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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
RELATIONS TO GROWERS . 
The Nursery man’s Position Discussed by Edward Hawley, Hart, 
Mich.—Success of the Grower Depends upon Honor of 
Producer—Honest Mistakes—Necessity for Con¬ 
stant Study of Details—Mutual Interests 
of Planter and Grower of Stock. 
At the summer meeting of the Michigan Horticultural 
Society last month, Edward Hawley, of Hart, Mich., read a 
paper on “ The Nurseryman—His Relation to the Grower.” 
After referring to the importance of the nursery industry and 
the widespread evidence of the nurseryman’s activity, Mr. 
Hawley said : 
Between all producers and consumers there exist certain relations 
occasioned by the dealing, one with the other ; but there aie few cases, 
if any, where the relations are so peculiar as those existing between 
the nurseryman and his consumer—the grower. Here we find a condi¬ 
tion where the consumer purchases a product which is the very 
foundation of his future business, and the peculiarity of this product is 
that the purchaser cannot from inspection determine its genuineness 
except within wide limits. He must therefore hinge his future success 
upon the honor and integrity of the producer. This fact immediately 
suggest the moral responsibility placed upon the nurserymen in his 
dealings with the grower. The success or failure of the grower may 
depend entirely upon the integrity, intelligence, and care of the 
nurserymen with whom he deals. If he is inclined to be dishonest and 
forgets the unwritten laws of his trade, he may, for a time at least, 
do his purchasers untold damage. If he is ignorant as to what he is 
dealing with and fails to supply himself with a complete knowledge of 
the peculiar characteristics of the various kinds and varieties that he 
is propagating, he may bring about as disastrous results as though he 
were intentionally dishonest. Again, he may be both honest and 
intelligent and accomplish the same results through carelessness. 
Fortunate it is that we have the unwritten laws of trade, those axioms 
of business, which force every producer, be his natural inclinations 
what they may, to school himself in honesty, knowledge and care or 
else fall by the way-side a failure at his trade. 
In the great whirl of commercial enterprise there is an everlasting 
contention among competitors for advantages. Each wants to control 
something that is a little different and a little better than anything else 
in the line. We find that this is not an exception in the nursery 
business. Most every nurseryman to-day has some kind of fruit that 
is new and propagated only by himself. Of course the reason is 
obvious, he has a monopoly, and charges accordingly. Under proper 
restrictions this is an excellent thing for the grower as it places within 
his reach the choicest fruits, but unfortunately there is a greater 
tendency for corruption along this line, than along any other in the 
business. There is probably no fruit grower in Michigan who has not 
been bitten by the new-variety fake. 
The fruit growers, like all humanity, are prone to believe in wonders, 
especially so when set forth in glowing terms and brilliant illustra¬ 
tions. People will flock to see a Barnum’s “ what is it,” a “white 
elephant” or a “ wild man,” even though fairly convinced that they 
are but clever schemes to deceive the eye and muddle the understand¬ 
ing. So also will they buy the missing-link apple, the curculio-proof 
plum, the pear that never blights, and the peach so firm that it will 
ship a thousand miles, yet so juicy and tender that it will melt in your 
mouth. 
The introduction of worthy new fruits is a legitimate business. It 
is a commendable business when carried on conscientiously ; but when 
carried on indiscriminately, just for the sake of having something new 
to lead in sales, and setting forth its qualities in terms that have little 
regard for those really belonging to the fruit itself, it is an infernal 
occupation and brands the nurseryman a base deceiver of the grower 
and a traitor to his trade. 
If the nurseryman is worthy of the name he must be an adept fruit 
grower. He must be able to test and determine by careful inspection 
good from bad characteristics, in the fruit that he is propagating. He 
m.’ is indeed an educator along the line of varieties and their distinguish, 
ing features and much of his knowledge in order to be useful must be 
obtained first hand, or from direct contact with the orchard. 
There is one feature of the business that has caused some friction 
between the nurseryman and grower, and that is relative to honest 
mistakes made by the nurseryman. Mistakes may occur anywhere 
and in any business, but in the nursery business where thousands of 
varieties are to be propagated and handled, where in certain seasons of 
the year green hands must be worked and everything must be hustle 
and hurry, the liability of making mistakes is very great. 
Recognizing this possibility of making mistakes, and in consequence 
of bringing about petty law-suits, most nurserymen limit their liability 
in their agreements with the purchaser. This limit is not intended j 
however, and will not, in the eyes of the law, shield rascality and gross 
negligence. 
The recent movement to protect growers against the spread of de¬ 
structive insects and disastrous diseases marks an important epoch in 
fruit growing. Our own state, usually in the van, was not slow in 
taking action along the line of the passage of the nursery inspection 
law. This law has already accomplished great good in the sup¬ 
pression of the distribution of diseased stock. But I dare believe that 
this law may be made more perfect. Minerva sprung from the brain 
of Jupiter, full grown, full fledged, and perfect. But Jupiter was a 
god. “The nursery inspection law” emanated from the brains of 
Michigan legislators and, of course, we all know that they were not 
gods. 
Contrary to what is sometimes supposed to be a truth, the prosperity 
and welfare of both producer and consumer are identical. Under 
normal conditions the consumer must prosper, that the producer may 
live; and the producer must prosper that the consumer may receive 
the just worth of his money. This axiom is most truly applicable to 
the nurseryman and the grower. If the nurseryman does anything 
that tends to retard or cripple the fruit industry or anyone in connec¬ 
tion therewith, he is a traitor to his trade. 
Fruit growing in Michigan is still a very crude industry. It requires 
and demands the most careful thought and attention of our best men, 
both in the nursery and orchard, that the methods of producing and 
distributing may be along the line dictated by intelligence and busi¬ 
ness sense. 
The nurseryman is as keenly interested in every discovery of science 
and every other movement which will tend toward better fruit and 
better business methods among the growers, as are the growers them, 
selves, and the nurseryman notes with pleasure and satisfaction that 
the day will soon be in the past when the grower ignored the funda. 
mental laws of trade. He is fast coming to a time when he must exer¬ 
cise the strictest honesty in his dealings with the consumer; when he 
must learn how to produce fruit of the highest quality and how to 
place it before the consumer with that quality intact; when he must 
study his business and exercise the greatest care that the consumer 
may be gratified. 
The grower in his turn is vitally interested in the prosperity of the 
nurseryman and while he must protect himself against those who 
would despoil him of his hard-earned coin, he must make a distinction 
between the true nurseryman and the “ lightning rod dispenser.” 
As the state grows older, the fruit industry will grow in importance, 
and the day will come when the nurseryman and grower will walk 
hand in hand, and see eye to eye in dealing with all the various sub¬ 
jects essential to its prosperity. 
PROF. GREEN IN THE BLACK FOREST. 
Prof. S. B. Green, of Minnesota, who is traveling in Europe, 
writes as follows to the Minnesota Horticulturist; 
I have left Mrs. Green in Heidelberg for ten days while I am in the 
Black Forest and am now spending my time walking and note-takiDg 
in the forests with a party of seven students in forestry who are here 
with Dr. C. Schenck, the forester of the Vanderbilt estate. Mr. E. L. 
Reed, of Anoka, with his son and Prof. Mason, of Berea, Ky., are also 
in the party. When through here we go from Carlsruhe to Munich, 
where there are very interesting forests. 
