Cbe national IRurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXX HATBORO, PENNA., DECEMBER 1922 No. 12 
Developement of the Nursery Trade 
By X 
The progress and expansion of the Nursery Trade is 
the one all absorbing subject of thought and action ot 
those in the trade at the present time. Most ot us realize 
the trade as a trade is only in an embryo state and the 
lines along which it will develope are somewhat obscure. 
Market Developement, National, State and District 
Associations as well as individual firms are all interested 
and striving to bring it about, each according to the ideas 
they think will bring the best results. 
because an allied industry adopted a happy “Slogan’ - 
many think a similar one would do wonders for the 
Nursery business, but progress and expansion depend on 
more than slogans, they depend as much as anything 
upon proper channels of distribution. 
If we analyze the trade as a whole and at the same 
time give consideration to the nature of nursery products, 
not forgetting they are perishable, not a finished product, 
that their value to the customer is largely potential, we 
can not help but come to the conclusion that the greatest 
expansion and progress will come through the develop¬ 
ment of the Retail Nursery Trade, which can supply serv¬ 
ice along with the goods. 
The first essential for a retail business is: 
A geographical location in or near a populated district, 
where the goods may be seen and the highest quality of 
service rendered in getting them successfully established 
on the consumers’ grounds. This service is perhaps as 
vital as high quality plants to progress and expansion of 
the trade. 
Assuming the above, developement will be along the 
lines of many small nurseries located in suburbs, florists 
and jobbing gardeners and such channels that can give 
service. A nursery can not serve a large area in compe¬ 
tition, except as a large unit with many branches. 
It is a costly error for retail distributors not manufac¬ 
turers. Their grounds should be for display, not to show 
quality but artistry in arrangement. In other words, ap¬ 
pealing to and encouraging the customer to buy should 
be the keynote. 
Propagation of plants requiring time before they be¬ 
come marketable should be avoided for the following 
reasons: 
FIRST: If a nursery is properly located as a selling 
organization costs of growing will be prohibitive. Due 
to high land values, high labor costs and the general loss 
in efficiency that comes in attempting to do two radically 
different things with one organization, Sales and Ser¬ 
vice should dominate a retail merchandising business. 
SECOND: Some plants can not be successfully and 
cheaply propagated and grown when young in uncon¬ 
genial soils and climates, that have immense value and 
hardiness when mature. The results of a nurseryman’s 
trying to raise them under the wrong conditions makes 
them prohibitive in cost to the consumer or a loss to the 
nurseryman. The result will be a limited variety, to 
choose from and the substitution of less worthy plants. 
One can not over emphasize the importance of using 
the right plant in the right place. It is true since the 
war, stocks were depleted and propagation halted, but 
production will catch up and the buyer will be more dis¬ 
criminating. 
The success of a retail business depends on quick turn 
over so that a retail nursery business should aim to buy 
from the wholesaler who can grow good stock at the 
least cost and use his own grounds as a show window 
rather than a place to grow things. 
The financial reasons are obvious, at the end of the 
year its profits will be in cash and the size will depend 
on the turn over. It will not be necessary to explain to 
wife a lack of money after a fine season’s business, by 
saying profits are represented by a frozen inventory that 
cannot be liquidated. 
The inventory of the nursery industry is perhaps its 
worst feature, it represents a big investment and yet 
apart from the land it occupies it is worthless, when it 
comes to borrowing money upon it. And the wise re¬ 
tailer of the future will let the grower hold the bag. 
It is a curious thing that in the nursery trade the pre¬ 
vailing opinion seems to be that prices can be kept up and 
advanced artificially and at the same time business in¬ 
creased. There is hardly an industry in the United 
States to day, (Politicians to the contrary) that is able 
artificially to manipulate prices in defiance of natural 
economic laws. 
It is ridiculous to think that our very loosely organized 
industry could do so if they tried. In the second place 
it is not to be desired. 
Restricted production for the purpose of securing high 
prices from the consumer is economically unsound and 
is decidedly anti-expansion. 
Nursery products must be popularized and brought 
within the reach of all. 
Travelers in Europe are always struck by the lavish 
use of flowers and plants, the humblest cottage is gener¬ 
ously planted. Such should be, in a way, the aim of the 
Nursery trade in America. To transform our new raw¬ 
ness to a thing of joyous beauty. 
If this is adopted as the aim and policy it will be 
profitable to them, because it will mean volume, and vol¬ 
ume is the keynote of American industry and progress. 
