THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
7i 
THE COST OF A TREE 
Question of Great Importance, Says George A. Sweet—Many 
Things to be Considered—Smaller Growers Need 
Strengthening in this Matter—Discussion. 
One of the most practical of the discussions at the Detroit 
convention was that upon “The Cost of a Tree, 1 ’ led by 
George A. Sweet, of Dansville, N. Y. He said : 
I don’t know what it costs to grow a tree ; but I can see that if we 
knew, it might be of commercial value. Of course no two blocks of 
trees ever cost the s ime. First-class trees in one block are not the 
same as first-class trees in another block, and no season is exactly like 
another. There are so many elements to be considered in tree produc¬ 
tion that the result is a sort of a lottery. There are certain staple ele¬ 
ments as, for instance, the cost of the foreign stock. But then there 
are the varying losses. It has occurred to me that we might open a 
debit and credit account with a certain block of stock. If the smaller 
growers particularly would keep such an account, so that they could 
know that it cost ten cents apiece to grow a 
block of trees, it would make more stable the 
market value of a tree. If a man knows that 
a tree cost ten cents he will be less likely to sell 
it at nine cents than if he was merely guessing. 
It is the smaller grower who needs strengthening 
as to the price. In other lines of business ac¬ 
counts are kept, so that it is not a matter of guess 
work. I know that in our business you cannot 
always tell where the loss ends and the profit 
begins. It would be of immense advantage to 
us if we could tell. I propose to make some 
experiments on this line that I have never made. 
And it is just such practical work as this that 
a national body of this kind should discuss. 
W. F. Heikes, Huntsville, Ala, said : 
It is to be borne in mind, of course, that the 
question is, what is the least cost of producing 
the best tree ? From my point of observation, 
it seems to me that the many obstacles that must 
be overcome from year to year, and the constant 
vigilance required from the time of planting 
the seed until the time of marketing, would 
justify the answer that the cost of a tree is the 
price of the nurseryman’s life. If the tree has 
been well cared for, it is worth the price. It 
is better to consider the collective results hoped to be attained as a 
basis of operation than to figure upon the exact cost of a tree. 
Before beginning business, a nuiseryman should feel confident that 
he possesses some advantage in producing and handling his crop 
over growers in the same line of production. These advantages 
may be in location, the congeniality of climate, in the cost of lands, 
or rents, or labor, or the quality of the soil, or in the fitness and 
training of the man himself. So much depends upon his judg 
ment in the arrangement of his plans and in his courage, energy and 
untiring purpose in pursuing them to their fulfillment. When 
once it is proven that he possesses these advantages to a sufficient de¬ 
gree, he should follow them up with a free use of his capital and to the 
limit of his ability. The seller of any article must have an advantage 
over another producer of the same article to command a buyer. The 
buyer is forced to pay on an average more than the cost of production, 
and it is upon this margin that the seller depends for his profits. 
Mr. McFarland described his system of keeping account of 
each printing job. He suggested that a committee be ap¬ 
pointed and that twenty-five nurserymen be asked to present 
plans. “When you know the cost and act accordingly,” said 
he, “ prices will go up and never come down. When you have 
the cost of tree production cut down you will get just as much 
out of a block of 200,000 as you do otherwise out of 800,000.” 
Orlando Harrison, Berlin, Md., said : “ The cost of a tree 
once could be estimated by the cost of seed or seedlings and 
propagation. At this day it depends on the entomologist-and 
inspector in the state in which it is grown and sold. First, 
we must ask each entomologist in the different states what 
constitutes a merchantable tree, as each state makes a differ¬ 
ent law at almost every legislative session, in accordance 
with the views of the entomogist of the respective states. 
1 he question as to the cost of a tree is absolutely out of the 
nurseryman s calculation and will never be answered until we 
have a uniform law.” 
President Hale later said he would announce the committee 
on the cost of a tree, in the near future. 
PRESIDENT HALE. 
We present herewith a likeness of President Nathan W. 
Hale, of the American Association of Nurserymen, a sketch 
of whose active career appeared in volume VIII of the 
National Nurseryman when he was 
vice-president of the American Association. 
His prominence as president of the Knox¬ 
ville Nursery Company, the Southern Nurs¬ 
ery Company, the Southern Nurserymen’s 
Association ; as assemblyman and senator 
of his state ; as candidate for governor and 
recently for congress ; as director of the 
East Tennessee National Bank and mem¬ 
ber of the firm of Brown, Payne, Deaver 
& Co., Knoxville, and in other business 
interests is known to his many friends. 
As before stated, he started in life with 
his hands, his integrity and his talent as 
capital. He has bravely won and has 
demonstrated the possibilities before every 
young man. 
The American Association is sure to be 
benefited by the guidance of a man of Mr. 
Hale’s ability. It is probable that he will 
represent his state in congress after the 
next election, and may be in Washington 
officially to greet the legislative committee of the American 
Association when occasion demands. 
AMERICAN FRUIT IN LIVERPOOL. 
C. M. Hooker & Sons, Brighton, N. Y., on May 28 th re¬ 
ceived advice that on the previous day in Liverpool, England, 
the Brighton firm’s consignment of Baldwin apples was sold 
through W. N. White & Co., New York, as follows : 533 bar¬ 
rels No. t apples at $ 6.25 per barrel ; 132 barrels No. 2 ap¬ 
ples at $ 5.50 per barrel. 
Messrs. White & Co. report that the success of this sale so 
late in the season, May 27 th, was due to the care taken in 
packing and shipping at every point in the long journey. The 
fruit was repacked and pressed tightly by Messrs. Hooker & 
Sons, and was shipped in iced cars to seaboard. Then it was 
put aboard steamer in a refrigerating chamber and was placed 
on the market in England promptly, and was disposed of while 
in fine condition._ 
N. F. Murray, Oregon, Mo., has sold his nursery interest to his part¬ 
ner, S. N. Bucher, and will engage in fruit growing. 
Pues. Nathan W. Hale, 
American Association of Nurserymen. 
