THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
2 57 
C. G. PATTEN’S EXPERIMENTS. 
FLORISTS NURSERIES. 
Charles G. Patten, Charles City, Iowa, is a nurseryman of 
35 years’ standing. He has some 125 acres in nursery, or¬ 
chards and small fruits, and keeps a general line for the 
Northwest climate. He is located in a beautiful city of about 
5,000 inhabitants, on the Big Cedar river, about half a degree 
south of Minnesota, in a most excellent semi-prairie region. 
The intense heat and drought of many days, mercury ranging 
every afternoon from 100 to 107 degrees in the shade has 
taxed many varieties of trees almost to the extreme limit, 
searing and almost burning the foliage and shriveling and 
drying the fruit. In experimental work such an extreme may 
leave some lessons with us that will be useful. 
To a representative of the National Nurseryman Mr. 
Patten said: “ Last winter the Iowa State Society decided to 
cross fertilize the apple to a considerable extent, and its com¬ 
mittee having the work in charge decided on the Patten 
Greening as the most desirable tree on which to work such 
varieties as Ben Davis, Winesap, Black Annet and Seek-no- 
further. We also worked some of the best Arkansas winter 
apples on B. A. Mathews’ large Native Crab. 
Had the season been favorable we should 
have had at least 3,000 seeds. But on five 
nights the meicury fell down to and so close 
to the freezing point, causing so much injury 
that we will not have more than one thousand. 
“ But my own special work this year cen¬ 
ters more in the development of the varieties 
of the pear that shall be adapted to the North¬ 
west. In this work I have to acknowledge 
courtesies from horticulturists in Illinois, 
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, in 
the way of information with reference to 
freedom from blight, hardiness, quality and 
fruitage of varieties. I finally determined 
that Angouleme, Anjou, F. Beauty and 
Seckel, were the most desirable sorts from 
which to obtain pollen. No one who has not 
undertaken a work of this sort can under¬ 
stand fully the difficulty of securing just 
the information needed, and then have the pollen gathered 
and sent so as to be received in perfect condition. I am 
especially indebted to the horticulturist of the Illinois station 
for kindly interest or assistance, C. H. Barnard, of Table 
Rock, and E. F. Stevens, of Crete, Nebraska ; B. F. Smith, 
W. N. Rudd says in the American Florist : . 
“ Should the florist have a nursery ? ” I unhesitatingly and emphati- 
cally say, “ In the average case. No! ” Unless the extent of the 
ground at hand and other considerations warrant the employment of 
special labor to be devoted exclusively to the nursery, the work must be 
done by the greenhouse hands. Such men are seldom competent, and 
they almost universally dislike and shirk the care of hardy stock. 
Your true greenhouse man will cultivate the carnation and let the 
weeds grow in the nursery every time. 
A patch of shrubs in nursery rows, even if not unkempt and full of 
weeds, as the florist’s stock of such things generally is, is not a good 
place to sell from, and is not calculated to increase trade. The proper 
course to pursue is to arrange to have at least one good, well developed 
specimen of as many varieties of perennials, shrubs, trees and fruits as 
can be arranged tastefully about the grounds. This, in combination 
with properly placed clumps of greenhouse plants, will add tremen¬ 
dously to the attractiveness, and consequently to the trade pulling 
power, of the establishment in both departments. 
One well done specimen planted for show will sell more than a thou¬ 
sand pieces in nursery rows. One bunch of Brighton grapes picked 
from the vine in the florist’s grounds by a customer familiar only with 
the Concord as a hardy grape, will do more to secure an order for a 
grape plantation than a ten acre lot in nursery con¬ 
dition. 
Then sell your goods by sample, have your 
samples as good and of as many varieties as possi¬ 
ble. Eat your own fruit, enjoy the beauty of your 
own shrubs, and buy your planting stock from 
some large and reliable nursery. If the nursery 
trade grows sufficiently to warrant it, get some 
more ground, hire competent help and go into 
propagating and growing this stock as a separate 
department of your business. 
Charles G. Patten. 
Xong anb Short. 
California privet may be obtained of Josiah A. 
Roberts, Malvern, Pa. 
A full list of standard stock is offered by W. T. 
Hood & Co., Richmond, Ya. 
The proprietors of the Emporia Nurseries, 
Emporia, Ya., want to sell their nurseries and trade, 
or one-half interest. 
Bargains in Norway maples, magnolias, Carolina poplars, Osage 
orange, Irish juniper, Norway spruce, Japau snow ball are offered by 
George Achelis, West Chester, Pa. 
Small fruit plants are a specialty with Allen L. Wood, Rochester, 
N. Y., 1,000,000 raspberries, strong tips, 200,000 transplants; 200,000 
currants’ 2 years. No. 1; 100,000 gooseberries, 200,000 grapes. 2 years 
of Lawrence, Kansas ; Wm. H. Barnes, secretary of the Kansas __ 
Sta e Society; B. A. Mathews, of Knoxville, and M. J. 
Graham, Adel, la., and Prof. J. C. Whitten and his assistant, 
N O Booth, of Columbia, Mo. The pollen sent me from the 
latter station was most excellent, especially the Angouleme, 
which we used very liberally and with considerable success on 
two very hardy almost non-blighting sorts that we have. We 
will secure fully 600 seeds from these crosses. I have two or 
three sorts from selected seeds fruiting this year that give 
encouragement for this more scientific work. 
“ The results of the extensive experiments here have been 
almost blotted out by the long-continued and intense heat 
that has prevailed here, so that we shall have to w’ait another 
year’s fruitage before we can speak very definitely of 
results.” 
old. No. 1 ; 100,000 rhubarb, 2 years old, No. 1. 
IRecent flbublications. 
The Chief Forest Fire Warden of Minnesota, General C. C. Andrews, 
has issued his sixth annual report, being for the year 1900. It com¬ 
prises 138 octavo pages, with numerous original illustrations of Minne¬ 
sota forests. 
An attractive announcement of books to be published during the 
autumn by the Macmillan Co., 66 Fifth avenue, New Aork, has been 
issued. Among the books we notice Old I ime Gardens bj Alice 
Morse Earle, author of “ Stage Coach and Tavern Days “The Scott 
Country", “Highways and Byways of the English Lakes”, “The 
Scenery of England”, Volume 4 of “Cyclopedia of American Horti¬ 
culture”, - University Text Book of Botany”, “ First Lessons in Agri¬ 
culture”. A complete catalogue of Macmillan publications will be 
sent to any address on request. 
