3 88 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
contracts, it is always necessar}' - to control the operations of 
the growers and to detect any neglect on their part. Every 
kind of seed, however small the lot may be, sent out by the 
firm, is therefore tested as regards vitality and quality. 
These trials particularly help in cases of controversy with 
customers to identify the quality of the seed supplied and 
also to ascertain the skill of the grower. At Vilmorin’s 
seed farms at Verrieres are also tested the novelties intro¬ 
duced by other seedsmen. The tests occupy every year 
over 25,000 plots, the results of which are carefully recorded 
in special trial books, of which the firm possesses a set 
covering over 100 years. 
The trial 
grounds of 
this firm are 
among the 
most noted in 
the country. 
They are in¬ 
deed classic in 
plant history, 
and the work 
oftesting veg¬ 
etables, flow¬ 
ers and orna¬ 
mental plants 
is carried on 
with all the 
accuracy and 
care of a mod¬ 
em up-to- 
date experi¬ 
ment station, 
but has the 
advantage of 
the experiment stations, however, in that the grounds 
possess many beautiful and well developed specimens 
of rare trees, shrubs and fruits. Again the records of 
the firm are such that the history of the introduction of 
every noted form is readily available. 
BREEDING NEW VARIETIES 
It is probably in the breeding, improvement and 
selection of economic plants that this firm has done its best 
work. In many instances plants have been taken from the 
wild state and modified so profoundly in the course of a few 
generations in the life of the vegetable that the original 
form can hardly be recognized. This is particularly true 
in the case of the sugar beet which had its content of sugar 
increased over 100 per cent. In the case of some strains of 
carrot, they have been modified from fibrous, rooty types 
to smooth, plump, tuber-like forms. In the line of garden 
vegetables as well as in flowers, great work has been done by 
this firm. One of the best evidences of the type of work 
performed is found in the publication of the “Vegetable 
Garden,” certainly the best book on vegetable growing, 
particularly on the systematic side, that there is in the Eng¬ 
lish language. 
The grounds at Verrieres cover some 300 acres in extent. 
It is pleasantly situated, nicely rolling and well adapted to 
the purposes of flower and vegetable growing. 
A PLANT MUSEUM 
One of the striking features in the building equipment 
is the museum. This is completely equipped with an her¬ 
barium of cultivated plants with splendid wax models of 
fruits and vegetables, with collections of seeds and with a 
library of botanical and horticultural books. Connected 
with this is the office of M. de Vilmorin. Here is where the 
scientific work is prosecuted. In looking over this com¬ 
plete muse¬ 
um, many a 
teacher of 
horticulture 
might well ex¬ 
perience keen 
feelings of re¬ 
gret that his 
institution 
wasnotequal- 
ly well equip- 
ped. The 
work of this 
firm illus¬ 
trates the 
highest type 
of a combin¬ 
ation of sci¬ 
entific and 
commercial 
effort that we 
know of in 
the entire 
CALIFORNIA: DEMAND BRISK 
The indications are now that the coming nurseiy season 
will prove a very satisfactory one, if the rains come at 
proper times. The time for planting in California usually 
commences in January and continues up to about the 
middle of March. Fall planting is not satisfactory here 
because our trees are growing even at this late date, and it 
is out of the question to take them up. 
The low prices which many of the deciduous fruits 
brought early in the season, led us to believe that there 
would not be much demand for deciduous fruit trees, but 
there has been quite a change in the last few months, and 
this in conjunction with the many new settlers, that are 
coming in here, leads us to believe that the demand for 
nursery stock will be even better than it was last year. 
The sale of orange trees will be fully as heavy as last 
season. Oranges have brought excellent returns to the 
growers and a heavy acreage will be planted. The annual 
shipments of citrus fruits from California, are something 
over 30,000 carloads. This will give you some idea of the 
magnitude of the industry at the present time. Prices for 
trees are very satisfactory indeed, first class trees, caliper- 
Museum of Messrs Velmorin—Andrieux et CieS 
Verrieres, France. 
range of commercial and technical research. 
