Historical Sketck 
Seven years ago Mr. E. L. Vennard, the 
founder of our Nursery, began experiment' 
ing with evergreen seed “as a hobby.” The 
difficulties attending the germinating of the 
seed and keeping the seedlings growing en- 
trigued him. At the end of two seasons 
there were nine little Cedars alive and 
growing. The third year he succeeded in 
growing about three thousand in three vari- 
eties. In 1938-39 and 1940 we have grown 
about thirty thousand per year of various 
sorts, and many of the problems of germi¬ 
nating seed had been overcome. 
The “urge’ 1 that caused the hobby to 
develop was the desire to grow a seedling 
Silver Cedar (Juniperus Scopulorum) from 
a seed that might become an outstanding 
tree, either in color or type. This tree is a 
hybrid botanically, and does not reproduce 
itself with any degree of accuracy from 
seed. Such an outstanding tree could then 
be increased by graftage and introduced to 
the Horticultural World. The star tree has 
not yet been discovered, although we have 
over twenty thousand growing. It may ap¬ 
pear among our present crop, and then it 
may not appear for several seasons. But 
the “urge” still persists. 
We have been able to grow practically 
every variety from seed except White Fir 
(Abies Concolor). 'With this seed we have 
failed for three successive years. We may 
make it next year! We have Douglas Fir 
and Cork Fir (Abies Arisonica) growing 
splendidly, and hope to supply many Nur¬ 
serymen with seedlings in years to come. 
CUTLER & VENNARD NURSERY 
Sioux City, Iowa 
