246 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
IOWA NURSERIES. 
As Observed by M. E. Hinkley of Mt. Vernon —Five Leading In¬ 
dustries in the Cedar River Valley—Sherman’s, Wedges, Patten 
df Son’s, Osage and Elmer Reeves’ Properties, the Latter 
in Minnesota—A Visit to Each. 
During one of the hot weeks of July, M. E. Hinkley, of the 
Fruitman , Mt. Vernon, la., made a trip up the Cedar Valley. 
He thus describes his experience: 
Take a map of Iowa and put your finger on the Cedar River at 
Waverly. Then run a line 90 miles northwesterly through Charles 
City and Osage to Albert Lea, Minn., and you have covered the loca¬ 
tion of five great nurseries. Thirty miles from the Reeves nursery at 
Waverly brings you to the Patten and Sherman nurseries at Charles 
City, seventeen miles more brings you to the Gardner nursery at 
Osage. From there it is forty-two miles to the Wedge nursery at Albert 
Lea, Minn. These enterprises were started from 15 to 30 years ago and 
have had a steady development They have become large business 
ventures, and the mammoth scale of their work is but little realized by 
the horticultural world. The section they occupy is a leading nursery 
center of our central northwest. 
WEDGE’S NURSERY. 
The lakes about Albert Lea drain into the Shellrock, which is a 
branch of the Cedar. We begin where the waters start and follow 
them down stream. This nursery is the second in importance in Minne¬ 
sota. Mr. Wedge is a life long tree man, having a positive inclination 
to the work. His estate comprises two farms with Albert Lea lake and 
city between them. There is a large orchard on the old place, but the 
home and nursery are on the new place. The mellow, sandy, loam 
soil, is especially adapted to nursery work. Mr. Wedge makes a 
specialty of Minnesota trees and all trees from northern stock and seeds. 
He grovrs evergreen seedlings literally by the million, importing great 
quantities of seeds from Northern Europe. There are great beds of 
transplanted evergreens, large blocks of apple, one, two and three years 
old, besides plum and shade trees Then there are many acres of 
young grapes, forest seedlings, small fruits, etc. Mr. Wedge is en¬ 
larging and perfecting his system to meet the demands of an expanding 
trade. 
OSAGE NURSERY. 
Gardner & Son is a firm name well known in the northwest. Their 
grounds are in the suburbs of Osage, and comprises several tracts of 
rich bench laud, easy of culture and conveniently located. Mr. Gard¬ 
ner was the first man to raise evergreens from seed on a large scale, 
west of the Mississippi. This work he continues but of late years has 
added a full line of stock. As you ride through block after block of 
fruit, shade and ornamental trees, you naturally ask where it all goes 
to and are told that it is “ scattered from Arizona to Manitoba.” At 
the headquarters a gasoline engine and deep well give abundant water 
supply and the grounds are made attractive with fountains, irrigated 
flower beds, and an artistic display of ornamental trees. 
SHERMAN’S NURSERY. 
This nursery for the business done and amount of stock raised ranks 
with the two or three largest in Iowa. It is just west of Charles City, 
some two miles from the Cedar, and has both timber land and prairie. 
Millions of evergreens are raised under.shade. Roses and ornamentals 
are started in greenhouses. The amount of apple trees and general 
stock grown can only be described by the word enormous. Riding 
through these grounds and noting the arrangements for business, one 
cannot but admire the mind that controls and directs. Mr. Sherman is 
still a young man, but has proved himself gifted with business ability 
and tireless energy. 
PATTEN & SON. 
This nursery, one of the oldest in Iowa, is south of Charles City, but 
begins in the suburbs. One tract comes down to the Cedar. Another 
is tw’o miles out on the prairie. Patten & Son are w T ell equipped for 
the business. There are large cellars and packing sheds and a great 
amount and variety of stock in excellent condition. No one in the west 
has had more experience or is more careful in growing and selling trees 
than Mr. Patten. His son Ernest, now going into partnership, has 
been brought up in the business and brings to it the energy of youth 
and taste and skill in the work. Mr. Patten’s experiment work in fruit 
production is so prominent and long continued that sometimes his 
nursery business seems overshadowed, but it is there, it is big and it is 
expanding. 
ELMER REEVES. 
The Waverly nursery is located southwest of town one-half mile, 
along the line of the I. C. Railway branch, and two miles from the 
Cedar. The same features prominent at other places visited, were 
found here. Yast beds of evergreen seedlings and transplants, heavy 
blocks of plum and apple trees, ornamentals and small fruits in great 
variety. Mr. Reeves is a born experimenter and parallel with nursery 
work; he carries his testing plantations, which are developing into fine 
orchards. His business is steadily enlarging, and considering the way 
in which it has been founded and advanced, one can safely predict a 
greater future for the Waverly nursery. 
FLORISTS’ ESTABLISHMENTS. 
At the annual convention of the Society of American 
Florists at Buffalo last month a letter was read from the 
Department of the Interior at Washington, accompanied with 
a statement showing by states and territories the leading facts 
tabulated to date relative to florists’ establishments through¬ 
out the country. The number of establishments up to period 
of tabulation was 3,360; number of establishments with build¬ 
ings, same; total area, 27,315 acres; improved area, 21,268 
acres; value of land and buildings, $32,494,250; value of build¬ 
ings, $14,321,604; value of implements, $893,913; value of 
livestock, $254,745; value of products, $10,497,513; value of 
products fed to live stock, $59,656; amount expended for fer¬ 
tilizers, $225,791; amount expended for labor, $2,458,123. 
These figures represent the States of Arkansas, Colorado, Con¬ 
necticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachu¬ 
setts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania 
Rhode Island and Vermont. There are 597 establishments in 
Massachusetts, value of their products, $1,512,581; in New 
Jersey, 494 , value of products, $1,960,558; New York, 983, 
value of products, $2,866,357; Pennsylvania, 732, value of 
products, $2,232,543; Connecticut, 168, value of products, 
$508,590; Rhode Island, 108, value of products, $295,774. 
These figures represent the value of the flowers and plants, 
growm in the different states mentioned. 
PROFESSOR BAILEY IN CALIFORNIA. 
Regarding Prof. Bailey’s visit to Redlands the California 
Cultivator says: “ He lectured twice and was listened to with 
breathless interest. He was taken to see the beautiful environ¬ 
ments of the city, and though he has twice visited Europe, 
and is familiar with Germany, Sardinia, Switzerland and Italy, 
yet he says he has never looked upon as beautiful a city as 
Redlands, nor has he ever seen such excellent culture as is 
shown in our California orchards.” 
John S. Kerr, Sherman, Texas, writes under date of August 15 : 
“ Texas has enjoyed fine rains locally this month, August, mainly in 
East, North and Southwest Texas, with showers throughout, greatly 
benefiting nursery stock and cotton crops. Many local sections, how¬ 
ever, are still very dry. Nursery trade prospects are average, I think.” 
