THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
297 
first orchards of the state were largely grown from seeds 
brought in by the early settlers from the East, or dissemi¬ 
nated from the early trees to come into bearing. Soon, how¬ 
ever, small nurseries began to be established. According to 
Professor Butcher, Col. Geo. S. Park established a nursery 
at Parkville, Missouri, in the early forties. This was the 
pioneer nursery for Western Missouri and Kansas. A Mr. 
Mock established a nursery in Johnson County about 1850. 
These two were probably the oldest nurseries in the central 
or western counties. In 1825, Judge James Stark emigrated 
from Bourbon County, Kentucky, to Pike County, Missouri, 
where at Louisiana he started the famous nursery that for 
eighty-five years has lived and grown under the management 
of sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons until today it is the 
largest nursery in the world. Other men whose names have 
been prominently linked with the pioneer nursery work in 
Missouri, or with the origin and dissemination of valuable 
varieties, are: Jacob Rommel, Geo. Husman, Herman Jae¬ 
ger, J. C. Evans, S. Butterfield, L. A. Goodman, Judge Sam¬ 
uel Miller, Messrs. Monsees, Blair and Kaufmann. 
A notable list of commercial varieties of fruits also have 
been originated and disseminated from this state by Missouri 
nurserymen. Among the apples which should be mentioned 
in this connection are the Huntsman, Lawver, Gano, Ingram, 
Paine’s Keeper, Nixonite, Missouri Pippin, White Winter 
Pippin, King David, Delicious, and many others now com¬ 
ing into prominence. 
Among our well-known varieties of grapes produced by 
such men as Judge Miller, Herman Jaeger, Jacob Rommel, 
and others, are the Martha, Elvira, Missouri Riesling, Neosho, 
Black Eagle, and a host of others. Many of the cultivated 
grapes of the Aestivalis and Lincecoumi types originated in 
Missouri, have also formed the foundation stock from which 
many varieties have originated by progressive growers in 
other states. Many of the men mentioned above, as well as 
others breeding fruits today, have originated scores of varie¬ 
ties of berries, plums, and other fruits more or less grown. 
To Col. Evans belongs the honor of having produced the 
Miller persimmon which, in the writer’s judgment, marks an 
epoch in the amelioration of this promising and reliable native 
fruit. 
NOTABLE NURSERYMEN 
While the early nurseries grew a general stock, most of 
them small and their influence largely local, the present day 
finds many of our nurseries assuming large proportions and 
developing a trade not only country wide, but world wide. 
Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards Company of Louisiana, 
Missouri, possess a plant which alone would give Missouri a 
prominent place in the nursery business. While they grow 
enormous quantities of fruit trees and of ornamentals locally, 
. they are also producing special lines of stock in widely sep¬ 
arated soils and locations throughout the country. Weber 
Bros., Nursery P. O., St. Louis, Missouri, produce a large 
stock of both fruit trees and ornamentals. The New Haven 
Nursery at New Haven, Missouri, is one of the old and well- 
known nurseries of the state. Wild Bros., Sarcoxie, Missouri, 
whose business has been handed down from father to sons, 
deal in both fruit trees and ornamentals, -specializing partic¬ 
ularly with peonies. The Lee’s Summit Star Nursery, es¬ 
tablished by Mr. Butterfield, and now conducted by his son, 
produces large ornamental trees and shrubs. The Kelsey 
Nursery of St. Joseph, Schulte of South St. Louis, and the 
Jackson Co. Nursery of Lee’s Summit, also produce heavily 
of various lines of nursery stock. 
A few growers specialize largely in a single line, such as the 
Hermann Grape Nursery at Herrnann, Missouri, and the 
McNally Fruit and Plant Company of Sarcoxie, who grow 
principally strawberry plants. 
The growth in number of our nurseries in recent years is 
less notable than the development of the magnitude of the 
interest of each and also the development of special lines of 
trade. While some of our largest nurseries still produce a 
general stock, it may be said that the nursery generally is 
more and more specializing in certain lines of production. Fur¬ 
thermore, the nurseries which are most rapidly developing 
strength are locating their work on soils or under conditions 
best adapted to growing a given species or plant. This move¬ 
ment towards specialization in handling and towards special¬ 
ization in adapting a species to soil conditions is being respon¬ 
sible for organizing very extensive special interests. This is 
exemplified by the fact that the production of seedling stock, 
for example, is now largely confined to such districts as the 
Kaw River valley in eastern Kansas and the Chariton River 
valley. 
With present facilities for transportation, modem methods 
of packing, storing, and refrigeration, the nurseryman seems 
to be carrying out the same idea as the fmit producer who 
finds it most profitable to produce a given species in that 
soil and climate which will best produce it. 
District No. 8. Illinois north of the 500-foot contour line 
as it crosses the State between 38° and 39° latitude; a very 
small portion of southwest Wisconsin; Iowa south of about 
latitude 42 “30'; the Missouri River Valley portion of south¬ 
eastern South Dakota; Nebraska and Kansas below 2,000 
feet elevation; and Missouri north of a line drawn from 
near St. Louis and along the elevation of 1,000 feet to the 
southeast comer of Kansas. The Missouri and Mississippi 
Valley sections of the district are its dominant features. The 
hardy deciduous fruits succeed in most portions, and com¬ 
mercial fruit growing is a rapidly developing industry. 
District No. 9. Wisconsin except the small southwest 
comer; Minnesota; upper Michigan; Iowa north of about 
latitude 42°3o'; North and South Dakota east of longitude 
99°; and Canada west of longitude 80° and east of longitude 
99°. This district embraces the upper lakes, including Win¬ 
nipeg, the upper Mississippi and the Red River valleys. 
Only the hardier fmits succeed, but fair progress has been 
made in recent years in developing varieties adapted to this 
region. 
District No. 10. Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma above 
2,000 feet, and Colorado below 5,000 feet elevation; also 
Texas above 1,000 feet and east of longitude 103° and the 
Pecos River. This is the central plain and foothill district. 
It lies on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide. There 
are small sections, especially in western Colorado and farther 
southward, where the apple and other hardy fmits are suc¬ 
cessfully grown. 
