The Four Princes: More on the Horticultural Family

The following from Liberty Hyde Bailey's Cyclopedia of American Horticulture.  The Swiss Army Knife of horticultural books, Bailey never fails to answer your questions or answer questions you didn't know you had.   In the last post the author of the 1917 article on the Prince family references L.H. B. as the go to man of that era.  He still holds his own.  This article is not as fluffy as the last one, and does go over some of the same information, but it is worth the time if you are interested!

William Prince, the second proprietor of the Prince Nursery at Flushing. L. I. (New York), was born about 1725, and died in 1802.    The nursery, which was perhaps the first large commercial one in America, was established about 1730 by his father, Robert Prince. 

The Huguenots who settled at New Rochelle and on the north shore of Long Island brought with them a variety of French fruits, and the interest thus created in horticulture resulted in the establishment of this first nursery.  For a number of years attention was confined chiefly to the fruit trees with which to stock the new country, and it was only when more settled conditions came that the culture of ornamental trees and shrubs was introduced. Under William Prince the nursery grew rapidly in importance until the war of the Revolution. One of the early advertisements reads as follows, under date of September 21, 1767:

"For sale at William Prince's nursery, Flushing, a great variety of fruit trees, such as apple, plum, peach, nectarine, cherry, apricot and pear. They may be put up so as to be sent to Europe. Capt. Jeremiah Mitchell and Daniel Clements go to New York in packet boats Tuesdays and Fridays."

The extension to ornamental branches is seen in an advertisement in the New York "Mercury" of March 14, 1774, which reads as follows:   .

"William Prince, at his nursery. Flushing Landing, offers for sale—

110 large Carolina Magnolia flower trees, the most beautiful trees that grow in America, four feet high.

50 large Catalpa flower trees; they are nine feet high to the under part of the top and thick as one's leg. 

30 or 40 Almond trees that begin to bear. 

2,500 white, red and black Currant bushes. 

50 Fig trees.

Lisbon and Madeira Grape vines.

5,000 Hautboy, Chili, large English and American Strawberry plants. 

1,500 white and 1.000 black Mulberry trees. 

Also Barcelona Filbert trees."

The establishment had attained such public importance that when the British took possession of Flushing, August 29, 1776, after their victory at the battle of Long Island, the commanding officer, General Howe, placed a guard over the nursery to protect it from depredations, and this was continued until all danger was past. 

The extent of the business, as well as the paralyzing effect of the war, is shown from an advertisement of Mr.Prince, shortly after the British occupation, offering 30,000 young cherry trees for sale as hoop-poles, the only use to which they could be put during the Revolution. The loss of domestic business was largely compensated by the great demand for American native trees and shrubs wanted by the officers of the British army to be sent to friends in England and Germany. (!!E.C.)

(In 1789 the place was visited by General Washington, who had long heard of its beauties, but what he saw did not answer his "expectations," for at that time the business was just beginning to recover.   http://dunhamwilcox.net/ny/flushing_ny_hist.htm)

A return of peace brought with it increased trade, to make good the depredations of the soldiery as well as to re-stock the orchards of those who for seven years past had paid more attention to the science of war than to the pursuits of horticulture; and a catalogue of 1794, still preserved, contains fully as many varieties of fruit as those of some nurseries of the year 1900, over a century later; apricots and nectarines, for instance, each being represented by ten varieties.

Not only was everything of merit imported, but the origination of new varieties by a careful selection of seedlings was enthusiastically carried on.  Two plums, still well known, date from this period, Prince's Yellow Gage being originated in 1783 and the Imperial Gage in 1794. The "Treatise on Horticulture" mentions that in 1790 no less than twenty-five quarts of green gage pits were planted, from which seedlings were obtained of every color and shape, it being probable that the Washington plum was originated in that year. 

(Gages are named after Sir William Gage, an Englishman who popularized one of these varieties in England in the 18th century. Gages were subsequently introduced to the USA in the late 18th century.)

Before the death of this William Prince, the nursery business had been taken up by his sons, William and Benjamin; the former on new ground, called the Linnean Botanic Garden and Nursery, and the latter at the original place, called "The Old American Nursery."

William Prince, third proprietor of the Prince Nurseries at Flushing, was born Nov. 10, 1706; married Mary Stratton, Dec. 24, 1794, and died April 9, 1842. During his lifetime the Prince Nursery was one of the centers of horticultural and botanic interest in America, and reached the height of its fame. He continued the work of his father in the introduction of all foreign trees and plants of value, the discovery of unknown American species and the creation of new varieties from seed. One of the trees introduced to great popularity in the younger days of William Prince the second was the Lombardy poplar, of which he advertised in 1798 no less than 10,000 trees 10-17 ft. in height. For several years the Lombardy poplar was the fashionable shade tree. Long avenues of them were planted by the wealthy; and their leaves were considered valuable for fodder.  In 1806 the tide turned, owing to a belief that they harbored a poisonous worm, and thousands were cut down and burned.

In 1793 William Prince bought from Bayard, LeRoy and Clarkson, the property on the north side of Bridge street in Flushing, across from the old nursery, containing eighty acres, and it was soon transformed Into a place of arboreal beauty. For fully fifty years the nursery was carried on much less for profit than from a love of horticulture and botany. It was designed to contain every known kind of tree, shrub, vino and plant known to England or America that possessed any horticultural merit. In Europe probably the only one of the same character was that of the London Horticultural Society. 

When the great Northwest was explored by Lewis and Clark, many of the botanical treasures found a home at the Flushing Nurseries. Among them the Mahonia became very popular, the earlier specimens being sold at $20 each. 

 (The genus name Mahonia honors the Philadelphia horticulturist Bernard McMahon who introduced the plant from materials collected by the Lewis and Clark Expedition.)  

The catalogues from 1815 to 1850 ranked among the standard horticultural publications of the country. The number of varieties of fruits cultivated seems scarcely credible in these days, when many nurseries are conducted solely for profit, and only the trees or plants which find a ready sale are propagated. The collection of roses at one time embraced over 800 kinds; of dahlias over 350 varieties; the collections of camellias, of citrous fruits and of grapes were enormous, while the marvelous variety of the ordinary fruits can be seen from the "Pomological Manual." 

The "Treatise on Horticulture" mentions that at that time (1828) the nursery contained more than 20,000 plums, of 140 varieties, while the apricots numbered 35 and the grapes about 240 varieties. The catalogue of 1845, which enumerates only the best varieties, contains 350 kinds of apples. 300" of pears, 120 of cherries, 200 of plums and 160 of peaches.

In 1828 Mr. Prince wrote and published the "Treatise on Horticulture," which was the first work of the kind produced in America. Mr. Prince was a man of great energy of purpose, of excellent judgment, with a love for scientific studies, and possessed of a most amiable character. By indefatigable effort he succeeded in having roads and bridges built which shortened the distance to New York fully one-half, and soon after the invention of steamboats he had a regular line of boats established between Flushing and New York.      He was a zealous churchman, a vestryman of St. George's church, Flushing, as early as 1798, and continued in the vestry 32 years, during 14 of which he was warden. In the words of Mandeville's History of Flushing, he was "universally esteemed in life and regretted in death."
(There is more to this steamboat story it seems.  See this 2007 book, The Steam Tug, bottom of page.)

William Robert Prince (Fig. I960), fourth proprietor of the Prince Nursery, at Flushing, was born November 6, 1795; married Charlotte C. Collins, daughter of Governor Collins, of Rhode Island, October 2, 1826, and died March 28,1809. He inherited his father's love of botany and his great energy. He was connected with the American Institute, National Pomological Society, Massachusetts Horticultural Society and many other important organizations, in whose transactions he took a prominent part. In 1830 he wrote, with the assistance of his father, the "Treatise on the Vine," a work of high importance. In 1831 he issued the "Pomological Manual" in two volumes, an important treatise on all fruits except apples. In 1816 he published the "Manual of Roses." In his later days Mr. Prince received the honorary degrees of M.D, and LL.D.

When a boy he was sent for a year to Canada in order to become proficient in French, as there were then no schools of languages in New York, and the European correspondence was an important feature in the horticultural business. In his early manhood he botanized through the entire line of Atlantic States in company with Professor Torrey, of Columbia College, and Professor Nuttall, of Harvard.   

 




In California, during 1849 and 1850, while others were searching only for gold, he was making collections of the trees and wild flowers of that country. The oldest cedar of Lebanon in the United States, as well as the oldest Chinese magnolias, salisburias. Mt. Atlas cedars, paulownias and purple beeches are to be found to-day in the grounds of the Prince homestead, together with many other unique specimens. 


When the disease of the Irish potato caused a fear that it would have to be replaced by some other vegetable, he imported the Chinese yam or potato (Dioscorea Batata),  paying $600 for the tubers contained in the first consignment,—a consignment which could be placed in a small box. About the same time he introduced sorghum, or Chinese sugar cane. 

http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/lincecum/index.html

He was unwearied in his endeavors to promote silk culture in the United States. He imported not only the silkworms but the mulberry trees to feed them, and built a large cocoonery for their accommodation. He had vast plantations of mulberries in different places. He was offered $100,000 for the one near Norfolk, Va. It is a curious circumstance, illustrating the general interest in mulberry culture at that time, that cuttings of the Morus multicaulis were used as currency in all the stores in the vicinity of Flushing, passing current everywhere at the rate of 12 1/2 cents each. Mr. Prince's familiarity with the French language greatly facilitated his intercourse with European horticulturists, and he was in constant communication with French, Belgian, Dutch and German nurseries.

At the time of his marriage he purchased additional property adjoining the nursery of his father, and subsequently added three other large areas to the nursery establishment. He was always more of a horticulturist and botanist than business man, and, as in his father's days, the Linnaean Botanic Nursery continued to be celebrated for its great variety of vegetable life rather than a commercial establishment. He was a vigorous and prolific writer, and down to the time of his death was a constant contributor to horticultural literature.

L. B. Prince.

Roses and a Great Smile: An Old Photo

I need this photo.  It is still snowing. 

Don't get me wrong, I really love the snow...but I need a break... and this is the photo to deliver it!!

Enjoy :-)

A Good Read: Love Stories Riddle the Prince Family Nursery History

This marvelously agreeable history of the Prince Nursery of Flushing, New York  written in 1917 by Margaret L. Farrand was too hard to read from the Google scan so I am recreating it here from the OCR copy.  I think I have unraveled it fairly well, filling in missing text and  adding spacing for easier online reading, plus additional images just for fun.

A NURSERY OF ROMANCE

IN the busiest section of the little town of Flushing, Long Island, there is an oasis of green terraces, blossoming trees and a picturesque old white house so beautifully incongruous with its surroundings that it is impossible to pass it by without a second glance and a great deal of pleasantly aroused curiosity.    Trolley cars clang all about it, the street from which its terraces rise is noisy and none too clean, but nothing seems to disturb the old Prince place.    It dreams on pleasantly and peacefully. There is much dignity but no scorn about it; it has too many agreeable memories with which to occupy its time. 

Today the place consists of the charming old house and about six acres of grounds. Fifty years ago there were eighty acres, and it was the most important nursery in the country.

Four generations of Princes were nurserymen. William Robert, the greatest of them all, died in 1869.

 "The first of the American Princes, Robert, was one of the Huguenots who settled at New Rochelle and on the north shore of Long Island, bringing with them a great number of French fruits and the love of French people for horticulture. The nursery, one of the first, and certainly the most important one in America at this time, grew rapidly until the Revolutionary War. The establishment was of such public importance that during a part of the war the British placed a guard over it to protect it from depredation."  

 Thus the report of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station for the year 1910, which omits to mention that a daughter of the household, patriotic American though she was, lost her heart to the major in command of the British troops and that, when the war was over, they lived happily ever after.   Many of the British officers purchased plants and trees from the nursery to send to their friends in England. International connections were established in this way, and after the war business flourished.

In those days the Princes lived in an interesting old house—now, alas! torn down to make way for the railroad—which stood close to the present place. It was in 1826 that the present place— the house was old even then—was purchased for William Robert Prince and his bride. Their story is one of the prettiest of the nursery's romances.

Governor Collins, of Rhode Island, and his charming daughter were making a visit to New York. The good governor derived most of his income from a coffee plantation in Cuba, which would one day descend to his daughter.

 Being a man of advanced ideas he believed that it would be an excellent thing
for his child to have some knowledge of the plant from which her income grew, so they made a visit to the famous  Prince nurseries. Young William Robert, then in partnership with his father, showed them through the African and Asiatic greenhouse, but it is doubtful whether Miss Collins learned much about coffee at that time, for she and Mr. Prince fell in love at first sight.

The nursery was also responsible for the romance of William Robert's sister, Mary Ann.

Mr. Thomas Mitchell, a young botanist, from Virginia, spent a summer in Mexico and, on his return, sent a valuable collection of plants to the Linnaean Garden as the place in America where they would be most appreciated and best cared for. William Prince, pleased by the compliment, invited the young man to stay with him when next he visited New York. Mr. Mitchell not only accepted the invitation but promptly fell in love with and, in due course, married Miss Mary Ann Prince.

It was a delightful house to which William Robert Prince brought his bride, solidly built in good Colonial style, clapboards without and stout oak timbers within. It has not been made over nor altered, but stands today just as it did a century and more ago. A wide hall runs straight through the house, with two large, well-proportioned rooms on either side. The kitchen is in an ell on the east.

There are four particularly interesting things about the hall: the gooseneck mahogany stair-rail; the solid oak door, divided in the Dutch manner; the bust of Linnaeus on a bracket against the wall; and the pictures of the front and back gardens which one sees when the door stand open.

The bust of Linnaus is not so much an artistic as a botanical treasure. Linnaeus was the patron saint of the nursery. William Prince, the second proprietor, named it in his honor the Linneean Botanic Garden and Nursery.  William Prince, the third proprietor, who established the first steamboats between Flushing and New York, named one of them Linnaeus. In 1823, when a great celebration was held in Flushing, to do honor to the nursery and the men who had made it, and DeWitt Clinton made an address, the bust of Linnaeus was crowned with laurel. Now it occupies a place of honor near the front door of the house.

(This is a cameo of Linnaeus by Josiah Wedgewood.  While not referred to in this article I think it is too nice to leave out.)

When the upper half of that front door is swung back you look across the narrow porch, which runs the width of the house, into the pink-and-white blossoms of a tall magnolia tree—that is, if you are lucky enough to see the place in early spring. 

At a little distance from the magnolia, two box trees meet across the walk, half hiding the house from the street, and beyond the box trees you can see the fan-shaped leaves of a salisburia, or Japanese ginkgo tree, the oldest one in the country.

 William Robert Prince introduced to America nearly all the Japanese trees we know. As soon as Perry opened the door of Japan, the Flushing nurseries began to bring out trees. Long before that they had been importing trees from China: the oldest Chinese magnolia in America stands close to the back door of the house. 

The European trade was chiefly with France. William Prince, second, imported the first Lombardy poplars. The oldest cedar of Lebanon in America, a magnificent tree, stands on the west side of the house, and in the grounds arc the oldest Mt. Atlas cedars, paulownias and purple beeches in the country.

The Princes were always on the alert for some new thing in the plant world. If a new plant was produced in Europe, they had it in the Linnaean Garden the next year. They conducted most of the trade in trees, plants and bulbs between the United States and Europe. They sent trees and shrubs all over this country, particularly to the southern states, because, thanks to theGulf Stream, the Long Island climate is somewhat like that in the South. William Robert Prince was much interested in the native silk industries and had huge plantations of mulberries in many cities. He promoted mulberry culture to such an extent that at one time the slips of the Chinese mulberry passed currency in Flushing stores at the rate of twelve and one-half cents.

But the Princes always put more stress on the scientific than on the commercial side of their business. Many valuable botanical collections were entrusted to their care; most interesting of all, perhaps, the specimens brought back by the Lewis and Clark expedition.
William Robert Prince botanized all over the Atlantic States with Professor Torrey of Columbia and Professor Nuttall of Harvard. It was from a trip to the West that he brought back the first California poppies that the East had ever seen. The Linnaean Garden was full of rare and interesting specimens of trees and plants.

A nursery catalogue of 1771, when "any person having a mind for any of the above trees, 

and choose to have them sent to New York,
 they can have them sent 

on Tuesday and Friday of every week, as there is a boat that goes constantly from Flushing to New York on them days"

The greatest of the Princes' claims to fame, however, lies in their writings. Their trade catalogues from 1815 to 1850 rank among the standard publications of horticulture. Mrs. Henry, the daughter of William Robert Prince, tells of the rapt expression with which her father used to taste berries and fruits, trying to catch and to put into words the exact and distinctive flavor of each one, in order to list it in his trade catalogue.

 William Prince, the third proprietor of the nursery, wrote in 1828 a Treatise on Horticulture, the first work of its kind produced in America. William Robert Prince was the Liberty H. Bailey of his day. Besides contributing all through his life to the horticultural press, he wrote three books which not only rank high among those of his time but are held in great esteem by modern horticulturists. The nineteenth century turned to them as the twentieth century turns to the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. These are a Treatise on the Vine, a Manual of Roses and a Pomological Manual. Vigor, accuracy and a perfect knowledge of French are the distinguishing characteristics of his style.

A passage in the preface to the Pomological Manual gives an interesting statement of William Robert Prince's attitude toward his work. It was not a business, but a science, almost a religion.

"The studies of nature have been wisely ordained by Omnipotence as the most pleasing to the mind of man; and it is in the unbounded field which natural objects present, that he finds that enjoyment which their never-ending novelty is peculiarly calculated to impart, and which renders their study devoid of that satiety which attaches itself to other pursuits. Most wisely has it been thus prescribed that, by an occupation of the mind in itself inviting and recreative, we should be insensibly led on to a development of the intricacies of nature, and be thus taught to appreciate the beneficence of the Creator, by a knowledge of the perfection and beauty which mark the labors of his hand."  

"The establishment whence this work emanates is the oldest of the kind in our country, and it has from its commencement been the primary desire of its proprietors to preserve the utmost accuracy; in doing which, pecuniary considerations have been deemed a subject of but minor importance, their nurseries and garden being a family inheritance, in the high character and perpetuity of which they have not only enlisted their interest and welfare, but whose advancement, as a great national institution, has been made a particular object of their feelings and pride."  (Phew!)

In view of the recent publication by the American Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomenclature of the 1917 Official Code of Standardized Plant Names, it is interesting to read Mr. Prince's thoughts on the subject in 1832.   

    

"It has long been a received opinion among a portion of the public, that the proprietors of nurseries prefer to perpetuate a plurality of names for the same fruit, and are not desirous to reduce the nomenclature to a correct basis, but find an advantage in the confusion that exists.  

This opinion has gained credence from the circumstance that the same fruit is cultivated in some nurseries under two, three or more names;but as erroneous a practice is most generally attributed to the ignorance of the proprietor, and seldom arises from an intention to deceive,  the opinion referred to is not supported by the premises.

It must, however, be acknowledged as a correct position that the proprietor of a nursery ought invariably to possess a full knowledge of the qualities and peculiarities of the respective varieties of which he cultivates." 

The oldest cedar of Lebanon in America came from France 

so long ago that no one remembers tbe date

Mr. Prince's writings were the result of direct, personal observation and experiment in the nursery.  Every inch of the eighty acres in the Linnaean Garden was used for botanical purposes.  The ground was held so precious that the family were not allows even enough space to raise vegetables for their own table.  Mr.Prince never did any of the work with his own hands, but directed everything, watched and examined everything, planned, thought, wrote.  In his day the Linnaean garden did for the country the work the Department of Agriculture is doing now.

William  Robert Prince died in 1869.  Since then most of the nursery has been sold, but the old house and six acres of delightful grounds are still preserved by the family.  There are two children now living: L. Bradford Prince, governor of New Mexico, who carries on family traditions spending his spare moments on his western fruit ranch; and Mrs. C.C. Henry, of Flushing, who tells in the most delightful manner the history and romances of the nursery.

Close to the back door of the house is the oldest Chinese magnolia in the country. It owes its size to grafting with American stock.

Long Red Studley and the 1834 Wm.Prince Seed Catalog

Recommended Selection of Vegetables from 1835; 1834 Wm.Prince  Seed Catalog

I just found this sitting in drafts.  Since I recently did a post from 1873 on recommended vegetables I might as well carry on the theme.  There is a pleasant contrariness to writing about vegetable gardens while snow fall and the weather man goes on about Blizzard Warnings.

In the following article I particularly like the spelling variations, such as "turneps".   That was probably a printer error, as Prince's 1834 catalog lists Turnips!  

And it is hard to beat a name like "Long Red Studley"!!  

(Oh, bummer...reading the original catalog it is the carrot Long Red, Studley, or Surrey.  Phooey, darn comma, that isn't funny at all. That typesetter must have done this job after lunch and a few beers too many.)

While linking the Wm.Prince & Sons below to a previous Prince page, I saw that I hadn't given much information on the formidable family of botanists and horticulturists.  They deserve more, and now I am curious why I stopped before! They listed their location on this catalog as "Flushing, near New-York"

(Studley Park was a fertile estate in Yorkshire that competed with success in the active Victorian horticultural shows...maybe that is the Studley?)

article from The Genesee Farmer, Volume 5

Selection of Vegetables for 1835

BY WM. PRINCE & SONS

Mb. L. Tucker—We have been repeatedly asked to designate the finest varieties of vegetables, and we now enumerate some of the most desirable, and will do so with regard to others at a future opportunity.

Yours very respectfully,

Wm Prince & Sons,  Linnean Botanic Garden, near N. Y., March 7,1835

Beet—Long Blood, Early Turnep Blood, Early Yellow Turnep, Early White Sugar.

Brocoli—Grange's Cape, Sulphur Colored, Purple Cape, and New Imperial Late Dwarf White.

Cauliflower—Early, and Half Hardy.

Cabbage—Earliest French, Early York, Early Royal Dwarf, Large York, French Oxheart, Early Emperor, Bonneuil, Harvest Battersea, Large Late Bergen, Early Savoy, Cape Savoy, Monstrous French Savoy, Large Pancalier Savoy, the latter extra fine and far surpassing the kinds of Savoy usually cultivated.

Carrot—Early Scarlet Hom, Altringham, Long Red Studley, and Large White.

Celery—-Turkish Large White Solid, North's Giant Red, Dwarf Curled.

Cucumber—Early Long Frame, Long Green Prickly, Long Green Turkey, Early Green Cluster, and Long Green Southgate, for table, the latter longest of all; and the Small Green and Gherkin for pickles.

Endive—Italian Green Curled, and White Batavian.

Indian Corn—Early White Tuscarora, and Sweet or Sugar.

Lettuce—Early Curled Silesia, Large Early White French, Versailles, Turkish, and Red Edged Early White, as Head or Cabbage Lettuces for spring and summer towing; and Florence Coss, Magnum Bonum Coss, and Monstrous Coss, for loose, or less solid heads. The Coss Lettuces are deemed sweeter and more tender than the cabbage varieties.

Onion—Early Silver Skinned and Pale Red Madeira, are earliest of all, and sure to attain their size the first season. The Yellow Dutch, not quite as early, but produces very large onion the first season.

Melon—Pine Apple, Persian, Citron, Skillman's Netted, Minorca, Netted Romana, French Muscadc, Malta Winter, all of which arc green fleshed. The Cohansa, Imperial, Cyprian, Green Fleshed Sugar, Largo Yellow Cantaloup, and other Cantaloup varieties are also valuable.

Peas—Six Weeks, Washington, Dwarf Blue Imperial, Dwarf Green Marrow, Knight's Marrow, Woodford's Marrow, and various others.

Pumpkin—Spanish Cheese, Yellow Cheese, &c.

Radish—Earliest French Scarlet, very tender and earliest of all, Mason's Scarlet Short Top, Salmon, and White Naples, as long varieties. The Scarlet, Violet and White Turnep varieties are best for early sowing, and the Yellow Turnep and Spanish varieties for hot seasons, or for tropical climates.

Squash—Summer Bush, Summer Crookneck Bush, Vegetable Marrow, and Italian, for early ; White Canada, Yellow Fall Crookneck, for autumn ; and Teneriff, Acoin, and Cocoanut, for winter.

Turnep—Early White, and Early Yellow Dutch, White Stone, Yellow Stone, &c, for spring sowing as garden varieties

To put the age of this 1834 Wm. Prince & Sons catalog into perspective, Prince still lists Tomatoes with the alternative name Love Apple. 

Under Indian Corn he lists a variety called Mottled Pearl.  I wonder if that is the old variety that has recently become the hot heritage variety that we currently call Gem.  The Gem kernels are pearlescent...Pearl is a better name.  Later: In another publication I found reference to "Mottled, or Curious Pearl" and I think they are pop corn, so the pearl refers to the round seed. This thought was backed up by another list from a 1835 Genesee Farmer where Pearl is Pop.