THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
453 
THE DEPARTMENT STORE AND THE NURSRYMEN 
A CRITICISM AND A REJOINDER 
Editor National Nurseryman; 
I have read with much interest the article under above 
heading in your August number, written by Mr. R. H. 
Smith, and if the space in your paper permits, would like to 
have my views on this subject set forth. 
The problem of how to have the department stores stop 
selling mrrsery stock is a very difficult one, and has often 
been discussed between the writer and some of the largest 
nurserymen in this country. 
Nursery Stock as Sold by Department Stores 
I admit, the way department stores sell and handle 
nursery stock is a very poor one. Where they take pride in 
handling only the best grades of goods in other branches, they 
do not hesitate to sell the poorest grade of plants in the 
poorest way possible. They do not try to obtain the best 
stock they can, nor to obtain a price equal to the value. 
Judging from the above, it would look as if department stores 
are not the best places to buy, and I have often wondered if 
they use the same policy in handling dry goods, etc. 
Can Department Stores be Prevented from Selling 
Trees and Shrubs? 
The question now is, how to make department stores stop 
selling trees and shrubs. 
This question is not easy to answer, as too many complica¬ 
tions arise. 
In the firse place: Are Department Stores Entitled 
TO Sell Nursery Stock? 
From one point of view, I think they are. They form a 
combination of retailers in every line of merchandise from 
dry goods to groceries, etc., and therefore, I do not know why 
they should not sell nursery products, if they can handle them 
properly. But they should not sell the more perishable class 
of these goods, if they have not the necessary facilities. 
Bulbs, seeds, and pot plants can easily be sold from a counter 
but this cannot be done with shrubs and rose bushes, rhodo¬ 
dendrons and the like. These need careful and skilful 
handling. A well ventilated storage cellar and a space of 
ground to heel them in are indispensable. This costs labor 
and money which makes expenses too high to sell them at the 
price they get for them. Lacking these facilities, department 
stores cannot sell this stock satisfactorily, even if they buy 
the best stock obtainable. For this reason, I think depart¬ 
ment stores should not handle mursery stock. 
One big department store states on their wrapping paper 
and bags: “Our interest doesn’t end with the making of a 
sale. We want to know to a certainty that the goods turn 
out alright. We are never satisfied with a transaction until 
the customer is more than satisfied.’’ 
I wonder if they could stand for the satisfaction their 
rosebushes give their customers. 
But on the other hand, where they are dealers in all 
classes of merchandise, they are entitled to trade in nursery 
stock. And if this is right, then nurserymen, including the 
Hollanders, may sell to them their stock. 
2. Where do These Stores Get Their Stock? 
All articles written about this subject accuse the Dutch¬ 
man alone of selling to department stores. He is blamed 
for all the evil. 
This is entirely unjust. Aside from the Hollander, there 
are a great number of American nurserymen who sell to 
department stores. I know of one department store that 
told a Dutch traveller that they bought their stock now 
from a nurseryman in the city, because they could return 
all that remained imsold and in this way had no losses. This is 
quite acceptable from the store’s point of wiew, but is it right 
to sell to department stores on these conditions, when it is not 
the custom to sell to a fellow nurseryman in the same way? 
Besides the Dutchman and the American nurseryman, 
there are the dealers who buy stock for the puspose of selling 
to department stores. Then, there are the florists who sup¬ 
ply them every morning with fresh cut flowers and pot plants; 
further, seedsmen selling them seeds and bulbs. All these 
contribute to the much-despised evil, and it will be hard to 
say who does the most harm. 
And, while not all nurserymen, florists, dealers, and seeds¬ 
men sell to them, neither do all Dutchmen try to get depart¬ 
ment store orders. I know several Boskoop Arms that do not 
cater to that class of business. 
The third question that arises is: Do Only Department 
Stores Sell Inferior and Poorly Handled Stuff? 
There are in some cities other dealers who try to copy this 
system, and do it just as poorly. 
Discontinue Your Patronage of These Stores 
Now, if this dealing should be stopped, I think the way 
Mr. Smith suggests is not the most practicable, as it is 
impossible to know and boycott all who sell to department 
stores. The best and only way is to prevent department 
stores from selling these goods. How this can be effected, I 
do not exactly know, but I think if the American Association 
of Nurserymen and the American Florists’ Association could 
get together and boycott the department stores that handled 
nursery stock, this would give better results than to boycott 
the dealer for selling them. 
If I am not mistaken, this system was also applied by 
French nurserymen against the sale of nursery stock by the 
big Paris department stores. But these stores handled to a 
large extent florists’ supplies, like ribbons, etc., which the 
florists refused to buy from them as long as they sold nursery 
stock and cut flowers, and their petition had, therefore, a 
strong support. 
I hope others will also give their views on this subject. 
It may be that little can be done to stop this business, but 
if it is necessary that something be done, I assure you that a 
great number of Hollanders will be glad to co-operate with 
you. They generally, “sit up and take notice.’’ 
Boskoop, Holland J. Dykhuis. 
