Gbe national nurseryman 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
Copyrighted 1908 by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XVI. ROCHESTER, N. Y., OCTOBER, 1908 No. 10 
VINCENT LEBRETON’S NURSERIES 
LA PYRAMIDS, TRELAZE (main and loire) FRANCE 
Growers of Fruit Stocks, Forest Trees, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs 
Written and illustrated especially for The National Nurseryman 
The region about Angers, France, in the valley of the 
historic River Loire, associated with memories of the Maid 
of Orleans and aptly termed “the garden of France,’’ is noted 
as the great fruit 
stock producing sec¬ 
tion of France. The 
soil conditions are 
peculiarly favorable. 
It is alluvial river 
bottom land, fine in 
texture and very fri¬ 
able. Being at river 
level, it is supplied 
with an abundance 
of sub-moisture. 
This under supply of 
soil water carries the 
stocks through the 
dryest seasons with¬ 
out check or set 
back. 
It also extends 
the growing season 
very materially with 
the result that in this 
locality the maxi¬ 
mum development of 
the plant is possible. 
One of the peculiari¬ 
ties of the French 
system of growing fruit stocks is that most of the young 
plants are transplanted, that is “pricked out by hand after 
germination, so-that each stock is spaced and has room for 
symmetrical development. This is of special importance to 
the man who buys with the intention of using the stocks for 
root-grafting as is the custom in the middle west. Of course 
this treatment would be quite impossible in the United 
States owing to the high cost of labor but with day wages at 
forty to fifty cents for men and less for women it becomes 
thoroughly practicable. 
A Modern Nursery. 
One of the-largest and most progressive growers in the 
Angers group is the subject of our sketch Monsieur V incent 
Lebreton. During the twenty-four years he has directed the 
Lebreton Nurseries, he has by perseverance, intelligence, 
industry and the application of up to date methods devel¬ 
oped an excellent business and established wide connections 
not only in America but in Europe, Africa and in the Occident. 
The head of this 
firm, Mr. Vincent 
Lebreton, was for a 
number of years 
manager of the nur¬ 
sery which he now 
controls. He has 
associated with him, 
his son-in-law. Since 
the reorganization 
of the Company the 
business has grown 
with great rapidity. 
The exportations 
last year to America 
alone, amounted to 
over 20,000,000 
plants of fruit and 
ornamental stocks. 
Mr. Lebreton is well 
known throughout 
France and Europe 
generally as an ex¬ 
tensive and reliable 
grower of nursery 
stock. 
The headquar¬ 
ters of the nursery is situated at La Pyramide, about 
three miles from the City of Angers, and lying between 
that City and the river Loire. It was formerly partly 
submerged land but was reclaimed by one of the Emperors 
of France who, fortunately, had an eye for agriculture. 
Mr. Lebreton now operates directly sixty-five to seventy 
acres of land and controls the output of many more, managed 
by small growers in the vicinity. This area may sound 
insignificant to the extensive American grower who covers 
large tracts with trees widely spaced for horse tillage. It is 
nevertheless surprising to find how many trees can be 
packed upon an acre of ground when set and cared for after 
the intensive European plan for hand cultivation. 
The Products. 
Apple, pear, cherry and plum stocks are extensively 
