136 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Fruit trees offered include many American varieties 
as well as Australian, European and native African. 
Citrus trees are offered in three grades, all others in 
only two and none over three feet in height. 
His visit gives lots of food for thought as the presen¬ 
tation of goods and nursery methods show a development 
along lines quite distinct from our own, being adapted 
to a country that is distinctly different. 
The last page shows a winter scene of Washington 
street in our own New York with the snow piled up, 
showing fruit arriving from these far-off nurseries and 
orchards. 
A correctly dressed salesman, quiet and in good taste, 
calls attention to Hill’s evergreen introductions of the D. 
Hill Nursery Co., Inc., Dundee, Ill. 
This salesman in calling attention to the new introduc¬ 
tions of the firm also pointedly calls attention to the pol¬ 
icy of his firm of co-operation with the trade. He shows 
reprints of advertisements proving it. 
Salesmen from the D. Hill Nursery Co. have an ad¬ 
vantage. They talk one group of plants only, making 
theirs firm's name synonymous with evergreens. 
An aristocrat among salesmen was welcomed at the 
editorial office the other day from the famous orchid 
growers, Charlesworth & Co., Haywards Heath, Sussex, 
England. 
Of course this salesman only makes a point of calling 
upon those who are interested in and have facilities for 
growing this group of beautiful flowering plants. 
In a suit of brown and gold he is gotten up to be in 
harmony with his exclusive line and clientele. 
After a brief introduction he presents his high-class 
goods in a very dignified and technical way. Descriptions 
are not given but pedigrees and prices are. What would 
otherwise be a monotonous tabulation of the different 
genus of orchidaceae is enlivened by five beautifully 
done, colored plates of new hybrid orchids, and an illus¬ 
trated paper by Captain J. Ramsbottom, of the British 
Museum corncerning the relation of Fungi and Orchids. 
This paper has a bearing on the pure culture method 
of raising seedling orchids, Charlesworth & Co. being 
the only commercial firm using it. 
We are grateful for his visit because he proves that 
while the wonderful progress in the development and 
raising of these plants may have been retarded, it was 
not stopped by the war. 
If there is one visiting salesman more welcome than 
another at this office it is one offering specialties. 
Water-Lilies and water plants from Independence 
Nurseries, Independence, Ohio. A plain white cover with 
Nymphaea daubeniana in color on the front and Nym- 
phaea ‘ William Falconer" on the back. There is no pun 
attempted with the name of the first mentioned colored 
reproduction; it is well done, and by the McFarlane 
Publicity Service, Harrisburg, Pa. 
Even if those receiving a visit from this salesman were 
not interested in water plants they would linger in say¬ 
ing ‘good bye" and showing him the waste basket. 
We have one little suggestion to offer this salesman, in 
presenting his goods, namely, to include the Japanese and 
Siberian Irises in with the plants that have water asso¬ 
ciations and put the German and pumila Iris among the 
garden plants. 
These latter Irises are often misplaced in landscape 
work. Their’s is a dry land association. 
Obituary. * 
F. II. STANNARD 
We regret to have to announce that F. H. Stannard, 
President of F. H. Stannard & Co., Ottawa, Kan., died 
March 30th. Mr. Stannard was well known to the trade 
and a regular attendant at the conventions of the Nat¬ 
ional Association, serving on the Arbitration Committee. 
His death will cause much sorrow among his many 
friends in the nursery trade where he has been so long 
and favorably known. 
LIMING FOR SOIL IMPROVEMENT 
Lime in the soil is an important means to an adequate 
supply of organic matter and to a proper supply of cheap 
nitrogen. Organic matter is the backbone of a soil and 
main storehouse of soil nitrogen. The enriching effect of 
plowed down clover is common knowledge. Rut the 
practical problem is to obtain the clover growth. It is 
declared by the research agronomist, and affirmed by the 
practical farmer, that the largest stumbling block to 
clover success is lime-deficiency of the soil. The truth 
of this is better realized when one considers that 7 acres 
out of every 10 of our tillable land in the humid region 
need lime. These figures represent the average of the 
estimates of state experiment stations. 
A good legume crop plowed under supplies sufficient 
plant food to produce two or three cash or cereal crops, 
at the same time leaving the soil in a stronger condition. 
The beneficial effect of consistent use of lime on needy 
soils is cumulative. 
Liming makes for better utilization of organic nitrogen. 
It promotes the conversion of crude nitrogen into assimil¬ 
able form for grain crops. Non-legumes prefer their ni¬ 
trogen in the form of nitrate, which is produced more 
abundantly under condition of a good lime supply. 
Liming makes heavy soils more easily tilled. It lends 
a more permeable seed-bed, and affords the crop a larger 
and evener water supply, as well as lessening the bad 
effect of drought. 
The so-called “heavy” soils are most in need of physi¬ 
cal improvement, and reflect the beneficial effect of lime 
in their looseness and friability. The silt loams, the clay 
loams, the silty clays and the clays are the classes that 
are improved. These classes collectively constitute 47 
per cent, of our farm area, according to the United States 
Soil Survey. Over a large part of this area, the need of 
lime for this purpose is acute. It so happens that in a 
great majority of cases, the soils, which need physical 
improvement are also acid and require lime for that 
reason also. 
