The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyrighted 1903 by The National Nurseryman Publishing Co.. Incorporated. 
Vol. XII. 
OUR COMMERCIAL RECORD. 
THE KNOX NURSERIES. 
A BRIEF STORY OF A SUCCESSFUL FIRM 
The Knox Nursery of Vincennes, Indiana, was established in 
1851 by Judge Archibald Simpson, and was the first nursery 
in that section of the country. The first planting consisted 
of 1,000 grafts—a very modest beginning. The success of the 
nursery was immediate and in those early days of its h. story 
many men came forty miles, or more, for trees. In 1867 Judge 
Simpsons’ two sons, James H. and Henry M., took over the 
the management of the nursery. For ten years it was so con¬ 
ducted when Henry M. Simpson bought out the interest of 
James H. Simpson. From 1877 to 1894 Henry M. Simpson 
either owned the entire nursery, or a controlling interest, 
though the firm name was changed several times during that 
period. In 1894 Henry M. Simpson and his two sons, Harry 
D. and Robert A., took over the whole interest under the 
present firm name of H. M. Simpson & Sons. 
Judge Simpson, the founder of this nursery, was born in 
1802 and died in 1873. H. M. Simpson, the senior member 
of the present firm, was born in 1847 and grew up in the 
nursery business with his sons, now of the firm. 
The product of the nursery has been and is now almost ex¬ 
clusively fruit trees. In 1894 over 1,000,000 grafts and 
seedlings were planted. For the past few years this firm has 
made a specialty of one year Cherry trees and their success has 
been remarkable in this particular line. Their soil is peculiarly 
adapted to growing Cherry, which, together with their spec¬ 
ial methods and constant attention enable them to put on the 
market a strong, vigorous stocky 4 to 5 ft. tree at one year old. 
And this too without the use of commercial fertilizer. One 
and two year Cherry and Peach are staples. 
The firm now has 120 acres devoted to nursery products, 
and in addition, is planting 100 acres to apple orchard at 
Vincennes. The firm also owns 175 acres of apple orchard 
about thirteen years old, near Parkersburg, Illinois. 
This is one of the best orchards in Illinois because of its up- 
to-date treatment—being pruned, cultivated and sprayed 
carefully—and in consequence it has already borne several 
profitable crops. __ 
PAST AND PRESENT OF THE NURSERY BUSINESS 
IN MARYLAND. 
John W. Kerr, Denton, Md. 
Written especially for The National Nurseryman. 
Fifty years back the Nursery business in this State was 
almost entirely confined to the immediate vicinity of Balti¬ 
more,—Feast, Corse, Cromwell and Halliday of Baltimoie, 
No. q. 
Brackenridge, of Govanstown, and Barnard, of Still Pond, 
were in those earlier days, nearly the “sum tbtal” of fruit- 
tree propagators in a state naturally and geographically great 
in horticultural possibilities. The irrepressible tree-agent, 
representing enterprising northern nurseries generally, and 
his individual interests particularly in many parts of the State*, 
found his labors much to his liking, as living monuments in 
the form of old orchards to this day attest. A majority of 
the varieties thus distributed however, proved wholly un¬ 
suited to the locality, and served to retard the development 
of a general interest in fruit growing. The surging, restless 
spirit of “American Commercialism,” had not at this day, 
doffed its long dresses, or swaddling clothes, but “the child” 
grew and waxed fat during the war between the States. 
Nurseries, soon after the close of that war began to spring up 
in'almost every county in the state. The growing of peaches 
as a side-line to farming, in some localities, especially on the 
Eastern Shore of the State, was so highly exploited as to 
reverse the order, resulting in quite a craze for trees, which 
in turn bred a crop of nurserymen of local character, most of 
whom have long since disappeared,—much to the relief of 
the entomologist and pathologist of the State Experiment 
Station. At the present day, the Baltimore nurseries have 
not a monopoly of the business in the State. The Franklin 
Davis Co. are extensive propagators, and may properly be 
classed as a Baltimore house, but on the Eastern Shore of 
the State we find the Harrisons with a large volume of trade, 
seconded by the Peters Brothers,—in same county,—who 
propagate and successfully handle immense quantities of 
nursery stock. There are quite a number of other “plants” 
in different parts of the State, some of which conduct a gen¬ 
eral nursery trade, while others confine their efforts to special 
lines. In Maryland, as elsewhere generally, the volume of 
stock propagated is greater than warrants its sale at prices, 
such as enable bestowal of that degree of care on production, 
which guarantees permanency and healthy development of 
fruit interests at large. 
The Board of Aldermen, New York City, has appropriated $5,000,000 
for the erection of new school buildings, and $316,000 for recreation 
centers, vacation schools and playgrounds. 
The fruit crop in Ontario promises to be the lightest in several years. 
The crop of peaches is exceedingly small. Early apples are \ erv 
light, fall and winter apples are light, plums largely failed, and pears 
promise a small crop. 
Box manufacturers are letting their light shine. If growers purchase 
boxes in accordance with the frequency of the advertisements ot manu¬ 
facturers of this kind of package, there will certainly be fewer barrels 
used this year than formerly. The outlook for low priced barrels is 
not promising at the present time. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., SEPTEMBER, 1904. 
