THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
7 
can cities and the activity of village improvement and tree 
planting societies. Assuming that it is generally admitted that 
trees are desirable in cities, Mr Robinson asks why their care 
has been so neglected. He finds that the disregard of trees 
tends more and more to apply to the past; that as cities extend 
boundaries they take in villages where the trees have been 
allowed to grow and that these trees-are then preserved. He 
makes a plea for city ownership as against the individual 
ownership of city trees, and cites examples of the successful 
trial of that plan. It is suggested that labels be used to desig¬ 
nate the name and date of planting of trees in cities. Much 
more might be made of Arbor Day, says the author. The 
possibilities of gardening and of parking along the centers or 
sides of streets and avenues are suggested. In short, the book 
is full of suggestions; some of them not entirely new, but all of 
them commendable. 
This work and others of its class will do much to stimulate 
activity along lines that must directly affect the nurseryman. 
A writer on the Pacific coast, where everything is magnified, 
even Nature producing there some of her finest specimens, is 
of the opinion that the twentieth century has ushered in the 
“age of fruit.” A Roeding, a Wellhouse, a Burbank, a Bur¬ 
pee, a Bailey, a Hale, is continually coming forward with some 
marked success with fruit or flower, and commercial orchards 
are occupying vast acreages in all sections of the country. All 
is based on nature study, and as the nurseryman enters another 
year at the beginning of the new century, he has every reason 
to view the prospect with confidence that the field is large, 
tastes are being educated and there is more and more a ten¬ 
dency to appreciate the beautiful in landscape and the truly 
meritorious in orchard fruits. 
TREE PLANTING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. 
A bulletin of the United States Department of Agriculture, 
by William L. Hall on “Tree Planting on Rural School 
Grounds,” suggests a field of operation by the nurseryman. 
Mr. Hall calls attention to the fact that in many cases school 
houses are entirely isolated from trees of any kind. He shows 
the advisability of surrounding school houses with trees as a 
means of protection from storms and as an object lesson in the 
value of trees generally. He refers to Arbor Day tree plant¬ 
ing and suggests a better method of observing that day. He 
says : 
While undue haste in adopting a plan should be carefully avoided, it 
should be remembered that many good movements fail by not being 
properly prosecuted. If the district adopts the policy of establishing 
and permanently maintaining a plantation of trees and shrubs on the 
school ground for ornament, protection, and improvement, a great ad¬ 
vance will have been made ; but until this has been done there is no 
guaranty of lasting results. It is easy to arouse the tree-planting 
spirit in the school, but unless this interest has the support of the dis 
trict it is likely to wane and languish. The teacher cannot take the 
responsibility, for his tenure of office is liable to be short. Both 
teacher and school must be among the chief agencies in carrying out 
the work, but only according to the general plan, judiciously directed 
by the district authorities. The appropriate celebration of Arbor Day 
as a part of the plan will aid greatly in the promotion of education and 
sentiment in tree planting. As soon as a policy of planting is adopted, 
some experienced person should be appointed to superintend the 
preparation of the ground, the procuring of the trees, the planting, 
and the subsequent cultivation. 
The school ground being permanent and the need of trees continu¬ 
ous, for the most part long-lived trees should be used. But where the 
present need of trees is great, there is another side to the question. A 
short-lived tree grows quickly, coming into early usefulness, and 
serves its purpose for from twenty-five to fifty years. A long-lived 
tree usually grows more slowly, but serves its purpose for a century 
or more. In many cases it is advisable to use the two kinds in such a 
way that the long-lived trees will become useful about the time the 
short-lived trees reach maturity. The latter cab then be removed, 
leaving the ground to the long-lived trees. In all cases an ultimate 
stand of such trees as elms, oaks, walnuts, or chestnuts should be the 
aim. 
Under the heading, “Obtaining the Trees,” Mr. Hill sug¬ 
gests forest seedlings, home-grown seedlings and trees from a 
nursery. He says: 
The most common method of obtaining forest trees in regions remote 
from the natural woodland is to purchase them from a nursery. 
Nearly all nurseries grow trees for ornamental planting, and a number 
in the prairie States offer stock for forest planting. Where large 
quantities are handled, the trees are usually sold as seedlings when one 
or two years old, and are quoted by the hundred or thousand, the price 
for ordinary kinds ranging from $2 to $7 per thousand. Ornamental 
trees are sold at the age of from three to five years, after having been 
transplanted once or more. They are sold by the single tree, or in 
small quantities, at prices ranging from 10 to 25 cents each. As a rule 
there is little to be gained by planting large trees. 
With the suggestions of Mr. Hill, the nursery agent should 
have little difficulty in securing the adoption of a plan of tree 
planting at all the school properties in his territory. The 
bulletin is No. 134 of the farmers’ series. 
WESTERN WHOLESALERS. 
At the meeting of the Western Association of Wholesale 
Nurserymen, at Kansas City, on December 17 th, a brisk 
demand for nursery products was reported. The nurserymen 
are encouraged by the good crops and other favorable condi¬ 
tions. It was decided to issue stock condition reports during 
July. August, September and October. A fair stock of the 
main varieties of nursery products was reported as on hand 
for the spring trade. The following subjects were discussed : 
“ New Varieties of Fruit That Should Be Generally Grown,” 
A. H. Griesa, Lawrence, Kan. ; “Root Knot and Tree Pests,” 
J. H. Skinner, North Topeka, Kan. ; “ The Bright Outlook 
for the Painstaking, Conscientious Nurseryman,” F. H. Stan- 
nard, Ottawa, Kan. 
The following officers were elected : President, A. L. 
Brooke, North Topeka, Kan. ; vice-president, R. H. Blair, 
Kansas City, Mo. ; secretary-treasurer, E. J. Holman, Leaven¬ 
worth, Kan. ; executive committee, J. H. Skinner, F. Stan- 
nard, A. Willis, H. B. Chase, E. S. Welch. 
E. Albertson, Bridgeport, Ind., and Mr. Chase of Huntsville, Ala., 
called upon Western New York nurserymen during the closing days 
of 1891. 
The department of the interior has withdrawn ,from settlement all 
lands in Montana north and west of the Kootenai river. The order 
involves 1,000,000 acres of land. The new forest reserve will be known 
as the Kootenai. Idaho will.contribute 276,000 acres. 
Nurserymen and fruit growers of New York state have agreed 
upon a legislative bill providing for fumigation of nursery stock in 
infested nurseries and all stock brought into the state. This commit¬ 
tee is in charge: S. D. Willard, Geneva; C. M. Hooker, Irving Rouse 
and William Pitkin of Rochester. 
