Waupaca Arctic Nursery01

Waupaca Record

April 23, 1903

THE POPULARITY OF THE WAUPACA ARCTIC NURSERY

The growing popularity of the Waupaca Arctic Nursery and its increasing growth is almost marvelous. About fifteen years ago A.D. Barnes purchased about twenty acres of land of Charles Churchill with a view of starting a nursery and orchard. He had been a partner in the Waupun nursery and realized that stock shipped here from the east and south was not as hardy as the northern grown. After looking about the state Mr. Barnes decided that Waupaca came nearest to an ideal location for a northern nursery of any place to be found. His twenty acres was by far too small and he made seven different purchases until now he owns 100 acres of as suitable land for his purpose as it is possible to get. Probably but a small percentage of the residents of this city have the faintest conception of the magnitude of the development that Mr. Barnes has attained in this short period, for fifteen years is but a short time to get an undertaking of this kind under way.

While Mr. Barnes is a busy man the Record man caught him for a few minutes recently and asked concerning the spring business and was informed that it is the best Mr. Barnes has had during his Waupaca undertaking. When asked what he was doing he said: “I am just rushed to death. Have ten men working and will soon have a lot of women packing strawberry plants for shipment. I have shipped the State Home for the Feeble Minded $160 worth of stock, the state experimental farm at Madison model trees for the college boys to study as well as for the University farm, one hundred apple trees for the Monroe County Insane Institute. I am now setting out $250 worth of trees for the Waupaca County Insane Asylum. I am shipping large orders of goods to Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Idaho and Washington.”

Why are you called A.D. Appletree, Mr. Barnes was asked. “Why, some years ago I was appointed one of the first institute lecturers for the horticultural society; later my brother was appointed and he lectured on small fruits and I talked on apple trees, till finally to designate one from the other I was called “Appletree” Barnes and my brother “Strawberry” Barnes. I found the name “Appletree” rather caught the public and I have used it ever since as a trade mark. It has been a winner. Not long ago a letter was addressed to Appletree Barnes, Appleton, and the postmaster knowing that it was for me sent it right along. The name has been a winner for me.” Has your nursery been a success from the start was asked. “Why, for the first five years it was money out every day, then the tide turned, but I was badly hit during the drought of 1895 and 1896 and that cost me over $5,000.”

Wisconsin has demonstrated its adaptability as a fruit growing state. The Waupaca Arctic Nursery took the Cash premium medal and diploma at the World’s Fair in Chicago for the best bushel of apples, the medal and diploma at the Trans Mississippi exposition in Omaha and the gold medal at the Pan American exposition at Buffalo for the best collection of apples so I have every reason to feel proud of my success.”