56 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
CENTRAL STATES . 
What Appeared to Be Considerable Surplus Was Pretty Well 
Cleaned Up—Light Canvass During the Winter Should 
Leave Good Field for Summer Business. 
Bridgeport, Ind., April 9. — Albertson & Hobbs: “It is 
hard at this time to give anything like an accurate report on 
business. This has been a very peculiar season, our shipping 
season opening up or beginning about the 25th of February 
from storage, and by the 10th of March from the field, and we 
have been shipping right along, but the northern trade has 
held back late and much of it is just now coming in. What 
it will amount to is hard to tell, having been busy and not 
had a chance to post or balance up to get much idea how or 
what the season’s business is going to show up. 
“We started in with a general line of stock and while there 
are some items pretty strong in surplus, yet we will not have 
near as large a surplus as we had last year and if trade keeps 
up for ten days or two weeks, it looks like stock would be 
reduced very satisfactorily and we hope the balance the first of 
June will show a very satisfactory year’s business. Owing 
to a light canvass this winter we certainly will look for a good 
summer’s business. As to planting our own plantings, they 
will be about the same as they have been for three or four 
years, not quite so heavy in cherries, but about the same in 
other stock. As to the planting in the state we have very 
little idea what that will amount to. From the meager 
report so far from damage in winter fruits, we do not think 
there will be as large a supply of stock on hands for fall as 
there was last year and think, taking it altogether, the nur¬ 
serymen have a very good prospect ahead for a good busi¬ 
ness.” 
Phoneton, 0., April 9.—The Albaugh Nursery and Orchard 
Co.: “The spring trade started slow, on account of the 
backward .and cool weather, but the last few days, orders 
are coming more rapidly. There may be a few apple trees 
of f size, and some second size peach trees left on hand. 
Cherries of all sizes are picked up closely. 
“The spring plant will likely be short on cherry, stocks 
being scarce and high. On apple and peach about the usual 
amount. Not nearly so many small growers in business as 
formerly.” 
Charles City, la., April 9.—Sherman Nursery Co.: “Trade 
has been very good with us this season. In fact we do not 
think that we have ever been more closely sold out at this 
season of the year than we are at the present. Retail trade 
has been good and we have had all the wholesale trade we 
cared to handle under existing circumstances. The spring is 
opening up very late this year. 
“We can see no reason why the prospect for trade is not 
good for the next year if crop conditions are fairly favorable.” 
Kalamazoo, Mich., April 13.—Central Michigan Nursery: 
“We are closing the season’s business with a satisfactory 
increase of trade over the previous year, in all departments. 
The severity of the winter during January and February had 
its bad effects on the agents, but we were far ahead of last 
year when the cold wave came and have made sufficient gains 
during the past thirty days to enable us to finish the season 
with a nice increase of agency business. 
“Our wholesale trade pretty well cleaned up our surplus, 
the demand for apple and small fruits being especially strong 
during the past month. 
“We see no reason why trade should not be good the com¬ 
ing season and believe that first-class stock in the hands of 
reliable nurserymen will find a ready market at fair prices. 
Our large blocks of peach budded last summer show evidence 
of being in prime condition and barring the elements we will 
have an especially fine lot of peach to offer for late fall de¬ 
livery. We look upon these as being excellent property, 
and also regard our blocks of budded apple with equal favor. 
“To sum the situation up we might say we are satisfied 
with the past year’s business, and our opinion is that the 
year to come will be a good one from both the grower’s and 
retailer’s standpoint.” 
Vincennes, Ind., April 18.—W. C. Reed: “We have had 
a fair trade this spring although not quite up to last season 
and hardly what we had expected, but have very little sur¬ 
plus except in the off varieties in apple and the two lighter 
grades in peach and two or three varieties in pear such as 
Garber and Wilder. With the above exceptions stock has 
been cleaned up very well, especially in the heavy grades, 
and the lighter grades in two year will carry over well for 
fall. Small fruits, shade trees and roses are cleaned up very 
close. Prices on cherry and plum have held very firm, but 
apple and peach have not been as satisfactory as we had 
hoped for. I think the high waters and cold winter have 
hurt trade considerable, but the brush piles will not be puite 
as large as last year. 
“As to this season’s planting, we are not planting as heavy 
on apple, but are making our usual plant on cherry, having 
increased on pear, plum, ornamentals and roses, so that 
our total plant is about the same. However, the planting 
through the southern part of the state has been much lighter 
than usual; perhaps not over 50%, largely owing to the 
increased price of seedlings for grafting and budding. 
“The supply of stock for fall will be about the same as it 
has been for the last two years. Stock came through the 
winter in fine condition and buds are showing up well. 
Weather has been very cool and very favorable for planting, 
which we expect to finish in a day or two. Agents seem to 
think there is good prospect for a good season and are book¬ 
ing quite a number of orders already and with the prospects 
for a heavy apple crop see no reason why we should not have 
a splendid trade, unless there are late frosts that injure the 
fruit crop yet. 
Shenandoah, la., April 19.—E. S. Welch: “We have had 
had an excellent trade with favorable weather conditions 
for handling stock; have been very busy since the first of 
March with our spring shipments, fortunately were well 
organized and with our improved facilities, side track, electric 
lighted buildings, etc., have been able to get all shipments 
off promptly. Will clean up on most lines closer than we 
did last spring. 
“Our principal surplus will be in small grade fruit trees. 
Trade on ornamentals, roses and this class of stock continues 
to increase and is larger with us this spring than last, although 
last spring we had the largest trade on ornamental stock 
