558 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
fruit and plant JVotes 
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE HIMALAYA RASPBERRY 
National Nurseryman: 
In your February issue I see the Himalaya Raspberry is 
described. 
1 bought a few plants at $1.00 each about ten years ago. 
It may be valuable elsewhere but it is not here. It is an 
enormous grower but the berries are extremely small and 
ripen in the middle of our dry summer. 
I appreciate our department at Washington for the good 
things it has introduced but I was shocked last spring to 
receive a few plants from the department with information 
that it had sent me something of great value, etc. 
I wrote them that I quit it eight years ago and I had a 
row of it 200 yards long, 30 feet wide and 6 feet high and I 
would guarantee it to turn a mad bull or a scared cat, and 
suggested that hereafter, before it invested in a new thing 
for distribution it should inquire about them of some of the 
older nurseries. 
I can name a bunch of American Nurserymen, whom for 
valuable introductions, for intelligent testing, and for 
comprehensive and honest recommendations, I would put 
against any set of men or the officials of any government 
that ever sent out, “Seeds that never grew.” 
If you do not live near me try a few Himalaya if you 
want to, but try them before you plant a big lot. The leaves 
look like a raspberry, a little, and the vines never die back. 
Yours truly, 
Austin, Texas. F. T. Ramsey. 
BEST SCOTTISH PEACHES 
A Scottish correspondent of the Journal of Horticulture 
(London), states that in their experience the best peaches 
for outdoor culture in Scotland are, Waterloo, Hale’s Early, 
Amsden June, Stirling Castle, Royal George, and Early Gros 
Mignonne. The best half-dozen for cultivation under glass 
to give a good succession are, Hale’s Early, Crimson Galande, 
Goshawk, Stirling Castle, Bellegarde, and Prince of Wales. 
In good seasons peaches do wonderfully well in Scotland, 
when planted on a good wall with a south exposure. Fruit 
of medium size but of excellent quality, are freely produced. 
Leaf blister is one of the worst enemies to be contended with 
in outdoor peach culture. “Medela” is, however, proving 
an effective antidote, spraying the trees with it in February 
and March acting beneficially. 
BOBBINK AND ATKINS 
A handsome catalogue for Bobbink & Atkins, Ruther¬ 
ford, N. J., has just been printed by the McFarland Com¬ 
pany of Harrisburg, Pa. The cover illustrations are half 
tones in black and very effective. The typography is of the 
standard character. 
ISAAC HICKS AND SON 
Under the title of “News for Long Island” this firm 
has issued a handsome catalogue, beautiful and useful. 
foreign Correspondence 
BOSKOOP, HOLLAND, A GREAT NURSERY CENTRE 
As may be known to you already, an unusually large order was 
placed in Boskoop, Holland, some months ago, by an English firm, 
for the laying out of a park in America, the property of a wealthy 
American.who, it appears, has made his millions of dollars in the 
tobacco and cigarette trade. The order calls for 36,000 blue spruce 
trees, Picea pungens glauca (Koster). The color of the plant is of a 
bright blue, its needles very long and stiff. The variety is well 
known to the trade. Its common name, “Koster” is derived from 
the name of its propagator who introduced it some thirty years ago. 
At present the exporters of this order are busy with the packing. 
We had the opportunity of visiting the nursery of H. den Ouden & 
Son at Boskoop, which firm has a large part of the order to execute. 
We were told that the plants run from fifty cents up to six dollars 
each, according to their size. In addition to their local value, there 
are the packing charges, which will run up to about $ 2 , 800 . 00 ; the 
freight, insurance, etc., from Holland to America; and the duty into 
America, which is no small item, 
Mr. P. den Ouden showed us round the nursery, packing sheds, 
and glasshouses. In the latter, rhododendrons, hardy azaleas, coni¬ 
fers, etc., are raised. Of the last named there are over 450 different 
improved sorts growing in the nursery, of different sizes up to 12ft. 
and higher, from which one can get some idea of the extent of such a 
.business. Mr. den Ouden who is a native born, established Boskoop 
■nurseryman,gave us some idea of the village’s enormous export trade 
to all parts of the world, especially to the United States of America. 
Owing to the numerous nurseries in Boskoop—over 700, and the 
harmony existing between them, (especially in the case of the smaller 
nurserymen who have no export trade), business facilities are excel¬ 
lent and close at hand; what one runs short of he secures as a loan, 
or by exchange or purchase from his neighbors. The motto in 
Boskoopis: “Help each other,” and herein lies their strength. What 
one does not know he learns from the other. It is therefore difficult 
for an outsider to become a nurseryman in Boskoop. 
There are four protective trade societies, one for the American, 
one for the English, one for the German and one for the French ex¬ 
port trade. These societies look after their mutual interests in the 
way of cheap freight, etc. 
A great drawback to this world-renowned and interesting village 
(or nursery colony, if you prefer to call it such), is that there is no 
railway communication, steamboats and vehicles being the only 
means of reaching Boskoop. 
VILMORIN-ANDRIEUX & CO. ESCAPE FLOOD 
INJURY 
The many friends of Vilmorin-Andrieux & Company of 
Paris, will be glad to learn that the floods have not affected 
this firm to any great extent. Their warehouses in the Rue 
de Reuilly were beyond the reach of the floods. The build¬ 
ings containing the offices on the Quai de la Megisserie, near 
the Seine, had their cellars flooded by five feet of water, but 
the damage was confined only to the engines and boilers 
supplying the light and heat. Stoves, lamps, candles, etc., 
were installed in the various offices, so that business was not 
interfered with. 
The greatest drawback has been the impossibility of 
shipping goods from Paris, as several of the great railroads 
have been under or surrounded by water. Under the cir¬ 
cumstances American trade should be patient regarding the 
balance of orders. 
The May number will contain more information about 
the annual convention. 
