2 78 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
INSPECTION IN CALIFORNIA. 
Until recently the importation of plants by mail proceeded 
freely without inspection, says the Rural Californian. The 
quarantine system could not be perfect while there was a 
chance of shipping infected stock through the mails, and in 
view of the American occupation of the Hawaiian and Philip¬ 
pine islands, and the heavy mail now passing between Califor¬ 
nia and those islands, there was a constant danger that some 
of the very many pests with which they are infested, and from 
which we are free, might find their way into our state in this 
manner. 
The State Board of Horticulture brought the matter to the 
attention of the postmaster general, and it has been arranged 
that all mail matter containing fruit or plants from Hawaii or 
the Phillippines is sent to the postmaster at the capital of each 
of the Pacific coast states and by him submitted for examina¬ 
tion to the State Board of Horticulture. All such packages 
when found to contain no dangerous insects are promptly for¬ 
warded to the addressee. When any package contains in¬ 
fected fruit or plants the postmaster notifies the addressee and 
detains the same until the state board or the commissioner can 
arrange with the addressee, or take such other proceeding as 
may be proper for the destruction thereof. 
All this work is constantly going on so quietly and system¬ 
atically that only those who are touched by it are aware of its 
progress, and yet it stands a stalwart safeguard for the protec¬ 
tion of our growing plants against new destructive agencies. 
FREE DISTRIBUTION OF TREES. 
The Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. James Wilson, makes 
this statement regarding a topic of special interest to nur¬ 
serymen : 
It has long been my belief that much good might be 
accomplished by using a part of the appropriation in a 
judicious dissemination of some of the more valuable trees. 
Plans have therefore been made to place at the disposal of 
each senator, member, and delegate in Congress a limited 
number of selected trees, the object being to encourage a 
love for tree planting and all that this work involves. It will, 
of course, be entirely beyond the scope of the Department to 
send a large number of trees to any one place, but it is 
believed that the action contemplated will eventually lead to 
extensive planting through the educational effects of the 
work. Commercial establishments are well prepared to 
supply trees in nearly all parts of the country at reasonable 
cost, and the plan of our work will, it is believed, eventually 
advance their interests. Already there has been secured for 
distribution a choice collection of nut trees, principally 
pecan, and these are being grown by the Department from 
nuts gathered from selected trees in all parts of the country. 
It is believed that some such plan as outlined for the 
distribution of the special crops mentioned above can be 
applied also to the general distribution of vegetable and 
flower seeds. It will certainly be an advantage to intelli¬ 
gently district the country and send into each district only 
such seeds as are likely to improve its conditions. This will 
obviate the necessity of having to secure such immense 
quantities of single varieties, a task which is often difficult to 
perform. It will furthermore enable the Department to 
gradually introduce into the distribution rarer sorts, and to 
drop these after the first year or two, leaving the demand for 
them to be supplied by the trade. When the Department 
has secured the seeds and plants which it is believed are 
best adapted to certain districts, its responsibility, to a certain 
extent, ends, as it looks to senators and members of 
Congress to place them in the hands of such of their consti¬ 
tuents as in their judgment will make the best use of them. 
Due notice, however, will always be given of every special- 
distribution, and in addition all information that the depart¬ 
ment possesses will be furnished, so that the recipients may 
act intelligently in handling whatever may be sent out. Carry¬ 
ing out the work as here outlined it is believed will result in 
good to the entire country, as is the intent of the existing law. 
PAN-AMERICAN AWARDS. 
Awards in the floricultural department of the Pan-American 
Exposition have been made Among nurserymen who received 
prizes are the following: 
Ellwanger & Barry. Rochester, N. Y.—Gold medal for roses; silver 
medal for peonies and dahlias; bronze medal for hardy roses; honor¬ 
able mention for phlox. 
Thomas Meehan & Sons, Germantown, Pa.—Gold medal for shrubs; 
bronze medal for clematis paniculata. 
Nelson Bogue, Bitavia, N Y. —Gold medal for H.P. roses. 
George C. Iloeding, Fresno, Cal.—Gold medal for Araucaria Bid- 
wellii; silver medal for palms and decorative plants; honorable men¬ 
tion for cannas. 
Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark, N. Y.—Silver medal for Dorothy 
Perkins rose; honorable mention for hybrid perpetual roses. 
W. & T. Smith Co., Geneva, N. Y.—Silver medal for peonies. 
John Charlton, Rochester, N. Y.—Silver medal for peonies. 
Bobbink & Atkins, Rutherford, N. J.—Silver medal for shrubs. 
The E. G. Hill Co., Richmond, Ind. — Silver medal for geraniums. 
James Vick’s Sons, Rochester, N. Y.—Bronze medal for tulips; hon¬ 
orable mention for geraniums, salvias, petunias and carpet bed. 
The W. H. Moon Co., Morrisville, Pa.—Honorable mention for 
evergreens. 
QUESTION OF CHERRY PLANTING. 
In an article in the Central Farmer, E. F. Stephens, Crete, 
Neb., says : 
We now believe that commercial orcharding with the cherry will 
not be nearly as profitable during the coming ten years as it has been 
during the last twenty. The cherry is so easily grown and fruits at 
such an early age that it is not difficult to overstock the market, and 
at this moment we are inclined to wish that one-half of the 3,000 cherry 
in commercial orchards were in apple, peach or plum. 
During the last five years we think the majority of planters in many 
Nebraska districts have planted almost as many cherry trees as apple 
trees. And that when all these trees come into bearing, those who do 
not have an excellent local market may find it difficult to sell all the 
fruit at a profit. We nave in mind a cherry orchard in the central por¬ 
tion of the state containing 5,500 trees, and we know of a large number 
of orchards containing from 500 to 1,000 trees. 
The fruit of the cherry must be marketed in a few days, and will not 
stand shipment to any great distance. The fruit of the apple, on the 
other hand, can be kept for long periods, and has more nearly a univer¬ 
sal demand. 
As long as cherries like the Early Richmond, Montmorency and 
English Morello can be sold freely, that is, from $ 1.25 to $ 1.50 per 
bushel, there is gocd profit; but when they drop to $1 a bushel or 
below there are better returns in raising otlrer kinds of fruit. 
