THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
121 
SPRAYING NURSERY STOCK 
By Orlando Harrison, Berlin, Md. 
In the course of his paper before the Southern Nurserymen 
Mr. Harrison said: “Every nurseryman owes all the brain, 
vim, nerve and commonsense he possesses to the fruit grower 
who shall best grow a tree. Then what the nurseryman wants 
to know is, what is a tree? What is a well grown, well matur¬ 
ed, well-rooted, shapely fruit tree free from any taint of disease, 
that will pass inspection. Is there a standard for such a 
tree? If so, what is the standard? We want a standard, 
then we will try to grow a healthy tree to fill the order. With¬ 
out the standard we have no order. 
I believe every nurseryman owes it to his customers 
to spray when in a dormant state every tree and vine with the 
best spray that can be had, as a preventive of insects of 
every kind, (salt, lime and sulphur has probably been the 
most satisfactory). When thoroughly sprayed, when dormant 
it leaves the tree clean; it adds vitality to the tree; it adds to 
the growth during the summer. For apple, pear and cherry 
we have found during dry weather, Bordeaux Mixture to be 
beneficial, and spraying with whale oil soap—four pounds 
to fifty gallons of water, to add very much to the growth 
keeping foliage and tree in good shape. We value spraying in 
the nursery second to cultivation in dry weather. When 
wet it does not show to any special advantage. 
Is there any reason why every nurseryman should not 
spray when it is to his advantage to do so and a duty to his 
customer. I believe it is the cheapest to grow the best and 
we can grow them better by spraying. It would be one 
hundred per cent, better to make spraying compulsory than 
to say you must fumigate. We have been fumigating, 
taking the vitality from the tree long enough. The 
fruit growers have lost, and the poor nurserymen who 
have tried to fumigate thoroughly have killed thousands of 
trees, and it is the worst red tape that was ever forced upon 
fruit grower and nurseryman. What per cent, of the 
trees in the early Fall shipments are thoroughly fumigated. 
I dare say not one per cent. And if they were, a large per 
cent, would surely die when they are green and full of sap 
when dug. Why should we continue the red tape fumigation 
to satisfy the fruit grower who does not know the damage 
or simply to satisfy the inspector according to law. 
Who’s fault is it? It is ours! We do not reason with our 
people and change the laws. We have lost heavily by fumi¬ 
gation and our customers likewise. Now we have many 
customers who know what they want and they write “do not 
fumigate.” Why should not every tree planter, after prun¬ 
ing his trees ready for planting, dip them in salt, lime and 
sulphur mixture. Then he knows he is safe when planted 
and he sets his orchard with some degree of satisfaction and 
safety. He has no scale insects to start with. The fear of 
scale has lessened the planting of many orchards, but thorough 
spraying has demonstrated that the energetic orchardist is 
on top by being forced to spray. One of our customers in 
New York State said to me some days ago he believed he 
would lose one thousand dollars this season on a 50-acre 
orchard of peaches because he could not find any scale there, 
he did not spray. On a near by orchard he sprayed and the 
results were striking. 
Now, let us use some common sense mixed witli the spray, 
and thoroughly spray and stop fumigation. 
PHILADELPHIA FLORISTS ENTERTAINED—OUTINO 
TO DRESHERTON BY MEEHAN & SONS. 
Upon invitation of Thomas B. Meehan, a party of florists 
and gardeners went out on Saturday last to visit the whole¬ 
sale nurseries of Thomas Meehan & Sons. The party was 
met at Camp Hill Station by Thomas B. Meehan, who had hay 
wagons with boards across for seats, four horses to each 
wagon, in waiting for the party. A two mile and a half ride 
brought them to the nursery. On arriving a collation was 
served; then a ride around the nursery was taken, after which 
all adjourned to a nearby field and a cricket match took place 
between John G. Gardner’s (Villa Nova) team and the novices 
from Philadelphia. The result was never in doubt; still 
Gardner’s team, while they won, met with many surprises. 
A very pleasant time was spent and the party arrived 
back in this city a 6:45 p. m. 
The nurseries at Dreshertown consist of 216 acres; from here 
all orders are filled for the trade, landscape gardners, parks 
and cemeteries, the business being kept entirely separate from 
the Germantown nurseries of this firm. The start for the 
new nursery was made ten years ago, when fifty acres was 
bought; each year more has been added as leases expired. 
Actual operation of the nursery began five years ago, so 
that now a very large business is done. The soil is admir¬ 
ably adapted for the work, having a fairly stiff subsoil, yet 
sufficient stone is present to insure free growth of fibrous roots. 
The stock is looking very well, and the entire tract of 216 
acres is clean and shows good cultivation. Thomas B. Mee¬ 
han has full charge of this nursery, while his brothers manage 
the old one in Germantown .-—The Florists Exchange. 
HELP THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. 
We call special attention to the work of the transportation 
committee. Chairman Albertson is not shirking the respon¬ 
sibilities of his office. We urge all members of the National 
Nurserymen’s Association to answer Mr. Albertson’s circu¬ 
lar promptly. We also offer the columns of this journal— 
the official organ of the association—to those who have views 
on the subject and suggestions to offer. 
jVotcs. 
The Canadian Horticultural Association held its Seventh Annual 
Convention at Ottawa, Canada, on August 9th and 10th. Repre¬ 
sentatives of the Experiment Station at Ottawa and well known 
florists of the Dominion furnished the literary programme. 
The proceedings of the third Annual Meeting of the Iowa Park 
and Forestry Association have just come from the press. These pro¬ 
ceedings have been compiled by the Secretary, L. H, Painmel of Ames, 
and form an attractive volume of 170 pages. This has been issued 
as a bulletin of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. The volume 
is well printed, nicely illustrated and contains papers on forestry, 
papers on parks and grounds, and papers on the improvement of school 
grounds. This association is doing excellent work. 
