The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
“Nine-tenths of all the tree planting is neglected — Prof. L. H. Bailey. 
Vol. X. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., MARCH, 1902. 
No. 3. 
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION. W. W. Brittain & Son, Franklin Davis Nursery Co., Baker 
_ Bros., W. J. Killian & Son, 
DELAYS IN TRANSPORTATION. 
Annual Meeting at Charleston, S. C.—Delays In Shipment of 
Nursery Stock Discussed at Length—Suggestions for 
Improvement — Different Classification Proposed — 
Experience With Pear Seedlings — Misrepresenta . 
tlon of Agents — Next Meeting at Win¬ 
chester — Election of Officers. 
The annual meeting of the Southern Nurseryman’s Associ¬ 
ation opened in Charleston, S. C., January 21st, at 10 a. m. 
President J. Van Lindley, of Pomona, N. C., in opening, said 
that there was much that came up for discussion in this asso¬ 
ciation that was of more especial interest to its members than 
some of the work of the national association. Delays in 
transportation of nursery stock, and fumigation are subjects 
to be discussed. 
Secretary W. Lee Wilson, Winchester, Tenn., presented the 
following report : 
To the Officers and Members of the Southern Nurserymen’s Association: 
Gentlemen — I herewith hand you my report as secretary of your 
Association. 
But few months have elapsed since our last meeting at Asheville, 
and nurserymen generally have been so busy handling an unusually 
heavy business that they have had little time to devote to the interests 
of the Association. Since our last meeting I have mailed a circular 
letter to every nurseryman in the southern states, with the result that 
several have become members of our Association. I also had a copy 
of the minutes printed in book form, and mailed three hundred copies. 
I also mailed about three hundred notices of this meeting to nursery¬ 
men in the South. The responses to these notices have not been 
satisfactory, but I attribute this to the fact that they were sent out 
about January 1st, when everyone was busy settling up last year’s 
business and preparing for the new year. The Association is now 
recognized as an established institution, which fact is evidenced by the 
solicitation of the leading publications throughout the country for 
news of the doings of the Association. 
I earnestly recommend that each individual member continue to use 
his influence on nurserymen with the view of making them members 
of the Association. A determined effort in this direction would 
redound to great benefit to the Association and consequently to the 
southern nursery interests. Respectfully submitted, 
[Signed] W. Lee Wilson, Secretary. 
The report of the treasurer, Mr. Wilson, showed that 
$106.99 had been added to last year’s balance and disburse¬ 
ments had been $32.82, leaving a balance on hand of $74.17. 
The treasurer’s report showed that the following are among 
the active members of the Association : P. J. Berkmans Co., 
Startown Nursery Co., H. J. & O. Brabham, Knoxville Nursery 
Co., J. Van Lindley Nursery Co., John A. Young, Marble 
City Nursery Co., W. T. Hood, George P. Murrill, Alabama 
Nursery Co., J. G. Harrison & Sons, Griffing Bros. Co, 
Franklin Sherman, Jr., W. F. Heikes, G. L. Taber, Southern 
Nursery Co., Smith Bros., J. C. Hale, G. H. Miller & Son., 
Among the topics discussed at the first session was that of 
delays in the shipment of nursery stock. H. W. Hale said : 
I don’t know that it does any good at all to talk on this unless you 
appoint a committee to wait on the proper authorities represented by 
the Southern Classification Committee, or its auxiliary committee, 
whatever it may be. I remember quite well when three or four of us 
went before that committee on behalf of getting a reduction in freight 
rates, at the same time when we got minimum car reduced to 20,000 
lbs. and freight rates reduced 25 or 50 per cent. In that meeting we 
mentioned to this committee that we suffered delay on account of low 
transportation, owing largely to the fact that our shipments were in 
large boxes and heavy, and at many transfer points, doubtless, railroad 
hands without the knowledge of higher officials, would put off the 
transportation of those heavy boxes until the very last moment. 
I have every reason to believe that the railroad officials know very 
little about these delays. I myself think it is the heavy freights and 
no disposition of the railroads to be sluggish in our character of work. 
I do not know whether a new committee should be appointed, but I do 
believe it would pay the Association to let some committee take this 
matter up with the general freight agents of the systems over which 
we ship and make an effort to get at the proper authorities, and I feel 
sure that the prospects of our business in the South will brighten—they 
will quickly give us just what we want, so far as it is possible. 
President—Wherever there is a transfer from one line to another, or 
one system to another, there is where the trouble is. There is where 
we have to look, and I think we should have the committee continued 
on that point. I hear no complaints about rates. 
Mr. Smith—We have had some experience with railroad people. 
When we first began business we found it very difficult to get ship¬ 
ments through on time. We were on a small line. Since then the road 
has merged into the Southern and we are gradually getting nearer to 
the place where we deliver our stock ; 98 per cent, of our stock reaches 
its destination on time. The way we did it was, from time to time we 
worked the agent or general freight agent at the transfer points. We 
found that there was where the trouble arose. They let the freight 
lay there from a week to ten days. We afterwards made it a rule to 
have someone at these transfer points and had them hurry the stock 
forward. Any delay now occurs at more distant points, and by hurry¬ 
ing up the ageut at the transfer points we have been able to get our 
shipments practically all through on time. Just by correspondence 
with agents of the road at transfer points, and the general freight 
agents. 
EXPERIENCE AT WINCHESTER. 
Mr. Wilson—Winchester has quite a tale of woe to tell this year as 
to result of delays. I do not think the nurserymen there have lost less 
than $5,000 as the result of delays en route. We had one shipment 
that left Winchester on the 1st day of December for Louisiana points. 
This shipment contained between $8,000 and $4,000 worth of stock, 
and we gave the shipment twenty-five days in which to reach its 
destination. That shipment was traced not less than four or five times 
while it was in transit, and it finally reached its destination ten days 
behind time. Most of the deliveries contained in that shipment were 
from ten to fifteen days late. As a result, we lost not less than $1,000 
on that one shipment. The two nurseries at Winchester at one time 
sent a man especially to New Orleans to look up some shipments that 
had been lost sight of altogether. We could not locate them at all. 
The men who went to locate these shipments could get no satisfaction 
