Many persons believe tbat roots should never be cut, but should be dug 
around entirely when lifted for shipment. This is wrong. Unpruned roots 
grow long and heavy. Roots in this condition are not feeders but merely anchors. 
Feeder-roots are the small fibrous hair-like rootlets. The more of them a plant 
has, the greater Its development— the better the result you obtain. When you 
cut back a heavy rpot you cause the part remaining to send out a mass of 
fibrous feeder-rootlets. This is the reason why growers of quality plants sell 
only transplanted stock. 
With shrubs one or two transplantings are sufficient. With other classes, 
particularly evergreens, additional transplantings are necessary. Evergreens, 
due to their ever present foliage, are evaporating moisture from the leaves every 
day In the year. Even in the coldest part of winter this action takes place — 
through the agency of the wind. To Insure their success they must be pro- 
vided with an extra heavy mass of fibrous feeder roots. 
In digging evergreens for shipment, they must be lifted with a ball of earth 
on the roots and the baM then securely tied in burlap or similar material This 
treatment, known in the trade as "Balling and Burlapping," and generally 
written "B & B," serves a double purpose. It holds the soil to the roots during 
shipment, thus keeping them from drying out. Also, and more Important, It 
prevents the feeder-roots from being torn from the stubs of the anchor roots 
during the process of digging. 
The grower of quality stock is also careful to spray his plants to keep down 
Insect pests and plant diseases, thus assuring you of healthy goods. He takes 
great pains to see that they are fertilized properly thus Insuring you against 
starved plants. He gives them constant and unceasing attention In training the 
plants as they should grow, so that the stock you receive will be a thing of 
beauty and a joy forever. 
All this is accomplished, not by wishing, but by working — ^by employing the 
best workmen, and enough of them to enable him to do these things in the seasons 
when they must be done. This costs money; it is an expense Incurred to a 
lesser degree, If at all, by the grower of cheap plants. Moreover, the careful 
grower In preventing large losses to his customer has, by those successive trans- 
plantings, suffered losses himself. Naturally he cannot sell, and cannot be ex- 
pected to sell his goods at the same price quoted by the cheap grower. 
This Is the method we at Framlngham Nurseries make use of In growing our 
plants. We do not do business on a price basis. We do, however, welcome the 
most severe competition on a quality basis. Do not misunderstand us — do not 
gain the Impression that our prices are beyond the reach of the average pocket- 
book. They are not. Our prices are only enough above others to enable us to 
grow the grade of stock we do and in a great number of cases are considerably 
lower than those of other nurserymen attempting to grow plants of similar 
quality. 
