104 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
other business entei‘])rise, in tlie hands of honest, ea- 
])a])le men wliose records show a clean and ])rosi)er- 
ons ])nsiness, ('an oldain the re(inisite credit without 
submitting- to the exacting- commissions not infre- 
(inently demanded and ])aid on loans from responsi¬ 
ble borrowers under the })resent conditions. 
The pessimistic views which liave largely prevail¬ 
ed for the ])ast year or two in many financial and 
l)nsiness circles, ai)})eai- to have been unreasonably 
accentuated, es])ecially in localities and particular 
instances more or less affected by the change in tariff, 
and the results from bad and inconi])e,tent manage¬ 
ment, as with some of the railroad systems and indus¬ 
trial corporations. The legitimate business of the 
country has, liowevei-, gone forward in increasing 
volume commensuraite with the growth of the coun¬ 
try and in very many instances with most satisfac¬ 
tory results. 
E. M. SHERMAN. 
In our own l)usiness, we shipped more stock last 
Autumn and have more orders on our books for 
Spring than for a like ])eriod for a number of years 
])ast and I believe the indications generally are fav¬ 
orable to an excellent aggregate business for the com¬ 
ing year and for the years to come. There are of 
course great quantities of good stock both in fruits 
and ornamentals and mostly at low i)rices both in 
this country and Euro})e to meet the demand. The 
l)resent system of wire communication and trjins|)or- 
tation is moreover making more and more an inter¬ 
national market for all nursery and i)lant i)roducts. 
The growth of the business must, however, continue 
with the growth and wealth of ])opulation and the 
consitantly groAving interest in both fruit and orna¬ 
mental planting, and those who have an established 
business and standing- and are worthy of success will 
no doubt secure their fair share of profitable busi¬ 
ness. 
RAILROAD FREIGHT CLASSIFICATION. 
Januaiw 21, 1914. 
Editor National Nurseryman, 
Elourtown, lYnna. 
(lentlemen:— 
Under date of the 17th we have a letter from Mr. 
Charles Sizemore, Chairman Board of Transporta¬ 
tion Committee of the National Nurserymen’s Asso¬ 
ciation, enclosing copies of a ruling by the Eastern 
Classification Committee on a (piestion of classifica¬ 
tion of a shipment of BoxAvood shipped by us under 
the class of Dormant trees and plants at R25 rate, 
and re-classified by ageiiit of Trunk Line at Elmira, 
N. Y. under the classification of “Not Dormant.” The 
ruling of the Classification Committee is as follows: 
“It is our ruling that the shipment not liaving 
])een permanently rooted in the boxes in which 
the shrubs Avere shipped, is presumed to have 
been shipped in dormant condition and to luiAm 
been subject to the provisions of item 10, Classi¬ 
fication No. 40. 
The bushes Avere not in boxes or barrels and 
the tops Avere protected by crating, and it is our 
ruling that the provisions of the first descrip¬ 
tion under item 10 should be applied as most 
nearly conforming to the method of shij)ping, 
and that the rating IVii times first class should be 
apiilied.” 
You will see by the above that the Classification 
Committee hereby places all crates shipments under 
the IY 2 times rate, as classified under the first item 
of Section 10, which is “Plants, shrubs, trees or vines 
in bundles, toi)s tied, roots boxed, or wrapped.” We 
have Avritten Mr. Sizemore, asking the Transporta¬ 
tion Committee to protest this ruling on the crate, 
and that plants, trees or shrubs or vines in boxes 
Avith tops crated, should be classified under the last 
item of section 10. “In bales or boxes, rate R25.,” 
and this provision should correctly read “In bales or 
Boxes, or in boxes with tops cratecl,” as there is prac¬ 
tically no additional risk to the carrying company 
Avith a crate of this character oA^er a box. 
The attached letter will sIioav you what we liaA^e 
Avritten to Mr. Sizemore in regard to rates, which we 
think is of sufficient moment to the nurseryman to 
make a vigorous protest Avorth Avhile. 
Yours very truly, 
AYm. AYarner Harper, Prop. 
— 0 — 
January 23, 1914. 
Mr. Charles Sizemore, 
National Nurserymen’s Association, 
Louisiana, Mo. 
Dear Sir:— 
A e appreciate your adAuce of the 17th with attach¬ 
ed copies of letters from Mr. Collyer to yourself, and 
General Ins])ector SteA^enson, and we note carefulh" 
