50 
TflE NATIONAL NURSEEYMAN 
De Kalb Nurseries, Norristown, Pa. 
The old saio that “A Cobbler’s eluldren are always poorly shod” does not hold good in this ease. 
Xarse^'y home of Adolf Muller, Proprietor of De Kalb Nursei'ies, Aorrislown, Pa. 
The De Kalb Nurseries might be described as both 
young and small as nurseries go. The word good may 
also b(‘ add('d with ecjual fairness and they are eminently 
sLieeessful. Mr. Adolf Muller, the pi'oprietor, puts bis 
\\ bole soul into bis busim^ss, and is proving what energy, 
enterprise eomluned with good business ideals will do in 
a eomparatively short time. 
Doing a general business, both retail and wholesale. 
Mr. Muller reeogniz(‘s that to make headway be must 
eater to both, separat<'ly. For increasing and exjianding 
bis wbob'sale busim'ss be specializes on good things. 
Phlox. Japanese Iris and Euonymus vegetus being the 
strong features at this time. By advertising and jiusb- 
ing these, be has a better chance to get business among 
tb(' trade than be would by ])usbing a general line. 
The accompanying photograph will give some idea of 
bis stock of Phlox. 
Tin' retail end of the business, however, is the one that 
gets most thought. Mr. Muller makes every effort to 
follow" the example of the storekee])er in displaying bis 
goods and considers money spent in making the nursery 
attractive to passersby or visiting customers is a good in¬ 
vestment. He has happily combined bis own home 
grounds as one of the features of bis nursery. This 
w itb an attractive office with about half an acre of tastily 
planted ground around it be considers one of the best 
salesmen be could possibly have. Mr. Muller thinks 
that the average American nurseryman has degenerated 
too much into the dealer instead of the true plantsman 
and is a tirm believer that nearly all of the plants im¬ 
ported can be produced right here in the United States, 
and that lots of money awaits the nurseryman wdu) w ill 
master this undeveloped problem. 
