March 9, 1918 



H K T I C U L T U R E 



223 



NURSERYMEN, ATTENTION ! 



"Market Development" is the word. 

 Please keep your eye on it. There 

 are many bye-roads of discussion, but 

 let us travel steadily on the main 

 road toward our real objective "Mar- 

 ket Development." 



It is a fine thing to know where 

 you are going before you start. I re- 

 call once driving from Southern Penn- 

 sylvania to the City of Washington. 

 It was before the days of the automo- 

 bile. Of course the man who engaged 

 me to go provided the funds and 

 equipment. They were essential as 

 they always are. The road was en- 

 tirely strange to me; I was a mere 

 lad, but it was easy because I knew 

 where I was going. 



Some fifty nursery firms already 

 have promised to provide a share of 

 the funds for this man-size journey 

 or job of "Market Development" for 

 us, Nurserymen. A glance over the 

 list will show the substantial char- 

 acter of those who favor this move. 

 The list is itself an index to firms who 

 see where we are going and what we 

 expect. to get; but there are 1,000 

 Nurserymen in the country and more 

 than a 1,000 evidently who are not yet 

 aware of what is proposed. They may 

 or may not have read the able state- 

 ments already made; they may be 

 considering the subject and intend to 

 speak soon, and it is possible even 

 that some "from Missouri" or not, 

 still want to be shown "where we are 

 going." 



Increase in Net Profits in the nurs- 

 ery business is a need that all Nurs- 

 erymen will recognize. The increase, 

 of course, results from expenses cut or 

 income increased. In the face of pres- 

 ent increased cost of labor and mater- 

 ial, with no sign of decreased selling 

 expenses, there are small hopes of 

 cutting expenses without curtailing 

 output. On the other hand, there is 

 always the possibility — even in war 

 time — of raising the price or increas- 

 ing the volume of sales. This is just 

 what is proposed by Forward-looking 

 Nurserymen. They are not trying to 

 evade the fact that our country is at 

 war. It is more than a temporary 

 condition in the nursery business 

 that we are facing. They believe that 

 our Country needs our business; but 

 it needs healthy industry. An indus- 

 try in which 50% of its firms are not 

 showing a decent profit, is not in 

 healthy condition. "Increased Net 

 Profits" for every Nurseryman is the 

 objective back of the Market Devel- 

 opment Campaign. Much beside ad- 

 vertising may need to be done for our 

 own good — such as standardizing our 

 methods for example, but can any sub- 

 scriber of nouTicrr.TruK suggest a bet- 

 ter way to increase Net Profits than 

 by Market Development of the vol- 

 umes and quality of our sales? We 

 believe that this can be done if we co- 

 operate at a cost small in proportion 

 to the increase. It seems unnecessary 

 here to repeat that the work of this 

 campaign Is counting for its support 

 upon no less than every National, sec- 

 tional and State Nurserymen's Asso- 



ciation and every individual Nursery- 

 man in the United States of America. 

 It is proposed that the subscribers 

 shall themselves organize to direct the 

 campaign — the undersigned committee 

 are to raise funds only. 



After that will begin the real work. 

 Let us realize that for every actual 

 user of nursery stock in America to- 

 day there are, we believe, at least five 

 times as many possible consumers. 

 That these four latent consumers to- 

 day do not use our products is largely 

 because they have not yet learned to 

 know them, and to appreciate the pro- 

 fit and pleasure in store for them. 



To educate and inspire them to 

 want our goods; to instruct and dem- 

 onstrate their use nationally is a big 

 job and must be done in a big way. 

 Co-operation alone will do it. 



Nurserymen should lead the way. 

 No other group will benefit more; but 

 we believe they will find willing co- 

 operators in such a campaign among 

 many notable groups outside our 

 ranks. 



The Press is eager for what their 

 readers want and need to know horti- 

 culturally. Moving pictures will glad- 

 ly lend us a hand. The schools and 

 school garden movement in two years 

 should be ready to get higher than 

 underground crops, and the state and 

 national horticultural agencies are al- 

 ready tools to our hands for a cjise 

 that will prove a boom and a blessing 

 fo the people. 



Join the Ranks today. Your coun- 

 try needs you. Address any of the 

 following Committee: F. L. Atkins, 

 president; E. S. Welche, treasurer; 

 John Watson, secretary; J. Edward 

 Moon, Robert Pyle, Henry B. Chase. 

 Paul C. Stark. 



NURSERYMEN'S MARKET DEVEL- 

 OPMENT FUND. 



Early in January a few nursery- 

 men decided to make a canvass of the 

 trade to ascertain how many firms 

 would give financial support to a cam- 

 paign, national in its scope and educa- 

 tional in character, to develop the 

 market for nursery products and en- 

 courage their more general and gener- 

 ous use. A committee was dratted to 

 correspond with the trade for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the sentiment to- 

 wards such a movement. The re- 

 sponse has been prompt and generous 

 as indicated by the list of subscribers 

 already secured. 



The committee have limited them- 

 selves to a bare statement of the gen- 

 eral proposition; they have not tried 

 to present any plan or to work out 

 any details in advance, recognizing 

 that a cut-anddried hand-me-down plan 

 of campaign would be without any 

 merit. It should be the privilege of 

 all the subscribers to such a fund to 

 help prepare their campaign or to pass 

 upon it. And it is further recognized 

 that the plan must follow a careful 

 study of the needs of the subscribers, 

 their identity, their location and their 

 equipment with relation to the entire 

 field. Obviously the plan cannot be 



made until it is determined whom it 

 is for. A tailor might as well attempt 

 to cut out a suit of clothes for a man 

 he had never seen and with whose size 

 and shape he was unacquainted; nor 

 would any publicity man nor merchan- 

 dizing expert of any standing attempt 

 to map out a plan for clients unknown. 

 The problem of the nurserymen is 

 not so simple as that of the florists 

 who use large displays in advertising 

 for immediate results; the work of the 

 nurserymen must necessarily be along 

 the lines of educational publicity or 

 propaganda, cumulative in effect and 

 without expectation of immediate re- 

 sults. It is not hoped that the nur- 

 serymen's campaign can be started in- 

 side of a year at best and conditions 

 other than present ones must be care- 

 fully considered. The nurserymen 

 may be said to be looking ahead some 

 years. 



The list of subscribers to the Market 

 Development Fund up to date is as 

 ' follows: 



• Amount per year for Ave years — J. W. 

 Adams Nursery Co., Sprincfleld, Mass., $100; 

 American Nurseryman. Rochester. N. Y., 

 .$10: Andorra Nurseries. Chestnut Hill, Pa., 

 $250; B. F. Barr, Lancaster, Pa., $25: E. P. 

 Bernardin, Parsons. Kan,, $50; Bobbink & 

 Atkins. Rutherford, N. .T.. $250; James 

 Brandley. Walpole, Mass., $25; E. W. Breed, 

 Clinton. Mass.. $25; Chase Nur. Co., Chase, 

 Ala., ,?2,50; Conard & Jones Co., West 

 Grove. Pa., $250; F. & F. Nur.. Spring- 

 field, N. J., $250; B. H. Farr, Wyomissing, 

 Pa., $25; Praminghnm Nur., Framingham, 

 Mass., $500; J. G. Harrison & Sons, Berlin, 

 Md., $,500; Harrison Nur. Co.. York, Neb.. 

 $50; Julius Heurlin. So. Braintree, Mass., 

 $50; Isaac Hicks & Son, Westbury, N. Y., 

 $250; C. M. Hobbs & Sons, Bridgeport, Ind., 

 $100; Holsinger Bros., Rosedale, Kan., $50; 

 Hoope.s, Bro. & Thomas Co., West Chester, 

 Pa.. $250; W. W. Hunt & Co., Hartford, 

 Conn., $25; I. E. Ilgenfritz & Sons Co.. 

 Monroe, Mich., $2.50: .Tackson & Perkins 

 Co., Newark, N. Y., $250; Harlan P. KeLsey. 

 Siilem, Mass., $100; Keystone State Nur. Co., 

 Pittsburgh, Pa., $25; Littlefield & Wvman, 

 No. Ablngton, Mass., $20; J. T. Loyett, Lit- 

 tle Silver. N. J., $100; Marshall Brothers 

 Co.. Arlington, Neb., $50; McColgan Nur.. 

 Red Bank, N. J., $10; J. J. MeCormaek. 

 Lowell. Mass., $25; J. Horace McFarland 

 Co., Harrisburg, Pa., $2,50; Thomas B. Mee- 

 han Co.. Dresher, Pa., $2.50; Wm. H. Moon 

 Co., Morrisville. Pa., $250; Mount Arbor 

 Nur., Shenandoah, la., .$2.50; Mount Hope 

 Nur,, I^awrence, Kan., .1:50; Adolf Muller, 

 Norrlstown, Pa., $50; Massachusetts Nur- 

 serymen's Asso., $100; C. Momm's Sons, 

 Irvlngton, N. J., $10; National Nursery- 

 man. Hatboro, Pa., $50: New Englanil Nur. 

 Co., Bedford, Mass., $25; Plainfleld Nur., 

 Scotch Plains, N. J.. $25; Princeton Nur.. 

 Princeton. N. J., $250; W. C, Reed. Vln- 

 cennos, Ind., $50; Julius Roehrs Co.. Ruth 

 erford, N. J.. $100; J. W. Root, Manhelm. 

 Pa.. $10; Shenandoah Nur., Shenandoah, la., 

 $2,50; Sherman Nursery Co., Charles City, 

 la., $100; H. M. Simpson & Sons, Vincennes. 

 Ind,, .$20; W. & T. Smith Co., Geneva, N. Y.. 

 $2.50; Storrs & Harrison Co.. rnlnesvllle. O.. 

 $1.50; SondercKger Nur,, Beatrice, Ncl>., $50; 

 Stark Brothers, Louisiana, Mo.. $250; Geo, 

 K. Stein, Wriglitsville, Pa,, $5; T. C. Thur- 

 low's Sons. W. Newbury. Mas.M,. .$100; Texas 

 Nursery Co.. Sherman, Tex., $2,50; Jos. W, 

 Thomas & Son. KIng-of-Prussla. Pa., $25; 

 U. S. Nursery Co., Roscacres, Miss., $100; 

 V. .■\. Vanlcek, Newport, R, I., $100; Waxa- 

 hachle Nursery Co.. Waxahachie. Tex., 

 $100; E. S. Welch. Shenandoah, la., $250; 

 H. J. Weher & Sons Nur. Co., Nursery, Mo., 

 $50: Westover Nur. Co.. Clayton, Mo., $50; 



A, K, Wohlert, Narberth. Pa., $25; George 



B. Wright, Chelmsford, Mass.. $25; Naper- 

 TlUe Nur., Nnpervllle. III., $50; Corn Belt 

 Nur. & For. Aes'n.. Bloomlngton. III., $50; 

 Sadrller Bros., Bloomlngton, HI.. $50; Lees- 

 ley Bros.. Chicago, 111,, $50; Swain Nelson 

 & Sons Co., Chicago, 111.. iM; A. Bryant & 



