THE NATIONAL 
NURSERYMAN 
64 
]Note and Comment 
Who said quinces! 
Winter lingered long in Miss Spring’s lap in New York State. 
Walnut trees were in blossom in southern California the first week 
of March. Peach trees at Berchmm’s, March 21. 
Fruit growers on the Pacific Coast using boxes are warned by news¬ 
paper rumors that the price of boxes will advance in the coming season. 
The United States Senate has voted to exclude flowers from the 
Senate Chamber. They have not given any explanation of this action. 
Now is the spring time of our hustle and hurry made happy and 
cheerful by the prompt receipt of checks of substantial and portly 
dimensions. 
E. Albertson, Bridgeport, Ind., writes that sales have been good, 
that most nursery stoek is sold ou L pretty close, digging and shipping 
going on briskly. 
The Alabama-Michigan Fruit Package Company, has been organized 
by C. M. Edick, Nathan Y. Lovell and John W. Bedford. A $25,000.00 
factory will be erected at Troy, Alabama and operations will begin 
early in the season. 
Rather a remarkable thing occurred in the shipping of vegetables 
during February of this winter. California actually came to the 
rescue of Florida by sending several consignments of celery during the 
freeze. Several consignments were sent to Florida on order of com¬ 
mission men in Jacksonville. 
TO ASSIST FLORICULTURE IN ILLINOIS. 
A bill has recently been presented to the Illinois House of Repre¬ 
sentatives for the purpose of inaugurating investigational studies 
under the auspices of the State experiment station, on behalf of the 
floricultural interests of the state. The appropriation asked for is 
$20,000 for 1905, and $10,000 for 1906, to be used by the experiment 
station of the University of Illinois, to investigate “improved methods 
of producing flowers and vegetables under glass, to discover the most 
economical methods of constructing greenhouses and of heating the 
same, to ascertain cultural soil and fertilizer requirements of these 
plants, and the best methods of protecting the same from fungus 
diseases and insects.” Decorative plants for outdoor use in connection 
with their adaptations to soil are to be studied also. 
REFLECTIONS ON CAROLINA-RUSSIAN-NORW AY- 
POPLAR. WHICH? 
The farmers of the North Central States are becoming much 
confused over these names. You approach one man and he 
wants you to be sure to book his order for “North Carolina Poplar” 
under the terrible apprehension that the “South Carolina” variety 
will not be hardy enough to stand the winter. The next man will 
advise you very sagely not to think of planting Carolina Poplar, as 
Russian Poplar is far superior to it in every way, particularly in hardi¬ 
ness. In some sections where the Scandinavian population predom¬ 
inates, the Norway Poplar is having a run as a quick growing shade 
tree. There are others also who aver that this much named poplar 
is nothing at all but the Cottonwood. This certainly raises a lovely 
condition for the honest nurseryman, as undoubtedly the Carolina 
Poplar, or whatever it is, has come to stay as a popular tree for prairie 
planting. Shall we illuminate the public at an expense, or go into the 
general assortment and dig up the nationality required? Here is a 
condition for which we are in no way responsible. If any one can offer 
a real easy solution that will place us right, we will be glad to receive 
it. Doubtless it will sell easier this summer as the Japanese Poplar, 
and we could, without difficulty, accustom our ears to the sound. 
The suggestion is free. Populus. 
NOTE—Carolina Poplar (P. deltoides var carolinensis) appears to 
be a form of Cottonwood, but its origin is obscure. In Europe it is 
called Swiss Poplar. Much confusion exists in regard to this form. 
Who can give us light as to its origin?—E d. 
Doings of Societies. 
GEORGIA PEACH GROWER’S ASSOCIATION. 
This organization met in Macon on February 23d. Much of the time 
of the meeting was given up to a discussion of transportation questions. 
A strong resolution endorsing the passage of the railway rate bill now 
before Congress was put through. The officers elected were Dudley 
M. Hughes, president, Frank W. Hazelhurst, secretary, P. J. Berck- 
mans, vice-president. 
At the last meeting of the Western Association of Wholesale Nursery¬ 
men, Peter Youngers, Geneva, Nebraska, was elected president, and 
D. J. Holman, Leavenworth, Kansas, secretary. 
The American Peony Society, A. H. Fewkes, secretary, Newton 
Highlands, Massachusetts, expect to hold their annual meeting in 
Chicago to connect with the annual meeting of the American Nursery¬ 
men’s Association. It will occur just before, or just after the nursery¬ 
men meeting, so that the members of the Peony Society may attend 
both meetings if they so desire. The Peony Society expects to hold 
an exhibition of cut flowers in connection with their convention. It 
is probable that an attractive prize list will be prepared. * 
Reports from Arkansaw state that since the trees have thawed out, 
it has been determined beyond question that the fruit buds are com¬ 
pletely killed. In some instances, not only the fruit buds, but the 
leaf buds and the twigs themselves are badly discolored. Apples and 
small fruits in that section are in a satisfactory condition. 
At the last meeting of the Northeast Georgia Fruit Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation the concensus of opinion regarding the peach crop for the 
coming season seemed to be that if no unfavorable weather prevailed 
between now and setting time, about half of a normal crop might be 
expected. 
ORGANIZED FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
What is known as the Norton Fruit Growers’ Association, of 
Muskegon County, Michigan, has filed articles of corporation with a 
capital stock of $5,000.00, comprising thirty-six members. One of 
the prime objects of the association is to purchase crates and fruit 
packages in large quantities direct from headquarters, at the lowest 
possible prices. Last year fully 24,000 berry crates were purchased 
by the parties forming this association. They figured that in buying 
the crates in wholesale lots they could thereby save a considerable 
amount. These crates were afterwards sold at a price that made a 
fair profit, this amount being allowed to accumulate in the treasury 
and was afterwards distributed among the members in proportion to 
the number of crates sold during the season. Barrel & Box. 
RAILROAD TO TURN FARMER. 
New Orleans, Feb. 24—The Kansas City Southern Railway has 
established an experimental farm at Noble, La. The purpose of the 
farm is to demonstrate to the farmers that fruits and vegetables can 
be grown in that section with profit. Another object is to make a 
shipping station of Noble by inducing farmers to locate in the neigh 
borhood. Fruit and Produce News. 
The Florist’s Review for March 9 contains a symposium of the 
question of whether the Lawson carnation is running out. The opinions 
of a large number of leading florists are offered. While some believe 
that it is deteriorating, the concensus of opinion appears to be that 
this degeneration is more to be charged to carelessness in selecting 
the cuttings, than to an actual weakening of the stock. 
There appears to have been a sharp contest in the sale of bananas 
in New York and Boston markets, during March between the United 
Fruit Company, which is said to represent the banana trust, and the 
independent shippers. Report has it that the trade is in opposition 
to the Fruit Company, but that it hesitates to come out squarely 
against this organization, fearing that the independent interest may 
go to pieces, and that they will then be at the mercy of the trusts. 
