9 6 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
TEXANS IN CALIFORNIA . 
Excursion in Charge of Sam H. Dixon—Three Hours’ Conference 
with Luther Burbank — California Orchards, Market 
Centers and Canning and Drying Establish, 
ments Visited — Texas and California 
Interests do not Materially Conflict. 
We are indebted to John S. Kerr, Sherman, Tex., for the 
following account of a tour of California’s horticultural cen¬ 
ters by a party of Texas nurserymen : 
On July 25th, through the courtesy of the Southern Pacific 
railroad, a party of Texas horticulturists left Houston, Texas^ 
via El Paso and Yuma, to make a tour of the horticultura 
interests of California. Sam H. Dixon, industrial agent of 
the Southern Pacific & Houston and Texas Central railways, 
and also a heavy grower of peaches in East Texas, was in 
charge of the party. The personnel consisted of C. Falkner, 
orchardist, of Waco; E. W. Kirkpatrick, horticultural specialist 
and nurseryman of McKinney ; Prof. F. W. Mally, orchardist 
and nurseryman of Garrison ; Prof, E. J. Kyle, horticulturist of 
the Agricultural and Mechanical college, College, Texas ; 
F. T. Ramsey, orchardist and nurseryman of Austin ; John S. 
Kerr, orchardist and nurseryman of Sherman ; Mrs. Sam H. 
Dixon, son Stoddard, and Mrs. John S. Kerr. 
Riverside, Redlands, Los Angeles, San Jose, Fresno, Hay¬ 
wards, Oakland,'Vacaville, Santa Rosa and other fruit centers 
were visited. The party had the pleasure of a three hours’ 
conference with Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, which proved 
very interesting indeed. The trip throughout was one of 
great interest and benefit to the party. 
Many other places of interest were visited, such as Leland 
Stanford University, California State University, where we 
had the great pleasure of interviewing Professors Wickson and 
Hilgard, and other noted places. 
The fruit markets of San Francisco, Los Angles and other 
market centers were inspected, as were also the canning and 
drying establishments. The magnitude of the fruit and seed 
industries of California are astounding. It would take 
volumes to tell of the amount of the orchards, the variety of 
handled, of the canning, the drying, and the marketing in the 
green state, and of the great fields of seeds, melons, cucum¬ 
bers, pie-plant and other truck-farming crops. The party feel 
that they have gained much valuable information that will be 
of service in the handling of Texas products. 
It is the general concensus of opinion that California and 
Texas do not materially conflict in their fruit interests for the 
Northern markets, the principal crops of California being 
apricots, prunes, oranges, lemons, English walnuts and other 
crops which are not grown to any extent in Texas. The 
peach and plum crops of California are not as important as 
the others mentioned above. The peach and plum cron of 
Texas are the principal ones for the Northern markets, and in 
these crops Texas has an advantage over California of two to 
three weeks in time of ripening, two thousand miles advantage 
in nearness to market, with a forty-five to forty-nine cent rate 
against a dollar and twenty-five cent rate, and a time of three 
to six days as against seven to fourteen days. Therefore, 
Texas can safely push the peach and plum business to the 
extreme limit. It would take too much space to give definite 
figures as to the acreage, tonnage and other definite data. 
Our horticultural party feel the keenest gratitude and appre¬ 
ciation for the many courtesies extended by the management 
of the Southern Pacific system, especially Messrs. S. F. B. 
Moore, William Doherty and Sam H. Dixon, of Houston, and 
the agents and operatives of the lines whose courteous atten¬ 
tion we were fortunate to receive throughout the trip. 
A RAILROAD NURSERY. 
Announcement is made that the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company has begun building at South Elizabeth, N. J,, a large 
system of hothouses and conservatories for the growth and 
nursing of shrubbery, trees, plants, flowers and exotics to be 
used principally in gardens at stations along the New York 
and Pittsburg division, as well as orchids and expensive flowers 
for the officers and for special occasions. The cost is esti¬ 
mated at nearly $100,000. 
HART PIONEER NURSERY LOSS. 
Fire destroyed the packing house of the Hart Pioneer Nur¬ 
series at Fort Scott, Kan., Aug. 8th. The building was 60x70 
feet in dimensions, with an L 35x32, and a packing shed. Many 
of the records and papers of the company were destroyed. Man¬ 
ager A. B. Combs estimates the loss at $3,500. There was an 
insurance of $t,5oo on the building and $1,000 on contents. 
The company’s books were in a safe. Arrangements have been 
made for building a much larger packing house in time for the 
fall packing. 
SHORT ROOT PRUNING. 
Regarding short root pruning Professor H. E. Van Deman 
says in the Southern Fruit Grower : “The greatest vitality is 
near the collar of a young tree or plant. The recuperative 
power seems to be stronger there than further out on the 
roots. Now, if the soil is such as to favor growth, that is, 
sufficiently porous for the water and air to permeate it suffi 
ciently, rich in plant food, and the temperature right for plant 
growth, the short pruning of the roots is better than very long 
pruning, or than none at all except what was done in digging 
in the nursery. The young roots will come out stronger and 
grow with more vigor than they will if they have to start from 
the minor roots. Short root pruning forces the growth to be¬ 
gin at the strongest place for it. But, in unfavorable soils and 
climates, that is, where the soil is stiff and the springs cool and 
unimpulsive, the short root pruning plan is not good. 
“I know that there are those who recommend stub-root 
pruning universally, and with almost no qualifications, but this 
is a mistake according to my observation and experience. 
The conditions that favor or suit the short root pruning are far 
more commonly found in the Southern States than in the 
Northern regions. The land is generally light and friable and 
the springs warm and invigorating. The autumns are also long 
and warm and the conditions right for inducing root growth 
before the spring season comes on. 
“The cutting back of the tops to shorten the evaporating 
surface is another matter that must not be forgotten, when a 
tree or plant is transplanted. If the roots are cut to stubs, as 
may sometimes be a good plan, the tops must be treated in the 
same way.” 
