Che IRatfonal IRurserytm 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XVIII. ROCHESTER, N. Y., MAY, 1910 No. 10 
EDITORIAL WANDERINGS 
The New South. The Passing of the Pine. Changing Conditions. 
T HE last days of March found 
the editor, accompanied by 
his good wife, on board a 
steamer of the Savannah Line 
from the port of New York, 
headed down the coast. This is 
an exceedingly pleasant way of 
leaving the metropolis if the 
weather is favorable, as it was 
on this occasion. Nothing could 
surpass in point of temperature 
and sunshine the balmy con- 
' ditions which accompanied the 
1 vessel from the North River to 
the port of Savannah. The 
gentle breezes and sunshine of 
the day were succeeded by glori¬ 
ous moonlight at night. We 
heard, however, that it was not 
always thus! In weather of the 
quiet order it is an exceedingly 
restful trip, devoid even of the 
small social functions, not always 
desired, incident to more extend¬ 
ed ocean travel. The company, 
too, that one meets on these 
steamers is of the quiet order. 
The only diversions apparent in 
this trip were small excitements 
attempted by a group of base¬ 
ball sports in the way of exploit¬ 
ing “wireless pools,’’ and open¬ 
ing light weight “jackpots’’ on 
the side. The preponderance of 
the passenger list was made up 
; of the schoolma’am order, in quest of rest and quiet. 
Although the weather was of the brightest and most favor¬ 
able type going down, the arrival of the steamer in Savannah 
was marked by a fine downpour of warm rain. It was soon 
discovered on landing that the country was much in need 
of rain, and that the shower, while beneficial, was altogethei 
inadequate. The weather from the 20th of March until 
} the 4th of April was distinctly warm, not to say hot. T he 
1 heat however, was considerably above the normal. 
THE NURSERY BUSINESS 
“Flourishing” was the descrip¬ 
tive term heard everywhere. 
The South is coming into her 
own. Land values are increas¬ 
ing. Farmers are becoming more 
confident and satisfied. Labor 
problems, however, are becom¬ 
ing more difficult. At the Berck- 
man’s Company, Augusta, the 
shipping season was still in full 
swing in the last week in March, 
and the sound of the saw and 
hammer issued from the packing 
house until eleven o’clock every 
night. This Company make their 
own packing boxes, and the night 
gang has been at work boxing 
and packing for some weeks. 
One of the advantages of the 
South is the long shipping season. 
The Berckman’s Company is rap¬ 
idly extending its business, and 
this is particularly true of land¬ 
scape work and ornamentals. 
Trade in ornamentals is increas¬ 
ing, and the demand for conifers, 
for house grown citrus fruits, 
and subtropical ornamentals, is 
largely on the increase. The 
Nursery is located near Augusta’s 
fashionable winter resort section, 
and adjacent to the attractive 
grounds of the noted Country 
Club, so that the borders, avenues and driveways of the 
establishment are much frequented. It was a great pleasure 
for the editor to note the activity of the veteran horticul¬ 
turist, Prosper J. Berckmans, for many years president of 
the American Pomological Society, and at the present 
moment president of the Georgia Horticultural Society, 
who though an octogenarian, retains the keen interest and 
knowledge of plants so characteristic of him forty or more 
years ago. 
Late March on a Quiet Country Road in North Florida. 
