312 
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, Easton, Md. 
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 
should reach this office by 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 by 
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, Easton, Md., and should be mailed to arrive 
not later than the 25tli of the month. 
Entered as second-class matter June 22, 1916. at the post office at 
Hatboro. Pennsylvania, under the Act of March S, 1879. 
Hatboro, Pa., December 1923 
The National Nurseryman thanks its advertisers, | 
| subscribers and friends for their generous support | 
| and sincerely wishes each and every one A Very g 
| Happy Christmas. | 
^iMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiK? 
DECEMBER December is the last, month in the year. 
We, as nurserymen, have much to be 
thankful for when we look hack over the past year. 
While we have had troubles, on the whole they have 
been little ones, compared with those under which our 
brother nurserymen in other parts of the world have 
been working. From every section of the United States 
come optimistic reports of good trade, good crops and a 
bright outlook. 
The trade is beginning to get its bearings after the 
chaos produced by the war. Shortage of stock, caused 
by a cessation of propagation during that period is be¬ 
ing overcome. While there is still shortage in some lines, 
especially in larger grades of ornamentals and certain 
stocks. The more conservative members of the trade are 
beginning to fear an over production. It is more than 
possible this will he the case with the next year or so 
hut it will only he on certain lines which are easily and 
quickly produced and it is difficult to see how it can be 
avoided. There are no means of measuring the con¬ 
sumptive capacity of the market. 
Population is increasing, buildings are going up and 
improvements in all parts of the country. In fact, due 
to the automobile the present seems to suggest an un- 
parralled tendency towards development of country 
homes and other developments calling for the nursery¬ 
men’s products. 
Perhaps the happiest sign in the trade is the evident 
drawing together of nurserymen into a common under¬ 
standing and a willingness to co-operate. This is largely 
through the efforts of the American Association of Nur¬ 
serymen, ably assisted by the State and district associa¬ 
tions. The work they have done towards this end can 
not be measured, hut the effects will be tremendous in 
the future. 
The need of a high standard of business ethics is be¬ 
ing generally recognized and in the process of being 
evolved. Standardization of practice is appreciably 
nearer. Go-operation towards market development, per¬ 
haps not developed as much as some of the more pro¬ 
gressive could have wished, it has made a splendid start 
and will doubtless grow as the trade begins to realize its 
value. 
Another subject for congratulation is the noticeable 
tendency of the nurserymen to work in co-operation with 
the various government authorities. They begin to see 
that the interests are mutual and even the individual sel¬ 
fish aims are best served by working for the general 
welfare. 
A HISTORY OF THE On a separate page we publish 
NURSERY TRADE an open letter from John Wat¬ 
son, who has under considera¬ 
tion the writing of a history of the nursery trade in this 
country if sufficient nurserymen are interested in it to 
insure the publication being worth while. It would seem 
that our business, which is so fundamental and vital to 
the progress and happiness of the people of the country 
should he written and we know of no man who is more 
capable and better equipped to undertake the work. 
We owe so much to the pioneers in the business, of 
a former generation, that it seems wrong that there has 
been no one to record their activities and work, all that 
we have is the result of their labors. Mr. Watson pro¬ 
poses to make the attempt to at least prevent some of our 
more recent workers from passing out of memory and 
we feel sure that his suggestion should meet with en¬ 
couragement to undertake the work. 
Our profession, if it is to expand and grow and reach 
the dignity which it deserves, should necessarily have a 
recorded background and an effort be made to keep the 
memory green on those who labored, and helped to build 
the structure upon which our livelihood depends. 
ANALYZING SOILS 
It is a very common error to imagine that it is possible 
to get an analysis of the soil, and then know, with exact¬ 
ness just what fertilizers are necessary to produce a 
given crop. 
In the first place it is very difficult to get a sample of 
soil that would he representative of the acreage from 
which it was taken. Soils are extremely complex ma¬ 
terials and vary much even over a small area. 
While chemical analysis may show the total amount 
of plant food in the soil, the methods of analysis used 
at. present do not show accurately how much of this ma¬ 
terial is available to the plant as food. Of course every 
nurseryman and farmer should, to a certain extent, know 
the soil with which they are working. A chemical analv- 
sis will give them much information and he a guide in 
fertilizing and other treatment hut it is only valuable as 
a guide to their experiments. 
