THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
i 2 
THE GREAT FLOODS IN THE VALLEYS OF THE LOIRE 
AND RHONE, FRANCE 
The Famous French Nursery Sections Inundated 
We are indebted to the Louis LeRoy’s Nurseries Com¬ 
pany and their agent, Mr. H. Frank Darrow, for clippings 
from French papers, depicting the great disasters in the 
way of floods which have overtaken the famous nursery 
regions of France along the borders of the Loire and Rhone 
Rivers. 
A despatch from Angers under date of November 30 
says, that the aspect of the city of Angers is most deplor¬ 
able. The great floods of 1856 and January, 1910, have 
been much surpass¬ 
ed. At the time of 
this writing water 
covered the entire 
shipping section, and 
encompassed the 
leading parts of the 
city. Electric light 
plant was put out 
of commission, and 
all public service 
transportation com¬ 
panies abandoned 
their plants. More 
than five thousand 
people were immur¬ 
ed in their dwellings. 
This condition in the 
city was intensified, 
if possible, in . the 
country regions, and 
the great plain of 
the Rhone River 
was transformed in¬ 
to an immense stream with a rapidly rushing current. 
The amount of injury to nursery stock in this district is 
difficult to estimate. 
A note from Anjou depicts conditions somewhat as 
follows: 
The usually lazy rivers, the Maine and the Loire, are in 
turn swollen by the enlargement of the many streams which 
flow into them, so that in places all traffic has been inter¬ 
rupted for a week. The sowing of the land will be much 
retarded, owing to the excessive dampness of the ground 
following this flood, so that there will be a correspondingly 
small harvest. The nurseries, which form one of the great 
sources of wealth in this part of France, are in some cases 
totally submerged, or even destroyed; and the vines, after 
their long submersion, will be found especially susceptible 
to cryptogamic diseases. These conditions naturally inter¬ 
fered with nursery operations to a serious extent and will 
undoubtedly have their effect upon next year’s output. 
MASSACHUSETTS NURSERYMEN’S ASSOCIATION 
The first annual meeting of the Massachusetts Nursery¬ 
men’s Association was held at Horticultural Hall, Boston, 
Wednesday, December 7th. The craft was well repre¬ 
sented, in numbers, nearly all the prominent nurserymen 
of the state being present. Aside from the excellent 
address by Dr. H. T. Femald of Amherst College, the whole 
day was spent in the discussion of practical topics. Dr. 
Fernald spoke on the “Problem and Progress of Nursery 
Inspection in Massachusetts.’’ He gave a history of 
nursery inspection in the Commonwealth during the past 
ten years, showing the development, not only of the inspec¬ 
tor’s work, but the large increase of the nursery business 
within the state during that period. His estimates show 
something over two millions of dollars now invested in the 
nursery business in the state. 
The report of the 
Secretary- Treasurer 
shows the associa¬ 
tion to be in good 
condition. 
It was unani¬ 
mously voted to ex¬ 
tend an invitation 
to the American As¬ 
sociation of Nursery¬ 
men to hold its 
annual convention 
in Boston in June, 
1912. Mr. J. Wood¬ 
ward Manning of 
Reading, Mr. Adams 
of Springfield and 
Mr. Wyman of North 
Abington were made 
committee of invita¬ 
tion. 
The followingreso- 
lutions were adopted 
on the death of Mr. 
Wm. B. Whittier, late proprietor of the Framingham 
Nurseries. 
Whereas: In the course of human events, Mr. W. B. 
Whittier, proprietor of the Framingham Nurseries, South 
Framingham, Massachusetts was removed from earthly 
toil on the twenty-seventh of August last, in the midst of 
his years; therefore: 
Be It Resolved: That we members of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Nurserymen’s Association in annual meeting 
assembled, offer the following resolutions: 
First: That we do hereby record the great sorrow and 
loss which the society has sustained in the sudden demise 
of so valuable a member, to whom many were personally 
attached. 
Second: We also bear testimony to his ability in his 
profession; a man of strict integrity and reliability, whose 
word was as good as his bond, and a congenial fellow crafts¬ 
man; possessing qualities which all his acquaintances 
admired. 
Third: That we express to his bereaved family our sin¬ 
cere sympathy in the great loss which they have sustained. 
{Continued on page 2g) 
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