8 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
The National N urseryman. 
C. L. YATES, Proprietor. RALPH T. OLCOTT, Editor. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., 
305 Cox Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
The only trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in Nursery Stock of 
all kinds. It circulates throughout the United States and Canada. 
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 
One year, in advance, - - - - - $1.00 
Six Months, .-y^ 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance, - - - 1.50 
Six Months, “ “ - - - 1.00 
Advertising rates will be 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. 
(li^”Drafts on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are 
requested. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester, as secnnd-clms matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., February, 1897. 
THE TARIFF. 
In common with nearly every trade, the nurserymen are 
looking to the adoption of a revised tariff as a means of im¬ 
proving conditions which have reduced business interests to a 
low ebb. Almost without exception, the nurserymen of 
America are for protection. And well they may be. They 
have seen the present condition of low prices brought about 
by the removal of the duty upon nursery stock. Foreign 
nurserymen have flooded the American market with their 
surplus stocks and something must be done to save the 
industry. 
In another column we present the report of the committee 
appointed at the annual convention of the American Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen to urge before the ways and means 
committee of the House of Representatives at Washington, 
the necessity for a protective duty on nursery stock. That 
committee found a disposition on the part of the congres¬ 
sional committee to seek data upon which might be founded a 
tariff that, while protecting American industries, should at the 
same time be sufficiently conservative to stand. Much as an 
ample protective tariff is desired, it is essential that the 
schedules shall be such as to appeal to the wisdom of all 
parties and be as permanent as possible. Frequent changes 
in tariff schedules upset business calculations. 
Therefore, while the schedule as fixed by the committee of 
nurserymen may not be as high as many would desire, it 
should be borne in mind that the schedule as prepared is much 
more likely to receive favorable action on the part of the 
congressional committee than if it were higher. 
This time the nurserymen of the country are determined to 
be properly represented before congress on the tariff question. 
When the matter was in the senate before, the nurserymen 
were ably represented by Mr. Lamb of Syracuse. But when 
the time for the final hearing came Mr. Lamb was assured by 
Senator Hiscock that the latter knew the situation thoroughly 
and that he would attend to it in Washington ; that Mr. 
Lamb need not be present at the hearing. The result was 
that other matters occupied Senator Hiscock’s attention to 
the exclusion of this and when the committee asked what the 
nurserymen wanted there were only florists present and they 
said, “ O, about the same rale, 20 per cent.” 
One experience of that kind is sufficient. This time the 
great nursery interests of the country, which half a decade 
ago had reached a valuation of $100,000,000, are to be looked 
after independent of any other interests. What the florists 
and the seedsmen and the importers want has nothing to do 
with this case. The welfare of American growers and dealers 
in nursery stock is the subject under discussion, and the 
American Association of Nurserymen, represented by a com¬ 
mittee of foremost nurserymen of the land proposes to have 
what the nurserymen of the country want in the way of a 
tariff. It is for this purpose, among others, that members of 
congress were sent by the people to Washington. The request 
made by the nurserymen affects only the nurserymen. Why 
should it not be granted ? Members of the committee of the 
American Association received requests from seedsmen and 
florists to intercede in their behalf, but the committee pro¬ 
ceeded with an eye single to the nursery interests. 
Every live nurseryman will see at once the necessity for 
securing what is asked in this matter and will be anxious to do 
what he can to aid in accomplishing the result. And this is 
how he may aid: Let every nurseryman call upon or write at 
once to the congressman from his district and urge the claims 
of the nurserymen to recognition in the tariff schedules accord¬ 
ing to the plan which the wisest counsel has devised. This 
plan is embodied in the report of the committee published in 
this issue, the details of which should be studied. 
Here is an opportunity for all to join hands and secure legis¬ 
lation which is sure to bring benefit of a very practical kind. 
AFTER FOUR YEARS. 
There is hardly a legitimate calling that is not well repre¬ 
sented in the curriculum of the high schools or colleges of the 
country. Yet the close of the nineteenth century sees only a 
beginning in the study of horticulture in the schools. True, 
some of the colleges, of which Cornell is a shining example, 
have for some time been devoting attention to horticulture and 
with such success that the example promises to be followed. 
Education is the watchword of the day. And it is educa¬ 
tion of the most practical kind, education in special lines as 
demanded by commercial relations, that is needed. Up to 
four years ago the nurserymen were without a representative 
trade journal, while all other lines of trade were supplied. It 
was the unanimous verdict that the time was ripe for such a 
journal, and the success of The National Nurseryman has 
been proved by the active interest taken in it from the start by 
the nurserymen of the country. 
But all this is well known to those who have followed its 
career and we advert to it at the beginning of the fifth volume 
to show the increasing interest in matters of trade education. 
From every quarter come voluntary expressions of approval of 
this journal’s course. It has been the aim of the publishers 
to make it worthy of the field it so fully occupies. 
