THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
i2g 
Quiz Column 
Ed. National Nurseryman. 
Dear Sir: 
We have had the most severe January ever experienced by the oldest 
settlers here. My frost-proof building (?) was penetrated, and a 
quantity of apple root grafts, made about last week of last year, were 
frozen. They were packed in boxes with damp excelsior. This is 
my first experience with frosted root-grafts. Do you think they will 
be damaged if T allow them to remain in the box untouched until th^y 
gradually thaw out? 
Port Elgin, Ont. J. H. W. 
Ed. National Nurseryman: 
The course which your correspondent outlines with 
reference to root-grafts is the best possible one, and the 
chances are that if his cellars can be kept quite cold, so that 
the frost is brought out gradually, there will lie no harm done. 
Would caution him not to disturb them at all—leave the 
boxes just as they are until the frost is entirely out. 
Rochester, N. Y. Brown Brothers Company. 
Ed. National Nurseryman: 
We are of the opinion that the root-grafts referred to will 
not be damaged if they are allowed to remain in the box 
untouched until they gradually thaw out without artificial 
heat. 
Rochester, N. Y. Ellwanger & Barry. 
Ed. National Nurseryman: 
Where apple root-grafts are well covered with damp 
excelsior and packed in boxes, I do not believe it will hurt 
them to freeze solid, providing you let the frost out .of them 
gradually. This has been our own experience. 
Rochester, N. Y. The Woodlawn Nurseries. 
Our exchanges 
AMERICAN FRUIT AND NUT JOURNAL 
This paper has recently changed hands, and the present board of 
editors, beginning with the January-February number, are as follows: 
H. Harold Hume, editor; W. N. Hutt, associate editor, and W. N. 
Roper, managing editor. This publication is a bi-monthly, and we 
congratulate the editors on the appearance of the first issue for the 
year 1912. The large number of excellent half-tones is a noteworthy 
feature. The present number is almost entirely taken up with matters 
relating to the 1911 conventions of the National Nut Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion and the Northern Nut Growers’ Association, thus standing as an 
indication of the important work which the American Fruit and Nut 
Journal believes these Associations have to do and are doing. Sketches 
of the work of President H. K. Miller of the National Association, and 
of Dr. Robert T. Morris, president of the Northern Association, are 
presented. 
\ - 
THE FEDERAL INSPECTION BILL 
Legislative action on this measure took an unexpected 
turn due to the attitude of the California nurserymen as 
announced by Chairman Pitkin in our last issue. The 
action of the Californians in desiring quarantine and inspec¬ 
tion at port of entry is after all not very surprising. With 
the memory of the introduction of San Jose Scale from 
Japan less than a quarter of a century ago, and with the 
knowledge that constant vigilance is required to bar the 
introduetion of other pernicious pests from the Orient as 
well as the Mexican border, the Pacific coast will have 
taken the stand already described. 
In the present issue of the National Nurseryman 
Mr. McHutchison has demonstrated with eonvincing clear¬ 
ness what we have always claimed, namely, the unpraetica- 
bility of inspection at port of entry. Possibly the arguments 
set forth will have less weight with San Francisco importers 
than with those operating in Atlantic ports. On the other 
hand with the excellent inspection machinery in operation 
in every county in California there should be no difficulty 
on the part of West coast importers to arrange for inspection 
at destination. 
The legislative committee is undoubtedly doing the wise 
and diplomatic thing in promoting the bill along the lines 
outlined in Chairman Pitkin’s letter appearing in our last 
issue. 
WESTERN NEW YORK NURSERIES 
It may not be generally known that New York stands 
first in the commercial importance of several of our horti¬ 
cultural industries. Prominent among these are the produc¬ 
tion of deciduous fruits in which she exceeds all other states 
in the Union; in the production of flowers and ornamental 
plants; in the production of vegetable and tmek crops and 
finally in the production of tree crops, commonly called 
nursery stock. In this latter industry her reputation has 
been strong and unrivaled for many years past. Notwith¬ 
standing the fact that New England cradled most of the 
infant industries of the nation, it is worthy of record that 
here we have an exception, for since the Flushing nurseries 
were established in Long Island, nearly a century ago, the 
commercial aspects of tree culture and tree propagation 
have been constantly paramount in the Empire State. 
Having its inception in the extreme eastern part of the 
State the nursery business secured a firm foothold in the 
extreme western part of the State not long after that region 
fell under the civilizing influence of the pioneer and 
proved its adaptability to the production of fruit. 
We are presenting in this issue a few sketches of nursery 
conditions as discovered by an amateur visitor to some of 
the principal nursery plants of western New York. When 
it is remembered that the visit was made in mid-winter 
and when the conditions as described therein are realized 
we are ready to appreciate the remarkable advance of the 
present over the past, in reference to methods of handling 
stock and we are also profoundly impressed by the extra¬ 
ordinary growth of the industry. The descriptions will be 
continued in our next issue. 
ANNOUNCEMENT 
W. M. Scott has resigned as pathologist of the Bureau of 
Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, to take 
charge of a newly established research and special service 
department, organized by the Thomsen Chemical Company, 
Baltimore, Md. This change of position does not materially 
change the nature of his work, other than to broaden its 
scope. The work of this new department will consist of the 
investigation of insects and fungous diseases injurious to 
fruits and__truck cro^is. 
