THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
295 
ing back over these years, it is interesting to note how long 
it takes for ideas of this kind to get a hold in public practice. 
The Rural New Yorker is just now contributing considerable 
of its space to a discussion of this important question, and 
we find among the cover crops recommended for Jersey, 
Maryland, and Delaware, rye, hairy vetch, cowhorn turnips, 
and crimson clover, the latter being restricted, however, to 
the milder portions of that region, and not considered even 
hardy enough for northern New Jersey. 
In the bulletin referred to (Cornell 198), the remark¬ 
able nitrogen-acquiring power of vetch was brought out 
by chemical analyses of top and root. Seed sown about 
the first of August developed plants by the first of Novem¬ 
ber which had a fertilizing value measured by nitrogen alone 
of some $20 per acre. This exceeded alfalfa, which stood 
next, by a considerable amount, and alfalfa surpassed mam¬ 
moth clover and crimson clover in about the same ratio. 
We believe that nurserymen should use cover crops much 
more freely than many of them are now in the habit of doing, 
and thereby save very considerably in their fertilizer bills. 
In most portions of New York, New England, and of course 
farther south, a cover crop put in by the first of August on 
well prepared land will in its return of fertilizer material the 
same season much more than pay for the cost of preparing 
the soil and securing the seed. We believe that by the 
judicious use of cover crops the mrrseryman would not need 
to be so constantly in quest of tracts of virgin land for the 
growing of his plants. Old soils can be regenerated and 
brought into thoroughly satisfactory productive conditions 
by the judicious use of this cover cropping system. We shall 
be glad to record any experiences of nurserymen in this 
direction. 
Legislation 
UNITED STATES POST OFFICE RULING IN REFER¬ 
ENCE TO GREENHOUSE PLANTS AND NURSERY 
STOCK 
As showing the incongruities and contradictions which 
exist between federal and state legislation in reference to the 
movement of nursery stock through the United States mails, 
we have the ruling of the United States Post Office Depart¬ 
ment of May 29, 1912, which says that nursery stocks, 
including florists’ stocks, may be admitted to the mails 
only when accompanied by a certificate from a state or 
government inspector to the effect that the nursery from 
which said stock is shipped has within a year been inspected 
and found free from injurious insects. This regulation refers 
to nursery or florists’ stocks grown in greenhouse as well as 
that grown in the field. 
In contradiction of this, we find that the state laws of 
Pennsylvania exempt greenhouse or florists’ stock from 
necessity of inspection certificates, and that the state of 
New York does the same thing. The section in the New 
York laws applying to this says the provisions of this and 
the preceding section shall not apply to florists’ greenhouse 
plants, flowers, or cuttings, commonly known as green¬ 
house stock, and no certificate shall be required for stock so 
shipped into the state; that its sale and shipment become 
either interstate commerce traffic or commerce with foreign 
nations. We have here two distinct rulings, and it would 
be a nice question to know which would govern in the case 
of greenhouse stock shipped to points within the state. 
Inasmuch as all the post offices are under federal authority, 
it may be supposed that the United States ruling would 
prevail. 
J. H. HALE PEACH 
The editorial office has received a sample of the new J. H. 
Hale peach. This new variety is being introduced by the 
William Stark Nursery of Chester, Missouri. Mr. Hale 
claims that his peach is a perfect freestone of first quality; 
that it is round in form, making it easy to pack, handsome 
in appearance; that it colors exceptionally early; that it is 
larger than Elberta, hardier in fruit bud than that variety; 
and that its crowning characteristic is its firmness of flesh. 
The specimen reached us in excellent condition, and the 
following description was made: 
Peach: J. H. Hale: Size large, 3>^ x 3^^ in.; form glob¬ 
ular, slightly obconical, regular, suture clearly defined, but not 
deeply depressed; skin yellow, almost entirely covered with 
a rich mottling of red and purplish crimson; flesh deep yel¬ 
low, exceedingly Arm, juicy, deeply stained with red near 
pit; pit in specimen examined large, split, deeply corrugated, 
practically free; flavor brisk sub-acid; quality fair to good. 
The strong points about this peach are its remarkably 
handsome appearance and its exceptionally Arm texture of 
flesh. It would,, therefore, seem to give promise of being 
particularly useful as a high class variety having excep¬ 
tional shipping qualities. In general appearance, it reminds 
one of Reeve’s Favorite, but is not as sweet and high flavored 
as that variety, but very much firmer in texture. 
It would seem, speaking very conservatively, that most 
of the claims of Mr. Hale are substantiated in the qualities 
and characteristics of the specimen before us. The firmness 
of flesh is indeed a prominent feature. It is unsafe to judge 
of the quality of a variety from a single specimen, especially 
one that has been forwarded through the mails. It is safe 
to say, however, that this specimen seemed to be an im¬ 
provement on Elberta. The specimen received was grown in 
Fort Valley, Ga., and when tasted on July 16 was in good 
eating condition. If this newcomer possesses equally valu¬ 
able characteristics of tree, it ought to be a very important 
acquisition to our list of commercial peaches. 
NOTE AND COMMENT 
Among the American nurserymen who attended the Inter¬ 
national Horticultural meeting in London was Mr. E. N. 
Reasoner of Reasoner Brothers, Oneca, Florida. The visits 
of American nurserymen and florists to such establishments 
as Vilmorin, Andrieux & Company, Victor Lemoine & Fils, 
and other noted French and Belgian horticulturists, were 
greatly enjoyed. 
Messrs. C. W. Denton, B. E. Denton and G. W. Williams of Dans- 
ville, N. Y., have formed a partnership and will conduct a general 
nursery business. They have succeeded to the business of C. W. 
Denton & Son, and will use the style of Denton, Williams & Denton. 
