146 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The National Nurseryman 
Published monthly by 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 
218 Livingston Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
President,. THOMAS B. MEEHAN 
Vice-President and Editor, .JOHN CRAIG 
Secretary-Treasurer and Business Manager, ... C. L. YATES 
The only trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in Nur¬ 
sery Stock of all kinds. It circulates throughout the United 
States, Canada and Europe. 
Official Journal of American Association of Nurserymen. 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION , igo o. 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 
One year, in advance,.$1.00 
Six months,. .75 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance . 1.50 
Six months. i.oo 
Advertising rates will be sent upon application. Advertise¬ 
ments should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous 
to the date of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. 
Drafts on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are re¬ 
quested by the Business Manager, Rochester, N. Y. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nur¬ 
serymen and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Address Editor, Ithaca N. Y. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester , as second-class matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., May, 1909. 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
President—Charles J. Brown, president of Brown Bros. Co., Rochester; vice- 
president, C. M. Hobbs, Bridgeport, Ind.; secretary, Geo. C. Seager, Rochester, 
N. Y.; treasurer, C. L. Yates, Rochester, N. Y. 
Executive Committee J. H. Dayton, Painesville, O.; E. M. Sherman, Charles City, 
la.; H. B. Chase, Huntsville, Ala. 
Forestry—J. W. Hill, Des Moines, la. 
Transportation—F. H. Stannard, Ottawa, Kansas. 
Tariff—Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y. 
Legislation—Wm. Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. 
Co-operation with Entomologists—Hon. Orlando Harrison, Berlin, Md. 
Program—Jas. M. Pitkin, Newark, N. Y. 
Publicity—J. M. Irvine, St. Joseph, Mo. 
Exhibits—Thomas B. Meehan, Dreshertown, Pa. 
Arrangements—Geo. C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y. 
Editing Report—Geo. C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y. 
Entertainment—Wm. Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. 
National Council of Horticulture—Chas. J. Maloy. 
STATE AND DISTRICT ASSOCIATIONS. 
American Nurserymen’s Protective Association—President, R. C. Berckmans 
Augusta, Ga.; secretary, Thomas B. Meehan, Dreshertown, Pa. Meets annually 
in June. 
American Retail Nurserymen’s Protective Association—President, Charles J. Brown, 
Rochester, N. Y.; secretary, Guy A. Bryant, Princeton, Ill. Meets annually in 
June. 
Association of Oklahoma Nurserymen—President, J. A. Lopeman, Enid, Okla. Terr.; 
secretary, C. E. Garee, Noble, Okla. Terr. 
Canadian Association of Nurserymen—President—E. D. Smith, Winona; secretary, 
C. C. R. Morden, Niagara Falls, Ont. 
Connecticut Nurserymen’s Association—President, John S. Barnes, Yaleville; 
secretary, Frank E. Conine, Stratford. 
Eastern Association of Nurserymen—President, W. C. Barry, Rochester, N. Y.; 
secretary-treasurer, William Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. Meets annually in 
.January. 
National Association of Retail Nurserymen—President, Wm. Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. 
secretary, F. E. Grover, Rochester, N. Y. 
Nurserymen’s Mutual Protective Association—President, N. H. Albaugh, Phoneton 
O.; secretary, George C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y. Meets annually in Tune. 
National Nurserymen’s Association of Ohio—President, J. W. McNary, Dayton, O.; 
secretary, W. B. Cole, Painesville, O. 
Pacific Coast Association of Nurserymen—President, W. D. Ingalls, North Yakima 
Wash.; secretary-treasurer, C. A. Tonneson, Tacoma, Wash. Meets annually in 
June. 
Pennsylvania Nurserymen’s Association—President, Thos. B. Meehan, Dreshertown, 
Pa., secretary, Earl Peters, Mt. Holy Springs, Pa. 
Southern Nurserymen’s Association—President, Charles T. Smith, Concord, Ga.; 
secretary-treasurer, A. I. Smith, Knoxville, Tenn. 
Tennessee Nurserymen’s Association—President, J. C. Hale, Winchester, Tenn.; 
secretary, G. M. Bentley, Knoxville, Tenn. 
Texas Nurserymen’s Association—President—E. W. Knox, San Antonio, Texas; 
--ecretary-treasurer, Tohn S. Kerr, Sherman, Texas. 
Western Association of Nurserymen—President, E. P. Bernardin, Parson, Kas.; 
secretary-treasurer, E. J. Holman, Leavenworth, Kan. Meets in July and 
December at Kansas City. 
Attention has been called from time to 
PEONY time to the co-operative experiment 
STUDIES AT between the Horticultural Department of 
CORNELL. Cornell University and the American 
Peony Society. This study has been 
under way now for three years, and is being conducted on 
the grounds of the Cornell Experiment Station. At the 
outset an effort was made to secure single plants of as many 
varieties as possible. These were planted under the names 
attached to them by the growers or persons who sent them 
in. Last season several hundreds bloomed, and studies of 
their characters and of the nomenclature were made. The 
American Peony Society also met at Cornell during the 
flowering seasons of 1907 and 1908, and arranged to meet 
this year at Queens, Long Island, where Mr. Ward’s famous 
collection will be studied. 
The past season some 850 or 900 roots, comprising com¬ 
mercial collections provided by peony growers, were received 
and planted. These roots were large and w r ell developed, 
and are expected to bloom normally this year. They include 
the leading commercial varieties of the principal peony 
growers of the country. A bulletin giving a brief state¬ 
ment of the progress of the work, together with descriptions 
of those varieties which seem to be correctly named, was 
published this winter and is available to all members of the 
peony society and others interested in peony culture. This 
is an excellent type of work, in that it brings the practical 
men and the investigator upon common ground. 
What should constitute the test of a new 
NEW variety of fruit? In other words, what is 
VARIETIES the justification for adding new varieties 
OF FRUIT. to our already congested lists? The 
originator of a seedling or hybrid usually 
has a somewhat exaggerated idea of its value. He sees it 
through personal magnifying glasses. With this impression 
he propagates it and places it upon the market. This is 
often done without adequate trial or sufficient examina¬ 
tion. 
It is fair to say that a variety should not be introduced 
unless it excels others of its class or seaBon in one or more 
particulars. If better adapted, and this is only to be 
discovered after an extended and careful trial, if adapted to 
a specific region, if superior to others of its season, or if the 
tree possesses peculiar characteristics giving it special vaffie, 
then one or all of these considerations would be justification 
for a careful and thorough trial of its merits. It is not 
necessary to condemn a variety because it does not succeed 
everywhere. As time goes on we shall have to drop the idea 
of growing general purpose varieties. The general purpose 
fruit ; s more or less a thing of the past. We need fruits for 
special localities and for particular purposes. 
Our fruit lists have become unnecessarily padded because 
of our hasty manner of introduction. Originators should 
come into closer touch with experiment stations. These 
organizations are for the advantage of the introducer as well 
as the grower. The introduction of a poor variety reflects 
neither credit nor brings satisfaction to the introducer. 
Let us have new varieties by all means, but let their merits 
