The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyrighted L903 by The National Nurseryman Publishing Co.. Incorporated. 
Vol. XIII. ROCHESTER, N. Y., NOVEMBER, 1905. No. 10. 
The Wholesale Nursery of W. & T. Smith Co., Geneva, N. Y. 
Specialists in Ornamentals 
[Written and illustrated by the special correspondent of The National Nurseryman.] 
The observant traveler in passing through a town or city 
soon learns to detect signs of the presence of progressive 
nurserymen. In driving through the streets of the city of 
Geneva, N. Y., evidence of culture and refinement is present 
to an unusual extent in the exterior decoration of the homes. 
Rarely does one find better specimens of ornamental trees and 
shrubs than upon the 
lawns of some of the 
leading citizens. Ge¬ 
neva has long been 
noted as a great nurs¬ 
ery center. Situated 
at the head of that 
beautiful sheet of 
water, Lake Seneca, 
it is admirably located 
as to soil and topo¬ 
graphy for the grow¬ 
ing of high grade nur¬ 
sery products. The 
nursery companies of 
this region have un¬ 
doubtedly contributed 
much to the fame of 
the town. But the 
richness of the farming 
country in the immediate vicinity contributes its share to the 
substantial standing of the region as a stable financial com¬ 
munity. It was here that the first tile draining done in 
North America took place, and the Johnson farm, on which 
the drains were laid, is recognized today among the noted 
farms of the section. 
ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENEVA. 
A company which has done a great deal to bring credit and 
add dignity to the business of the nurseryman generally, and 
of this region in particular, is W. & T. Smith Co. lhis firm 
was organized by the brothers William and Ihomas Smith, 
almost sixty years ago. They came from Lngland and began 
in a small way, as did many nurseryman in the then com¬ 
paratively new country. Reliable methods and skill in tin' 
growing of stock made the business grow and prosper. The 
original small area gradually extended, new lines ot stock 
were added, a steady growth took place until at the piesent. 
time fully 700 acres of ground are devoted to the growing 
of a line of nurserymen’s and planters’ requisites, which 
includes everything that can be grown in the climate, and 
is particularly heavy in ornamental stock, especially the finei 
lines, such as roses, and flowering shrubs. The visitor is 
strongly impressed with the great masses of usual and un¬ 
usual ornamental shrubs appearing here and there on the 
nursery grounds. At the time of our visit large blocks of 
hydrangeas were in bloom, and made striking by handsome 
feotures on the landscape. 
ROSES MEASURED BY 
ACRES. 
The rose department 
as intimated above, is 
an exceedingly im¬ 
portant one. Stock is 
grown on own roots, 
and is budded in large 
quantities. As in the 
case of the other orna¬ 
mentals, one finds 
blocks of four or five 
acres in extent, in¬ 
cluding many thous¬ 
ands of plants, of a 
single variety not at 
all uncommon; and in 
looking at this almost 
countless variety of 
o namentals, one is 
impressed with the difficulties of the business of the nurs¬ 
eryman of today as compared with the grower of fifty years 
ago. The wholesaler, like W. & T. Smith Co., must now, 
not grow merely samples of each kind, but each kind must 
be grown in blocks to satisfy in short notice the orders of 
the retailers. 
ORNAMENTAL TREES IN QUANTITY AND VARIETY. 
One-sees here, too, fine examples of the best types of orna¬ 
mental trees suitable for park, street and lawn planting. 
Among the maples are many beautiful forms of the colored 
leaved varieties. These are introduct'ons of the last twenty- 
five or thirty years into this country, and are just now being 
recognized as important additions to color schemes in lawn 
planting. The bronzy leaf Schwedler, Reitenbach and 
their kin are strong, free growers, and add desirable variety 
to the tints of summer foliage, when usually everything is 
of almost the same shade of green. The Messrs. Smith have 
long been interested in this particular line of ornamentals, 
and have made a selection of their own which is now on the 
market under the name of Geneva Purple. This form at¬ 
tracted our attention particularly, and appeared to us as 
