the national nurseryman 
n 
the fruit grower. To that end a conference is suggested be¬ 
tween the representatives of that association and the nursery¬ 
men’s associations. We think this is an excellent idea. 
It will be seen that the inspectors discussed topics that are 
of direct interest to the nurserymen. There is evidently 
intention on the part of the horticultural inspectors to recom¬ 
mend regulations which will not interfere with the conduct of 
the nursery business. 
That there is room for much improvement is repeatedly 
shown in the experience of nurserymen at widely separated 
points, and bv the determination of the American Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen at its last convention to take such action 
as shall bring about amended laws. It is also shown by such 
an incident as that of a western nurseryman who sold trees in 
the state of Virginia and then was prohibited from sending 
them into Virginia by the‘regulations of that state, in the 
meantime selling them*at a much higher price in the West. 
So strong was the protest of the Virginia nurserymen affected 
that, we are told, a special red label was issued by the Vir¬ 
ginia inspection authorities to the western nurseryman in 
question, admitting his trees into the state when no others 
could get in; though, it is said, the trees even then were not 
shipped, because of the peculiar circumstances under which 
they were to be sent. 
Whether this statement is borne out by the facts or not, it 
is nevertheless true that, with more attention to the interests 
of all concerned, laws could be framed so that there would not 
be the tendency toward evasion that must result from unduly 
restrictive measures. 
THE BEST IYEONIES. 
We have received several lists of the best 12 varieties of 
Pseonies. They agree of course, only in part. The Amer¬ 
ican Paeony Society is at work on a revision of the lists of 
Pseonies. In the meantime, E. J. Shalyor, Wellesley Hills, 
Mass., very appropriately remarks: 
“My proposition is to have a number of sets made by the 
best judges—one set from the best collections near New York, 
one from those near Boston, and a couple in the West, and 
these with G. C. Watson’s list, taken as the ground work for 
selecting a final list. Then begin and select the varieties 
which appear in the most lists, and so on until the twenty- 
five were had.” 
A matter of greater consequence at present is the revision 
of all lists so that the nomenclature may be established ac¬ 
cording to an accepted standard. This work is to be undei- 
taken by the American Pieony Society. It has been decided 
to plant three plants of each variety from the eight or ten 
principal growers of the country, in Highland park, Rochester, 
N. Y., under the care of Assistant Superintendent John Dun¬ 
bar, of the Rochester Park department, for purposes of com¬ 
parison. The judges of the American society are to view 
these plants and make a report as to nomenclature. The 
plan is favored by Mr. Peterson, Mr. Thurlow, Mr. Charlton 
and others. 
Texas Nursery Co., Sherman, Tex. —Enclosed please find $1 
subscription to your paper. We are well pleased with same. 
I\EW YORK STATE NURSERY. 
The Growth of Forest Seedlings to Replace Denuded Portions 
of Adlrondacks—Could Not Procure Sufficient Seed - 
lings In America or Europe. 
After much halting New \ ork state has at last developed a 
policy for the I orest Preserve which promises to be success¬ 
ful, says the Brooklyn Eagle. The great problem of main¬ 
taining the Adirondack woods is to be met, if Commissioner 
Middleton has his way, by the maintenance of state nurser¬ 
ies, in which to grow the seedlings to plant out the great de¬ 
nuded areas in that region. In the Spring of 1901 a start 
was made along this line by the purchase of young trees 
from the Cornell experiment station, but in the long run it 
has been found impossible to obtain sufficient seedlings 
either in this country or in Europe. So in a small way the 
I orest I ish and Game Commission has gone about demon¬ 
strating that they can be grown by the state at a minimum 
cost. The first planting of seed has recently been made at a 
small nursery near the state fish hatchery at Saranac Lake 
station. 
The great forest fires of last May, by which thousands of 
acres of timberland were devastated, has emphasized the 
necessity of some policy and some plan for saving the forests. 
Much of the damaged land can be bought for a dollar or 
two an acre. It can be replanted for two or three dollars, 
and in fifty years will grow a stand of timber worth $50 an 
acre, a profit of a dollar a year on an investment of $5, or 20 
per cent. That leaves a margin for losses. 
NOT ALL BEN DAVIS. 
At the annual meeting of the Missouri Horticultural Society, 
at Columbia, December 8-10, statements of the leading grow¬ 
ers as to the most profitable varieties to plant in this state 
showed that Ben Davis and Gano still lead as money-makers, 
but that there is an accelerating tendency to add to this list 
varieties of high quality, such as Jonathan, York, Grimes, 
Winesap, Wealthy and Maiden Blush, the last two being the 
leading Summer varieties. For the home orchard a much 
larger list was named. 
TO FERTILIZE THEIR NURSERIES. 
Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y., received from Kan¬ 
sas City, late in the Fall, two car-loads of young cattle which 
they will fatten during the Winter and resell next Spring. 
While they, of course, hope to make a profit on the transac¬ 
tion, the chief object is to provide an abundant supply of 
manure for use in their nurseries. The cellar has already 
been dug for a large new cattle barn which will be completed 
next season. This will provide enough additional room so 
that one hundred and fifty head can be handled each season. 
It is this liberal fertilization of the land together with high 
cultivation that have given to the Jackson & Perkins Nurs¬ 
eries the high reputation which they enjoy. 
_ The National Nurseryman —a business journal for business 
men. One dollar buys a complete volume. 
