THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
157 
worse yet are some of the brokers in our line, people who 
seem to be able to pick up various items, for almost a 
song, and bring them in competition with the nursery¬ 
men’s own stock and cut them out of a living profit. The 
Association of Nurserymen, and kindred organizations 
should get together, and put an end to this sorry spec¬ 
tacle. It is to be hoped that a number of our craft can 
get together and muster enough brains to follow the ex¬ 
ample of the Standard Oil Company, or other concerns 
(may be we can hire the services of one of their leaders) 
and have a standard of prices established which will se¬ 
cure for all of us a reasonable profit, without coming in 
contact with the “restraint of trade bugaboo.” 
Of course, I realize it is much easier to talk and criti¬ 
cise than to undertake the re-adjustment of these things, 
and there has been plenty of talk about it and efforts 
have been made to bring home to nurserymen the ne¬ 
cessity of securing a good price for their products. The 
trouble is, it seems impossible to make nurserymen stick 
together, there is lots of good will, and intentions, es¬ 
pecially when they are enjoying themselves after a hard 
spring campaign by meeting in some big city and having 
their Conventions, but as soon as they come home and 
the “real thing” of competition is before the minds again, 
most of them get “cold feet” and do just the opposite of 
what they intended to do. That is because any one 
nurseryman, unless supported by the majority of those 
in the trade, cannot hold up his end of what Convention 
Resolutions, etc., would like him to do, without further 
organization. 
The fruit growers in various parts of our country, the 
vegetable growers, even the farmers are organizing and 
have to do so, in order not only to lessen the killing com¬ 
petition. but to give better service and to establish uni¬ 
formity in their dealings. 
Can’t we taka a leaf from their books? Can we not 
get in touch with such organizations, and through the 
American Association of Nurserymen establish a co¬ 
operative or other selling and planting Bureau, that will 
take care not only of the selling end of the members, but 
also of the planting end? 
If we could have records of what there is being 
planted all over the country, as well in ornamental stock 
as fruit stock, have records of what there is on hand and 
coming into the market, would the money invested by the 
nurserymen by creating such a salaried body of men, 
who can take care of this for them and advise them ac¬ 
cordingly. would not such money be well invested ? 
It would prevent over-planting of a great many var¬ 
ieties, consequent slumps in prices. 
Such a body could bring together those who want to 
buy and those who want to sell, and perhaps establish a 
basis, a certain price on which such items could be ex¬ 
changed within the organization, which price can be put 
lower than what the outsider can buy for. This will 
tend to bring more members into the organization, and 
make it real universal, and make closer co-operation pos¬ 
sible. If there was to be any surplus, this can be better 
disposed of, and no one nurseryman needs to worry 
much about it, he will receive a decent price for his 
goods and feel more inclined to burn surplus in conse¬ 
quence. 
Another feature of such a Bureau would be the buying 
of all materials on co-operative basis. Any one needing 
imported nursery stock could apply for information 
which the Bureau can gather during the year, or else 
send in their list of wants and have tin; Bureau inquire 
for prices from the various responsible foreign houses, 
submit these to the respective buyers who again can 
place their orders directly with whomever they like, or 
else through the Purchasing Department. This would 
tend to cheapen prices as quantities of certain articles to 
be bought could be combined and undoubtedly be bought 
for a lower price, they could be imported under one in¬ 
voice and expenses can be lowered. Shipments to tlie 
West coming over together can be sent in carload lots, 
special rates secured on large shipments, etc., etc. 
Other materials, it does not matter what, can be 
bought on the same basis and cost of production de¬ 
creased. 
The distribution of nursery stock, and I he establish¬ 
ment of a price to the outsider would be a more difficult 
problem to attack, and it will require bigger brains than 
I have at my disposal to establish a workable basis, es¬ 
pecially on account of the variety of prices and the var¬ 
iety of selling area to be considered. It seems, however, 
that certain zones could be established, depending upon 
local conditions which would govern such zone-opera¬ 
tions. 
By establishing a zone say, in New England States, or 
in some of the Western States, the interested nursery¬ 
men of such a zone could come together and come to an 
agreement on selling, wholesale and retail, which would 
eliminate price cutting, and that would cause the in¬ 
dividual firms to specialize in production of quality and 
efficient sendee in order to secure the business. Bus¬ 
iness which nurserymen in certain zones could secure 
outside this territory would have to be turned over to 
brother nurserymen established there, with perhaps a 
commission allowed for this service by the recipient of 
this favor. Or else inquiries of importance can be 
turned over to the Central Bureau, who in turn can com¬ 
municate with the nurserymen located in the Zone from 
which this inquiry emanates, and make an offer accord¬ 
ingly, or from the information and data which they have 
been able to gather during the season, and afterwards 
place the orders where possible. This latter arrange¬ 
ment, however, carries with it a great many defects, 
which perhaps some one else may be able to eliminate. 
The questions in my mind are, would it be possible to 
organize the nurserymen into one body, on the pattern 
of the organization of the Federal Government ol the 
United States, leaving a certain amount of self govern¬ 
ment to the Zones, or Localities, these in turn to be re¬ 
sponsible to a central body of men, who are elected by 
the nurserymen of the country and decide the general 
policy of tiie Association. In my mind the present As¬ 
sociation could lie shaped into such an organization, and 
bring prosperity to the individual nurserymen all over 
the States. These few suggestions I feel are full of 
faults, but I hope they will lead to a more thorough con¬ 
sideration of this topic and perhaps eventually bring into 
existence the so necessary organization, and co-opera¬ 
tion. Criticise these lines as much as you like, nothing 
but good can come from it. 
