THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
35 
ABSTRACT OF A PAPER READ BEFORE THE PENINSULA 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY TREE—BREEDING AND 
TREE GROWING. 
BY ORLANDO HARRISON OF THE FIRM OF J. G. HARRISON & SONS, BERLIN, 
MD., JANUARY 18, 1905. 
It was Delaware and Maryland orchards that made the reputation 
years ago for fine fruit, the orchards are to-day being replaced and fruit 
is now grown with equally as good quality as ever in the past. 
This Peninsula was first known for its fine fruit and the reputation 
made by our forefathers should be maintained and can be by the fruit 
grower who has grit, and push to select and breed from the start. 
From a conservative estimate, I believe there has been planted the 
past year more than four hundred thousand trees on the Eastern shore 
of Maryland and Delaware by the best fruit growers. Why are our 
growers able to plant now as they have not for twenty years or more? 
This question is-unanswered in part. 
IMPROVE BY SELECTION. 
The Master of the Delaware State Grange in a recent Horticultural 
Meeting held in Pennsylvania, when he said, “Much credit is due the 
Nurseryman for this by more careful selection of peach seed. Others 
attribute success to small orchards scattered over the greater acreage. 
Now, that this second planting is being done, most of the planters to-day 
on this Peninsula have had some experience in varieties and the dif¬ 
ferent strains of varieties. 
Some years ago there was much said about the Reeve’s Favorite 
being such a shy bearer. To-day we do not hear that complaint. I 
planted some of Reeve’s Favorite ten years ago to cut buds from and 
they have had annual crops of fine fuit. 
I was in Mr. Morrill’s orchard in Michigan some years ago. When 
he went over the orchard he emphasized that certain varieties had paid 
him much better than others and he thoroughly believed in the breeding 
system of varieties—that is he would select the trees that produced best 
and bud from them. I understand he has followed that system and 
has made a success. When I was in Toledo last summer I found his 
goods on the market there from his plant in Texas. I am informed he 
will plant one hundred thousand Elberta peach trees alone. 
WEED OUT THE POOREST. 
During the last fruiting season I was in twenty different states and 
more than one hundred orchards. When at Ft. Valley, Ga., in June ( 
at Mr. Hale’s place he gave us an interesting side-show for a few minutes 
when he demonstrated what could be done in handling different varieties 
from the tree to the refrigerator car from a large field of trees. Poor 
varieties have been discarded and other varieties budded as they proved 
profitable. He had been able by close observation to see the ones 
that earned their expenses. The same thing is going on at Marshall 
ville, Ga.; again in West Virginia by the Miller Brothers, and in Mary¬ 
land we have many growers who value and select the strain of varieties in 
the orchard. 
TO GROW A TREE. 
To grow a tree is much like the development of a business and its 
financial success depends very much on the same kind of treatment. 
To begin with, the article upon which the business is based must be good. 
No growth however, can be symmetrical and solid if care is not taken 
to cultivate the soil and prevent disease. The Elberta is a case in 
point. Its adaptability to every state which accounts for the universal 
demand. 
To-day hundreds of thousands of trees sprouted on the Eastern 
shore are planted in every state and territory as well is in Canada and 
their growth is quite rapid and symmetrical as ever, so not only the 
fruit is grown but the trees as well. When it comes to tree breeding 
and tree growing, stay where you are on the Eastern shore and plant 
an orchard and improve your opportunities. 
JUDGING FRUIT BY THE SCORE-CARD METHOD. 
A class in systematic and descriptive pomology of the Department 
of Horticulture at Cornell University added a very interesting feature 
to the meeting of the State Fruit Growers at Geneva,N. Y., recently. The 
members of this class gave a demonstration of the methods employed 
when fruit is judged by a system of points which proved interesting 
and instructive. 
IMPORTANT REASONS FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING OF 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN 
AT WEST BADEN, IND , ON JUNE 14, 1905. 
The year 1904 has become a matter of history, we enter the new 
year with new resolutions renewed hopes and new plans as to the 
season’s business. To the nurserymen who are not members of the 
American Association of Nurserymen allow me to suggest that one of 
your new resolutions be, to become a member of same and to those who 
are members would say, you have only planted the tree and will not 
be able to gather a bountiful crop until you have cultivated 
the acquaintance of your brother Nurserymen. By attending these 
meetings you become better acquainted with the Nurserymen you 
have dealt with, form new acquaintances, cultivate the fraternal 
spirit so that your competitor becomes your best friend; learn new 
methods, broaden your views of mankind and go home a wiser and bet¬ 
ter citizen. 
Some may say I cannot afford the trip. You cannot afford to stay 
at home. Our lives are what we make them. If we stay at home and 
work all the time we become narrow in our views, set in our ways and 
get into a rut that is very hard to get out of; and the business is likely 
to go to the other fellow. 
You owe it to yourself and to your family to take a little 
vacation and rest, remembering that it is not the few dollars we can 
make in this life that makes it a success but the good we can do to 
others for the betterment of the world. The conventions are what we 
make them. It is not what we sell or what we buy that makes a suc¬ 
cessful meeting. But it is the number of new friends you make, re¬ 
newing former friendships and getting all you can out of the valuable 
papers and addresses; taking part in the dicussions and support¬ 
ing the officers and committees that have the work to do at each 
meeting and giving them your undivided support. By doing 
this you increase the interest which will in time increase attendance 
and membership. 
If we are to get the legislation we need and the freight rates and other 
vital matters pertaining to our business, we must make a good showing 
and put up a strong fight as all other lines of business are doing. If 
we can benefit the association we are bound to benefit ourselves. 
The place of meeting is centrally located and can be easily reached 
from all parts of the country. The railroads promise us through cars 
without change from St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Chattanooga 
or any other place where there are enough to make up a good sized party. 
If the nurserymen from the different sections will arrange a meeting 
place they can have a very pleasant trip enroute. 
The hotel accommodations are equal to the best in the country and 
can accommodate all that come so that part of the crowd will not have 
to go out and hunt other quarters. However, there are plenty of other 
hotels if they are wanted. The Assembly Hall is large. The amuse¬ 
ments are varied, and for a place to rest and spend a few days or weeks 
it cannot be surpassed. 
As vice-president for Indiana, I would say that we expect to increase 
the membership and attendance very largely from our state, and trust 
the vice-presidents and members from other states will get to work 
and help us to make this the banner convention. While we have no 
large orchards to show you as our Georgia friends had last year, we hope 
to have some new features and attractions that will be worth your 
while to see. There are no World’s Fairs to go to this summer so 
arrange your affairs to be with us and bring the ladies. They need the 
rest as well as you do. Respectfully, 
Vincennes, Ind. W. C. Reed. 
The Gardening World notes the exhibition of the new Bougainvillea 
Mond Chettleburgh by Col. Rous, Worsted House, Norwich. 
This variety was characterized by the large size of its brocts and their 
great number. These were of rich violet rose color and produced in 
great profusion on long, drooping stems. Small plants of it flower quite 
freely. An award of merit was accorded it by the Royal Horticultural 
Society. A fine illustration accompanied the article .—Gardening World 
