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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
IN MICHIGAN. 
Season Especially Favorable for Handling Stock and for Growth 
in Orchards—Retail Nursery Stock Prices Have Not 
Been Maintained Throughout the Fruit Belt 
in Comparison with the Wholesale Prices. 
' Benton Harbor, Mich,, May 19.—This spring’s delivery 
has cleaned up exceptionally close on stock with all nurseries 
in Michigan, so far as we are able to ascertain. The trade 
generally has been in a very healthy condition, there being a 
good demand for a general line of fruit stock, and the col¬ 
lections have been exceptionally good. The season has been 
a very favorable one so far, not only for handling nursery 
stock, but, owing to the fact that we have had frequent rains 
through the entire state, there are good prospects for nearly 
all of the stock growing which has been delivered. 
We would say that in the fruit belt of Michigan the retail 
price for nursery stock has not been held up, in our estima¬ 
tion, to the degree that should be, taking the wholesale prices 
into consideration, as several of the nurseries have been sell¬ 
ing No. 1 peach stock, for instance, throughout the fruit belt 
in retail orders of any size as low as six cents, which in view 
of the wholesale prices on nursery stock is altogether too low 
a figure. Harry L. Bird, 
Vice-President American Association. 
IN VERMONT. 
Derry, N. H., May 21. —The nursery business' cuts a com¬ 
paratively small figure in this state, the few that we have con¬ 
fining their attention principally to small fruits and ornament¬ 
als. It has not been practicable in the time at my disposal to 
get reports from all of them, but apparently the season’s busi¬ 
ness has been fully up to the average. 
From the amount of stock seen delivered, or in transit, it 
would appear that the indefatigable agents 'of outside nur¬ 
series with their showy plate books had not appealed to the 
imagination of our citizens in vain. 
So far as the fruit prospects are concerned, it is either a 
feast or a famine with us ; but the present indications are that 
there will be apples galore the coming autumn. 
John C. Chase, 
Vice-President American Association. 
NEBRASKA CONDITIONS. 
Geneva, Neb., May 21. —In regard to trade conditions in 
Nebraska, the season just closed has been the most satisfac¬ 
tory, take it all round, for years. Stock of all kinds has been 
sold out very close and collections are unusually prompt. 
This is the general verdict of Nebraska nurserymen. 
The season, so far as growing conditions are concerned, has 
been rather unfavorable until quite recently. It has been 
dry, cold and windy, which has made stock a little slow in 
starting. Recent generous rains, however, have put the ground 
in excellent condition, and I think the injury to the nursery 
interests by the dry weather will be but slight. 
The fruit prospect is excellent, with the exception of 
peaches, which will be a light crop. Reports fiom various 
sections of the state indicate the largest apple crop in recent 
years, although the canker worm has been doing some damage 
in certain localities. The outlook, both in nursery and orchard 
circles is very bright, and more than the usual number of 
Nebraska nurserymen have expressed their intention of at¬ 
tending the convention at Milwaukee. I am looking forward 
to a good time after a good season’s business, and this seems 
to be the general feeling in our state. 
Peter Youngers, 
Vice-President American Association. 
IN NEW JERSEY. 
Springfield, N. J., May 16—We have passed through 
an open and rather uniformly cold winter, conditions which 
in our latitude are most trying for evergreens and par¬ 
ticularly severe on all large foliaged ones. In our case Biotas, 
Thuyas and Junipers also suffered more or less, accord¬ 
ing to amount of shelter afforded them against sun and drying 
winds. 
Spring opened up early and was comparatively dry enab¬ 
ling us to have all our shipments made before the middle of 
Apiil, notwithstanding the fact that sales were somewhat in 
excess of those of a year ago. We believe the same conditions 
have prevailed generally throughout this state, as it obviously 
has been the case wherever we have had an opportunity to 
make personal observations in this respect. 
Before the season opened much had been written on the 
subject of this being a ‘locust-year.’ to warn prospective 
planters against setting out young trees and the general im¬ 
pression had gained foot that little would be done in the gen¬ 
eral fruit line in our section. Strange to say the very opposite 
took place. The demand for all kinds of fruit stock having 
been particularly brisk, so much so, in fact, that we were 
practically sold out of most of our marketable fruit trees be¬ 
fore the real end of the season had arrived. The demand for 
all kinds of ornamentals and hedge plants, notably Cal. Privet 
and American Arbor Vitae, has also been generally good. 
The smoke attending the clearing off of the packing and 
heeling grounds was composed chiefly of gases generated from 
the combustion of overgrown shrubs and gleanings from blocks 
which had practically been cleared. 
William Flemer, 
Vice-President American Association. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ALABAMA ORCHARDS. 
According to a government census bulletin there were in 
the state of New Hampshire in 1900, 2,034,398 apple trees as 
compared with 15744,779 in 1890 ; there were 141 apricot trees 
in 1900 as compared with 191 in 1890 ; cherry 6,7oo in 1900, 
and in 1890, 7,164 ; peach 48,819 in 1900, and 19,057 in 1890; 
pear 38,287 in 1900, and 39,378 in 1890 ; plum and prune 
trees 18,137 in 1900, and 10,151 in 1890. 
Alabama census figures are as follows : 
FRUITS NUMBER OF TREES BUSHELS OF FRUIT 
1890 1900 1889 1899 
Apple. 780,657 2,015,711 1,238,734 719,175 
Apricot. 1,326 3,541 611 1 15 
Cherry. 7,203 44,849 1,862 1,159 
Peach. 1,280,842 2,690,151 2,431,203 184,543 
Pear. 30.993 206,619 22,902 22,656 
Plum. 144,622 400,449 40,451 11,876 
In addition to the number of trees given in the table, un¬ 
classified fruit trees to the number of 26,493 were reported, 
with a yield of 8,212 bushels of fruit. 
