THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
361 
and horticulturists, among whom he was an active co-worker 
twenty-five years ago. 
Following a few remarks on our fall (September) meeting, 
invitations were extended by Mr. L. J. Tackett to Fort 
Worth, and by Mr. M Falkner to Waco. 
Mr. F. T. Ramsey showed samples of Jujubes, kinds 
recently introduced by the Government from China. 
Mr. J S. Kerr showed a pecan root, that had been dug 
by a tree digger, when one year old, that now at four or five 
years consisted of four main roots, instead of one tap root. 
He spoke particularly of this method as applied in the case 
of transplanted ornamentals, which are much demanded by 
northern planters and landscape architects. 
Mr. F. T. Ramsey disagreed as to advisability of trans¬ 
planting more than one time in the nursery, as roots and 
bodies of trees in the southwest when transplanted several 
times often become hide-bound, and their growth is greatly 
retarded. He spoke of several instances which showed the 
lack of knowledge on the part of northern landscape archi¬ 
tects of southern conditions. 
As the program and all business were finished, invitation 
was extended to Judge C. L. Edwards of Dallas to speak on 
the propagation of pecans. 
The day before, July 29, the Nurserymen’s Association 
united with the Texas State Horticultural Society in a 
memorial meeting in honor of the late T. V. Munson, who 
had been from the beginning of both organizations an active 
and honored member. Suitable resolutions were passed, 
and many persons in short talks expressed their deep feelings 
of respect, honor, and love for this great man and his life 
work, and their regret at his loss from among us. It was 
a coincidence that six years ago, when the news came to the 
Texas State Horticidtural Society and the Texas Nut growers, 
who were meeting together in Brownsville, of the death of 
Mr. C, Falkner, a pioneer in Texas horticulture, Mr. Will B. 
Munson, son of Mr. T. V. Munson presided over the meeting, 
when an hour was set aside to do honor to the name and 
memory of Mr. Falkner. It happened this year that in a 
similar meeting, Mr. M, Falkner, son of C Falkner, was in 
the chair as president, when the hour was observed in 
memory of Mr. Munson. J. M. Ramsey, Secretary. 
THE SITKA, OR MENZIES’ SPRUCE 
Amongst the several exotic trees which are being tried 
under forest conditions in England the Sitka spruce, or, 
giving it its correct name, Picea sitchensis, is likely to prove 
one of the most important ,for it appears to be better adapted 
than any other tree yet tried for reclaiming wet and cold 
ground at a considerable altitude, while it is also spoken 
highly of in some quarters for planting in exposed positions 
about the coast. 
Until recently the common spruce {Picea excels a) was 
usually chosen for planting wet ground, but where this and 
the Sitka spruce have been planted side by side the latter 
has quickly taken the lead. When planted on wet ground, 
either at a low elevation or at a considerable altitude, young 
plants of P. excelsa commence to grow early in spring, and 
the young shoots are often crippled by frost. The Sitka 
spruce, on the other hand, starts into growth rather later, 
and is less liable to injiuy. It sometimes happens that trees 
which grow rapidly during their earlier years mature early, 
and are outgrown later by a kindred species which was 
slower in its early days; but there does not appear to be any 
fear of this happening with the Sitka spruce, for in various 
parts of the country there arc ornamental specimens ap- 
prcjaching one hundred feet in height, with a considerable 
girth, but which, from the date of introduction, 1831, cannot 
have reached maturity yet. 
As an instance of its rapid gro\vth when planted under 
favorable conditions annual growths oh from four to five 
feet in length have been measured both in Scotland and in 
the South-west of England. On the other hand, trees 
planted on the “raised turf,’’ or “Belgian system,’’ on bog 
land at elevations varying between 800 and 1,400 feet in 
Scotland, have formed shoots twelve to fifteen inches long 
in a single season, and that the second year after planting. 
So far as the timber is concerned, that from native-grown 
trees is superior to the wood of P. excelsa, and there does not 
appear to be any reason to doubt its quality when grown in 
this country. Any that has been seen so far has been cut 
from trees grown for ornamental purposes, and it was? 
therefore, rough and knotty, a condition which will not 
apply when proper forestry methods are adopted throughout 
their growth. 
Whether planted near the sea coast or inland, it stands 
wind well, and in the southwest counties it is said to be 
superior to either Pinus insignis or Cupressus macrocarpa 
for exposed situations, although these two trees are looked 
upon as exceptionally good subjeets for providing shelter 
for tender subjects. 
The Sitka spruce is a native of the'Pacific Coast region 
of North America, occupying a comparatively narrow belt 
from Northern Alaska to California. In many parts it is 
found in swampy ground about the banks and mouths of 
rivers, and extends to the tide mark along the coast. For 
the latter reason it is sometimes given the name of Tideland 
Spruce. Under favorable conditions it attains a height of 
200 feet, with a trunk diameter of fifteen or sixteen feet. 
The best stands are said to occur in rich, moist soil in Oregon, 
Washington, and in some parts of British Columbia and 
South Alaska. The wood is light, strong, straight-grained, 
and brownish in color, and the color is more especially 
developed in the heart wood. It is used for all kinds of 
building purposes, cooperage, and paper pulp, forming one 
of the many important commercial timbers of Western 
North America. 
The best plantations in the British Isles, and probably 
in Europe, are to be found at Durris, near Aberdeen. There 
are two plantations, covering about 83 acres. They stand 
at altitudes varying from 700 to 800 feet, and were planted 
on wet, boggy land, drains being opened at about eight or 
nine yards apart at planting time to let off some of the 
superfluous water. Originally, common spruce, Douglas fir, 
and Scots pine were mixed with the Sitka spruce, but the 
majority have been suppressed by the latter, and the planta¬ 
tions are now almost pure. The planting was accomplished 
in 1878, and the trees are now from thirty-five to forty feet 
high. No thinning has been done other than that naturally 
accomplished by the suppression of the weaker plants, there¬ 
fore the plantations are dense enough to kill the lower 
branches, and so clean the trunks. Unfortunately, very few 
plantations were made for many years after those at Durris 
were formed, and the majority of those which are now to 
be found are less than ten years old. 
One factor working against the general planting of Sitka 
spruce is its price, for it is still much dearer than ordinary 
spruce, although it appears to be becoming cheaper. Large 
quantities of young plants arc offered by Continental nursery¬ 
men, but many people complain about the niunerous deaths 
which occur amongst such plants, probably due, to some 
extent to heating, during transit. As a rule, if plants are 
obtained from such sources it is advisable to procure either 
one-year or two-year-olds, and line them out in the nursery 
