THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
141 
other city offers so many things to see: so many things 
that every American should see. So, why not Washing¬ 
ton? 
CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS ACCORDING TO 
THEIR RELATIVE COMMERCIAL VALUE 
Mr. A. E. Nelson, Chicago, in an address before the 
Illinois Nurserymen’s Association, advocated classifying 
evergreens, trees and shrubs to simplify the pricing and 
he a guide to determine their commercial value. He 
spoke as follows:— 
A great many factors enter into the attempt lo deter¬ 
mine the commercial value of plants. Let us enumer¬ 
ate some of these factors: 
(1) The ease or difficulty with which a plant can 
be propagated. 
(2) The amount of labor involved in its care, and 
the space occupied in the nursery during the 
period from its propagation to its saleable con¬ 
dition. 
(3) The few, or many times a plant must he trans¬ 
planted in order to obtain a proper root sys¬ 
tem for a saleable nursery plant. 
(4) The average casualties which occur by reason 
of transplanting, thereby diminishing the num¬ 
ber of saleable plants. 
The factors just mentioned have to do with the pro¬ 
ducing of plants. There is also a fifth factor to be con¬ 
sidered: Namely “distribution.” Some shrubs, especially 
those used for hedges, have a very large sale, and may 
be safely produced in large numbers. Whereas other 
plants not more difficult to grow, have a limited sale, 
and if grown in too large numbers, are sure to find their 
way to the brush pile. 
The same is true with trees. Shade trees which are 
used only for avenue planting, are in far greater de¬ 
mand than those for merely ornamental purposes. I am 
not familiar enough with the subject to speak with 
authority as to fruit trees, but I imagine the same con¬ 
dition exists with regard to them. 
With the above factors in mind, it can be seen how 
difficult it is to make exact classifications. It is es¬ 
pecially so in a country as large as the United States 
with its varying climatic conditions in different local¬ 
ities. It is therefore not very surprising that nursery¬ 
men have practically side-stepped this matter and have 
followed the easier method of basing their prices on 
someone else’s catalogue, and thus letting the blind lead 
the blind. 
There has however, been some development in recent 
years which seems to indicate an approach to more uni¬ 
formity in the pricing of nursery products. An analy¬ 
sis of many of the catalogues published recently, will 
show, that to a certain extent, classifications more or 
less consistent, are acknowledged by all nurserymen. 
For example: no one would put a Poplar and a Sugar 
Maple in the same class as to their commercial value. 
Neither would they place together a Norway Spruce and 
a Colorado Blue Spruce; nor a Rush Honeysuckle with 
a Viburnum. 
Mr. Nelson named a list dividing them into groups, 
according to the factors specified above. 
The suggestion is well worthy of consideration by the 
National Association. 
Actual cost data being impractical when growing most 
nursery stock. The law of averages worked out under 
such a classification is more likely to give a correct 
comparative value than following a custom that has just 
happened. 
SECRETARY WATSON “PASSES THE BUCK” 
May 3, 1920. 
Editor National Nurseryman, 
Flourtown, Pennsylvania. 
Dear Sir:— 
It was very kind of you and more than generous to 
refer to my efforts in the transportation matter in the 
way that you did in the National Nurseryman just at 
hand. And I thank you very sincerely. 
I wish to make a point of this prompt acknowledgment 
in order to attach to it a request that you make it clear 
upon opportunity that the reason for my going to Wash¬ 
ington was because of my nearness to railroad and gov¬ 
ernment headquarters; Mr. Sizemore, our Traffic Manag¬ 
er, has been actively and effectively on the job in both St. 
Louis and Chicago, looking after the situation at that 
end. I wish to make sure, through your columns, that 
Mr. Sizemore has full credit with the members for his 
prompt efficient work in their interests. My being near 
Washington simply brought me quickly into touch with 
conditions there and the outcome would doubtless have 
been quite the same. I happened to be on hand when 
action was taken. The cooperation of members in writ¬ 
ing and wiring their Congressmen was merely an ex¬ 
ample of what good team-work can accomplish. 
Yours very truly, 
John Watson, Secretary. 
SHOULD THE ILLINOIS NURSERYMEN S ASSOCIA¬ 
TION CERTIFY TO SALES MADE BY MEMBERS? 
By Alvin E. Nelson, Chicago. 
The question, “Should the Illinois Nurserymen’s Asso¬ 
ciation Certify to sales made by its members” really in¬ 
cludes two questions. First, Should any Nurserymen’s 
Association certify the sales by its members? and second 
Should the Illinois Nurserymen’s Association be the body 
which certifies to such sales? 
I am inclined to answer the first question in the affirm¬ 
ative because by such means we can most effectually 
combat the harm that has been done to the nursery busi¬ 
ness in general, by the bad practices of a few unscrupu¬ 
lous men. These had practices have thrown discredit on 
our trade, and unless the nurserymen as a body clean up 
their house, the government will do it for them. The 
public is certainly entitled to protection from some source 
and it is the duty of the government to furnish that pro¬ 
tection wherever necessary. 
Do not suppose that the nursery business has been 
singled out as specially in need of government control. 
The government has safeguarded the public from possible 
abuses in many other businesses. Banks are controlled 
for the safety of the depositors. 
Investment companies are under government supervi- 
