THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
39 
ticular association languishes. Other state or district as¬ 
sociations may be extremely virile its members being 
nationally known and a power in the affairs of the trade. 
In such a case this particular association very often du¬ 
plicates the work of the National Association which is 
waste effort in striving for the common good of tin 1 
trade. 
Every locality has its own peculiar local problems 
that must necessarily be handled by its own associa¬ 
tion but the larger problems common to the trade in 
all parts of the country can only be handled thru the 
National Association representing the entire country. 
Could not an immense saving of time, money and ef¬ 
fort be saved by drawing the district and state associa¬ 
tions in closer touch with the National Association, so 
that well directed effort thru cohesion and cooperation 
of the entire trade be directed along the most effective 
lines? As it is at present many nurserymen are active 
in several associations which to say the least is not mak¬ 
ing the most out of their efforts at the least expense to 
them. Will not some one with a genius for organization 
draw up a plan by which all the nursery trade associa¬ 
tions could be affilliated and brought in close touch with 
the National Association? 
It would be a long step towards bringing about uni¬ 
form state laws, standardization, standards of practice 
and cooperative effort along lines most needed for 
the benefit of the trade. 
“CREATING THE DESIRE TO PLANT” 
Read by Mr. Clarence Siebenthaler, Dayton, ()., Before 
the Illinois Nurserymen s Associaton, January 20//?. 
Illustrated by samples of advertising, “Publicity 
Stunts,” and articles in daily papers, the public at large 
needs a rude awakening to our forestry problems. Long 
Island buys her lumber in Washington, Oregon and west¬ 
ern Canada. While this lumber is enroute it traverses 
millions of acres of waste land, which would be admir¬ 
able for reforestration and nothing else The Federal 
legislators have the power to carry on these projects, but 
the pleasure loving public does not give its support and 
so very little is accomplished. The country needs the 
nurseries to supply their wants. Reforestration programs 
furnish a tremendous latent market for the fifty thous¬ 
and acres of nursery stock grown in the United States, 
but a good product, unless it is so extraordinary good as 
to be revolutionary will not sell itself without consider¬ 
able assistance. 
I called upon a friend a few days ago in an Indiana 
town of about forty thousand population. As every 
proud citizen is apt to do, he proceeded to show me 
the best residential section. I could not help but notice 
the opportunities for landscape improvement. Scarcely 
more than one-fourth of the houses were planted. In 
this case, not because the residents did not appreciate and 
desire more attractive homes, but because of the proper 
source from which to secure suitable stock and services. 
In the country we see a prosperous looking farm, well 
kept buildings, good crops and one corner of the garden, 
a half-dozen delapidated and uncared for fruit trees. 
The owner planted the trees in this particular location 
because the ground was too poor to grow a farm crop 
or perhaps it was cold, clammy soil, which was too low 
to drain in the spring for garden crops. 
No doubt, the agent, if he bought it from such, told 
him that any old place would do for fruit trees. The man 
is discouraged and dissatisfied and the prospects of sell¬ 
ing to him again are slim indeed. Here is an opportun¬ 
ity, nevertheless, if the owner can be shown the pleasure, 
convenience and profit to be derived from a small orchard 
located on a more suitable piece of soil, properly trimmed 
sprayed and fertilized. 
We see everywhere the need of trees and shrubs, both 
fruit and ornamental, deciduous and evergreen, woody 
and herbaceous. These things are universally admired, 
but it remains for us to awaken the vast multitudes to 
realization of their needs; to show them, if you please, 
that it is within the means of everyone of them to enjoy 
them and profit in their possession. I repeat, we are per¬ 
forming a distinct duty to humanity when we satisfy this 
need by selling our products. It is the aim of each one 
of us to dispose of our products for profit, but we must 
not force them down the public’s throat, so to speak, as 
that has been done some time in the past. We must cre¬ 
ate in the minds of everyone a desire to improve them¬ 
selves, their property, their communities and their pock- 
etbooks,. Once this desire is created our products are 
easily sold and in greater quantities than ever before. 
The travelling nursery agent of the past gained his 
audience by wedging his foot in the crack of the door, 
when the skeptical housewife condescended to open it 
wide enough to peep thru. I remember one who would 
then haul out an old banjo and entertain the children 
for an hour or so. In this way he secured their attention 
and aroused their interest, but it was still a long way 
from closing the sale. He created a desire for his pro¬ 
ducts by much exaggerated highly-colored plate books. 
He convinced the prospect that he could not live unless 
he placed an order and then closed the sale after fabulous 
promises that he would come each year and trim down 
and even assist in picking the fruit free of charge 
I do not propose, by any means, to discredit the travel¬ 
ing agent, because he was the vehicle in the past by 
which the larger part of nursery products has been 
marketed. The firm has been to blame for sending out 
unscrupulous persons as their representatives. Such 
agents have been able to see but one side of the sale, 
that is, their commission. The equally important side is 
the profit to the buyer. Nurserymen of the past have 
handed out plates and order books to anyone who might 
apply, regardless of the knowledge of the subject or their 
ability to properly advise the buyer. If we hope to con¬ 
tinue marketing our products thru agents we must send 
forth trained salesmen who know the nursery line, the 
habits of the plants and the proper varieties for the par¬ 
ticular conditions at hand. 
In creating this desire for more and better planting 
we have the advantage of that trait of human nature ex¬ 
pressed in “OHS” and “AIIS” when a beautiful scene 
is exhibited in a moving picture. Manufacturers of 
building materials declare real estate, and home build¬ 
ers recognize its existence. They decorate their adver¬ 
tising copy with a luxurious growth of trees and llow- 
ers. In fact, we have all noticed advertisements that 
