TTTE NATTOXAIi NURSERYMAN 
KU 
The National Nurseryman 
Established 1893 by C. L. YATES. Incorporated 1902 
Published monthly by 
THE XATIOXAL XURSERYMAX PUBUSHIXG CO., Inc. 
Hatboro, Pa. 
Editor .ERNEST HEMMING, Flourtown, Pa. 
The leadinj; trade journal Issued for Growers and Dealers in 
Xursery Stocks of all kinds. It circulates throughout tlie 
Ignited States, Canada and Europe. 
AWAKDKn THK CRAXD PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSTTIOX, 1900 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 
One Year in Advance .$1.50 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance .$2.00 
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. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are requested by the 
Business Manager, Hatboro, Pa. 
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, Bditor, Plourtown, Pa., and should be mailed to arrive not 
later than the 25th of the month. 
Eutored as sevond-idass matter Jane 22, 1916, at the post office at 
Hathoro, Pennsf/lrania, under the Act of March S, 1S79. 
Hatboro, Pa., May 1917 
The attitude of the retail 
NURSKHY STOCK IN imrseryiiieii towards the 
nKPAUTMENT STORKS practice of selling luirserv 
stock in the department 
stores, is not kindly: due perhaps to the impression that 
it is sold at less price than the retail nurseryman is in the 
habit of getting for it. 
A visit to one of the leading department stores in 
Philadelphia on April 18th. showed an immense business 
being done at prices that compared very favorably \\ ith 
those of the retail nurseryman, in fact, the prices on the 
whole were higher, if the grade of stock was taken in 
consideration. Staple kinds of shrubs such as. Dentzia. 
Altheas. Spiraeas. Weigelas. Snowballs. Forsythias were 
selliiiij at oO cents each: thev were a lie:ht *2 to o ft. 
grade. Peacli trees inch up at 3o cents: apples, pears 
and plums at -iO cents. Paeonia roots 2o and oo cents. 
Magnolias, roses. Rhododendrons, and other imported 
plants were a little lower than the nurseryman usually 
offers them for. On the whole the prices were very 
fair, according to the retail nnrservman's standards. 
From what might be called the customers viewpoint, 
the buyers were getting badly “stuck” with their pur¬ 
chases. for much of the stock being sent out would not 
live even with the most skilled handling. The bark was 
shriveled on the trees and bushes, the paeony roots m ere 
very dry, and to the practiced eye of a plantsman they 
were very low in vitality, due to poor handling. The 
salesmen who were taking the orders kne\\ little or 
nothing about their goods, yet in spite of all this, tin* 
business seems to be growing. 
However much we mav decrv the selling of nurserv 
stock in dry goods stores, we cannot stop it by complain¬ 
ing about it. In popular centei*s thei'e are a great numbers 
of people with small yards who will neither order from a 
catalogue or go out to a nursery, and these the depart¬ 
ment store is catering to. and the nursery interests 
should cither work with the stoi*es and put the handling 
of goods on a better basis, or should Find a means lo 
serve the buying public in a better way on their own 
account. There seems to be no good reason ^^hy a 
market for the selling of the nurseryman's ])roducts 
cannot be established in cities during the planting sea¬ 
son, where the stock could be handled in an expert 
manner, so as to give the buyers the worth of their 
money. It would be a no greater problem than the 
tlorist has already solved in the handling of cut flowers. 
As bad as the stock is handled in the department 
stores, there is a marked improvement over previous 
years. It was noticed, all the shrubs were tied up 
neatly, each one having a little sphagnum around the 
roots, and this tied up in cheese cloth. It will only be 
a matter of time for the department stores to solve the 
problem, unless the retail nurseryman takes it out of 
their hands, by taking his goods to where the customers 
are. and giving them better value for their money. 
America is at war. and 
TllK RRUSll PILE every individual and trade 
MILL NOT RE or profession will be af- 
A SION OF PATRIOTISM fected to a greater or less 
extent. 
It will not be a profitable time for the nurserv trade. 
At the outbreak of the war in Europe the slogan of the 
nurserymen there was—Business as usual, but however 
^^■orthv the attempt this could not be. As the resources of 
the countries were called for. demand and labor condition 
changed, but it is to be sincerely hoped that peace will 
not be so long delayed as to put us in the same straits as 
our brother nurserymen in the Old Country. It is but 
a patriotic duty to consider the welfare of the whole 
Country rather than our individual profit. Everyone 
not called to actual participation of the land and sea 
forces should do his utmost to help increase and conserve 
food products. The nurserymen are close allies of the 
farmers and should become closer in such an emergency 
as the present, grow* less nurseiy stock and more food 
crops suggests itself as sound policy for every nursery¬ 
man in the present emergency. 
A brush pile will not be a patriotic celebration next 
year even if the demand is small. 
Eveiy bit of labor and land that can be spared from 
the necessities of the business should be put to use in 
producing food products. 
M'^hat cannot be had can be done with- 
GROM'N out, is a truism that has been im- 
IN AMERICA pressed on many nurserymen the past 
spring, due to the non-arrival of a 
great part of the imports. 
It is true much stock, such as Rhododendrons. Box. 
Azaleas and other choice evergreens and plants are sadly 
missed and it makes the question of “can they be raised 
in America?” a veix* pertinent one. The average nur¬ 
seryman or plantsman thinks they could, but many doubt 
if they could be raised at a profit in competition with a 
foreign supply. 
In considering the matter, we may as well be honest 
with ourselves and answer the question as to whether it 
is the low cost of production in Europe that makes the 
American unable to compete, or is it the lack of skilled 
