Of) 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
take no longer than formerly. In fact the dilferenee 
would he in favor of weighing for the parcels post, 
because anything above four ounces would go at the 
])ound rate and it would not be necessary to ascertain 
the exact ounce every time as if weighing for a tiat 
rate of so much ])ei’ ounce. All that is necessary is to 
see that it is of so many ])ounds weight, any fraction 
of a pound counting as a full ])ound. 
I have made repeated tests in looking up the l ate 
foi’ different ])laces in different zones and find that I 
can easily look up a rate anywhere in one half min¬ 
ute. And this is without ])ractice and without con¬ 
veniences. If my Parcels Post (luide were filled out 
as it is intended that it should be I would 
not have to refer to the zone ma]) at all and could save 
about one-half of the al)ove time. Besides, if you 
look into the matter you will see that from any stand- 
l)oint there is bound to be whole states that are with¬ 
in a certain zone. Eor instance I find that from our 
standpoint that six states are entirely within the 
fourth zone and three within the fifth. 
Therefore a iiarcel for any of these states would be 
in a known zone and entirely unnecessary to look up. 
It could simi)ly be weighed and stamped accordingly. 
Again, if this work were given to one ])arty entirely, 
or if the volume of business was large enough to war¬ 
rant to two ])arties, one to look up the rate and the 
other to affix the stamps, it would be only a matter of 
a few weeks, or months at most, until any clerk of or¬ 
dinary intelligence would have the rates for hun¬ 
dreds of the larger cities firmly fixed in his mind so 
that he would not have to look tliem up at all. The 
})arcels post clerk in our post office can now tell you 
the zone and the rate off hand to thousands of the 
cities of the country. 
Thus one clerk ought to be able, easily, to look up 
the rate on from 1500 to 2000 ])arcels a day, and his 
efficiency in this direction would increase with prac¬ 
tice. The rest of the labor, outside of looking up the 
rate is the same as before, so this represents all the 
extra labor chargeable to the i)arcels post system. 
If the factory I referred to above saved $350 in 
])ostage on 5000 parcels there is no reason why a nur 
seryman ought not to save as much on the same num¬ 
ber. If your business is not large you can get along 
without any extra help and the saving is all profit. 
If your business is large the addition of one clerk at 
a moderate salary will probably save 100 times that 
salary in postage. And the more business you have 
the more you save or the more you make. 
There may be other objections but it looks as if the 
Postmaster General and the ])ost office department 
were doing all in their ])ower to overcome them 
and get the thing to working right so as to ])rove a 
blessing to all. 
It seems to me that this association and all kindred 
State associations should take up this matter and in 
some way ask that their interests may be recognized 
by the department in the parcels post system. 
If it be possible to secure any im})rovenients, so 
much the better. The more the rates are reduced, or 
the limit of weight increased, or the number of zones 
decreased the better it will be. 
Note: Since the above was read before the Ohio 
Nursrynien at Cleveland, the reduction in express 
rates has gone into effect. The writer finds that as 
predicted the rate between our place and Cleveland 
has been increased 50 per cent. The matter has now 
been taken up by the Chambers of Commerce of 
both cities in an attempt to secure a reduction. 
In other cases the express rate has been reduced. 
The writer has just received a i)arcel of nursery 
stock by express under the reduced rate. It weighed 
six pounds and cost 22 cents, the first time in my 
memory that I ever received an express package for 
less than 30 cents. It could have come by ])arcels 
post if we had the rate and would have cost 8 cents 
in that way. 
ANNUAL RECEPTION OF THE EMPLOYEES OF 
BOBBINK & ATKINS, RUTHERFORD, N, J. 
The annual reception of the employes of the Bob- 
bink & Atkins Company, of East Rutherford, has 
passed into history. It was made exclusive by re¬ 
stricting participants to holders of invitations. It 
had its desired effect and so commendation on all 
sides. It proved out as contemplated one of the so¬ 
cial events of the season. 
The spacious ball room was really turned into a 
conservatory. 
The finest specimens of the Bobbink & Atkins’ ex¬ 
otic nurseries were on exhibition. Palms, bay trees 
and flowering plants were placed all over the hall, in¬ 
termingled with potted plants in bloom. 
The supper tables were placed in the main hallway. 
They were arrayed in crescent shape. Full grown 
Azaleas in delicate shades of color, set off with potted 
ferns of every known variety, made the table decora¬ 
tions a picture of beauty. 
J. V. WICKLER, BANKRUPT. 
To the creditors of J. V. Wickler, of Grand Forks, 
in the county of Grand Forks, and district aforesaid, 
a bankrupt. Notice is hereby given, that on January 
21st, 1914, the said J. V. Wickler was duly adjudicat¬ 
ed bankrupt, and that the first meeting of his credit¬ 
ors will be held in Grand Forks, N. I)., at the office of 
Theodore B. Elton on February 9th, 1914, at ten 
o’clock a. 111 ., at which time the said creditors may 
attend, iirove their claim, appoint a trustee, examine 
the bankru])t, and transact such other business as 
may properly come before such meeting. 
Theodore B. Elton, Referee in Bankruptcy. 
Grand Forks, N, D., January 23, 1914, 
