THE NATIONAL NURSERY^rAN 
53 
Brothers, now in the Naval Reserve, with headquar¬ 
ters at Jacksonvilte, Fta. 
Chartes Schwentker, Battery F, i28th U. S. F. A., Ft. Sill, 
Oklahoma—New Haven Nurseries, New Haven, Mo. 
Charles R. Smith, Aviation Section of the Signal Reserve 
Corps, Avialion Camp, San Antonio, Texas.—Smith 
Bros. Nursery Company, Concord, Ga. 
Lawton V. Smith, nephew of the Smith Brothers, of Con¬ 
cord Nurseries, of Concord, Ga., now a lieutenant in 
the Aviation Section of the Army, and stationed near 
Ctay M. Stark, Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co., 
Louisiana, Missouri. American Field Service. Now 
in France. 
Lloyd C. Slark, Major of Ihe Field Arlillery, Fort Sill, 
Okla. Vice-Fresidenl and a Direclor of Stark Bros. 
Nuj'series and Orchards Co., Louisiana, Mo. Presi¬ 
dent of the National Association of Nurseries. 
George Taylor, Battery “F,” 108th U. S. F. A., Camp Han¬ 
cock, Georgia.—Thomas Meehan & Sons. 
Stanley V. Wilcox, Co. E. 103rd Engineers, Camp Han¬ 
cock, Augusta, Ga. Thomas Meehan & Sons, Ger¬ 
mantown, Pa. 
Robert J. McCarthy, Sergeant, 101st Machine Gun Bat¬ 
talion, American Expeditionary Force now in France. 
Clarence J. Galligan, f2nd Co., U. S. C. A., Fori Adams, 
R. I. 
William P. Langdon, Third Officers Traming Camp, Yap- 
hank, N. 
OFFICE WOHK FOR FEBRUARY 
Anythiiig that can be done now to relieve the i)ressure 
of work in spring is profitable. The winter months are 
slack ones in the nursery offiee as far as business is con¬ 
cerned, yet, if we think ahead a great deal can be done 
that will make things run smoothly and relieve the pres¬ 
sure when shipping eommences. 
The first thing neeessary is perhaps to clean up and get 
rid of aceumulations. Very few ofliees that will not ac¬ 
cumulate all kinds of junk that ought to be done away 
with. One prime requisite is to have the stock books in 
shape so that you will know just what you have to sell. 
Too mueh information cannot be put upon them. It 
ought to be possible to know the (juantity, grade, price, 
condition, etc., at a moment’s notice when the inquiries 
and orders begin to come in, and sueb information being 
immediately available will save an immense amount of 
time when time is valuable. Supplementary informa¬ 
tion as to wher{‘ stock can be secured (juickly will also be 
found convenient. 
It is quite a job to book every ordei- as it is received, 
yet it is the only rtiethod that will keep things straight, 
and if systematically planned, it is very mechanical and 
may be attended lo by an unskilled employee. There i-^ 
nothing quite so aggravating as to sell or oiler stock and 
after the order has been accepted and turned out for shij)- 
ment to find out you do not have it. Every nursery has 
its own particular system, either by book, index cards or 
maybe the proprietor keeps the records in his head, trust¬ 
ing to his memoiy to keep things straight. If the lattci’. 
he will find a simple record on pa[)er, atbrnded to by his 
stenographer, will r(diev(' him from much woriy and giv(‘ 
him more time to attend to things he cannot delegate to 
someone else. 
If the past year’s eorrespondence be looked over, it will 
b(' surprising how much alike* aia* the numerous impiiries 
that have* h(*en made*, and this snggc'sts the information be 
made (juickly available* if ne)t in actual Ibrin letteu's, in 
such a way that it will ne)t re*e|uire an expert te) answe*r 
the^ letters. 
II it is a re*tail husine*ss, the* e|uerie*s will be* many and 
various. What kinel e)f fruit tree shall I j)lant? What 
we)uld a shaele tree ce)st? What weeiihl you suggest for 
a poreh heel with a southern (*xpe)sure? etc., etc. There? 
is not the slightest reason \\ hy all these answers shouhl 
not be j)repareel in aelvanee, and prepareel to fit the stock 
ye)u have to offer. * 
The form letter has been pretty well workeel to death, 
hut it still has its uses when it is ne)t too e)hvie)usly a 
te)rm, and there is ne) time like the winter months for 
planning them out. 
Another important job is a check-up of supplies so as 
to have sutlici(*nt to last over the season, or know wh(*re 
they can be quickly j)rocured. In tht*se days of modern 
metbod, there are few businesses that do not have a card 
index of their customers and ])rospeets. and winter is the 
time to thoroughly cheek tliem up. w(*eding out the 
“dead” ones, and putting them in sliape for the coming 
spring. 
THE SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION OF 
NURSERYMEN IS ORGANIZED 
T he t exas Nurserymen’s Association automatically 
passed out of existence, when the Southwestern 
Assoeiation of Nurserymen’s organization was 
formed. The new organization will cover the States of 
Arizona, New Mexieo, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma 
and Texas. 
The new organzation was formed as the result of a 
committee being a])pointed at the Waco mc(*ting of the 
Texas Nurserymen’s Association last Septeml)er, w hen it 
was definitely decided to form a new organization cov¬ 
ering the entire Southwest instead of just Texas. The 
matter was taken up with prominent nurserymen and 
florists over the Southwest and sanctioned by them, 
wdiieh resulted in the forming of the new organization. 
Many letters and t(*legrams were read from selected 
delegates over the States forming the new" association, 
indorsing the movement and saying that on account of 
the busy season of the year many appointed delegates 
could not attend. The regular date of the association 
will be the fourth Tuesday in September, w hich is said 
to be a dull period for the nurserymen in the Southwest 
and when the next meeting is held here in Septembei* a 
hundred or more men are expected to attend from the 
States foi'ining the new association. 
J. R. Mayhew". Waxahachie. acted as chairman of the 
meeting, w ith ,1. W. Tackett of Fort Worth acting secre- 
taiy. 
A constitution and liy-law" committee consisting of M. 
Falkner, Waco: E. W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, and W. 
A. Wagnei*. of Durant, was appointed and before tbe 
meeting adjourned presented a set of by-law"s and a con¬ 
stitution that were later adopted. 
A committee composed of C. C. Mayhew. Sherman; C. 
E. Stephens and W. R. Munson was named to nominate 
