284 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
TREE SEED NOTES 
By Otto Katzenstein 
The crops of 1923 of tree and shrub seeds are now 
beginning to move slowly. The late frosts last spring 
followed by long spells of hot dry weather in many parts 
of the country have played havoc with many crops and it 
seems as if many of the more popular kinds would run 
short. 
Since the enactment of Quarantine* No. 37. which pro¬ 
hibits the importation of most kinds of trees and shrubs 
in marketable quantities, progressive nurserymen in all 
parts of the country have interested themselves in the 
propagation of such nursery stock which they had been 
accustomed to import from abroad in the past. 
The demand for young plants seems to be without 
limit and nurserymen are hastening to till in where the 
specimen stock particularly of imported larger conifers 
and broadleaved evergreens is sold. Once this interval 
lias been bridged over and the young stock now growing 
on has reached the size desirable for quick results better 
prices may be had for this home grown sturdy stock than 
could ever be expected for imported material. 
While the outlook for quantity of seeds of new crops 
is not very encouraging, we are pleased to note that the 
quality of the seeds coming to us fine and of splendid 
germination. 
The western pines promise a fair crop. The western 
spruces and firs are short. Picea pungens, one of the 
most popular kinds, is very short, and so is the White 
Spruce. The demand for White Pine is far in excess of 
anticipated supply. It seems that the crop of Red Pine is 
so very negligible that it need not be considered. 
Of hardwoods, the maples were hurt badly by the 
frosts and only little will ripen. Acorns, hickories and 
walnuts are as a whole found in scattered areas only. 
There will be some seed of the different birches, but not 
any too much, and the outlook for beech and ash is not 
much better. Magnolias, with the exception of Magnolia 
grandiflora, are close to failures. Basswood has done 
better in the West than in the East. 
The outlook for exotic seeds seems to be pretty fair, 
altho with the uncertainty of foreign exchange the ten¬ 
dency particularly of dealers in Central Europe is 
to ask rather high prices for their goods in dollars and 
cents now. 
It has been the aim of my firm for many years now to 
encourage the placing of orders as early as possible in 
the season. The seeds can then be delivered as they come 
in to us and are in the very best condition either for im¬ 
mediate planting or for further treatment either by 
stratification, or washing, etc. processes which cannot be 
attended to by seedsmen without very often affecting the 
life of the seed. This year with shortages everywhere 
early orders are a matter of self protection. 
With the rapidly growing demand for tree and shrub 
seeds it is becoming more and more important that there 
should be a central laboratory where the different kinds 
might be tested for germination and purity so that the 
different lots might then be sold based on such an official 
analysis. It stands to reason that a seed selling for say 
$2.00 a pound and showing a germination of 80% is 
cheaper to the consumer than seed of the same kind sell¬ 
ing at $1.00 and showing 15 or 20% germination. Until 
such an official testing laboratory has been established 
where results and analyses might be had promptly, tree 
seeds will be tree seeds to many buyers. We test a good 
many seeds sold by us and either reject lots of low ger¬ 
mination entirely or sell them at prices commensurate 
with such low germination. 
Princeton Nurseries, Princeton, New Jersey, are send¬ 
ing out the Fall price list. If clearness, simplicity, are 
earmarks of good taste, this catalog has it. 
The color of the cover is orange yellow, which color 
they also seem to have adopted for their stationery, 
making it very distinct and easily recognized among 
other papers which is an advantage. 
We congratulate the Princeton Nurseries on evident 
progress in the form of the messages they send out from 
the office. 
Frazier Nursery Company, Huntsville, Ala., salesman 
called at the office with a green coat. Printed on coated 
paper it offers a tine list of stock, leaders, being fruit 
trees, including nuts and small fruits. The list of orna¬ 
mental stock includes roses, broad leaf and coniferous 
evergreens and deciduous shrubs. 
“IT PAYS TO PLANT” is their slogan. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENS, LANSING, MICHIGAN 
The nursery, conducted in connection with “The 
Flower Shoppe” Lansing, Michigan, was recently named 
“The Cottage Gardens”. 
They are growing a full line of shrubs, evergreens, 
trees and perennials. By next spring their entire nursery, 
comprising 33 acres, will be in cultivation. They are 
adding to their greenhouse plant two more houses. 
N. Kriek. former sales manager of the Weller Nur¬ 
series Co. Inc., is now, since August 1, in charge of the 
Cottage Gardens. 
THE CORTLAND APPLE 
The Cortland apple, probably the most promising new 
apple produced by the horticulturists at the New York 
State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, to¬ 
gether with Red Spy, Golden Delicious, and Red Graven- 
stein, other recent additions to the list of New York ap¬ 
ples will be an important feature of the station’s exhibit 
at the Eastern Apple Exposition and Fruit Show to be 
held in the Grand Central Palace in New York City early 
in November, according to a statement just issued by the 
station authorities. 
A cross between Ben Davis and McIntosh, the Cortland 
is described as an improved McIntosh, having all the 
desirable characteristics of that popular variety and, at 
the same time, prolonging the season for the McIntosh 
type of apple. The Red Spy and the Red Gravenstein 
are typical apples of their respective varieties, but differ 
from the standard sorts in their beautiful red color. 
Golden Delicious is an excellent yellow apple which has 
been found adapted to New York State and which the 
station fruit specialists believe meets the demand for a 
good yellow apple that can be grown as widely as the 
red kinds. 
