California Nursery Company

It was responsible for introducing new hybrids created by such important West Coast breeders as Luther Burbank and Albert Etter.

He immigrated to the United States in 1852 and fought on the Union side in the Civil War before settling in California in 1863.

A tract of 500 acres of land near Niles, Alameda county, has been purchased and leased for 15 years to the association, and improvements will begin at once.

Messrs. Rock & Fox will continue to sell their present stock, and will propagate no more fruit trees on their San Jose establishments but will confine their attention to ornamental growths.

[11] An existing adobe building that was built around the 1830s-1840s predates the nursery and is on the National Register of Historic Place.

Another book that was used as "proof" that the California Nursery Company started in 1865 was Pen Pictures of the "Garden of the World.

"[18] However, it clearly states that John Rock and partners established the California Nursery Company in 1884 in Niles.

[20] At first, the nursery was a wholesaler providing grape vines, roses, ornamentals, and fruit trees to California's growing agricultural industry.

Early on it supplied plants for the Palo Alto estate of California tycoon Leland Stanford.

Later, in addition to its wholesale business, the nursery started a retail operation with ornamental trees and plants for homes and gardens.

[citation needed] His 1888 catalog[21] featured some 500 varieties of fruit trees, 700 ornamental shrubs, and 270 roses.

Other shipments went to China, Japan, India, Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, France, Denmark, and Russia.

From 1932 to the mid-1960s, the California Nursery hosted annual bulb shows in spring that could draw up to 5000 visitors over a weekend.