nce*ei, paitly fiom 
want of preiper know leelge; as lei manage*me*nt anel e*are*, 
hut largely for want of the se^leotieui of preipe*!* varie*tie*s 
anel classes of trees anel plants. What is the* Ireiuble*? 
Largely, the nurseryman is still ke;ej)ing his e*ye* ein Ihe* 
East and Northeast, on the jilants which greiw luxur¬ 
iantly in the Atlantic State*s; anel on the fine* catale)gue*s 
of eastern nurserymen, meist of which can but preive* uii- 
adapted and utter failures in emr elry we*slern climate* 
and on our rich soils. When will the* nurse*ryme*n take* 
lessons in this particular, neit freuu emr e*aste*rn nurse*ry- 
rnen, but from the great Architect, the* Maste*r Preipagaleir, 
eiur Great Creator? hAir tlmusanels eif ye*ars he^ has be*e*n 
propagating, planting, ae*climating anel eiffcring lor emr 
adaption endless varieties of trees, shrubs and (low'e*!S, 
which seem to really enjoy anel re*vcl in e)ur scmi-ariel 
conditions and which ce)nelilie)ns leally are* 
so unfriendly to the native* plants eef Ihe* 
moister eastern sections. Leeok out in yeiur eerna- 
mental blocks today, if yeeu w ill, w hen aftei- rathe*r e*\(*e*s- 
sive rains w"e have a sudden dreeught with the* sun’s heat 
around one hundred in the shade, anel the* le*sse)n is w rit- 
ten plainly in the hehavieir of yeeur jilanls. Here yeeii 
may see the eild eastern favorite*s sceerching. crinj^ling, 
actually perishing, such as lli/dram/ens, Sneewballs, 
Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Neerway anel Sugar 
Maples, orculentalis (or American Arbeirvilae*). .Neerway 
and other spruces and thousanels of other jelants. while* 
beside them under the same tre*atme*nt anel ceuielitiems. 
you will find a class wdiicli are h(*althy. vigeeieeus. le*ave*s 
green, flowers blooming with re*new'eel fi’cshncss e*ve*ry 
morning, most of which are either eef native Se)uthe*i'n 
American origin, or selecteel from relate*el scctiems e*lse*- 
w here. I mention the Spireas, Li{/aslratns, eer Bi iveMs eef 
southern types. Crepe Myrtles, Chilopsts, eer Flowering 
Willow, Poinciannas, Indepofei'a, Vilex Apnus Caslas, 
the Sophoras,ho\\\ deciduous anel (*ve*rgre*e*n. Parldnsonia, 
Cedure Deodara, Magnolia Grayidiflora and e)the*rs leee) 
numerous to mention. Te*xas aleine is eilfcring us a na¬ 
tive flora, trees, shrubs, wild loscs, perennials, bulbs, 
annuals, w"hich are properly collecle*el. wenilel make eeur 
gardens equal to, or surpass, the garelcns eef the e*ast. The 
greatest wmrk before the nurserymen toelay is tee ce)lle*e*t. 
jiropagate and distribute our native* fleera. 
State Aid is Needed. 
The nurserymen of Texas have spent many Ihemsanels 
of dollars building and maintaining test eircharels and 
grounds, carrying out this work eif euiginating and te*sl- 
ing new varieties. The weirk is an e*x|)e“nsive* erne* anel 
should be supplemented anel share*el by eiur stale* e*x- 
perimental stations, or eitherw ise*. anel by traine'd e*xj)(*rls 
at state expense. A Texas Arbeiretum anel Beilanical 
Garden are also needed. Our e*xpe*rime*nlal slatiems 
should inaugurate the testing of all le*ading varie>tie*s eif 
