The National Nurseryman 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyrighted 1903 by The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XIII. 
INTERESTING SKETCH OF THE NURSERY BUSINESS 
IN NEBRASKA. 
E. F. STEPHENS, CRETE. 
In the attempt to give come idea of the inception and rise 
of the nursery interests in Nebraska, I have not been able to 
gather as much information regarding the first fifteen years, 
as I should have have been glad to have presented to the 
readers of the National Nurseryman. 
EARLY HISTORY. 
Doubtless ex-Governor R. W. Furnas was one of those 
who first interested himself in the planting and production of 
trees; first for his own use and second for others. Governor 
Furnas came to Nebraska, from Ohio, the spring of 1855. He 
was impressed with the thought that fruit could be grown in 
Nebraska. In the spring of 1856, he ordered a small supply 
of trees and vines from the firm of Ellwanger & Barry, of 
Rochester, N. Y. Although the consignment was nearly four 
weeks enroute, it came through in excellent condition, and 
was planted with care. Every tree and vine lived and nearly 
all of these trees are yet alive. The cherry trees, however, 
failed some years ago. When the boxes were opened, one of 
the pear trees was opening its bloom and gave two pears the 
first year planted. Encouraged by this experience, Governor 
Furnas steadily increased his own orchard planting and 
presently engaged in the production of trees and plants for 
others. He was at one time a member of the firm of Furnas, Ir¬ 
ish, Moore & Co., doing an extensive business. After dissolution 
of this company, Governor Furnas continued to some extent, 
in the nursery work. For the growing of shade trees and 
seedlings, he had unusual facilities. He continued in this 
work until he was seventy-eight years of age and then sold 
one of his orchard farms and his nursery interests to the firm 
of Stonebraker & Clevidence, Brownville, who yet continue 
the business of supplying seedling forests trees and shade trees, 
as well as handling their extensive commercial orchard in¬ 
terests. 
The Hon. J. Sterling Morton, commenced planting trees at 
Arbor Lodge, Nebraska City, about 1856 and did much with 
pen and voice to encourage the planting of both fruit, forest 
and shade trees in Nebraska. Ultimately his work led to the 
official establishment and recognition of Arbor Day. 
In 1856, the Hon. J. H. Masters commenced his first planting 
at Nebraska City. He devoted the most of his time to com¬ 
mercial orcharding, exhibiting at an early meeting of the 
State Horticultural Society, some two hundred varieties of 
apples. 
Major J. W. Pearman was the first to give the major portion 
of his attention at Nebraska City to nursery work. Orchards 
set out by him many years ago are yet doing good service, 
indicating the great care with which he selected, grew and 
sent out varieties adapted to Nebraska conditions. 
No. 2. 
MORE RECENT HISTORY. 
About 1872, Captain J. E. Hill engaged in the nursery busi¬ 
ness at Beatrice, At a later period he interested himself in 
politics; dropped his nursery work, was elected State 
Treasurer and is now a resident of Salt Lake City. 
In the fall of 1871, the writer, a native of Maine, came to 
Nebraska with the purpose of engaging in commercial orchard¬ 
ing. For the purpose of maintaining expenses while the 
orchard interests were being developed, the writer engaged 
in the nursery business and also engaged in commercial con¬ 
tract planting. First contract was made in 1873, planting 
with excellent success, 750,000 trees for the Burlington rail¬ 
road company. This led to the planting of commercial 
contract orchards, street planting and parks. The passing of 
the Timber Claim Act led to an opening for the contract 
planting of timber claims. In this work the writer success¬ 
fully planted seven million trees on four year warranted con¬ 
tracts in Western Nebraka and Eastern Colorado, demon¬ 
strating that as long as cultivation was continued, it was 
entirely practicable to conserve moisture enough to start and 
maintain the growth of trees. At the present, the writer is 
engaged, in addition to some general nursery work, in the 
planting of commercial contract orchards, demonstrating 
that with suitable selection of varieties, peaches can be grown 
three hundred miles West of the Missouri river, apples, plums 
and cherries up to the Wyoming line. 
PROGRESS SINCE THE 80’s. 
In the early 80’s the firm of Carpenter & Gage, Fairbury, 
developed the then largest commercial nursery work in Ne¬ 
braska, growing immense quantities of forest seedlings for 
which there was a strong demand for timber claims and shelter 
belts. They also grew great quantities of fruit trees for the 
orchards which every new settler at that time thought he must 
have. The firm ultimately dissolved, J. A. Gage moving to 
Beatrice, where he is now actively engaged in the production 
of seedlings and a general line of fruit trees, selling mostly at 
wholesale. Mr. G. J. Carpenter is now engaged in other lines 
of work at Grand Junction, Colorado, and the old nursery at 
Fairbury in now operated by C. M. Hurlburt, Manager, 
doing an extensive business in the growing of general nursery 
stock. 
In 1882, Mr. J. W. Stevenson, of North Bend, Nebraska, 
engaged in nursery business, devoting his efforts, especially to 
the production of small fruit plants for sale and has developed 
a wide trade, particularly in strawberry plants. He also 
grows small fruits extensively for market. 
In 1883, Mr. George B. Galbraith of Fairbury, engaged in 
the nursery business. The next season, he entered the firm of 
Rosenberger & Galbraith and later formed the Mid-Conti- 
nential Nursery Company. In 1887, Mr. Galbraith married 
and started in for himself at Jansen, calling his nursery, the 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., FEBRUARY, 1905. 
