THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
407 
In regard to the kind of stock most in demand we would 
say the general stock is in demand. 
Improvements in Your Field or Storage Equipment or 
Enlargement op Your Business 
The packing houses of today unknown a generation ago; 
at first considered a luxury, now a necessity; and the oppor¬ 
tunities for further improvement are just as great in our line 
as in many other lines, so that we have a continuous shipping 
season from October to May. 
A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE W. F. HEIKES 
We believe it was Emerson who said, “The success of any 
great institution is but the 'lengthened shadow of a single 
man.’’ Often in visiting our neighbor nurserymen at Hunts¬ 
ville, we have commented on the great success of that prince 
of nurserymen, Nat-ure’s nobleman, the late William Fletcher 
Heikes. A great business he established, and just how it was 
accomplished nurserymen generally well know. In making 
those long rides with Mr. Heikes, though he was generally 
considered a silent man and not over-communicative, he told 
me of his trials, his failures, his successes, his ambitions; and 
no man more appreciated having visitors recognize his success 
than did Mr. Heikes. Some of his feats in propagation were 
wondrous. He solved the problem of skilled nursery labor; 
he was the father of the grading system; his yard stick 36 
inches long. . In years past he recognized some of the evils of 
reckless dealers’ methods, and no man did more than himself 
to put the business on a higher plane—the Golden Rule, the 
square deal, everything as good as represented or a little 
better, no disagreements, everything in good condition, 
handled just right, the Heikes way a standard of excellence. 
Therefore, from such influence, from such a life and work, all 
nurserymen may secure hints on nursery management, 
whether as to selling or propagation. Mr. Heikes, the one 
man of all men, was kept youthful in his work because he kept 
in touch, personal touch, with the orchard and nursery condi¬ 
tions from coast to coast. With him it was ever a work of 
living and learning. 
New Varieties of Promise 
Personally, we have done some little work along this line, 
achieving some successes along with some failures. It is all a 
question of judgment, experience, the know-how, a question 
of adaptability. Orchardists are demanding better varieties 
varieties adapted to each location, just as consumers are 
demanding quality. Old Ben and Missouri Pippin have been 
put out of business. A simple proposition when there are 
better sorts to push them to one side—a survival of the Attest. 
Orchardists are awakening to an appreciation of the great 
work that’s being done by the Department of Agriculture, the 
state experimental stations, the volunteer work so generously 
done throughout the land—it is a work of labor and love, but 
from it all great things will come and are coming. Truly 
there is a magnificent future for the orchardist, the nursery¬ 
man who works along up to date lines, profiting from all this 
valuable experience. 
The writer recently visited the peach king, J. H. Hale, in 
his beautiful home among his great orchards, in the suburbs of 
Hartford, Connecticut. Several times we have enjoyed the 
same pleasure in the Hale-Georgia orchards. Everyone 
knows Hale. He has spent a lifetime to secure the ideal com¬ 
mercial peach—he has it. It was the writer’s pleasure to 
christen the peach J. H. Hale, but all this is another story, 
about which Hale will tell the people later. Only last year 
Forest Crissey in the Saturday Evening Post devoted some 
four or five pages to Hale and his system of peach growing. 
Hale is a genius—that’s all, but he has made the great big 
things from the little things; he is a scientist, and this day 
and age demands scientists. 
Old Varieties to be Discarded 
We have mentioned Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin, and 
there are many others which are being displaced and more to 
follow, perchance the more the better. Our government, 
both national and state, to say nothing of our universities 
and many noble individuals, all are working in harmony and 
along the same lines to produce better and still better fruits. 
Wondrous results have been accomplished, and these are but. 
initial to even greater work to follow. To go into varieties is 
too long a story at this time, and yet educational missionary 
work is needed, as one may judge when he looks over the 
shortage list, scions wanted, buds wanted. But orchard 
planters of today are becoming more discriminating; they, 
too, are living and learning. They want the best of the very 
best—they are keeping in touch with market conditions. 
Great work is being done by The Fruit Grower of St. Joseph, 
Missouri. Brother Jonathan Irvine is one man who is a sure 
enough horticulturist, a recognized authority, appreciated 
everywhere. He has done much in the developing of one of 
the greatest orchard propositions in the Far West. And in 
the northwestern region. Editor Shepard is doing a great and 
noble work. Here is another genius; to know him is to enjoy 
him, but how could a man do otherwise than great work with 
such an inspiration as he has—the shadow of Mt. hood? 
Nurserymen have been invited by our coast nurserymen to 
come West; they are broad-gauged, whole-souled, generous 
men. If they were otherwise, they would not invite us to 
come to make them competition, because perchance the great 
commercial orchard planting of the West, legitimate, specula¬ 
tive, or otherwise, has not only created a demand, but like- 
■wise created too much competition along certain lines, and 
even now there are some cross-roads nurserymen of the 
farmer kind who are wondering where they will find a market 
for their products. The wild demand creates such competi¬ 
tion; the lack of it is its own cure and regulator. Those who 
are not fitted to the business will fall by the wayside. ^ The 
legitimate kind who know their business, who stay with it 
may be fairly well rewarded for their labor though they ma;y 
suffer and be damaged by the kind which spring up over 
night, mush-room-like. In brief, the nurseryman’s discard 
list should be his chief assortment and his propagation should 
be chiefly on up to date sorts of merit, proven, tested, weighed 
in the balance and not found wanting. 
Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. 
Louisiana, Mo. W. P. Stark. 
Early in the spring the weather was favorable, but May 
and June were unusually dry. We have much call for new 
varieties of iris and peony and the standard varieties of 
peonies that are suitable for storage cut flowers. 
Sarcoxie, Mo. Frank Wild Floral Co. 
NEBRASKA ITEMS 
As to the characteristics of the season, in nursery lines, we 
find them more or less marked, with the retailers somewhat 
on the anxious seat. The western country started out dr> 
generally. Later, parts of the country have had sufficient 
rain, while other parts are still far below the normal. The 
nursery stock through this country, however, is in a very 
healthy condition, foliage never looked better. 
The growth on apple and some other stock is rather short, 
but caliper is good. 
The trade has been somewhat spasmodic, and up-to-date 
it would probably stand about 20% to 25% below the norma 
in orders booked for fall and next spring s deliveries. 
As to the kind of stock in demand, the Black Locu^ seems 
to be dropping off from year to year, while the Gatalpa 
Speciosa is on the move. Mulberry, elm, ash, maple, etc., tor 
groves and shade, are about normal. ^ In comrnercial is- 
tricts, the apple seems to be the most in demand. Gnerr> 
and plum are quiet commercially. Also grapes and other 
small fruits. 
