THE SMALL NURSERY 



a tree and says, ''Isn't that a nice Cypress ?" you 

 say, *'Yes; what's its name He then tells you 

 what it is, but the name makes no impression on 

 your mind, because you never have seen it written 

 out or written it yourself. But if you have prac- 

 ticed conscientiously writing out its names, a single 

 identification will fix both the name and the plant 

 firmly in your mind. 



The above suggestions for the study of the technical 

 side of the nursery business may seem to involve a labori- 

 ous plan, but it is true that only by constant application 

 can you hope to attain the greatest success. 



A further qualification for success in the nursery busi- 

 ness is the matter of proper finances. Unless you have 

 sufficient surplus funds (which very few of us have these 

 days) do not think of entering the nursery business with- 

 out the help of borrowed capital. In order that the 

 nursery shall be a paying investment, a good stock of 

 plants must constantly be on hand, and growing. It is 

 the profit you can make on your investment on which 

 you should figure rather than the expectation of paying 

 back the full value of the investment the first year. No 

 large concern today is doing business with anything but 

 borrowed capital, and as long as you can maintain the 

 inventory to back it, there is no sin in using borrowed 

 money. 



Local conditions will, of course, determine the amount 

 of money you will need to start your venture, but you 

 should figure on being able to borrow anywhere from three 

 to eight thousand dollars to use as a working basis. 



The final consideration is a proper and convenient 

 acreage for your nursery. Few florists enjoy the advan- 

 tage of a large plot of land directly adjoining their shop 

 or greenhouses, and while a nursery so located is greatly 

 to be desired, it is more often necessary to make outside 



