Cbe IRatlonal 1Rurscr5>ntan. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXIV. ROCHESTER, N. Y., NOVEMBER, I9I4. nTTe 
AUSTRALIAN NURSERIES 
By James McHutchison 
T he nursery business of Australia divides itself into 
two classes, 1st—those nurseries which grow 
palms, ferns and garden plants for the retail 
trade around the cities, and 2nd—those growing fruit 
trees for the ever increasing number of commercial or¬ 
chards. 
In the first class are such nurseries as those of Rin- 
nington and Sons, of Kew, and Brunnings, of St. Kilda, 
both located in the suhurhs of Melbourne. They grow a 
large assortment of small plants, mostly in pots, which 
are bought for suburban gardens, other varieties are 
grown in greenhouses, cold frames, and bush houses. 
It should be remembered that owing to the mild cli¬ 
mate around the principal cities of Australia, many 
plants which we grow only in greenhouses in the United 
States, grow luxuriantly in the gardens here, so that the 
nurseries grow large quantities of Kentias, Phoenix, 
Chamerops and many other varieties of palms. Arau¬ 
carias, Eucalyptus, and Acacias in a great many var¬ 
ieties, also Pelargonicums, Camelias, Roses and similar 
garden plants. These nurseries are not large, but as 
most plants are pot grown, occupy but a small space, the 
output is large in comparison to acreage. 
The second class of nurseries grow practically noth¬ 
ing hut fruit trees, and are represented by such estahlish- 
ments as those of G. A. Nobilis at Emerald, Victoria, and 
the Two Rays Nurseries of Moorooduc, Victoria, operated 
hy Griffith Bros., each of which has from 150 to 200 acres 
in growing fruit trees. Their output being about 
1,000,000 fruit trees each, per season. They re-whole¬ 
sale to other nurserymen in Victoria, Tasmania, neigh¬ 
boring States, also to orchardists, in fact both of these 
firms operate extensive orchards themselves. They 
can’t grow trees for more than two or three years in 
succession on the same land, but follow the trees with 
orchards. 
The trees grown mostly are apples, pears, peaches, 
plums, cherries, apricots, almonds, figs and walnuts, 
(‘ach in its order of importance. Apples are grown ex¬ 
clusively on Northern Spy hlight-proof stocks, which arc 
pi’ocured by grafting a scion on to a root-graft, also by 
layering. Such stocks sell at >$37.50 per thousand, 
rather expensive, but it is illegal to use any other stocks, 
consequently they are always scarce. For cherries, maz- 
zard stock is used. Myrobolan plums and pears are 
budded on French pear stocks, also on Kiefler. 
All fruit trees are dwarfs as compared with ours. 
They sell at one year, some apples at two year, and have 
stems only twelve to eighteen inches high. In fact the 
trees themselves are only from two and one-half to 
three and one-half feet high. Prices are not regulated 
by the law of supply and demand but the price of all 
fruit trees, regardless of size, age or variety is $12.50 
per hundred, wholesale, or $20.00 to $37.50 per hundred 
to planters. There are no culls or rejects—everything 
sells at full value, in fact, the demand so far exceeds the 
supply that dormant budded peach trees were selling as 
full grown trees, bringing the same price. It should 
not be inferred from this, however, that we could sell 
our surplus fruit trees in Australia for no orchardist 
there would plant our tall standard trees. 
The Victorian Nurseries pack all their trees in straw 
bales, each bale containing about 2000 fruit trees, and 
measuring about six feet long by four feet square each 
way. In case of long distance shipment, damp moss is 
worked among the roots. It struck me as being an econ¬ 
omical, efficient method, though I do not agree with the 
Victorian nurserymen that it is the best method for all 
countries and all climates. 
The large demand for fruit trees in recent years is due 
entirely to the export trade in fruit. Apples and pears 
from Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand, reach Eng¬ 
land, America and Europe in the spring, just at a time 
when there is no competition, they bring excellent prices 
in the markets, in fact, one-third the prices realized 
would he considered as profitable. There seems little 
reason to fear over productions, for they have the world’s 
markets to themselves for six months of the year. 
The fruit growing industry has expanded very much 
in recent years. The nurseries cannot keep up with the 
demand for trees from Victoria and Tasmanian orchards, 
along the river Murray and wherever irrigation is prac¬ 
ticable, there are immense orchards of oranges and other 
citrus fruits. The fruit growers are prosperous every¬ 
where, so it follows that the nurseries are likewise pros¬ 
perous. There is optimism everywhere, for they realize 
that they have the European fruit market to themselves 
when their products arrive there. 
All Australian orchards are well kept and are run on 
ihe most approved commercial methods. All trees are 
