148 
THE NATION AT, NURSERYMAN 
APPLE DAY AT THE WORLD’S FAIR. 
The Chief of the Department of Agriculture, Frederick W. 
Taylor, and his Assistant in Pomology, John T. Stinson, have 
shown a good deal of ingenuity in advertising the various 
agricultural and horticultural crops of the country. Special 
days have been set apart for the observance of certain fruits. 
Strawberry day occurred in due time; peach day had its innings 
and apple day occurred on October 4th. On that day many car 
loads of apples were given away to visitors. These apples 
were representative varieties of the Lousiana Purchase Belt. 
They were varieties that were in good eating condition at 
that time. Jonathan, Grimes, Lowell, Maiden Blush, King, 
Wealthy and Fall Pippin, were on the list. Fortunately for 
the eating public, Ben-Davis was not in season. In fact 
the leading varieties of the Mississippi Valley States were not 
included in the distribution. They were chiefly ornamental 
at that time, Jonathan and Grimes excepted. This is ser- 
tainly a good idea and the promoters are to be congratulated 
on the thought. 
AMONG THE EXPERIMENT STATION WORKERS. 
Two suggestive bulletins from the South Dakota Experi¬ 
ment Station have come to hand. These are entitled “The 
Western Sand Cherry” and “The Breeding of Hardy Fruits.” 
The sand cherry is discussed from various standpoints: for 
instance; how it is to be improved; its use as a stock and its 
intrinsic values. It would appear from the nurseryman’s 
standpoint that its greatest feature of usefulness, lies in its 
value as a dwarfing stock for plums and cherries for the 
Northwestern States. The horticulturist of the South Da¬ 
kota Experiment Station is carrying on extensive experi¬ 
ments in determining the value of the plant as a stock and in 
attempting to improve it by selection. “The Breeding of 
Hardy Fruits,” is a pictorial statement of what is being done 
in attempting to develop hardy fruits, in a wholesale way. 
Both bulletins are suggestive. 
NEW ZEALAND REPORTS. 
There has recently come to the editor’s table a substantial 
volume of 500 pages being the eleventh report of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture of New Zealand. This volume 
gives the impression of a well organized department. It is 
divided into various divisions; chief among these are the 
chemical, dairying, poultry, veterinary science, and horticulture 
sections and the experiment stations. The head of each pre¬ 
sents a report of the year’s work. In addition, the statistical 
division,the inspectors of stock and the inspectors of dairies offer 
separate reports for the year. The report of the division of 
horticulture and biology is very interesting. The horticul¬ 
turist’s report deals with cocoa, coffee, cotton, copra, pine¬ 
apples, arrowroot, vanilla, citrus fruits and bananas. We 
learn from this report that the codling moth is one of the 
staple enemies. We also note that the box package for 
shipping deciduous fruit is greatly in favor. In fact, it may 
be stated that New Zealand is the pioneer in the use of this 
kind of package. Her apples and pears have a recognized 
standing in the London markets. The box package is being 
agitated more and more in this country and its introduction 
will be hastened or retarded by the price of the apple barrel. 
IMPORTANT POMOLOGICAL EPOCHS. 
It is the custom of the world to chronicle and record striking 
epochs in educational, industrial and material progress. 
Curious it is, that many important events in the fruit world 
bearing impressively upon the health and comfort of mankind, 
have been entirely over-looked. The man who gives to 
the people of any country a desire to grow good fruits, 
does a noble thing. So also is the work of a man who pro¬ 
duces a new and desirable fruit, worthy of all praise and 
faithful record. How few there are in the pages of pom- 
ological history, whose names, even after death, receive 
that meed of praise that their works in life deserve. In 
monarchial countries the man who makes a fortune whether 
by manufacturing soap, or cigars, and spend this liberally to 
advance educational enterprises, is knighted and his name 
goes down to posterity surrounded by a halo of philanthropic 
deeds. But too often forgotten, are the men like Ephraim 
Bull, who gave to the world a fruit which ministers to the 
wants of millions. As time goes on, however, there appears 
to be a tendency on the part of the public to recognize the 
efforts of these humble and less ostentatious workers. 
Not long ago, there was unveiled a monument in the Sher- 
man-Heineman Park at Mansfield, Ohio, to the memory of 
“Johnny Appleseed” a unique character of the last century, 
whose unceasing labors did much to bring comforts and happi¬ 
ness in the form of beautiful apples to thousands of farm 
homes throughout the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. 
There is no specific and definite acount of the life work of 
this man and a large part of his beneficient efforts must be left 
to conjecture. Certain it is that he tramped the New West 
almost continually, carrying appleseeds from the east to the 
west, gathering them from old orchards and cider presses, 
and scattering them in promising locations along the outposts 
of civilization. 
There are many anecdotes, most interesting ones, told of 
Chapman’s vagaries. He was born at Springfield, Mass., 
in 1775 and died in 1847, near Fort Wayne, Indiana. 
So far as w r e know this is the third monument which has 
been erected to commemorate some important pomological 
event. The original “Baldwin” apple tree has a monument to 
mark its place of origination in the township of Rumford, 
Mass. The “Primate” has been similarly commemorated in 
Onnoclaga County, N. Y. Should not more attention be given 
to the sentimentalism and folk-lore of pomological history? 
THOMAS MEEHAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The Thomas Meehan Horticultural Society held its annual 
meeting at the nursery offices on October 12th, when the 
following officers were elected to serve for the ensuing year: 
President, Warren J. Chandler; vice-president, S. Newman 
Baxter; Secretary, Ernest Hemming. 
After the election “Plant Breeding” was the subject under 
discussion for the evening. Mr. S. Mendelson Meehan, in 
speaking of the parentage of some common plants, took as an 
illustration the Aesculus rubicunda, the parentage of 
which is somewhat in doubt, and with the assistance of a 
chart and lving specimens pointed out the probabilities of it 
being a cross between the European Horse Chestnut (Aesculus 
hippocastanum) and Aesculus rubra or Pavia rubra, as it is 
generally called. 
