THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
58 
CUSTOM HOUSE ABUSES . 
Importers Have Experienced Delays and Losses—Frederick W. 
Kelsey, of New York, Proposes Remedial Measures — 
Prompt Examination for all Nursery Stock —Assist¬ 
ance in Determining the Fair Market Value. 
The delays and losses of nursery material at the custom 
house in New York appear to call for prompt, and effective 
remedy. These losses are distributed and fall upon people in 
the trade all over the country, and in addition to the large 
expenses incident to the nursery business become an onerous 
burden, as unjust as it is unnecessary. There is no tangible 
or valid reason why perishable nursery and plant material 
should not be promptly passed at all custom houses of the 
country. The excuses given for the vexatious and costly 
delays the past year have little foundation in fact. With com¬ 
petent and efficient customs service, and care in the making of 
invoices and marking of cases for import, all this material 
could be cleared and passed promptly, as it has been under 
previous tariff laws. 
Many of the remedies proposed are utopian and impractica¬ 
ble. Reforms in administration are not usually accomplished 
by “throwing bricks.” In many cases, as in this instance, the 
system may be at fault as much or possibly more than 
individuals. Again, many of those who are now loudest in 
their complaints are themselves largely responsible in having 
injected into the present tariff legislation and administration 
every possible obstacle to importations, including an attempt¬ 
ed prohibitory rate of duty on all nursery productions. 
It is not surprising that many in the government service 
should continue this spirit, and consider it their patriotic and 
official duty to cause all the delay, cost and loss possible, in 
the execution of the law created under such conditions. 
The simplest remedy for the uses and abuses in question 
will be found the most effective : 
First. By co-operation with the treasury department and 
the collector of customs secure a modification of the present 
order so that all nursery stock, plants, bulbs, etc., will be sub¬ 
ject to wharf examination immediately on the discharge of a 
steamer’s cargo. 
Second. Assist as far as may be the appraiser’s depart¬ 
ment in determining a fair market value, for such material as 
may be open to questionable valuation, as provided by law. 
Third. Have all invoices made out in detail, specifying 
the marks, contents and prices of each case, and each case 
marked accordingly and stamped with the name of the country 
whence it was shipped. 
These changes would promptly remove many of the causes 
that have led to trouble and loss heretofore, and would in a 
great measure obviate future delays and loss at all custom 
houses. 
Another radical improvement might be accomplished were 
the appointments for this branch of the customs service made 
for reasons of competency and special fitness. With men thus 
selected in the appraising and examining departments much of 
the confusion, alleged discrimination and injustice incident to 
passing nursery material would immediately disappear. 
Some features of the administrative portion of the Tariff 
Act as applied to the Board of General Appraisers would if 
properly amended, also lessen the chances of needless loss on 
nursery stock. Arbitrary provisions of that law intended no 
doubt to prevent injustice, in practical execution frequently 
result in exactly the reserve condition, and such marked injus¬ 
tice as to demand modification at the next session of Congress. 
Should those identified with the nursery and plant interests 
of the country, and the horticultural press take up this subject 
on the right lines I believe that practically all the evils com¬ 
plained of that have been in so many instances the past year 
the occasion of such heavy losses, can be promptly and per¬ 
manently corrected. 
Frederick W. Kelsey. 
New York, May 29, 1899. 
Xong anb Short. 
Printed tree labels in all styles can be had of Benjamin Chase, Derry, 
N. H. 
D. H Patty, Geneva, N. Y., has standard and dwarf pears, plums, 
Kilmarnock willows, etc. 
One year trees and dormant buds of Burbank’s new plums maybe 
had in the fall of W A. Watson & Co., Normal, Ill. 
The West Jersey Nursery Co., Brighton, N. J., have 40 kinds of 
Japan plums, 50 kinds of apples, ?0 kinds of peach. 
An attractive announcement is made by J. G. Harrison & Sons, Berlin, 
Md.. in this issue. They make a specialty of fruit buds. 
In another column is the surplus list of George Peters & Co., 
Troy, O. Apple seedlings and other stocks in usual supply. 
Apple seedlings for the fall of 1899 and winter of 1900 may be en¬ 
gaged at special prices now of F. W. Watson & Co., Topeka, Kan. 
Frederick W. Kelsey, 150 Broadway, New York city, is sole agent 
for this country for the stocks grown by Colombe Brothers, Ussy, 
France. 
French fruit tree stocks in great variety are offered by P. Sebire & 
Sons, Ussy, France, through the American agents C. C. Abel & Co., 
P. O. Box 920, New York. 
The Grilling Brothers Co., Macclenny, Fla., have over one million 
fruit trees and rose bushes for fall and spring delivery ; freight prepaid 
to Philadelphia on all northern and eastern shipments. 
W. M. Peters & Sons, Berlin, Md., have a budded list of peach trees 
representing more than a million ; eight acres in asparagus plants ; 30 
acres in strawberry plants, representing over seventy varieties. 
August Rhotert, 6 Barclay St., New York, is sole agent for Louis 
Leroy’s nurseries, Angers, France, grower and wholesale exporter of 
fruit, forest and ornamental stock. He will sail for Europe, June 29. 
J. A. Gage, Beatrice, Neb., formerly at Fairbury, Neb., have apple 
and forest tree seedlings, Black Locust, Honey Locust, Mulberry, 
Osage Orange, Soft Maple, etc. Mr. Gage secures better land and 
shipping facilities in his new location. 
No healthier, hardier or more thrifty nursery stock than that of the 
Painesville, Ohio, Nurseries is grown. The Storrs & Harrison Co. has 
an immense stock of fruit and ornamental trees, small fruits, nut trees, 
grape vines, shrubs, forty acres in roses on own roots and budded, the 
largest stock of large Carolina poplars for fall trade, hardy herbaceous 
plants, climbing vines, bulbs, forty-four greenhouses, large stock of 
weeping trees, peach trees guaranteed free from any borers, scale, 
yellows or aphis, large blocks of standard and dwarf pears, plum, 
cherry, apple, etc. 
WELL PLEASED WITH IT. 
E. E. Theilman, Erie, Pa: “ Enclosed please find $1 for renewal 
of your journal. I am very well pleased with it. 
C. C. Murphy. Lawrence, Kan.: “Enclosed attached find $1 to 
renew subscription to the National Nurserymev. We watch for its 
appearance and would be disappointed not to get it every month.” 
