THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
15() 
w ill not grow too large and gives that softening touch to 
r(‘lieve the sliar])ness. 
It will h(‘ noticed with the exception of the two globe 
box, placed each side of the path, the ground between 
the evergreens is kept cultivated. Too often it is at- 
hMopted to plant them in the turf, hut never with much 
satisfaction, the evergreens do not do so well, the grass 
is diiiieiilt to cut and unless it receives constant attention 
the result is a weedy etfecl. 
Many ])eoi)le object to seeing the (‘arlh between plants 
grouped as in the illustration, hut if it is kept nicely 
raked it certainly looks better than the weedy effect of 
grass in such a position. 
('iround cover ])lants may be used if the hare earth is 
objected to, Vuicu minor and Pachysandra terminalis are 
excellent for this puri)ose. 
PRODUCTION 
The biggest problem the retail nurseryman has to 
solve if he wishes to keep his business up to the mark or 
rather improving, is how to keep production up in 
quality and quantity. 
During the planting season it is a continual struggle 
with emergencies to keep from taking the men away 
from the planting gangs and putting them to W'ork on 
orders or planting for customers and production suffers 
accordingly. 
The planting season and harvest are at the same time. 
If he neglects his harvest there is no money to carry on 
the planting, so he usually compromises and does as 
much as he can of both, but rarely tinishes the season 
with a feeling of satisfaction that things ought to he 
handled differently. He looks at that block of stock 
that ought to have been transplanted and realizes while 
it was physically impossible to have done it he has lost 
out, and the stock has deteriorated accordingly. He 
looks at another block and know's if it had been done 
two weeks earlier it would have been 50 per cent better 
and so on all through the nursery. 
Of course the ideal arrangement w ould be to have suf¬ 
ficient capital to be able to keep the production and dis¬ 
tribution distinctly separate, but ideals are seldom prac¬ 
tically possible. 
There is, however, much to be gained in keeping the 
ideal alw ays in mind and w orking tow ards it. 
The time it takes to produce salable nursery stock 
varies from tw o to ten years and it is not easy to plan for 
the future with any exactness as there are so many un¬ 
known causes w liicli may happen to upset them. 
This, however, is all the more reason why as much 
scientific management should be brought into play as 
possible. 
After the spring rush is over an inventory of stock is 
an essential to know" what is on hand and enable you to 
lay plans for the future. 
A propagating list and planting list with estimates of 
quantities. 
Then an analysis to see how" they can be accomplished. 
Some items can be propagated, others will have to be 
purchased in small stock for growing on, others again 
purchased to keep the line catalogued full. 
Such lists are invaluable and do much to save worry 
and loss of time. 
Too often nurseries run to the jobbing house policy, 
buying wdienever there is a bargain rather than according 
to a fixed plan of production. This produces the bane 
of the nursery business, surpluses that are sold at less 
than cost. 
When the traveling salesman or visiting nurseryman 
calls, or special offers and lists come through the mail 
with a short list to refer to, it is decided almost auto¬ 
matically w hat is w anted, especially of the staples. 
To keep abreast of the times there are ahvays new" or 
untried things to be considered as leaders or novelties. 
A good plan is to get a few" each year to try out to see if 
they are adaptable to your particular nursery and trade. 
Too often the nurseryman follows some advertiser’s 
blind lead only to find out after he has spent a lot of time 
and money the particular plant was not suited to his 
trade or the other fellow had skimmed off all the cream 
from the specialty. 
The nurseryman will invariably find out that he will 
make more money by backing his own judgment, when it 
comes to plants tliat he has to handle in his own nursery. 
A plant may be ail that could be desired, but if it can¬ 
not be handled profitably without an unreasonable 
amount of risk, it is better let alone saving the room, ex¬ 
pense and energy for those things for which there is a 
steady demand. 
FRENCH INSPECTION OF NURSERY PLANTS 
[Vice Consul Davis B. Lewis, St. Etienne, Feb. 26.] 
Interest in the prevention and control of plant diseases 
and inspection by scientific officials under State authority 
is increasing, according to figures made public in St. 
Etienne journals, and gives the number of horticultural 
establishments (nurseries) and vine growers w"hb sub¬ 
mitted to phytopathological inspections as increasing 
from 83 in 1914 to 103 in 1915 and 132 in 1916. The 
value of plants exported for these years to countries re¬ 
quiring certificates of inspection show"ed large increases 
notwithstanding the unusual conditions prevailing, the 
amounts reported being 1,464,986 francs in 1914, 2,466,- 
110 francs in 1915, and 3,447,900 francs in 1916. 
Nurserymen are reported as feeling assured of the con¬ 
tinued growth of these figures by the guaranty of the 
French Government that buyers of other countries will 
have protection against dangerous parasites and diseases 
in plants imported from Franee. 
The establishments submitting to control are divided 
into 14 districts and expert service of inspection is fur¬ 
nished by 26 entomologists and cryptogamists in charge 
of the director of the entomological station of Paris, the 
cost of the supervision being cared for by a fee of 25 
francs per annum for each nursery and a charge of 1.55 
francs per 1,000 plants exported. Efforts to greatly ex¬ 
tend the service are being made by the Ministry of Agri¬ 
culture.— Daily Commerce Reports. 
