THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
I go 
'I'hc oldest dauj^htcr, Mrs. Forstrat Hartmann, whose hus¬ 
band was a commissioner of woods, is already a widow; the 
second daughter is married to Mr. von Rose in Aurich, mem- 
Ijer of an official council. Last summer, although suffering, 
he was nevertheless able to celebrate the wedding of his third 
daughter, who married Mr. Paul Naglo from Diisseldorf, but 
the engagement of his fourth daughter was only announced a 
few months ago with Mr. Peter Louis Ravene, the son of the 
Privy Councillor and Vice-President of the Chamber of Com¬ 
merce of Berlin. 
In seven years the nursery of Mr. Spaeth, which is managed 
by the son of the deceased in the same way, will be able to 
celebrate its existence of 200 years, and is the only industry 
in Greater-Berlin which has been kept for so long in the 
possession of one family. 
THE PARCELS POST AND THE NURSERYMAN 
In the last issue of Trade Notes we gave some comments on 
a letter received from one of the northern nurserymen, which 
has raised considerable needless discussion. It has been 
needless, simply because the matter was given publicity thru 
misapprehension of the facts. Like a good many other 
nurserymen, who have rather small use for the mail in 
transportation of goods, we paid little attention to the 
Parcels Post Bill while being framed. 
On receipt of the letter in question we gave the matter to 
the printer without investigation. At the same time we 
wrote to the Hon. Sydney Anderson, representing the First 
District in Minnesota in the House of Representatives, and 
received a letter from him, which explains the whole matter. 
We print it in full below. 
We have also received similar explanations from many 
eastern nurserymen, who seem to have been better acquainted 
with the situation than we were. We trust that our error has 
not resulted in too great a deluge of correspondence falling on 
Congressional Representatives, and if it has, we beg their 
pardon. 
House of Representatives 
Washington, D. C., February 18, 1913. 
The Jewell Nursery Company, 
Mr. R. D. Underwood, Secretary, 
Lake City, Minnesota. 
My dear Mr. Underwood: 
I acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 15 th instant in 
which you inquire as to the reason why the parcel post rates 
were not made applicable to seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots, 
scions and plants. 
In reply beg to state that prior to January i, 1913, the 
postage rate on mail matter of the fourth class (merchandise) 
was one cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce. There 
were some exceptions, however. Congress evidently recog¬ 
nized that the people of the United States would derive a very 
great benefit from a low rate of postage on plants and seeds— 
probably greater than on any other class of merchandise—■ 
and by an Act approved July 24, 1888, provided a special rate 
00 seeds, bulbs, plants, etc., of one cent for each two ounces 
or fraction thereof. 
Among those who opposed the passage*of the Bourne 
parcel post bill were a large number of nursery and seedsmen. 
They took the position that if the Bourne rates were applied 
to their products it would result in increasing the rate on a 
great many shipments. For instance, they said that under 
their special rate they could ship a 12 ounce package any¬ 
where in the United States for six cents and that under the 
Bourne rates the same six cents would only carry a 12 ounce 
package one hundred and fifty miles; that under the special 
rate they could ship a 22 ounce package anywhere in the 
United States for eleven cents; that the same eleven cents 
would carry the same 22 ounce package but 300 miles under 
the Bourne rates; that they could send a 10 pound package 
from one end of the country to the other for 80 cents but the 
same 80 cents would carry the same package but one thousand 
miles under the Bourne rates. To be brief, they insisted that 
on the average the Bonme rates increased the special rates 
provided by the Act of July 24, 1888, and further insisted 
that they be exempted from the parcel post rates and allowed 
to retain the special rate of two ounces for one cent herein 
before referred to. 
In my judgment they were correct in this insistence for a 
comparison of the special rate with the present parcel post 
rate shows that on shipments travelling 50 miles or less the 
Bourne rates are higher than the special rates on shipments 
weighing less than 10 ounces. On shipments travelling 150 
miles or less the Bourne rates are higher than the special rate 
on shipments weighing less than 20 ounces. On packages 
travelling 300 miles or less the Bourne rates are higher on all 
packages weighing 24 ounces or less. On shipments travelling 
more than 400 and less than 600 miles the Bourne rates are 
higher on all packages weighing less than 52 ounces. On 
packages travelling more than 600 but less than one thousand 
miles the Bourne rates are higher on all packages weighing 
60 ounces or less. On packages travelling more than 1000 
miles the Bourne rates are higher in every instance than the 
special rate. 
As a rule it is difficult enough to get for people something 
that they do want without trying to compel them to take 
something which they insist they do not want. So the upshot 
of the entire matter was that plants and seeds were specifically 
excepted from the parcel post rates and allowed to retain the 
special rate of one cent for each two ounces or fraction. The 
only change made so far as these articles are concerned was to 
raise the weight limit from 4 to 11 pounds. 
On the loth of January I introduced a bill which was 
designed to eliminate the increases in the present law over 
the old rate on fourth class mail matter on weights from 4 to 
12 ounces and 17 to 24 ounces and to provide ounce rates from 
I to 32 ounces graduated proportionately to the present 
pound rates. This bill would reduce the rates very materially 
on smaller weights and shorter distances and would reverse 
the conditions which now exist in the relation between the 
special rate referred to and the parcel post rate. 
I trust you will find the explanation herein given satisfac¬ 
tory. In any event it is the only explanation which can be 
given. If I can give you any additional information I shall 
be very glad to do so. 
Jewell Nursery Co., 
Sydney Anderson, 
Wholesale Trade Notes. 
