102 
Tim NATIONAL NUESERY:\rAN 
sisIniuM' h(‘ had ron(l(‘i‘('(l. 
Mr. A. M. AiigusliiH*. IIkmi s[)()ke on “Soiiio N(nv 
i(‘li(‘s of Kiaiil.s that should 1)(‘ ol inton'sl to Nurstuynion.” 
Il<‘ was well ahh' to haiidlo lh(‘ siihjoct on acTouid of his 
iiiaiiv v<*ars (*x|)(*ri(*ii(*(‘, and liis (‘oniH'otiou w ith the SlaU’ 
lAjxM'iuK'ul Station. Among other things he advocated 
the r(‘sti'ietion in nnmlx'r of tlie vari(‘ties of apples now 
glow n in Illinois; pointing out that a (h'cision can be 
ma(h‘ now as to tin* most (h'sirahle varieties to lotain as 
th(‘ matter had [)assed the (‘xperimental stage so far as 
Illinois was eone(‘rn('d. (Ireat care should l)e taken 
w hen introdneing n<w\ varieties ol Iruits as it was a very 
('xpensive jtroposition. 
Fi'idaij Aftcriioon. 
Tin* aft(*rnoon ()roee(Mlings opcMual w ith a papcu’ j)y Mi‘. 
Thos. A. Melhdh, of Sj)ringlield, Ohio. He commenced 
hy (‘xpr(‘ssing his gr(*at j)leasure at being present at the 
uKM'tings of the Association, and hoped he would he able 
to all('nd on many future occasions. Me had always 
thought Illinois was a gr(‘at State and deserved a Nur- 
s(‘rynu‘n’s Association. Me was inclined to think Ohicago 
had got N(wv York Ix'at, and w ould ultimately l)ecome the 
higg( 'st tow n ill the United States, if not in the world. 
Mr. Mclh'th’s jiaper was on “The Propagation of Coni¬ 
fers” and although he had pnwiously (luestioiied his 
(|ualifications for treating such a subject, it was soon 
made (wident to his bearers that he was a reliable auth¬ 
ority, who knew what he was talking about. Me con¬ 
fined his paper entirely to the propagation of conifers 
from cuttings; commencing w ith the consideration of the 
ditference in nature' of evergreens and deciduous plants; 
using as a comjiarison the hibernating baliits of the toad 
and the hear. The deciduous plants become entirely dor¬ 
mant like the reptih'. w bile evergreens like tbe bear only 
bee'oiiK' partially dormant. Tins analogy, he explained 
would not hold good in every detail. In rejily to (luestions 
put at the close of his paper, he .stated that bis custom 
w as to take cuttings all the w inter as this can be done as 
long as the tlu'rmomelm’ is not lielow freezing. Me was 
at the present time ex|)erimenting in propagating cuttings 
in cold frames. There usi'd to lie a rub' that evi'ry cut¬ 
ting must h(' mad(' w ith heel cuttings, and while he took 
cuttings from any jilace, it might be that nicer root sys- 
ti'ins wi're obtainable from lu'i'l cuttings. 
Thesi' noti's must not hi* looked u|)on as in any way 
giving a complete record of the doings of tin* Associa¬ 
tion. but I'liongb lias been givi'ii to jirove that the Illinois 
.Nurserymen’s Association has started its cari'cr under 
vi'ry favoralile auspices. 
TIk' Ibllowung oflicers w ere ch'cted to serve for the en¬ 
suing year: 
Uiuy A. Bryant. Princi'fon. Pri'sident; Alvin E. Nelson. 
Uhicago. Vice-Pri'sident; Ulyde L. Leesley. Uhicago, 
Tri'asnri'r; A. .M. Augustine. Normal, Secretary; addi¬ 
tional mi'inbers of flii' Uxi'cutive Uommittee. .Arthur Mill, 
Diimh'i'; U. \V. Von Oven. Napenille, and William Sad- 
dh'r. Bloomington. 
UIBU .VT U. 11. STANNABD N' CO. 
F. 11. Slannaid N Co.. Ottawa. Kansas, had a disastrous 
lii-(' on January Kith. It (h'stroyi'd one jiacking house 
w ith all its conti'iits. 
No insurance. 
* 
JACOB UML 
Jacob Uhl. one of Dansvilie’s Civil war veterans, died 
at his late home in South street February 8, aged 73 
years. Me w as born in St. Wendell, (Germany, coming to 
America at the age of 6 years and living in Dansville ever 
since, lb' was umh'r 18 years when the war broke out 
and going to Mount Morris enlisted in Company K, Sixth 
United States Cavalry. Me served three years, taking part 
in many of the important battles. 
Mr. Ulil was one of the oldest nurserymen in Dansville. 
Ib' entered the business in 1866 and retired in 1900. He 
held various ollices in the village, seiwing two years as 
trustee. Besides being a member of Seth N. Hedges Post, 
G. A. B., he was a devoted member of St. Boniface So¬ 
ciety of St. Mary’s Cburch, of wdiicli be was president 
for nearly tw enty years. 
THE BILTMOBE MEBBABIUM 
The botanical library and famous Biltmore Herbarium 
of the late George W. Vanderbilt w as recently given by 
his w idow to the Smithsonian Institute. 
The Herbarium was unique and extremely valuable. 
The tlood of 1916 destroyed something like 70,000 speci¬ 
mens, but still it w as recognized as one of tbe largest and 
most interesting collections in the South Atlantic States. 
The 20.000 specimens sent the Smithsonian w ill be of in¬ 
creased value, as supplementing other siiecimens of kinds 
it had already, and its arrival there gave the authorities 
a time of rejoicing. 
The Vanderbilt MciBajium represejited about twenty- 
live years ol ])ainstaking and systematically directed col¬ 
lecting in a region noted as containing more different var- 
i('ties ol flow ers, shrubs and trees than any other part of 
the United States. But for tbe ruin w rought in Biltmore 
nurseries by the Hoods the herbarium wmuld not have 
been sold. It was used very largely to supjilement them. 
Even during the winter, when most plants are dormant, 
they could still be seen and studied in the beautiful Her¬ 
barium specimens. 
It will be rememberi'd that Dr. Asa Gray felt a keen 
interest in the llora of the North Carolina mountains and 
made among them several notable collecting trips which 
fman the subject of some most interesting pages in his 
Lite and Letters. Among his Scientillc Essays, edited by 
(> 1 . A. Sargent, some of his journeyings among our moun¬ 
tains are detailed most interestingly. The relationship of 
])lants found here to those of Japan and China helped to 
confirm his thcoi-ies of plant migration and structural 
botany. Western Noi1h Carolina is sorry to lose the Bilt¬ 
more Ih'rbarium and botanical libraiy, but in Wasbington 
it w ill doubtless be a great deal more useful. 
Obituary. 
L. G. 
