130 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
large reduction in the number of bearing apple and peach trees 
during the Census decade consists of such trees; including also 
the going out of many thousands of trees in commercially but 
unwisely planted orchards. 
When we attempt to show the magnitude of the fruit indus¬ 
try, large numbers must be used. For instance, as nearly as I 
can estimate it the fruit crop is annually worth to the farmers 
of the country a half million dollars. 
Something like 5,000,000 acres or nearly 8,000 square miles 
of land are devoted to fruits in bearing. This does not include 
the fruit trees not of bearing age. The crop requires something 
like 400,000 to 500,000 cars to move it to market. 
A crop of 26,000,000 barrels of apples (the estimate approx¬ 
imate average annual commercial apple crop—not the total 
farm crop—for the past five years) if actually packed in bar¬ 
rels, and the barrels placed end to end would extend for a dis¬ 
tance of more than 3 0,000 miles. To expand the industry, to 
maintain it even at a parity, the nurseryman is an essential 
factor; and if he plays the game fairly, as of course he does, 
whatever concerns the nursery industry is thereby a concern 
of the fruit industry. 
This is illustrated in part by the large decrease in the num¬ 
ber of apple and peach trees not of bearing age reported in the 
Fourteenth, as compared with the Thirteenth Census. The 
nursery business was affected by war conditions as was every 
other business. Material, labor—everything was high, and the 
prices of nursery stock have been correspondingly high. Then, 
too, they had frosts and freezes over in France where the most 
of the seeds are grown from which the French, and the Amer¬ 
ican nurseryman as well, grows seedling apple stocks used in 
propagation; they also had frosts and freezes in the mountains 
of western North Carolina and adjacent regions where most of 
the peach pits come from that are used by nurserymen in grow¬ 
ing peach seedlings used in propagation. As a result of killing 
frosts in France and in North Carolina, for several seasons, the 
nurserymen have had short supplies of very essential materials. 
This has had its influence on the price of apple and peach trees. 
The prices have been more than many prospective, or would-be, 
planters could or would pay. 
In the present connection the trees not of bearing age are of 
particular interest. For instance, as nearly as I can estimate, 
there are planted annually: 
Of Apple trees . 5,000,000 to 8,000,000 
Peach trees . 5,400,000 to 10,000,000 
Pear trees . 1,000,000 
Plum and Pear trees . 1,800,000 
Citrus trees . 1,800,000 
Grape vines . 8,000,000 
Here are an estimated 15,000,000 to 22,600,000 trees and per¬ 
haps 8,000,000 grape vines planted annually not to mention the 
lesser fruits and nuts such as cherries, figs, apricots, walnuts, 
almonds, pecans and others and all the tens of thousands of 
berry plants that are handled each year. 
The point I would make is that the nursery is the fountain 
source of all this stream of 15 to 20 or 25 millions of fruit trees 
and unnumbered other fruit-producing plants. The fruit grow¬ 
er rarely produces trees for his own planting, but depends al¬ 
most entirely on the nurseryman for them. Without the nur¬ 
seryman’s products the fruit grower stops planting. All these 
factors are inter-related and suggest how the nurseryman’s in¬ 
terests are likewise fruit grower’s interests. 
H. V. GOULD, 
Pomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
HEDGES 
Hedges are so essential in landscape work, especially 
to divide the grounds of suburban development they have 
become a habit and are often planted where they are 
not needed. As nurserymen, we cannot find fault with 
that because it increases the consumption of our pro¬ 
ducts. We could, however, do a little something towards 
relieving the monotony of the almost exclusive use of the 
California Privet. 
True, it makes a very fine hedge, but there are other 
plants that could be brought to the front for hedge pur¬ 
poses to the advantage of the nurseryman as well as the 
enhanced beauty of lawns and gardens. 
Some localities look like checker boards, due to the 
absolute lack of originality in the planting that is done. 
Nature aims to have no two things exactly alike. Much 
planting is done with the opposite aim, to have everything 
look as much alike as possible. 
A little more diversity in hedges would help wonder¬ 
fully in proving the nurserymen were progressive. 
There are other kinds of privets besides the California 
Privet, The nurserymen know it, but it is safe to say 
the layman does not. He sees only California Privet 
hedges and never gives it a thought that other kinds of 
hedges are possible. 
Sometimes the nurseryman gets a suggestion for a 
hedge from the plants growing in the nursery rows, but 
seldom puts the thought to a practical test for lack of 
time and opportunity. 
Perhaps we should petition the Government Experi¬ 
ment Stations to set aside an acreage for “hedge test 
grounds,” where one hundred feet or so of each kind of 
plant with hedge possibilities, may be planted as a hedge 
as an object lesson. We would then see the possibilities 
of other knds of plants besides the privets, thorns and 
barberries, and their adaptability to different conditions 
and uses. 
THE PRIVETS AS ORNAMENTAL SHRURS 
We are so accustomed to thinking of the privets as 
hedge plants that their value as ornamental shrubs is 
often lost sight of. 
Last summer the writer had an opportunity to view the 
collection in the aboretum of the late John T. Morris, 
Chestnut Hill. Pa., and was much impressed with their 
superior beauty when compared with many other shrubs 
much more frequently planted. They make a good show¬ 
ing in flower and fruitage, but it is their foliage which 
makes them so desirable. 
Almost evergreen, they have a good appearance the 
best part of the year and they are so adaptable to all 
sorts of exposures and conditions of soil, it is a wonder 
landscape gardeners do not call for them more fre¬ 
quently. 
The European privet is especially good. The bright 
shining fruit is borne in compact clusters which stand 
up well on I he ends of the branches above the dark green, 
lustrous leaves and remain on the plants during the early 
winter months and after the dark green leaves have 
fallen. Formerly this was a common garden plant in the 
northern states and it is now sparingly naturalized in 
some parts of the country. 
The privets are so amendable to shearing they are ideal 
plants for the so-called gardeners, who through force of 
habit, or some other reason, annually crop their flowering 
shrubs, destroying their natural beauty, and reducing 
their flowers to the least quantity possible. They could 
crop the privets to their hearts’ content without such 
disheartening results but even the privets have a beauty 
that should not be marred by the shears. 
Regel’s privet has won a place for itself among orna- 
