156 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
and what entertainment there will he. There has 
been a sentiment against spending so much time for this 
latter feature to the detriment of business. Doubtless, 
however, provision will be made for a visit to the parks, 
seven in number, aggregating 456 acres, and located on 
the lake shore, the Milwaukee river, and portions of the 
suburbs. There are many places of interest in Milwau¬ 
kee, too many for enumeration here. 
One enjoyable feature is promised. The Convention 
Bureau connected with the Merchants' and Manufac¬ 
turers’ Association has arranged to give members and 
their guests an automobile ride covering all the good 
roads within Milwaukee county. 
Railroad Rates 
Since the passenger associations now require a guar¬ 
antee in number of certificates much larger than we can 
furnish, members are advised to confer with their local 
ticket agent immediately after June first for information 
regarding round trip and excursion tickets. 
Where there are members living along or near to a 
main railroad, it is suggested that some enthusiastic 
member make an endeavor to organize a “special car” 
party. There’s lots of fun in it, and oftentimes business 
profit for all concerned. 
Exhibits 
The space assigned for this popular feature of the con¬ 
vention is more than ample. Intending exhibitors, em¬ 
bracing nurserymen, lithographers, manufacturers of 
tools, implements or anything else used by the trade, 
should lose no time in communicating with Mr. Albert 
F. Meehan, Dresher, Pa., Chairman of Exhibit Committee. 
In harmony with the constitutional provision a charge 
of five cents per square foot for exhibit space will be 
made, with a minimum of fifty cents for each exhibitor. 
This is done to enable the committee to meet expenses 
connected with their work without drawing upon Asso¬ 
ciation funds. 
For further information, write 
John Hall, Secretary, 
204 Granite Ruilding Rochester, N. Y. 
Renew at once! 
What is the Matter with the Nursery Business? 
By C. W. J. Ottolander, F. & F. Nurseries, Springfield, N, J. 
I want to make it clear, whatever I say in the following 
lines is my personal opinion and does not represent 
in any way, views, held by any one of 
the company with which I am connected. It is 
also understood that in expressing my views I do this as 
a general review of the present conditions, and feel that 
all nurserymen are guilty in more or less degree. I am 
not presenting anything new, this subject has been 
brought up before, but the present situation calls for ac¬ 
tion. I am sorry that I don’t feel competent to suggest 
the line of action that should be taken, but suggestions 
can be sent to the editor of the National Nurseryman and 
perhaps will result in a remedy. 
After looking over the various price lists, and more 
so after going over the various surplus lists and bulle¬ 
tins sent out by nurserymen this spring, I have been 
strongly impressed by the fact, there is something wrong 
with the nursery business. 
Thanks to the efforts of different organizations in the 
last few years, there has been a constant rise in the 
prices of ornamental nursery stock, all over the country. 
But of what the nurserymen in general are possessed 
this spring, seems rather hysterical. Some one has 
shouted the word surplus, and down go the prices. 
Whether we look east or west, south or north, there is a 
tendency of fateful price cutting which will have nothing 
but misery in store for the nurseryman. 
Everywhere we look, in other fields, we see prices go 
up, soar beyond unprecedented heights. Compare 
prices of what used to be paid for clothing, for groceries, 
for all materials necessary for our living, and we don’t 
see a single item that has not increased in price. 
Labor is scarce and high, land values are high, duties 
and ocean freights are high, and yet prices of nursery 
stock are going down. What is going to be the end of 
this? Financial ruin unless the nurserymen get to¬ 
gether and co-operate to maintain a living standard. It 
may seem exaggerated, but it is without question a con¬ 
sequence of the situation as it confronts us, and measures 
will have to be taken to prevent disaster. 
Relow, I give a list of prices on some of the leading 
items of nursery stock, taken from the price lists and 
surplus lists of a number of the leading nurseries in the 
country, concerns fully reliable in every respect to whom 
no one should hesitate to send an order for whatever he 
might want, and if you look carefully over this list I 
leave it to any one to draw his conclusions. Would any 
one of the leading industries in this country tolerate such 
a confusion of prices, such a wide variation? It is 
about time that there is more uniformity, and that a stan¬ 
dard price be established for a standard article. 
Norway maples 
1.00 
2.00 
1.75 
1.25 
1.65 
1.00 
Silver 
.60 
1.00 
1.00 
.70 
.75 
.75 
.60 
Sugar “ 
.90 
2.00 
1.15 
1.50 
1.15 
1.00 
1.25 
Betula papyr. 
.20 
.20 
.40 
.25 
.35 
.25 
.30 
.30 
Platanus or. 
.75 
1.40 
1.15 
1.10 
1.50 
1.00 
1.50 
1.75 
Populus fast. 
.60 
.40 
.70 
.40 
1.25 
monol. 
.40 
.75 
.45 
.80 
.80 
Salix babyl. 
.20 
.40 
.25 
.20 
.75 
.35 
.15 
.18 
Tilia platyph. 
1.25 
1.00 
1.75 
.90 
.85 
Ulmus americ. 
.90 
1.65 
.90 
.75 
1.25 
.70 
.80 
The surplus 
lists of this spri 
ing are a 
laughing stock 
to a well organized industry, and any one who is more 
or less acquainted with the bidding on lists for munici¬ 
palities, or park systems and such organizations, would 
find conditions still worse. There seems to be no limit 
to which the competing nurserymen will go in cutting 
prices in order to capture that kind of business. And 
