THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
130 
The Harrison Nurseries 
A Nursery Where Things Are Done on a Large Scale 
Few industries are so beneficial to localities as the 
nursery business. Wherever they are located they arc 
the means of developing the country in many ways. 
When the firm of J. G. Harrison & Sons located at 
Berlin the fruit industry was comparatively nil on the 
Maryland Peninsula from a commercial point of view 
and very few ornamental plants were to be seen around 
I he dwellings. Now orcharding is an important industry 
and every little town within its sphere of influence shows 
specimens of the nurserymen’s products planted to deco¬ 
rate the grounds. 
J. G. Harrison located on a farm of one hundred and 
sixty-five acres, the sight of the present nurseries, in 
1886. Mr. 11a rrison had been a fruit grower from a 
young man and he was quick to note the possibilities in 
fruit growing when, one hundred peach trees already 
planted on the farm when lie purchased it, produced 
fruit which netted $263.00 the first year. He came to the 
conclusion that if a neglected peach orchard would do 
that well, a well cared for orchard would be a money 
maker. 
He planted an orchard of 5000 peach in 1895, but did 
not select the right varieties, with a result that they were 
not so profitable. In 1903 he planted Elberta and other 
improved varieties; this orchard is yet in bearing and 
profitable. 
From such a modest beginning the business has grown 
until it is one of the largest nursery and orchards com¬ 
pany in the country, controlling as it does approximately 
8000 acres, 3000 acres of this land is on the Sinepuxent 
Bay, in full view of the ocean. 
In 1890 a small planting of apple trees was made. 
This has proved so successful that it inspired a large 
investment in the growing of apple trees and the plant¬ 
ing of apple orchards, the number of trees in the nurser¬ 
ies running into the millions annually. Cherries, plums, 
and pears are also grown in quantities and the demand 
is growing from year to year. 
In 1903 a planting of evergreens was made, which was 
the beginning of the ornamental department of the busi¬ 
ness. This has now reached very large proportions. 
100,000 Norway maples have been grown and dis¬ 
tributed. 
The policy and practice of the Harrison Nurseries is 
to only sell what they grow themselves, depending upon 
their own stock to fill all their orders. This calls for an 
annually increasing acreage to take care of the increas¬ 
ing business. 
The varieties of peaches that are grown in the great¬ 
est quantity, and seem to be best adapted to the penin¬ 
sula are Red-bird, Cling, Greensboro, Common, Slappy, 
Harley, Belle of Georgia, Elberta and Bracket; having 
large orchards of these varieties they are able to cut 
their own buds and insure the propagation of the most 
profitable varieties true to name. 
In the apple orchards planted for fruit and for buds, 
Yellow Transparent, William’s Early Red, Wealthy, 
Grimes Golden, Staymen’s, Gano, York Imperial, Rome 
BUDDING PEACH TREES 
in July, August and September on the Nurseries of J. G. Harrison & Son, Berlin, Maryland■ 
