110 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
HECTOR F. HILLENMEYER 
Lexington Leader Editorial 
It was with feelings of deep sorrow that The Leader yester 
day recorded the death of Hector F. Hillenmeyer, one of the 
best beloved and most widely known residents of Fayette 
county, a man whose fame in his chosen field had spread to the 
utmost limits of the land. 
Wherever in America men are enthusiastically devoted to the 
nurseryman’s profession, the name of H. F. Hillenmeyer was a 
familiar one, trusted and honored for his profound knowledge 
of everything which pertains to bud, leaf and vine. They re¬ 
spected him not alone because of his remarkable store of in 
formation relating to these subjects, but on account of his 
worth as a man, resolute, reliable and dependable in all life’s 
obligations and duties. 
Mr. Hillenmeyer was a pomologist and a nature lover and 
student of extraordinary gifts and attainments. His knowledge 
of nature’s secrets, acquired from long years of fond and dili¬ 
gent study of everything, animate and inanimate, which is to 
be seen and heard in “God’s great out-of-doors,” was most broad 
and intimate and made him a companion and a teacher at 
whose feet one could sit with much profit and limitless pleas¬ 
ure. Most fitly could one apply to his life the words of the 
great poet, “To him who, in the love of Nature, communes with 
her visible forms, she speaks a wondrous language.” 
As a citizen, a neighbor, a patriot, a husband and father, there 
was nothing lacking in the heart and mind of Mr. Hillenmeyer. 
Conforming always to the strict letter of law and custom in all 
of life’s duties, he had small patience with others who failed to 
meet faithfully the essential demands, but he was ever ready to 
cover with the mantle of charity those human frailties which 
prevented some from fulfilling exactly the demands of society 
and of the law. Within the limits of human affairs and know 
ledge, there was little which did not come within the scope of 
his mental activities—few subjects which he could not discuss 
intelligently in any company. This was abundantly manifested 
in the articles which he contributed from time to time in these 
columns and which were greatly appreciated by this newspaper 
and its readers. 
For Mr. Hillenmeyer the writer, thru many years of acquaint 
anceship, had formed a tender affection. There was never an 
'.nterview, however brief, which was not marked by brightness 
and good cheer, keen flashes of wit or subtle humor and bits of 
wisdom from his richly stored mind, all enlivened by a degree 
of warmth and brilliancy of imagination with which few men 
are endowed. 
Sleep on, old friend, and may the birds and the flowers, the 
beauties of the sunset and the glories of the morn, and finally 
the spirit of that Creator in whom you trusted, be your constant 
and ever-sympathetic companions thruout eternity. 
Question and Answer Column 
March 18, 1923. 
Editor, National Nurseryman, 
Hatboro, Pa. 
Dear Sir: 
Recently while visiting a small town in Maryland, I 
went into what is popularly known as a ten cent store. 
In it was a counter devoted to plants such as roses, 
Roston ivy, iris, clematis, flowering shrubs, 12 to 18- 
inch sizes; peach trees and other plants. 
As Ihese plants were being sold at ten cents each, pre¬ 
sumably at a profit, they must have been supplied by a 
nursery at a less price than that and lower than trade 
prices. 
Is there no way to stop this kind of business, which de¬ 
moralizes prices and give the people a false idea of the 
value of nursery products. 
Should be glad if you would bring the subject up in 
l lie columns of your valuable paper. 
Very truly yours, 
C. H. 
The practice of selling nursery stock in Hie spring 
by department and other stores is becoming very general. 
Much has been said against the practice at nurserymens' 
conventions and through t he columns of the trade papers. 
Many nurserymen are of the opinion that stores are not 
the proper distributors of nursery stock, due mainly to 
the fact that they do not know how to handle the plants 
when out of the ground, with the result that plants be¬ 
come dry and worthless before they are sold. 
Perhaps the main objection by nurserymen is due to 
the fact that plants handled by these stores are sold very 
often at a lower price than even trade rates and the buy¬ 
ing public becomes accustomed to paying prices for 
which good nursery stock can not be purchased. 
There does not appear, however, to be any method 
by which the practice can be stopped as it is legitimate 
merchandising, and if the customers are willing to take 
the chance on poor, small and dried out, shrivelled plants, 
because they are cheap, there is no law to prevent them. 
To forbid the growers to supply with stores also seems 
out of the question, because if one will not supply 
another will and there is always a lot of small grade 
plants, culls, and poor stock that the grower is willing to 
dispose of at any price rather than have it a complete 
loss. 
The remedy seems to lie rather with the nursery trade 
itself. 
By devising ways and means, by which the shopper in 
the city can readily purchase dependable stock in a good 
condition at a fair price. The trade as a whole has not 
attempted to do do this, except in a very desultory man¬ 
ner depending rather on the nursery agent with pictures 
or catalog. There is much to be said in favor of placing 
the goods where the customer can see them, buy them and 
carry them away, especially in cities where nurseries are 
not convenient and where there are so many potential 
purchasers for a few plants to set out in the small subur- 
ban gardens. Such people readily buy a fruit tree, few 
rose bushes or other plants, from a store, that would not 
