THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
193 
FRENCH FRUIT STOCKS 
Judging from the following extract from a letter from 
the Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards Co., Louisioana, 
Mo., to a New York importing firm the fruit stock situa¬ 
tion is further complicated by the action of the French 
Syndicate controlling the export prices. 
Between the action of our own government in estab¬ 
lishing Quarantine 37 and the back action of the French 
growers in putting up the prices, the American nursery¬ 
men and fruit-growers will feel very much like seeking 
other outlets for their energy and capital. 
“We feel that the French Syndicate prices are 
most unreasonable and we absolutely refuse to buy 
at those prices. We hope all American nurserymen 
will do likewise. 
“Of course, we realize that last year seedlings of 
all kinds were scarce—almost no crop on account of 
the war and bad season; but this year’s crop is a 
good one. We have confidential information from 
reliable French sources that there is a big crop, 
practically all lines, except plum and there are more 
plum than there were last year. There was excuse 
for paying '$39.00 last year, but there isn’t any ex¬ 
cuse for a juice of $230.00 this year. This same 
plum which they are asking $230.00 for, used to 
sell for $7.00—only one-thirty-fifth as much. 
“On pear for example, we have just received a 
letter from France saying that pear can be bought 
in France for 220 to 223 francs per thousand, at the 
present rate of foreign exchange, about $19.00 per 
thousand, whereas the French quote a juice of 
$70.00 a thousand. Quince for which the French 
are asking $30.00, can be bought in France for 180 
to 200 francs, or about $17.00. This shows what the 
French Syndicate is doing to the American Nur¬ 
serymen. 
“As to the Louis Leroy prices, young Lavavassour 
who now owns the Louis Leroy business, is Sec¬ 
retary of the French Syndicate and evidently his 
efforts to hold the prices up at a prohibitive figure, 
have prevailed in the Syndicate of which he is Sec¬ 
retary. Perhaps this is the French Nurserymen’s 
idea of recompense for the assistance rendered by 
America during the war. 
“If the Frenchmen insist on sticking to their ex¬ 
orbitant prices, we, and most other American Nur¬ 
serymen, will certainly feel like letting the French 
Syndicate keep their high-priced fruit stocks. 
“Regretting our inability to jilace orders with you 
for French stock on account of prices, etc., we are 
Yours very truly, 
Lloyd G. Stakk, Vice-President." 
On June 10th, Mr. Howard Neff Scarf, son of Mr. and 
Mrs. W. N. Scarf, New Carlisle, Ohio, was married to 
Miss Dorothy Catherine Zweiker, of Toledo, Ohio. The 
bride and groom left for a two weeks honeymoon triji to 
Loon Lake in the Adirondacks. Many friends and ac¬ 
quaintances in lhe nursery business will join with the 
National Nurseryman in wishing long life and happiness 
to the young couple. 
SUMMER OUTING OF THE PENNSYLVANIA 
NURSERYMEN 
The Pennsylvania Nurserymen’s Association held its 
summer meeting July 22nd. 
The members met at the nurseries of A. E. Wohlert, 
Narberth, Pa., .which are famous for their fine collec¬ 
tion of Japanese jdants. After looking over these with 
envious eyes expecially on a fine stock of Azalea llano 
de Girl and some of the newer kinds, Japanese cherries, 
etc., the party proceeded to the estate of Mr. Alba John¬ 
son, one of the show places of the Main Line, from 
thence to that of J. R. McFadden Estate. After looking 
over the collections of plants on these two fine places, 
they proceeded to Valley Forge. After dinner at the 
Hotel, a meeting was held in the open, near the observa¬ 
tory. About forty members were present, President 
Robert Pyle, in the chair. A committee was appointed 
to see if something could not be done to protect the nur¬ 
serymen. Unlike the builder, he cannot claim a statuary 
lien for labor or material supplied under the constitution 
of the State of Pennsylvania. 
It was also proposed the nurserymen in the vicinity of 
Philadelphia and New York combine to do some co-op¬ 
erative advertising to encourage fall planting. 
A CORRECTION 
We wish to confess an error published in our last 
issue. 
Among the officers elected by the National Association 
of Nurserymen to serve for the ensuing year as Execu¬ 
tive committeemen. 
It should have read:— 
E. W. Chattin, Winchester Nursery Co., Winchester, 
Tenn., instead of 
E. M. Chattin, Knoxville, Tenn., as printed. 
KEYSTONE STATE NURSERIES 
The Keystone State Nurseries, Beaver Falls, Pa., for¬ 
merly of 419 Jackson Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa., have pur- 
cliased near Beaver Falls, Pa., the large estate of Dr. 
James P. Kerr, president of Council, Pittsburgh, son- 
sisting of 173 acres with two complete sets of modern 
buildings. We have been growing stock on this estate 
for over a year and have found it exceedingly well 
adapted for nursery purposes. They are just a short 
distance from the railroad and have splendid shipping 
facilities on the main line of the Penn. System, and have 
also purchased from Mr. G. H. Poe of Kenton, Ohio, his 
entire nursery interests including his “mammoth 
grape” which he has tested out in twenty-eight states. 
The D. Ilill Nursery Company, Dundee, Ill., is bring¬ 
ing its mailing list up to date. . , 
When a business house spends money to obtain infor¬ 
mation about its customers it points to progress along 
modern lines. 
Classified indexes are costly things to compile and 
maintain uj> to date, but necessary to large success. 
