4C4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
greatest demand; then the Saylor Sweet is doing well v^dth the 
fruit planting public. There is no doubt now in our minds 
but that this cherry is identical with Yellow Glass. 
We are putting forth a special effort in our nurseries to 
propagate new varieties of herbaceous and ornamental shrubs. 
There seems to be a growing demand for this stock. M e have 
discarded in the last few years many varieties of apples that 
we grew before, such as the Walbridge, Pewaukee. Iowa 
Blush and a few others. The tree-planting public are getting 
their eves open to the fact that it is quality that they are 
wanting, instead of nice looking trees. The old standard 
varieties, such as Gano. Jonathan and Winesap, are taking 
the lead in apples among the commercial planters. 
Des Moines, la. M. J. M ragg. 
EXCESSIVE HEAT CHARACTERIZES KANSAS 
This has been the most unfavorable season ever. Yen.* dr\’ 
all season. Cuttings all gone. No rain worth mentioning 
from March to August. Even.' grape and ornamental cutting 
turned under. Growth on older plants poor. 
Trade conditions satisfactory. This fail strawbern.’ plants 
are in the lead. Enlarged 50 per cent, in field plants for 
raspberry, blackberry' and rhubarb particularly. 
Black Pearl Raspberry, we think, is a new variety of 
promise. 
Rosedale. Kans. Holsixger Bros. 
“\Yn' drv and hot” describes otu season. Oiu grou'th of 
stock was rather short, and trade conditions are not any too 
bright. Peach is in good demand, however. 
Rosedale, Kans. G. F. Espexlaub. 
I am pleased to send you these few lines, but hope that 
others will be able to write more interestingly and teU of 
better conditions ha^-ing existed in their sections of the 
cotmtry. 
The past season has been such as this section of the coun¬ 
try has never experienced before, in the history of the busi¬ 
ness. First, we started with an exceptionally diA' spring that 
ran up into July without any rain and with intense heat. 
Grafts, cuttings and seeds planted in early spring did not 
have any rain on them from the time they were planted until 
the 9th of July, causing the stands of all spring-planted stock 
to be the poorest that we have had in years. After 
the rains began in July, we have had very' seasonable w'eather 
and the growth since that time has been extremely' good on a 
stock that w'as planted the y'ear before and had established its 
root sy'stem; but the same cannot be said of this season’s 
planting. Trade, however, has held up extremely' w eU under 
all these adverse conditions, and the demand for stock this 
fall is even heavier with us than it was a y'ear ago. This is 
especially' tiue in apple and peach, and the demand runs 
largely' to the heaAier grades, ^though the lighter grades are 
being picked up for large plantings in the great southwest. 
With a fair fruit crop all over this section of the coimtry' and 
fancy' prices for w'hat there w'as to offer planting has been 
stimulated in this section and through a section that w'as too 
dry' to plant in last spring. Our business for the y'ear will 
show an improvement over last year, for tw'o reasons; first, 
because of the greater demand for stock, and second because 
w'e w-ffl have more stock to offer in both the fruit and shade 
tree hnes. The latter business growrs with us each year, owing 
largely to the vast district that has been impro\'ing its streets 
and parks in the section lying south and west of us, and the 
trade from this soiuce should expand each year. 
Parsons, Kans. E. P. Berxardix. 
Our very dry' season caused most kinds of stock to make 
but a small grow'th. Apple, peach, and cherry' are in demand. 
Fort Scott. Kans. Hart Pioxeer Nurseries. 
Characteristics of the season—very' dry', no rain in April 
or May'. Stock did not make a rapid grow'th, but peach, 
apple, and pltun are fine now'; couldn’t ask for better. Trade 
conditions are extra fine, with lots of large orders. Kinds of 
stock chiefly in demand are peach, cherry', pear, also forest 
seedhngs. Our trade has so increased we had to enlarge otu 
packing facilities last y'ear; trade never w^as better than this 
y'ear. We have not sold many' new' varieties; old ones. True 
and Tried, seem to have a strong hold. 
Although W'eather has been dry' the first part of the season, 
stock is coming out in fine condition. 
Abilene. Kans. W. F. Gough & Co. 
February' was soaking, then continuous drought, later, 
fight rains, but only stuface wettings. Planting largely^ died, 
and W'hat did not die is browned and stunted. Discouraged, 
but demands coming in. Good ornamentals, (otu fine), and 
family' fruits are in demand. Plant early', leave leaf-growTh 
on b(^es till established. Heavy' leather foliage stands the 
heat. We limit to family^ orchard. 
Abilene, Kans. E. V. Fassor. 
Nursery Be'sixess Behix'D the Times 
We believe that the nursery^ business in general is about 
150 years behind stock raising, and that nursery'men are 
largely responsible for this, due to the fact that they' should be 
more rightfully' called tree grow'ers than muserymen. 
Nursery'men are altogether too careless in their improve¬ 
ment of old varieties; in grading and putting out their stock; 
and are not making the money' that they should make in their 
business, due to their failure to grow better stock and charge 
more money' for it. We have been practicing for several 
y'ears, growing superior stock, by' breeding it up from selected 
indi\'iduals, and charging more moneys for it. We think it 
safe to say' that at this time the grow'ers are pay'ing us about 
double the ordinary price at w'hich stock is sold. 
We should like to see nursery'men improve every' fine of 
their business, and we believe many' are doing it. 
One of the greatest e\’ils of the day', is the selling of com¬ 
mon hy'bridized catalpa, by' the million, instead of the pure 
Catalpa speciosa. We find in this fine, that many^ nursery'¬ 
men are not informed upon the source of their seed supply, 
and a large number of them are gathering seed from trees 
growing beside the Common Catalpa, w'hich cannot help but 
be hybridized. In addition to this fact, we know of one man 
last year who sold 1500 pounds of the common catalpa seed, 
and the entire product from these seed w'ill be sold as speciosa 
catalpa seedlings. This practice will indirectly' injure the 
whole industry. 
Another practice w'hich has probably^ done more damage 
in past y'ears to the nursery' business, than any' other one thing 
is letting that class of people know'n to the trade as tree 
dealers, use the name of the musery, w'hile the purchaser has 
no w'ay' to distinguish them from a direct salesman. As long 
as musery-men keep up this practice, the high standing of their 
caUing can rightfully' be attacked by the planters. It is 
surely' hard enough for a firm to take care of their ow'n name, 
and it should not be loaned out to someone else, who simply' 
purchases stock of them, and over whose business they have 
no control. 
Trade conditions have been satisfactory in nearly every 
fine, though there has been a surplus of cherry'. 
Stock in demand is Catalpa speciosa and apple, which 
seems to be especially' scarce. 
In apple we should recommend the discarding of the 
.Missouri Pippin and the Ben Davis, as there are better 
varieties. 
Winfield, Kans. The Wixfield Nursery Co. 
Business in this part of the country' has suffered materially 
on accomit of the extremely' dry w'eather, retarding grow'th on 
