THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
19 
THE FUTURE OF THE NURSERY BUSINESS 
An Address delivered before the Western Association of Nurserymen, at Kansas City, Mo., 
December 12th, by L. C. Stark, Vice-President of Stark Bros.^ Nurseries 
and Orchards Co., Louisiana, Missouri 
By L. C. Stark 
In considering the future of the nursery business, I shall 
not attempt to touch on subjects, such as replacing, which 
has been widely discussed, nor will I attempt to discuss such 
debatable questions as to whether or not the nursery business 
will continue to be largely handled through salesmen or will 
eventually become strictly a mail order proposition. Time 
alone can solve these problems. Also I shall not endeavor to 
forecast events, or make wild guesses or predictions as to what 
the future will bring forth. This we can only judge from the 
past. Future developments can not be foreseen, and any 
definite predictions I might make would be of little value and 
very uninteresting to this audience. Probably the next 
twenty-five years will be much the same as the last twenty- 
five years. The most marked difference, as I see it, is the 
renewed impetus the fruit industry as a whole has received 
by the “back to the land’’ movement. This movement, as 
you all well know, was originally a distinctly western idea and 
largely the result of western energy. 
Western Development 
Western orchardists have been progressives from the very 
beginning; their methods, judged by old horticultural 
standards, have been decidedly revolutionary, but these 
methods have made good and many sections are now follow¬ 
ing their lead—in fact, all sections have been more or less 
affected thereby. The western orchardists are to be con¬ 
gratulated on the part they have played in up-building and 
modernizing horticulture. Not only the orchardists, but also 
the western nurserymen who have been, to a certain extent, 
the teachers and advisers of the western orchardists. Many, 
in fact, all of you, have contributed largely to the great 
advancement and renewed interest in horticulture which we 
have witnessed during recent years. 
Review of the Past 
In our endeavor to penetrate the future, it may be interest¬ 
ing to look behind us, for we find that American nurserymen 
have been leaders sinee the earliest history of our country. 
Away back in 1794 we find Wm. Prince at the head of a nur¬ 
sery of large proportions at Flushing, Long Island. In his 
catalog list for that year we find an assortment almost, if 
not quite, equal in size to that of any of the largest nurseries 
of modem times. We also find that Prince knew how to 
advertise, both at home and abroad, and as a consequence, he 
created a wide market for his products. His exportations 
went forth to Europe and many other foreign countries. 
Upon closer investigation of the Prince Nurseries, how¬ 
ever, we find a marked absence of modem push and hustle. 
Scientific management, as known today, was a thing unheard 
of and its application unknown. On the contrary, our great 
nurseries of the present time are well systematized and are 
mn on a scientific basis, probably equal to that of any of the 
best institutions of this country. 
Past vs. Present 
In comparing the lists of our modem nurseries to the 
lengthy lists of Wm. Prince, issued in 1794, we find no great 
difference in size, however, one feature is conspicuous: Our 
modem nurseries list more varieties of great worth and fewer 
sorts of questionable value. Without fear of contradiction, 
I may safely say that the tendency of the better nurserymen 
of today is to grow only the best varieties with less regard to 
the demand, and this is as it should be. The nurseryman 
should be the dependable adviser of the planter. He should 
not grow, or sell to his customer, any stock that will not give 
satisfaction and full value received. 
Possibilities of the Future 
Many leading nurseries have now reached such a point in 
their internal organization that there is slight room for radical 
improvement or advancement. In planning for the future, 
we must look beyond the confines of our own business; we 
must look to the creation of a larger market for our products. 
This, we believe, is the one great opportunity which the 
future holds for us. Along these lines we must work out our 
salvation for the future success of the nursery business. 
There is only one way to increase to any marked extent the 
planting of trees and that is to largely increase the consump¬ 
tion of fmit. 
Fruit a Staple Food 
To accomplish our object, to build our future success on a 
broad and pemianent foundation, all fmit interests, scien¬ 
tists, nurserymen, orchardists, and fmit merchants should 
co-operate in an active campaign to popularize the use of 
fmit by the general public and place fmit in every household 
as a staple food. 
To do this, it will be necessary to educate the younger 
generation up to that point where every housewife will con¬ 
sider her larder just as incomplete without fmit as without 
flour, sugar or coffee. Such a campaign as this, at first 
thought, seems impracticable—in fact, almost impossible, 
however, we believe it is not only feasible, but necessary and 
sure to come. 
Health-Giving Qualities 
We have great possibilities on which to base such a move¬ 
ment, for good ripe fmit is not only of great food value, but 
