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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The National Nurseryman 
Established 1893 by C. L. YATES. Incorporated 1902 
Published monthly by 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN PUBLISHING CO.. Inc. 
218 Livingston Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
Editor .ERNEST HEMMING, Flourtown, Pa. 
The leading trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in 
Nursery Stocks of all kinds. It circulates throughout the 
United States, Canada and Europe. 
Official Journal of American Association of Nurserymen 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION, 1900 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 
One Year in Advance.$1.00 
Six Months .75 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance.$1.50 
Six Months .$1.00 
Advertising ratos will he sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are requested by the 
Business Manager, Rochester, N. Y. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Photographs and news notes of interest to nurserymen should be 
addressed. Editor, Plourtown, Pa., and should be mailed to arrive not 
later than the 25th of the month. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester, N. Y., as second-class matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., October, 1915. 
Wby do not trees, plants and flowers 
PSYCHOLOGICAL have the same value in the minds of 
VALUE many people as do other kinds of 
merchandise? People who would 
not think of asking a contribution of hardware, dry goods 
or groceries, think nothing of approaching the nursery¬ 
man or florist, yet their merchandise costs hard cash to 
buy, or labor paid for in cash to produce. 
Nor is there quite so much hesitation in appropriating 
it when opporunity occurs, if we may use such a mild 
term. 
Perhaps it is because it grows, and the attitude toward 
such things has been handed down from the dim and 
distant past, when the wild man appropriated anything 
that grew. 
At one time it was a common practice, and is yet with 
some nurseries, to put in extra plants gratis with every 
order and customers got to rather expect it, 
A circular letter recently came to my notice where a 
nursery was offering gold clocks and silver spoons as a 
premium on the purchase of nursery stock. The reader 
of the circular could not help but feel convinced that he 
was accepting a present to take the stock and conferring 
a favor on the nurseryman at the same time. Perhaps 
he was. 
Then we have the governmental free distribution. All 
these things have a tendency to cheapen our products. It 
would not be a bad idea to emulate the practice of an 
eminent nurseryman who always gave cash when asked 
for a contribution in preference to stock, claiming, not 
without reason, that it made the recipient realize its 
value, and also have a little more spirit of the old florist 
who would not sell his choicest plants unless he knew 
they were going to be looked after. 
If we want others to think more of our products we 
must put a higher value on them ourselves. There is a 
psychological effect on others in the way we think about 
and handle our own goods that is well worth considera¬ 
tion. 
There was a time when nursery stock was 
WHAT’S not graded. As long as a tree or plant 
THE USE? had roots and would grow that was all 
that was asked or expected. As the bus¬ 
iness developed and the customer got more discriminat¬ 
ing, nurserymen began to indicate in their catalogues 
and price lists the age and size of their goods until the 
present system of grading was evolved. We have 
hardly yet reached a standard that is sufficiently uniform 
but no doubt that will come in time and every little im¬ 
provement toward that end should be promptly adopted. 
The present method of indicating grades is cumber¬ 
some and costly. It is a small matter to write Spiraea 
Van Houttei 2 to 3 feet but if this is multiplied by the 
hundred and thousand in writing and printing it means 
a great deal in time, nervous energy, printers’ ink and 
space. 
Stop and think for a moment what a relief it would 
be during the busy season to write 2 % in. cal. instead of 
21/4 to 2 % in. cal. and why should not one set of figures 
indicate the grade? 
In shrubs all that is really necessary is the minimum. 
Instead of 2 to 2% feet, write 2 feet. Instead of 1% to 
2 in. cal. write 1 % in. cal. 
It is simpler, more understandable to the layman, and 
would be an immense saving in catalogue making and 
office work. 
It is the small things that count and when a saving 
can be made without sacrificing thoroughness it should 
appeal to the business sense of everyone. 
We are glad to hear the investigations 
THE carried on by the United States De- 
GYPSY MOTH partment of Agriculture have resulted 
in the conclusion that the wind is 
chiefly responsible for the spread of the Gypsy Moth. It 
removes some of the stigma from “Nursery stock,” but 
the quarantine is not lilted. It is kept there as an extra 
precaution. 
It is curious the Gypsy Moth has not become estab¬ 
lished in other parts of the states as there was much 
nursery stock shipped from infected districts before the 
quarantine went into effect. Either the nursery stock 
was clean or the Gypsy Moth will not thrive far from its 
present quarters. 
Plants have the same characteristics, in some places 
they will barely exist, while in others they are pests. 
Parsons, Kansas, August 7th, 1915. 
Weather conditions in Kansas are improving and 
stock of all kinds is making a much better growth than it 
did earlier in the season when we had too much rain. 
Outlook for the distribution of nursery stock in this 
southwestern country is also improving and better sales 
are being made at this time than was expected earlier in 
the season. 
Yours truly, 
E. P. Bernardin. 
