Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-11-02

These are not all in one contiguous piece
of ground, but are comprised in four pr!n-
cipal detached portions, Of fifty to hun
dred acres each, lying near each other.
For extent and perfection combined, there
is none in America that nearly approaches
this establishment, and we have no. been
able to ascertain from satisfactory sources,
that there is any in Europe-although
there may possibly be greater number
of hands employed in some European nur-
series, where labor is cheap and economy
not studied.
Ellwanger and Barry had in regular
employ at the time Of our visit over one
hundred hands. In the spring they have
two or three hundred. Being in the midst
of the budding season, they have sixteen
active builders at work, with boys to tie
after them, and other hands to precede
them in preparing the stocks. These, add
ed TO such as were occupied in proving the
buds, and in removing the ligatures,
amounted to about sirty in all, connected
with this department of operations. The
buds are all cut By the proprietors them
selves, aud every pains taken to secure the
greatest accuracy throughout this NAM
moth establishment-abou. twenty-five
thousand buds are inserted daily; and
eight persons are required in connection
with the persons who cut the buds, to re-
move the leaves from them on the spot.
They employ twenty-five horses. Dur
ing all the early part of the season, these
were all required in cultivaiing the rows
at present only eighteen are needed for
this purpose.
We observed single .tields, of thirty or
forty acres each, out of the many which
constituted their establishment, which
alone would be regarded as large for an
entire nursery. A block of ninety thousand
100000 cherry trees, one year from the
bud, was especially noticed for its beauti-
full growth, most of the trees being already
about five feet high, and as even along the
tops as if they had been sheared, A half
acre Of seeding pears had as fine growth
as any we have ever seen, although they
numbered at least one million. They must
be worth, at market prices, more than ten
thousand dollars. Two hundred thousand
were picked out from them early in sum-
mer without any sensible diminution Of
their numbers. As nearly as We could
estimate, there were at least two hundred
thousand Norway frs two feet or more in
height, and covering many acres.
Their ornamental department is on
very large scale. They have FIVE hundred
feet in length of glass propagating houses
seven acres in roses-and about half an
acre densely planted with dahlias. They
have a very rare collection Of the celebrat-
ed new California tree, the Weilingtonia
gigantea, being no less than FIVE thousand
fue young plants Of this tree, grown from
seed collected in California, and which
were procured by gathering such as the
squirrels had thrown down in their depre-
datiOns. A year ago, these plants sold for
guinea each-at only one dollar now,
here was space twenty feet square worth
a valuable farm.
In their grape house, they have over ten
thousand exotic grapes of fine growth fos
sale. Their collection of bearing specimen
pear trees is unequalled in this country
they have five to six thousand, most of
which are handsomely trained pyramids,
about four hundred sorts.
In such an immense establishment, our |
readers will naturally suppose there must
be a great deal of confusion and much bad .
growth and bad cultivation But the re-
verse is true in striking degree. An e1-
cellent system appears to pervade the
whole; and as many have remarked, they
are remarkably successful in all they un-
iertake, from the most delcate hot house
plants to their vast plantations of large
and thrifty fruit trees. Indeed there seems
10 be sort of magic in all their attem pts
At propagation, so rarely are there any
failures.
The reason Of this remarkable success
S their thorough experience and know
edge of the requisites for every ope-
.atiOn, and an excellent soil, reduced to
he best condition by subsoiling and con-
'tant .illagc. \ weed is great rarity on
heir grounds
The cost Of conducting this establish
nent must of course be very great-al-
hough We have no definite information
N the subject, We should Judge from the
stimates mentioned in the early part of
his article, that they must amount to fifty
housand annually. Their sales may be
stimated from the same date, remember.
ng that none are more successful, and tha,
robably no nursery is better managed for
success.
There are several other nurseries at
,ncbasfar If lar,a s;,a which we were