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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The National Nurseryman 
Established 1893 by C. L. YATES. Incorporated 1902 
Published monthly by 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN PUBLISHING CO.. Inc. 
Hatboro, Pa. 
Editor .ERNEST HEMMING, Flourtown, Pa. 
The leading trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in 
Nursery Stocks of all kinds. It circulates throughout the 
United States, Canada and Europe. 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION, 1900 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 
One Year in Advance .$1.50 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance .$2.00 
Six Months .$1.00 
Advertising rates will he sent upon application. Advertisements 
shonld reach this office hy the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are requested hy the 
Business Manager, Hatboro, Pa. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Photographs and news notes of interest to nurserymen should be 
addressed. Editor, Plourtown, Pa., and should be mailed to arrive not 
later than the 25th of the month. 
Entered as second-class matter June 22, 1916, at the post office at 
Hathoro, Pennsylvania, under the Act of March S, 1879. 
Hatboro, Pa., November 1920 
Prices of nursery stock are 
PRICES much higher than in pre-war 
AND THE clays, and few nurserymen will 
JOBBING GARDENER agree that they ought to come 
down, even if labor and other 
commodities that enter into the cost of production do 
slump. 
They very properly take the stand that they were 
much too low in the pre-war days in comparison with 
other lines of merchandise, due to many and obvious 
causes that under the old conditions they were unable to 
control. 
It is confidentially expected, and there is every evi¬ 
dence of it, that practically all prices of staples will find 
a lower level than they are at present. 
A\ hat is to prevent nursery stock being the exceptio 
We know from hitter experience an abundant supply 
stock with a poor demand will start prices on the tobo 
g;ui. in spite of all the preaching and good resolutio 
made in time of scarcity. 
The National, and other associations, will do much 
put backbone into those with a tendency to cut, but , 
the associations in the world will not hold prices 
when the nurseryman has to decide between the bru 
pile and a lower price. 
The two fundamental forces that will keep pric ( 
that will enable nurserymen to grow at a profit are: 
better stock and less of it, and an ever increasing deman 
. requirement is largely in the control of ti 
individual nurseryman. It is up to each one to grow le 
and better stock, and get it to the consumer in better 
shape, and to discourage the amateur nurseryman in 
every way possible. 
The second requirement will only be brought about by 
close co-operation through the associations especially in 
connection with national advertising and along the lines 
laid down by the National Association. 
This, however, is not sufficient in itself. It is up to 
each one to do his share in his own particular business, 
to increase the interest in planting. 
The channels through which nursery stock is distri¬ 
buted to the consumer are, the nursery salesman and 
florist, the landscape architect, the jobbing gardener, 
and the retail catalogue direct to the consumer. 
The tendency at present, judging from the terms of¬ 
fered the jobbing gardener and florist, and even the small 
retail nursery, seems toward an elimination of this chan¬ 
nel of distribution. 
No one cares to handle nursery stock at a discount of 
10 to 20 per cent., the customary allowance to those in 
the trade, especially if he is in any way in competition 
with the nursery that supplies him, and has to take the 
responsibility, with the purchaser, of failure. 
Those who have done much retail selling realize the 
very big handicap of planting. Hundreds more sales 
would be made if planting was part of the transaction. 
It is the inability of the would-be purchaser to plant that 
prevents much buying. 
A big increase in the number of jobbing gardeners, or 
those men who make a living by buying nursery stock 
and planting it, would mean a larger consumption. In 
other words, planting is an inseparable part of retailing 
with many prospective customers. The big nursery is 
not usually equipped to take care of planting a great 
number of small or medium sized orders in the rush 
days of spring. 
A more liberal and unselfish policy towards the little 
fellow would be the means of a larger consumption*of 
nursery stock. Nurserymen can grow good stock, but it 
has yet to be proved they are good sellers. 
A very interesting article appeared 
ADA ANT AGES in the October issue of the Garden 
OF BUYING Magazine, by Grace Tabor, under 
OUT OI SEASON the title of “Advantage of Buying 
out of Season.” 
It points out to the buyer the advantages of buying in 
the fall even though the stock may not be actually wanted 
lot planting belore spring, that it will keep in just as 
good condition heeled in on the customer’s grounds un¬ 
til wanted, as it will heeled or in storage houses on the 
nursery to be assembled and shipped under stress of the 
spring rush. 
There is nothing new to the nurseryman in this. He 
knows it all too well and would give a great deal to be 
able to fill orders over a longer period to relieve the con¬ 
gestion in spring, and consequent dissatisfaction. 
The thanks of the nurserymen are due the author in 
attempting to educate the public along such practical 
lines and incidentally giving the nurserymen a pointer 
lor propaganda in connection with their market devel¬ 
opment. 
