THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
I oo 
NURSERY INTERESTS AT FAIR. 
Acting Chief Taylor Outlines Plans for Exhibit of Shrubs and 
Trees at St. Louis Exposition In 1904—Suggests Orna¬ 
mental Trees and Shrubs In Somewhat Advanced 
Stage—Fruit Trees and Grape Vines In Bearing 
Too—Advantageously Done at a Berlin Ex¬ 
position—Plans Must BeMade Soon. 
The following paper was read by Acting Chief Frederic W. 
Taylor, of the Department of Horticulture, of the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition, at the Milwaukee convention of the 
American Association of Nurserymen : 
Mr. President and Fellow Members of the American Association of 
Nurserymen : 
I have unusual pleasure in complying with the request of President 
Berckmans for a paper intended to indicate in some measure the rela¬ 
tionships that should exist between the Nurserymen of the country and 
the World’s Fair to be held in St. Louis in 1904. 
If we start out with the assumption that it is the desire of the Nur¬ 
serymen of the country to place before the millions of people who will 
attend this Exposition, such of their products as can properly be shown, 
the most important question to come up for consideration as regards 
the attitude of the Exposition itself is that which relates to space. 
Horticultural exhibits of the character that can be presented by Nur¬ 
serymen are those requiring out door planting and that there be set 
aside for their reception adequate areas of suitable ground. The areas 
set aside must be covered with proper soil and facilities must be pro¬ 
vided for supplying water and for giving the necessary cultivation. 
The exact method in which the Department proposes providing facili- 
tiesTor Nurserymen is the subject I am bringing to your attention. 
In the first place, it will doubtless interest you to know that there is 
a larger acreage provided for the entire Exposition than has ever been 
furnished or used for such a purpose. The number of acres available 
for all purposes is not far from twelve hundred. The arrangement of 
the buildings upon the grounds provides for large open spaces and 
areas between them and any reasonable portion of this outside area can 
be placed at the disposal of such exhibitors as desire showing trees or 
plants adapted to the various locations. 
Possibly the first thought when out-door exhibits are mentioned is 
that they will be confined entirely or very largely to the showing of 
Nursery stock. I think if you will stop a moment and consider the 
question, it will be seeu that the best exhibits, not only from the stand¬ 
point of the Exposition, but from that of the exhibitor as well, should 
consist very largely, not of the ordinary nursery stock, but of selected 
and well-grown specimens considerably farther advanced than are 
those usually sold or offered for sale in nurseries. Following out this 
thought, it seems to me that it would be comparatively easy for the 
nurserymen of the country, after going over the matter in each indi¬ 
vidual case, with the Chief of the Department, to provide a series of 
exhibits such as have never before been possible in America. 
Ornamental Trees and Shrubs : Suggestions on my part are 
scarcely needed as to the beautiful effects which may be produced 
upon the Exposition grounds by the planting of properly grouped 
specimens of all those trees and shrubs which are or should be popular 
by reason of their distinctive and ornamental form, foliage or flowers. 
These groups of trees and shrubs are so well known and cover so 
large a field that it is only necessary to say that specially desirable 
locations will be available where these may be placed either individu¬ 
ally or in groups of varieties and species, in such a way as to bring out 
the best effects from each individual specimen. 
Large and well-grown single specimens can be placed in positions 
adapted to their shape, color and size, and harmonious groupings can 
be arranged in such a way as to materially add to the beauty of the 
grounds. All kinds of exposures and positions will be available so 
that the particular requirements of each shrub or tree may be studied 
in placing it. 
Fruit Trees: I have a very strong feeling that something can now 
be done in the showing of fruit trees such as has not heretofore been 
attempted but which might be made an extremely striking feature. I 
allude to placing in proper locations bearing trees so treated as to pro¬ 
duce at the proper season of the World’s Fair summer, the fruit for 
which the trees are primarily planted. This can be done with com¬ 
parative ease, in the case of dwarf trees of various sorts such as the 
apple, pear, etc., providing of course that proper preliminary care is 
taken. Neither is it by any means impossible to pioduce splendid 
results from standards provided, of course, the necessary pains be 
taken. I am sure the possible results are well worth the necessary 
time pains and expense. 
In 1896 at an Exposition held in Berlin, I saw numbers of apple, 
pear, quince and other fruit trees in perfect condition and ripening 
splendid crops of fruit although they had been planted during ihe 
spring of the year in which the Exnosition was held. The trees were 
treated a year in advance by thoroughly pruning the roots and sinking 
the trees in the earth in tubs. When it was desired to plant them on 
the Exposition grounds, they were removed with all the ball of earth 
from the tubs and planted where they were intended to stand. The 
results were surprisingly good and it would have been impossible to 
tell these trees from those which had not received such treatment or 
been removed. 
The Grape Vine : In much the same way as is mentioned for fruit 
trees, the various varieties of the vine can be planted in such a way as 
to not only illustrate something of the production of fruit, but particu¬ 
larly to show clearly all the different methods of training and pruning. 
To clearly illustrate the pruning and training of the grape vine as ap¬ 
plied to the manifold needs of the different species and varieties, would 
be an object lesson of immense value to nearly every visitor of the 
Exposition. 
The continually increasing interest in horticulture on the part of the 
dwellers in cities and especially in that phase of it which can be carried 
on upon small areas of land, such as city lots, is so noticeable as to 
create a definite want on the part of many persons for information 
along this line. 
No one can supply this information so well as the nurserymen and in 
supplying it they gain such advertising as to make the investment a 
thoroughly good one. 
Herbaceous Perennials : This class of plants may perhaps be 
considered to belong more particularly to the Florist, but since most 
nurserymen grow them in connection with their other ornamental 
stock, it is perhaps better that some mention be made here of the fact 
that the very best facilities will be available for exhibitions of this 
character. One prime requisite in this case as in that of practically 
all the things grown by nurserymen is time. A sufficient peiiod must 
elapse between the planting and the opening of the Exposition to per¬ 
mit the exhibits to become thoroughly established. 
The present intention is to have the Exposition grounds completly 
arranged before next Spring for the planting of those things which 
need to be in the ground a year in advance. This will give a full year 
in which to establish the plants, thus giving them an opportunity to 
appear at their best during the Exposition period. 
There is one particular phase of the subject which I trust may be 
worked out in a striking manner. I refer to the planting in groups 
and other striking forms of native American trees, shrubs and herbace¬ 
ous plants There are so many of these that it would be a particularly 
happy arrangement to have them shown in such a way as to differen¬ 
tiate them distinctly and clearly from introduced forms. 
You may be interested to know how the opportunity for exhibiting 
at this Exposition appeals to foreigners. One foreign country which 
is noted for its taste in horticulture and for the effect it has had in in¬ 
creasing a taste for such work, has made a formal request that in 
assigning space for their building, the Exposition arrange to give it 
eight acres of surrounding space upon which to exhibit all those trees, 
shrubs and plants of the kinds we are discussing. There is no doubt 
that at least three or four other foreign countries will ask for large 
areas, while many of them will ask for assignments of space for indi¬ 
vidual exhibits. This will give to American nurserymen a double in¬ 
centive. First, the material and perhaps selfish one, which inquires as 
to the monetary returns which may be expected from such exhibits; 
and second, the desire which should amount to a determination to 
show that America with its splendid resources and opportunities has 
not fallen behind any country in its devotion to the beautiful and in 
every way elevating and ennobling art, horticulture. 
No body of men in the world can do as much as can this organiza¬ 
tion to encourage and make possible the splendid showing that must 
