148 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
In IRuvsetr IRows. 
Stocks for Japan Plums.— The Storrs and Harrison Co., Paines- 
ville, O., replying to a query in the Rural New Yorker, sayd: ‘‘When¬ 
ever the climate is cold enough to injure peach roots, we would not 
advocate budding Japan plums on them. Where the winters are not 
so severe, and peach trees will stand all right, Japan varieties seem to 
unite and do rather better on peach roots than they do on Myrobalan, 
and many of the large orchardists are using them on peach roots in 
preference to plum. Of course, anyone that plants them on peach 
roots should understand that they are subject to attacks of borers, like 
peach trees. Budded on Myrobalan stocks they can be planted and 
grown successfully in a good many northern sections where peach trees 
will not stand.” 
Apple Root Grafts. —Ben Davis is one of the easiest varieties to 
make and depend upon its own roots, says H. E. Van Deman in Rural 
New Yorker. When any tree does this, it shows an inherent vitality 
that is very desirable. Such trees are usually hardy and vigorous, and 
they are better for being on their own roots than on those of a less 
stable kind. The fact that lower or old part of the root system may 
decay will not seriously affect the upper part, because the latter is 
healthy and independent of it. By using a short piece of root to keep 
the scion alive until it has had opportunity to make roots of its own, 
and planting it deeply, there may be produced more hardy and vigor¬ 
ous trees than those grown upon roots of seedlings which are of uncer¬ 
tain if not positively tender and feeble constitution This, of course, 
would necessarily depend upon the variety used being hardy and vig¬ 
orous. 
Myrobalan Plums —Regarding the present status, Prof. F. A. 
Waugh, of Vermont, says: The history of the Myrobalan plums was 
pretty well ransacked by Bailey in 1892 At present the Myrobalan 
plums are used chiefly, as they always have been, as stocks for budding 
or grafting other plums. Marianna is least of all an exception to this 
statement. They have many distinct advantages for this purpose, the 
principal advantage being their ready growth from seeds or cuttings. 
When stocks are grown from cuttings, as of Marianna, much greater 
uniformity is secured ; and this is a great gain. Myrobalan stocks are 
still imported in considerable quantities from France. The Myrobalan 
stocks have some weaknesses, however ; as for example, they are not 
hardy enough in the North, and they tend to dwarf certain strong 
growing varieties. For this reason nurserymen are anxiously experi¬ 
menting in the hope of finding something better; and some propagators, 
thinking that something better has been found, have taken to Ameri¬ 
cana stocks at the North, or to peach stocks at the South. 
The Evekbearing Peacii— Having recently had opportunity to 
examine a specimen of the Everbearing peach it is a pleasure to give a 
very favorable opinion of it, so far as the size, appearance and quality 
of the fruit are concerned, says A. E. Van Deman in American Garden¬ 
ing. What the tree may be I cannot tell from experience. The size 
of this peach is large ; the shape is about that of the ordinary peaches; 
the celor is reddish purple over a white ground, with stripes and flecks 
of a darker shade. The flesh is white, with a mixture of red next the 
seed and skin and very tender when fully ripe. The flavor is superb, 
rich, delicious and very satisfying. I never ate a better peach. If these 
points are well sustained by the variety and the tree is hardy and pro¬ 
ductive, which are reported to be true, it is a valuable addition to our 
peach list. The peculiar quality of blooming and ripening during a 
long period makes it not only and interesting novelty, but a very con¬ 
venient and desirable peach for family use. Judging by the appearance 
and inside characteristics of the fruit I judge it to belong to the Indian 
or Spanish type of peaches. The varieties of this type are usually very 
productive and well able to endure more extremes of temperature, both 
hot and cold, than any of the other types. The Everbearing Peach is 
well worthy of a general trial. 
Evergreen Seedlings. —Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea, Minn, in a 
report to the Minnesota Horticultural Society said: Red cedar seed is 
very difficult to handle. Really, I must acknowledge that I have just 
one good stand of red cedar. We gather our seed, rub off the pulp, 
stratify it in sand, and then bury it so that the top of the box is four or 
five inches below the surface of the soil, and there it remains until a 
year from the following spring, about eighteen months, in the ground. 
It is probably safer to sow the seed in the fall and mulch it well, for if 
you do not get it sown very early in the spring it will grow in-the box 
and, of course, be spoiled. I tried by soaking the seed in different 
solutions of caustic potash to avoid this long stratification and found 
there was a certain solution that would start it the first year. But in 
that case you want to let your bed stand for two years, as a goodly 
share will not even then germinate till the second year, and by pulling 
out the first year’s crop quite early you can hope for a fair volunteer 
crop the second year. I think the red cedar should be planted more 
extensively in the northwest. The Ponderosa pine should also be 
grown more. It is a great drouth resister. It grows a great deal 
slower than the Scotch pine for the first few years, but it remains more 
dense in its lower foliage, and I think is a far more desirable tree. As 
it gets older, unlike the Scotch pine, it remains thrifty. In the nursery 
the Austrian pine and the Ponderosa, the former dark green and the 
latter bright green, discolor and are therefore objected to by nursery¬ 
men When they get to be four or five feet high they remain far more 
beautiful and bright than many of the evergreens that do not turn so 
brown in the nursery. 
G. A GAMBLE’S PURCHASE. 
G. A. Gamble of the Gamble Nurseries at Ft. Smith, has 
purchased the entire stock of The Benton County Nursery Co., 
which will be merged into one enterprise with headquarters 
at Bentonville, Ark. 
Mr. Gamble claims to have about sixty thousand two-year 
old apple trees and a big assortment of other stock which he 
will sell at very low figures. 
The following notice is from the Benton County Democrat : 
G. A Gamble, proprietor of the Gamble Nurseries at Ft. Smith, was 
in the city last week and bought out the Benton County Nursery Com¬ 
pany of this city. Mr. Gamble will continue the nurseries under the 
old name and will make his headquarters at Bentonville. S. H. 
Sheldon, who has been foreman of the old nursery company for the 
past sixteen years will be retained. It is needless to state that his 
qualifications and integrity are unquestioned, as his experience and 
conduct in past years have proved him to be a man of great worth. 
Parties ordering trees from this nursery can rest assured that they are 
true to name and just as represented. 
HARD-SHELLED SEED. 
Regarding hard-shelled seed, C. S. Harrison, York, Neb., 
says in American Gardening: 
Directions often say “scald them.” This is indefinite. I have 
known people to boil honey locust seed. That is death. I have much 
experience in this line. These seeds vary; a light scalding will kill 
some and not reach others. I bring water to the boiling point and pour 
on the seeds in a tub and stir vigorously for fifteen minutes. This 
equalizes the heat without danger. Then cover up for three days, 
skim off the swollen seeds and plant. Scald and skim off again. It 
usually takes three scaldings to reach them all. Mark another thing; 
If the ground is dry you will lose the whole thing. If these swollen 
seeds dry they can never come up. I have a barrel on a cart and give 
the furrow a good soaking. Make a furrow with' the hoe and as wide 
as the blade and about three inches deep; soak this thoroughly, cover 
the seed in dry time five inches deep till they germinate, then rake off 
to three inches. In this way, in a dry season, 1 have had a wonderful 
stand. 
A shipment of 100,000 peach trees from Georgia nurseries, bound for 
Cape Colony and Natal, South Africa, was made last month. Follow¬ 
ing the instructions of the English colonial secretary, State Entomolo¬ 
gist Scott went to Augusta to inspect the trees and report their condi 
tion by cable to the British authorities. Last year a shipment of half 
the size of the present one was made, but the trees were held at Lady¬ 
smith because of the Boer war. 
