THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
157 
History of the Nursery Business in Texas 
BY PROFESSOR T. V. MUNSON, DENISON, TEXAS. 
(concluded) 
The Munson Nurseries 
In April, 1876, the writer, after being engaged with Mr. C. S. Hell, of 
Lexington, Ky., in the nursery business from 1870 to 1873, then for 
himself in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1873 to 1876, established himself on 
forty-five acres of land in the northern suburbs of Denison, Texas, 
where he continued the business until the year 1887, when the business 
had out-grown the extent of land, and a change to the south side of 
Denison was made, and the nurseries opened upon a choice piece of 
sandy loam with yellow and red clay subsoil, 109 acres in extent, and 
the old nursery continued also a few years, but eventually all concen¬ 
trated on the new location, which has proven to be highly adapted to 
the business. 
A general retail and wholesale business has been conducted, and has 
extended throughout Texas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, New Mexico, 
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mexico, and more or less to all the states of 
the Union and to Canada. For a decade, from 1884 to 1895, quite an 
extensive trade in Phylloxera resisting vines, in 
the form of cuttings and seeds, was carried on 
with French vineyardists. 
Much systematic experimental, and testing 
work with varieties of the various classes of 
fruits has been conducted in connection with the 
business. Very extensive work in the hybridiza¬ 
tion of nearly all the twenty odd species of 
American and the Yinifera grapes, and more or 
less with plums, peaches, persimmons and 
strawberries has been done, and the entire suc¬ 
cession of extraordinarily fine and successful 
varieties, thoroughly and extensively tested 
and proven valuable, is now carried in these 
nurseries. 
The business has never been vitiated by being 
carried on by traveling agents, but is conducted 
through a very carefully prepared catalog, and 
all sales made direct with its customers. 
The name was changed from Denison Nursery 
to Munson Nurseries, on account of unprincipled 
persons in many regions where we had acquired 
a good reputation for reliability and excellence 
of varieties, claiming to be agents for and doing 
business in the name of “Denison Nursery.” 
When we began, little was known in this 
part of the country as to what varieties were adapted, and we were 
compelled to carry on a system of test orchards for many years, in 
order to obtain profitable successions of varieties of the various 
classes, until now we have fruits of all kinds adapted to the climate 
that are commercially profitable. 
T. V. Munson. 
Pilot Point Nurseries. 
I commenced the nursery business in the year of 1877, at Valley View, 
Cooke Co., Texas. I moved stock and located at Pilot Point, Texas, in 
1881. During this time I have propagated, grown and have sold trees 
to the planters at ten to fifteen cents each, many of which have been 
worth $10.00 to the planter. I believe the greatest benefit I have been 
to the public has been in the propagation and introduction of Austin’s 
Dewberry. I believe the next most beneficial feature will prove to be 
the introduction of the Jordan Blackberry. For twenty-five years I 
have been testing blackberries from many sections of the country, but 
have found none equal to the Jordan, as a medium late berry lor the 
people. 
You asked for names of others who commenced the nursery business 
before or at the time I did. John Spencer commenced the business in 
1877 or 1878, about 8 miles west of Pilot Point, but moved to Decatur, 
something like 10 years later. J. W. Craven and lather were probably 
the first nurserymen in this part of the state. They started a nursery 
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Professor T. 
Denison, 
I t hink at Pilot Point probably as early as 1865, and deserve some notice 
or credit for being so early in the work and for establishing the fact that 
this is a fruit country. Col. W. W. Boss’ work, later showed this. 
1 wo and one-fourth acres of the Keiffer pear which he planted produced 
2,400 bushels one year, and 1,500 bushels the next. 
Pilot Mound. W Austin. 
GainsviHe Nurseries. 
It appears W. S. Boss, now of Alma, Ill., began growing trees here 
n ’81. I bought him out in ’83, and began growing a general line of 
nursery stock on a small scale, getting out first printed price-list in ’84. 
The local demand then was very limited, the man that bought 50 trees 
then w r as considered reckless, and looked upon by his neighbors as a 
harmless lunatic! My business increased satisfactorily, and about 1890 
I took my oldest son Walter, in as partner, at that time our business had 
extended all over the western part of the state, New Mexico, and I. T. 
Now, that Texas has become a fruit country, it is overrun with 
“agents” and tree fakers, having no laws to protect the planter. It is 
made the dumping ground for many of the large wholesale nurseries of 
undesirable stock. We have made no change in location, only bought 
other land to make changes for growing stock. 
Gainesville, Tex. .. _ A. S. Bassett. 
Nurseries About Boerne. 
I started in the fruit-growing and nursery 
business in a small way at this place in 1882, 
increasing my acreage from year to year until 
now I have about 50 acres devoted to fruit 
growing, mostly pears, and about 4 acres to 
nursery with a branch nursery at Garrison, 
Texas, conducted by my son. 
There has been only one small nursery in this 
section, established before me, about 1875, at 
Lindendale, this county, by A. V. Yates, which 
was discontinued, however, 4 or 5 years ago. 
Boerne, Tex. G. A. Shattenberg. 
In the Vicinity of Weatherford. 
One, J. W. Tackett, worked in the' nursery 
business as a hired hand in Tishomingo Co. Miss., 
about 1870. He came to Weatherford, Texas, in 
1883, and soon afterwards established a nursery, 
and styled it “The Parker County Nursery.” 
However, being unfamiliar with the climate, soil 
and other conditions of this country, he made 
slow progress for a number of years. Having 
by 1892, learned to successfully operate the 
nursery industry in this country, his business 
assumed a rather prosperous condition. He 
soon afterwards styled his business, “The 
Western Home Nursery.” By 1900 his business had grown so rapidly- 
that he was unable to manage and maintain it alone. By this time his 
two sons, J. E. Tackett and L. J. Tackett, had secured sufficient edu¬ 
cation to warrant them entering into business life, whereupon a part ner, 
ship business was formed, known as “The Western Home Nursery,’ J. 
W. Tackett & Sons, Proprietors. Since this formation, the business has 
continued with a steady growth, having the present season grown about 
$15,000.00 worth of nursery stock. 
Weatherford, Tex. J- W. Tackett & Sons. 
Caters to Mexican Trade. 
I beg to inform you that I established my nursery in 1883, here on the 
same land where I have it now. I started on a very small scale, and 
budded all trees myself. To-day I have 40 acres in nursery stock, all 
under irrigation. I sold over $8,000 worth of stock last year. V e ship 
one-third of our stock to Mexico. 
New Braunfels, Tex. Otto Locke. 
The Bakers’ of Fort Worth. 
Bobt. Drumm, Wm. Baker and J. B. Baker, established themselves 
in the nursery business in 1884, under the firm name of Baker Bros. 
In 1889 the firm dissolved, Bobt. Drumm continuing in business in 
Ft. Worth and Wm. Baker and J. B. Baker, also continuing in the same 
-business here. We first started as nurserymen, then added greenhouses 
and afterward opened a store in town, handling also seed and cut flowers. 
V. Munson. 
Texas. 
