238 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Holy Crusaders for heroic and valiant conduct in the 
crusades. Different emblems represented virtue, honesty 
and merit. Trademarks usually represent quality and 
merit, but not always honesty. There are many nursery¬ 
men in our organization using our Slogan “Trustworthy 
Trees” who are given to bad practices; they allow the 
dollar to rule. Many other nursery firms are going to 
try to join our organizations, so our executive commit¬ 
tees of all our organizations must look both ways. The 
word kodak spells camera; victrola spells all kinds of 
talking machines, “Trustworthy Trees” in the future 
will spell nurserymen. 
My subject was “THINKING” and recently I have 
been doing a lot of thinking. The nature of my thinking 
can be easily imagined from my remarks. While here 
and when you go back home think hard and quick and 
let’s all pull together and push “Trustworthy Trees” 
against all outsiders. 
Let’s start this Southern Association meeting off with 
that policy! 
WAITING ON CUSTOMERS IN A RETAIL NURSERY. 
In Pre-war days, waiting on customers was consider¬ 
ed by many nurserymen as a necessary evil, of very un¬ 
certain profit. A customer would very often take up so 
much time, leaving an order that was hardly sufficient 
to cover the cost of the salesman’s time. Then there was 
the necessary arrangements in regard to digging and de¬ 
livery. All kinds of schemes were tried, to induce the 
customer to leave his order without breaking into the 
routine and disrupting the organization, such as keep¬ 
ing plants near the office, with the idea of selling from 
samples, but usually the customer who came to a nur¬ 
sery wanted to make a day of it, even if he only had a 
five dollar bill to spend. He would want to very careful¬ 
ly select each tree, supervise the digging of it and oc¬ 
casionally would take it away with him. 
During the war, all this was changed. Many nurser¬ 
ies had to tell their customers it was impossible to dig 
and deliver, but if they could arrange to dig it them¬ 
selves, and take it away, they woud be glad to sell them 
stock. Otherwise, supplying their needs would be im¬ 
possible. 
Conditions during the war revealed to the nursery¬ 
man many things he had never dreamt of and forced 
him to use expedients he would not have considered for 
a moment during the old order of things. 
The writer was much interested to note the method 
of serving customers, brought about by the lack of help, 
on the nurseries of James Krewson & Sons, Cheltenham, 
Pa., who do quite a large local retail business. Before 
the war three or four automobiles waiting to be served 
were enough to keep the entire sales force busy. 
Last year when it was practically impossible to get 
help Mr. Krewson told me he had counted as many as 
twenty six machines on the nursery at one time select¬ 
ing and taking away their own stock. 
The plan was adopted of digging shrubs and other 
plants that were likely lo be called lor, tying the roots 
in burlap putting a price tag on them and heeling them 
in near the office. The result was many customers could 
wait on themselves. 
The method proved so successful that the idea is be¬ 
ing very much enlarged upon. 
The use of the automobile has become so general in 
such a comparatively short period, that we have not 
adapted ourselves fully to the changed conditions in 
many things. If we could only look into the future, we 
would possibly see the retail nursery arranged so the 
customers can practically select, dig and take away their 
own stock. It is few nurserymen that will dispute the 
fact that nearly all loss in transplanting is due to the 
poor arrangement in digging and delivery to the cus¬ 
tomer. In pre-war days, it was quite a lengthy process, 
but the new idea of having the customer come and dig 
and take away his own, opens up a field that is likely 
to prove and develope into something that will profit to 
both customer and nurseryman. 
SCIENTIFIC ASSISTANT 
The United States Civil Service Commission announces 
an open competitive examination for scientific assistant, 
for both men and women, on October 20 and 21, 1920. 
Vacancies in the Department of Agriculture, for duty in 
Washington, D. C., or in the field at salaries indicated 
below, and in positions requiring similar qualifications, 
at these or higher or lower salaries, will be filled from 
this examination, unless it is found in the interest of the 
service to fill any vacancy by reinstatement, transfer or 
promotion. 
Salary. Tim usual entrance salary for this position 
ranges from $1,320 to $1,620 a year, but persons show¬ 
ing in their examinations that they are unusually quali¬ 
fied are occasionally appointed at higher salaries, not to 
exceed $1,860 a year. Certification to vacancies paying 
more than $1,620 a year will be made only from those 
attaining the highest average percentages in the examin¬ 
ation. 
Ronus. Appointees whose services are satisfactory 
may be allowed the temporary increase granted by Con¬ 
gress of $20 a month. 
Sex. All citizens ol the United States who meet the 
requirements, both men and women, may enter this ex¬ 
amination; appointing officers however, have tlfe legal 
light to specify the sex in requesting certification of 
eligibles. 
NATIONAL NUT GROWERS 
The National Nut Growers’ Association will hold its 
1920 convention in Austin, Texas, October 13, 14 and 15. 
The nurserymen and pecan growers of Texas are taking 
a special interest in the meeting and a record-breaking 
attendance is expected. 
September 14th, 1920 
Editor National Nurseryman, 
Flourtown, Pa. 
Dear Sir: 
I want to congratulate you on your splendid editorial 
under the head of “Trustworthy Trees and Plants.” I 
consider that you have covered this point of the nursery¬ 
man’s responsibility to customers, sensibly and fully/ 
Yours very truly, 
PARKER BROS. NURSERY COMPANY 
