264 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Curator of La Mortola Botanic Gardens, Ventigimila, Italy. 
In passing, I may remark that the Botanic Garden is an 
old institution in Italy the first one having been founded in 
Pisa—the city of the leaning tower about the middle of the 
16th century. During a recent visit to that city I found a 
Botanic Garden connected with the ancient university but 
was unable to ascertain whether it stood on the site of the 
original garden or not. 
There is one thing which strikes the visitor very forcibly 
in connection with Botanic Gardens in Europe and that is— 
they are visited by the common people. While at Innsbruck 
in the Austrian Tyrol a short time since, I was very much 
impressed by the large number of working people to be 
found on Sundays and holidays (and there are lots of the 
latter in Catholic Europe) in the parks and Botanic Garden. 
They came to see and learn the trees and plants. Some of 
the plants in the Botanic Gardens are often arranged with 
the special intent of catching the popular eye. Groups of 
food-producing, of 
spring-flowering, o f 
summer-blooming, 
autumn-bloomingand 
the like are to be found 
which convey direct 
lessons of consider¬ 
able value. Here in 
Freiburg on the edge 
of the Black Forest of 
Germany we are just 
passing from the 
strawberry to the 
cherry season. The 
sweet cherries are in 
the market in great 
profusion. Cherries 
of the black Tartarian 
and light ones of the 
Windsor type prevail 
but they do not seem to me to be quite as sprightly in flavor 
as the home New York grown variety. Perhaps, this is 
patriotic bias—but it is an opinion supported by other 
members of my family. Nectarines are now in but they are 
flat in taste as well as in shape and add little to the joys of 
dessert. Early pears and apples are appearing while the 
fruit stalls show fine specimens of Calvillis and Reinettes. 
A WORD FROM AN ABSENTEE. 
A rumor has come to me that the most successful 
convention in the history of the Association was pulled off in 
Milwaukee last month. This was according to my prophesy. 
It could not be otherwise with a hustling executive like 
President Hill supported by his strong committees. And 
this is no reflection on previous officers or meetings, for 
improvement is the order of all progressive association men 
especially that of the nurserymen. I am quite in the dark 
as to the action of the convention. My correspondents, the 
treasurer and others had not got the cobwebs of the meet¬ 
ing out of their grey matter when they wrote so that I can 
only make a guess at the gist or trend of events. The pro¬ 
gram, however, promised large things and I have no doubt 
the promise was fulfilled. Nurserymen are making plans 
for fall trade and I hope their hands will be full of good 
business. 
There were certainly a numbhr of good questions in the 
query box. These should have elicited lively discussions. 
I hope they saw the light of day. For instance, the question 
“Does not the average nurseryman import nursery stock 
that can be grown at home? and if so why?” He certainly 
does import much stock that might be grown at home, but 
if he can buy the same stock qheaper than he can grow it he 
should do so if he intends to stay in the business. I say the 
same stock, I mean stock equally good in every way. The 
European nurseryman can and does grow just as good stock 
as the American and on account of cheaper labor at very 
much less cost. This applies with special force to orna¬ 
mentals and dwarf stock. It is conceivable that these con¬ 
ditions will change in the future and that the South and 
Southwest will strong¬ 
ly compete for this 
European trade but 
such are the condi¬ 
tions at present. I’ve 
seen as fine American 
plants in European 
nurseries as are to be 
found in America. The' 
question of patenting 
or trade marking our 
fruits is old but ever 
pressing. I don’t be¬ 
lieve it can be done 
for we must ever rec¬ 
kon with the varia¬ 
bility of nature and 
the influence of soil 
and climate. “The 
cost of growing stock” 
was discussed very interestingly by Mr. Bird at a 
previous meeting and I am sure he added valuable informa¬ 
tion to that already presented. It seems a pity that Dr. 
Howard, head of the Bureau of Entomology, Washington, 
was not present to give his views on the question of national 
inspection. But this problem is still before us and other 
meetings are coming. 
The lists of desirable fruits for the different states as 
presented by veteran observers like Messrs Hobbs, Van 
Lindley, Heikes, Youngers and others will be of great value 
to the younger growers. These lists will be presented to 
our readers in early issues of the National Nurseryman. 
Freiburg, Germany. John Craig. 
July 3, 1908. 
Enclosed find $1.00 for subscription to your “ National 
Nurseryman,” as I feel that I would be losing a good deal 
by not subscribing to it. Thanks for sample copy. 
Yours very truly, 
Clark Nursery Company. 
Lausanne, Switzerland with the snow capped French Alps in the distance, and Lake Geneva 
in the middle of the foreground. 
