262 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Nurserymen at Convention Endorse President Wilson 
Hotel Cadillac, Detroit, Mich. 
.] une 23rd, 1913. 
Mr. J. P. Tumulty, 
Secretary to the President, 
The White House, 
Washington, I). G. 
The American Association of Nurserymen assembled in 
fortieth annual convention with delegates present from all 
the states, unanimously endorse the wise and patriotic 
course of President Wilson in safeguarding the rights 
and interests of our country, and we pledge our undivided 
support. 
Henry B. Chase, President, 
John Hall, Secretary, 
American Association of Nurserymen. 
The White House, Washington. 
June 24, 1913. 
My dear Sir:— 
Allow me to acknowledge the receipt of your and Mr. 
Hall s telegram of June 23rd, and to say that 1 shall have 
pleasure in forwarding it to the President, who will, 1 
know, deeply appreciate the generous assurances you 
give him in the name of the American Association of 
Nurserymen. Thanking you and all those concerned, I 
am, 
(Signed) J. P. Tumulty,, 
Secretary to the President. 
Mr. Henry B. Chase, 
Detroit, Michigan. 
THE NURSERY BUSINESS AS A BUSINESS 
PROPOSITION. 
A Paper read at the meeting of the American Association of 
Nurserymen, at Detroit, Mich., June 24th, by Mr. W. 
H. Wyman, Proprietor of the Bay State 
Nurseries, North Abington, Mass. 
N O one who is in the Nursery Business, or who has 
a fair knowledge of the history of the business, 
can doubt that it is a proposition, to-day. 
For comparatively few, out of the many who call them¬ 
selves Nurseryman, have attained a reasonable degree of 
success; while many more have a name to live, but in 
reality are leading a precarious existence, while still 
others have entirely fallen out and cast their wreckage 
upon the shoulders of too many with whom they have 
had to do. In this business, a few only, succeed while 
the great majority come far short of success; if they do 
not utterly fail. It may be said that the same is true of 
every business. 
With that proposition we are not to concern ourselves 
now. We are nurserymen, and if I rightly comprehend 
the import of this organization, we are here for improve¬ 
ment. We have come together from all over this great 
country, stretching from ocean to ocean, to clasp hands 
in friendly intercourse; to exchange ideas, as well as 
wares, and to be inspired, if possible, to greater and 
nobler attainments in our avocation. 
One ambition animates every one of us. We all want 
to succeed and this is true of every man, strange as the 
proposition may seem. Some may be led to doubt that 
assertion; but I aver that it is true. All men court suc¬ 
cess; but from your view-point they could not, if they 
studied diligently, do that which would more surely 
bring defeat, than by continuing on in the course they are 
pursuing. By way of illustration; suppose a young man 
starts in business without capital, he will be given a 
chance. Everybody w ill help a fellow to make a start. 
Brotherly kindness is not dead. If he deals on the square 
and lives up to his obligations; providing he has a fair 
amount of business sagacity too he can succeed. But if 
on the other hand, he tries a short cut to success, forfeit¬ 
ing his word, and disregarding his obligations, his doom 
is sealed. The picture is not overdrawn. A few succeed 
in the nursery business, while many fail. Why is it? 
Is it because of its peculiarities? Is it hedgeed about by 
obstacles so many and so great as to make success almost 
unattainable? 
The fact that some succeed proves that the difficulties, 
however great, are not unsurmountable. What would 
the business world think of a shoe manufacturer who 
should take an order for a thousand cases of shoes, and 
who did not know just what it would cost to manufacture 
those shoes? Such a manufacturer would be ruled out of 
business. It is of no use to manufacture shoes, or trees, 
unless it can be done at a profit. And to do it at a sure 
profit, the cost of production must be ascertained with a 
reasonable degree of cerainty. 
In the case of most manufactured articles, that is a 
comparatively easy task; but not so in the nursery bus¬ 
iness. The superficial method of figuring costs is the 
one most generally employed wdienever such an attempt 
is made. That is, an acre of land will yield a given num- 
