Gbc national nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXVIII. HATBORO, PENNA., OCTOBER 1920 No. 10 
THINKING 
Address by Paul C. Lindley before the Southern Nurserymen's Association. Recently elected President 
of that Association 
Thinking calls for considerable concentration, but I 
find that many of our nurserymen do not feel the im¬ 
portance of thinking, but after this meeting I hope you 
will have food for thought. 
When we decided to come to Charleston last year, my 
thoughts were a change of meeting place, perhaps find 
some new broad-leaved evergreens and enjoy a short 
visit with the hoys. But, gentlemen, times have changed 
since our last meeting. Up in Chicago at the meeting of 
the A. A. of N. they had a little ring tailed twister call¬ 
ed a cyclone and the radical members along with “Trust¬ 
worthy Trees” etc. pulled something worth while. 
Now we southerners meet here in Charleston, I do not 
want to bring up fond recollections to the old settlers, 
but they once had an earthquake here, not a little cy¬ 
clone. An earthquake is one of those slat jarring things 
and for some seconds you do not know whether you are 
coming or going. In the case of a blind man, who re¬ 
ceived his shock, jumped up, threw away his sign read¬ 
ing “I am blind” opened his eyes and ran away, that 
would be called an ‘eye opener.’ That’s what the Chicago 
convention was—an eye opener. Since the convention I 
have received a letter from one of our nursery firms 
complaining of the ethics of certain firms in a certain 
state, and wishing that their names and marvelous tales 
be published. But I don’t think that we have quite reach¬ 
ed the stage; at least, the nurserymen haven’t, though 
the farm press has been libeling our men and firms. 
But to try and correct that evil we have a representa¬ 
tive body of men, the Entomologists, our “governers,” 
whose duty it is to see that we do not exceed the speed 
limit. In inviting several of them to meet with us, the ex¬ 
ecutive committee realized that many nurserymen of our 
association had voiced their sentiment that we did not 
need them at our meetings. But we must have help, and 
drastic help too, if we rid ourselves quickly of the “wild¬ 
cat” nurserymen. You know your neighbors’ faults, the 
entomologists in each state should know all our faults, 
so why not have them with us, face to face, man to man, 
and tell them what we want? It is against the law to 
misrepresent in some things, why shouldn’t it be against 
the law to misrepresent fruit trees and other things we 
grow ? 
There is an old saying, “You can’t judge a man by the 
clothes he wears,” but let’s get something started before 
we leave Charleston so that we can tell the variety of a 
budded tree by the label it carries. 
There are men in this room sailing along under the 
“Trustworthy Tree” banner that can help all of us, if, 
especially towards the end of the shipping season, they 
would not sell any and everything in the shape of a tree 
to unscrupulous salesmen and dealers. I received a 
quarterly bulletin from the Virginia Station a few days 
ago, giving the names of different nursery firms ship¬ 
ping apple trees into their state; also the per cent of 
crown gall and aphis on same. They also named the Gar¬ 
den Spot Nursery Company of North Carolina as ship¬ 
ping 1200 seedling Peach trees. This caused their license 
to be cancelled in Virginia; why allow them to sell at 
home ? 
I wish all states would get out a quarterly bulletin 
and publish the names and deeds, including seedlings, 
shipped by all nursery firms. I think Virginia has the 
best law governing the nursery industry in the south, in¬ 
spection before planting. 
The entomologists were appointed to protect the plant¬ 
er against scale and diseases, but what we desire now is 
for them to help in protecting the nurserymen as well as 
the planter against seedlings. The inspector should with¬ 
hold a certificate from a nurseryman until all seedlings, 
where he finds them salable size, are destroyed. 
Apricots, Quince, Plum and Pear 70 cents wholesale 
and the tree dealer clamoring, wiring send me anything 
for substitute, a 35 cent price and he takes them all. 
What does he get—Seedlings! 
When you drive rivets, you have to jab ’em home, and 
while they are hot. If any of you wish to class me as 
one of the apostles or too radical, just remember I am 
only telling the truth. We are now on a hot trail; the 
nursery interests arc eager, interested and can be in¬ 
fluenced. The time to “catch ’em” and drive them home 
to “Trustworthy Trees” is while they are hot. 
Shall we co-operate with the state officials in correct¬ 
ing bad practices, or keep on as usual, side stepping and 
bluffing? That is the usual method of both parties. Put 
a case squarely up to a state official, they admit it is 
wrong, bad, unethical, and against the law, but there is 
nothing they can do. Now what we are going to insist 
upon is that you go home and make some laws that will 
handle the crooked nurserymen and tree dealer. Will 
you fire from the hip, or will what you hear go in one 
ear and out the other, or will you have the nerve to act 
and tell the truth. 
The eyes of the honest nurserymen are fastened on the 
future. We will co-operate with you if you will help us. 
Now let us think a few minutes about our coat of 
arms, our shield, our trade-mark—“Trustworthy Trees.” 
Shields and coat of arms were first displayed by the 
