THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
339 
tion of his life. A large host of intimate friends, as well 
as business associates, keenly mourn their loss. Mr. 
Harrison was born at Roxana, Delaware, December 9, 
1870, and was the second son of the late Joseph G. Har¬ 
rison, the founder of the Harrisons’ Nurseries. Mr. Har¬ 
rison has, for more than thirty-live years, been asso¬ 
ciated with his brother, Senator Orlando Harrison, in the 
conduct of the business of the Harrisons’ Nurseries, 
which is one of the largest, if not the largest, nursery 
interest in the United States. In addition to the local 
nursery business, Mr. Harrison was director and a stock¬ 
holder in several other companies. He was a man who 
thoroughly loved his life work, and took an unusual 
pride in the condition of his orchards above the finan- 
cial considerations. It is confidently affirmed that he had 
supervision of more tree growing than any other man 
living. 
As a citizen his marked business and executive ability 
was recognized and honored by his fellow citizens in 
being their choice as a member of the city council sev¬ 
eral times, which position he filled with characteristic 
earnestness and individuality; and, also, as sheriff of 
Worcester county, in which capacity he unflinchingly 
was a strict enforcer of the law and order. Generally 
known as “Al” Harrison, he was popular with all who 
knew him; especially among the many men under his 
employ. Prompt, efficient, energetic, yet kind and con¬ 
siderate to all. Mr. Harrison was a member of the Stev¬ 
enson Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church of Berlin, 
Md., with which he united under the pastorate of the 
Rev. W. Ernest Greenfield. Surviving Mr. Harrison, in 
the immediate family, are his wife, Mrs. Olivia H. Har¬ 
rison; two daughters, Mrs. Lee W. Davis and Miss Eun¬ 
ice; two sons, Joseph G. and Burbage. One brother and 
two sisters survive him: Senator Orlando Harrison, Mrs. 
W. B. S. Powell, of Ocean City, Md., and Mrs. Achsah H. 
Purnell, of Berlin, Md. 
THE PASSING OF AN OLD NURSERY SITE 
For some time it has been known that negotiations 
were pending for the sale of the old Meehan nurseries at 
Germantown, Philadelphia. Today (November 4) the 
daily press announces that settlement has been made so 
we are at liberty to authentically chronicle the passing 
of the site—but not the name— of Thomas Meehan & 
Sons, to make way for building developments of a grow¬ 
ing city. : 
If plants had the power of speech this announcement 
spreading over the horticulture world would evoke ten¬ 
der memories from an alumni scattered through many 
climes and distant regions; trees and schrubs that would 
look back to their Germantown Alma Mater in reminis¬ 
cent mood. Even from far off Australia would come 
such recollection of birth at Meehan’s nursery. Trees in 
remote places where arboriculture is fostered would note 
that the seed from which they rose had been collected by 
Meehan’s boys and carefully assembled and shipped by 
“Uncle Joe” Meehan, whose memory is still strong in the 
minds of readers of The Florists Exchange. Other plants 
would pay homage to the masterful skill of the late 
“Uncle Ed” Meehan to whose deft grafting they owe their 
propagation. 
Edward Meehan was but little known to the trade for 
for he had no aspirations as a writer, being content to 
piug away in the nursery, early and late, nut as a pro¬ 
pagator and a man who eouid ten one piant irom auotiier 
at any season oi the year, lie was one oi the nest linonii- 
ed practical men oi his day. To him and Ins brother Jo¬ 
seph, did Thomas Meehan, owner oi the nurseries, owe 
much ol tlieir success. Although they "hiu their light 
under a bushel'’ they kept up the practical workings 
while their brother r nomas, assisted later by ins three 
sons, sought and lound a market lor their products. 
\Viih sucii abie assistants in the nursery, ihomas Mee¬ 
han, the authority, was nee to give me worm me nenent 
oi his more scieiitinc lmnu m me icim oi writings. 
As a writer he is perhaps best known lor ins "Native 
Flowers and Jberns oi the unneu States or as editor tor 
3u years oi the uarueiiers Monthly, which was eatannaii- 
ed 1809. Ill 1800 he wrote "lhe American liaiiunook oi 
Ornamental Trees,” dedicated to the memory m joint 
Bartram, the patriarch ol American arboriculture, 
which described about 300 plants with wich he was 
personally laminar. Irom ins youth, until deam 
palsied his pen, on iNovenmer 19, lour, ihomas Meeiian 
was a proime writer, wno&e more popular articles uid 
much to interest and educate piant outers, white Ins 
more technical works aiong botanical mies appeal to 
scientiiic bodies. 
With such a personnel directing the nursery’s destin¬ 
ies, Irom 1834, when it was starteu, 101 neaiiy three 
score and ten years, one can readily appieciate the ac¬ 
cumulation ol rare specimen trees which were retained 
for propagating purposes. Others, less rare perhaps 
were spared the axe irom time to time and allowed to 
grow up and dot the grounds, which are now to be devel¬ 
oped by builders, whose progress as a phase ol the cay’s 
growth could not well be arrested. 
While it is consoling to know that companions of many 
of these doomed plants have lound their way into distant 
permanent homes, it is distressing to plant lovers, es¬ 
pecially to those who have been connected with Meehan’s 
to feel that those that remained could not have been pre¬ 
served to form an arboretum like that which Ihomas 
Meehan as a councilman of Philadelphia was instrumen¬ 
tal in making through the purchase ol the old home and 
garden of John Bartram. Many builders would have 
arranged their grade with a view to preserving these 
old trees, but we understand that in this instance the 
entire 40 acres (part of the nursery having been sold 
several years ago) is to be regraded. Steam shovels aic 
willing tools of man and no respecter of trees, regardless 
of rarity or size. 
One of the first Japanese blood leaved Maples that Mr. 
Meehan imported, about 1876, is thus destined to go. We 
also see a large shapely Japanese Oak (Quercus clentala), 
spared for many years, now in jeopardy. Likewise, a 
large Japanese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia), a Japanese 
Ilackberry (Celtis sinensis ); the true corked barked 
Cedrela (C. Amurensis ); a large Wisteria tree ( Pterosty - 
ran hispidum ), a Sympholocos, a purple leaved Oak, a 
Pterocarya, a Redw ood tree, a Japanese Pine (Sciadop- 
itys), a large Paul ’3 scarlet Hawthorn and many another 
