THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
47 
them,” and questions that they “ have never heard answered.” 
There should be a large attendance at the Detroit conven¬ 
tion. Aside from the opportunity to meet the active men in 
the nursery business and to learn from the experience of 
others, there are many places of interest in Detroit and 
vicinity to visit. 
Let every progressive nurseryman determine to attend this 
centrally located convention ; take up the matter of reduced 
rates, obtaining information from his local ticket agent and 
reserve at once his room at the Hotel Cadillac. Combine 
business with pleasure. Detroit is the convention city of the 
world. 
ADVERSE CUSTOMS RULING. 
We present in this issue the case of the protest by August 
Rolker & Sons, New York, against the classification of ever¬ 
green seedlings by the collector of the customs at the Port of 
New 'fork, and the overruling decision by the Board of Ap¬ 
praisers. Twelve affidavits and twelve letters, all from experi¬ 
enced nurserymen, are thus overruled by the department. 
The Messrs. Rolker will probably not push the case further, 
but the American Association of Nurserymen may desire to 
carry the case into the United States Circuit Court. We are 
informed that this is the only way in which redress can be 
had. A suit on appeal from the decision by the general ap¬ 
praisers would involve an outlay of at least $75 for court 
costs. The time to start suit on the protest of Messrs. Rolker 
expired on April 21st; therefore, if the nurserymen as a 
body decide to take the matter to the highest court for final 
decision they must do so by protesting some entries made later 
and await a new decision. 
If brought into court the case may hang fire for two or three 
years. But it is thought that if positive action were taken by 
the American Association of Nurserymen in convention assem¬ 
bled, the ruling board might modify its decision and the tedious 
delay of a court action might be avoided. 
Under the present ruling, the American grower of larger 
evergreen plants from seedlings is less protected than under 
the 25 per cent, ratings it is claimed. 
A report from the committee on tariff may be expected at 
the Detroit convention. 
NURSERYMAN APPOINTED TRUSTEE. 
Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y., last month received from 
Governor Odell the appointment of trustee of the New York 
Agricultural Experiment Station, at Geneva, N. Y. This is 
an honor of which Mr. Rouse is highly deserving and the 
appointment gives the nurserymen of the Empire State a 
guaranty that their interests will be considered in connection 
with the business of the station. 
NURSERY STOCK FOR ST. LOUIS FAIR. 
During the last week of April, Ellwanger & Barry, Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y., shipped three carloads of ornamental nursery stock to 
St. Louis, for planting in the exposition grounds. The landscape 
gardener in charge of the work at St. Louis, George E. Kess¬ 
ler, went to Rochester and selected the stock. 
ARE PRICES TOO HIGH ? 
Suggestion That Drop of a Few Dollars Per Thousand on Apple 
Would be Advisable—Conditions of Spring Trade That 
Call for Consideration—Apple Trade In West fell 
Down—Surplus of Peach—Brisk Trade 
in Other Stock. 
North Topeka, Kans., April 27 —A. L. Brooke : “Regard¬ 
ing the state of trade at Topeka this spring, it is a question 
among nurserymen as to the cause of it all. From fall of 1902 
to spring of 1903 the conditions seemed to reverse them¬ 
selves; in fact the apple trade fell down. At the beginning 
of March the trade was tottering. It seemed to want to right 
itself, but couldn’t. However, as April draws to a close, the 
long-drawn out season of trade in stock has given some vigor 
that the early opening did not possess. Peach in the West is 
pressed down by a winter-killing of the crop in the more north¬ 
ern localities of the peach orchards. Some peach trees find 
themselves in the brush pile. 
“ Cherry has been in good demand and all two-year surplus 
has found a market at good prices. The same is true of plum. 
“ The trade in seedlings and apple grafts has been brisk, 
and no stock still on hand of any considerable amounts. 
“ After looking over the field we see nothing discouraging, 
though some firms seem to see low prices ahead. 
“ The fact is, prices have been too high for a healthy state 
of trade. Many persons have been driven from the field by the 
high price of apple. A drop of a few dollars per thousand 
would give a more balanced ration, and in our opinion be better 
for all. 
“ It is too early to tell what will be the outcome of the 
spring plant. There has been more than the usual amount of 
bad apple seed planted.” 
THE EVERGREEN SEEDLING DECISION. 
Irving Rouse, chairman of the committee that drafted the 
paragraph in the tariff act relating to evergreen seedlings, re¬ 
ferred to in the protest by August Rolker & Sons, said to a 
representative of the National Nurseryman : 
“The general appraiser, Mr. De Vries, has undoubtedly 
reached a just and correct decision on the protest. Ever¬ 
green seedlings were included among the articles calling for an 
ad valorem duty of twenty-five per cent, but after the bill had 
been introduced, a number of western evergreen growers re¬ 
quested us to have evergreen seedlings put on the specific duty 
list. This was agreed to by the committee, and the change 
was made by the congressional committee having charge of 
the bill. If the words “ and evergreen seedlings” had been 
put in advance of the “three-year-old or less” qualification 
immediately preceding it, as they should have been, there, would 
have been no c hance for difference of opinion. The error in the 
wording was due entirely to the congressional committee and 
not to the nurserymen’s committee.” 
W. C. Reed, Vincennes, Ind.— “ Please find enclosed draft for $1 
for renewal. I don’t see how any nurseryman can afford to be without 
the National Nurseryman.” 
