182 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
so that each may understand and help to solve the prob¬ 
lems of the other, to the end of effectively safeguarding 
the public welfare. 
Committee, 
Paul Stark, 
J. A. Young, 
A. H. Hill, Chairman. 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDIZATION OF HOR¬ 
TICULTURAL TRADE PRACTICE OF THE AMERICAN 
ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN, CHICAGO, 
JUNE 27-29, 1923 
“Horticultural Standards” was prepared and sent out by the 
committee April 15, 1923, in advance of the annual meeting so 
that members might have ample time to study it and offer con¬ 
structive criticism; to the end that definite action might be 
taken at this meeting and important parts at least adopted. 
Most members failed to respond at all, but a number of very 
helpful suggestions were received after an urgent follow-up 
letter had been sent out by the chairman, but all too late to 
work them into “Horticultural Standards” for this convention. 
Here are some sample suggestions and comments; 
A. WILLIS & CO.: 
Caliper on budded trees should be taken from the buds. 
Heights on fruit are in some cases a little too low, and some 
a little too high. 
If the nursery products could be standardized in some way so 
in buying one would have an idea of what they would really get 
without having to make such long descriptions each time it 
would certainly be a great convenience. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO.: 
We do not see anything in the proposal that we seriously ob¬ 
ject to, except the letting down on the grade of fruit trees. 
These fruit tree grades can never be made exactly right for 
the whole U. S. anyhow, the western folks have one grade prac¬ 
tically altogether, and their grades will always be different and 
the Southern nurserymen’s grades will also be different from the 
Northern’s nursery grades. However, we cannot see why we 
should drop the grade on all medium and light fruit trees. It 
seems to us, with all the stir we are making about improving the 
nursery business that if we are going to change the grades at 
all, it ought to be for the better. Nearly all contracts, and we have 
quite a number of them ourselves, on fruit trees, are based on 
the older grades, and we can see no reason, except probably it 
would put a little more money in the pockets of the wholesale 
fruit tree growers, for changing the medium and lighter grades 
of fruit trees, and giving customers a smaller grade then they 
have been accustomed to getting for years past. 
Telegraph Code—we do not care about this being pushed 
very much, in this day of cheap day and night letters, and a 
large per-cent of our telegrams are telephoned from the tele¬ 
graph office. We found when we used the nursery code, which 
we did a few years ago, that there were a great many and some 
times very serious mistakes made in transmission of code 
words. 
W. R. CASHMAN: 
This is a very valuable book for reference. 
T. B. BUNTING, PROFESSOR OF HORTICULTURE, Mac- 
DONALD COLLEGE, QUEBEC: 
I find these very interesting and useful and have been able 
to obtain some suggestions in regard to our work on score cards 
and standards. When our report is complete I shall be very glad 
to send you a copy of it. 
J. H. HUMPHRIES, SECRETARY, ANDORRA NURSERIES, 
INC.: 
First he gave some important suggestions for improving the 
trade agreement with American Society of Landscape Architects. 
Also under rules for grading he suggests: 
Under No. 3, standard rules, sub-heading evergreen trees, 
we feel that evergreen trees from 2 to 6 feet should be speci¬ 
fied in 6 inch series and not in I foot series. Take such things 
as Taxus, sheared retinosporas, boxwood, the higher class and 
higher priced ornamentals, if a man orders them on a 4 to 5 
foot basis, he may get them 4 feet, or he may get them 4 y 2 feet, 
and he may get them 5 feet and if he wants them to match in 
height or spread for any particular purpose, this kind of a grad¬ 
ing leads him all off. We have found it really desireable to 
specify all the better class of stock in 6 inch series, altho a few 
of the more common things, such as Norway Spruce and Hem¬ 
lock we often quote in the 1 foot series. I am not at all sure that 
the 6 inch series is not to be preferred even for this class of 
material. 
THEO. J. SMITH, of W. & T. SMITH CO.: 
Objects to the committees handling of the Cold Storage Stock 
question. 
I also think that dwarf apples, dwarf pears and quinces 
should be graded 9-16 and 11-16 inches, 7-16 and 9-16 inches, and 
5-16 and 7-16 inches. 
BRECK-ROBINSON NURSERY CO. SAY: 
After looking it through carefully, would say that we approve 
of all your rules with the exception of the one under the heading 
of “Rules and Definitions for Grading of Evergreen Trees.” We 
would prefer to have the height stated in six inch series rather 
than one and two foot, as we think there is too much difference 
in the sizes. 
GENESEE COUNTY NURSERIES, FLINT, MICHIGAN: 
We heartily approve of your report embodied in “Horticultural 
Standards,” a copy of which you sent us recently. 
The main suggestion which we wish to make is that a morA 
clear cut definition of B. & B. should be made. This season, for 
example, we received from a rather well-known firm some ever¬ 
greens dug in sandy ground, the soil being entirely loosened of 
course before we received them, called B. & B. In reply to our 
letter about these trees, they suggested that we put on a ball of 
clay—an artificial ball. Now in either case—i. e. whether sack¬ 
ed in the loose sand, or with the “made up” ball—could this 
stock be ligitimately termed B. & B.? We think not, but very 
often receive these kind of balls—and from members of our as¬ 
sociation. 
Also we believe that there should be some limit as to the age 
of shrubs sent out as 3-4, or 4-5 feet. This season we received 
from a member some Phil, coronarius, 4-5 feet, so old and 
out of condition as to be practically valueless—full of dead twigs, 
and with little growth of last season in evidence. We scarcely 
know what to do in cases like these, there seems to be so loose 
a standard in these matters. 
Assuring you that we appreciate the great amount of your 
valuable time which you have given to this work, which is what 
we have badly needed in so many ways. 
J. H. SKINNER & CO., SAY: 
O. K. 
NAPERVILLE NURSERIES: 
It would be well to state how many shrubs should go into a 
bundle. 
When it comes to lining out stock just make it a flat basis 
of 50 to a bundle. There is a lot of stock packed in irregular 
sizes, and this causes a lot of untying and tying for purposes of 
counting. If the bundles are uniform, there will be no waste of 
time in this regard. 
And many other good suggestions. 
WM. PITKIN, THE CHASE BROTHERS COMPANY: 
Page 4, Item 7. Why would it not be better to turn this around 
and designate freshly dug stock? Perhaps this does not apply 
in your line but is it not a fact that the main part of the volume 
of spring business is done with storage stock. 
Page 7. Peach height. In this country peach 9 to 11-16 usu¬ 
ally graded 4 feet and up. 
WASHINGTON NURSERY CO.: 
Valuable suggestions as to clear terms of understanding be¬ 
tween seller and buyer. 
EDWARD TEAS: 
There should be some consideration given to the ruling “Dor* 
