THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
351 
shrubs and herbaceous plants, local conditions being 
favorable. 
The writer recalls a statement by the late Edward Mee¬ 
han, one of Ihe most experienced growers of ornamental 
plants in the country. “Hoy, September is the best 
month of the entire year for moving deciduous trees and 
shrubs if properly stripped and the ground is moist. 
They won't lose a minute.” 
Stripping adds much to the cost of handling but every¬ 
thing is worth while that will lengthen Ihe short planting 
season. 
The one great objection is the dry hot spells that are 
liable to occur at this season, but the fall shipping and 
planting season should officially and actively open the 
first day of autumn. 
Catalogues, selling campaigns and all plans should be 
laid accordingly. 
It is perhaps not so important south of the Mason and 
Dixon line as they can often plant nearly all winter but 
where the frost is likely to put a stop to all planting opera¬ 
tions in November an early start has everything to recom¬ 
mend it. 
bHALL THE CONSUMER HUY HIS NURSERY STOCK 
AT WHOLESALE PRICES ? 
Fort Atkinson, Wis., September 16, 1916. 
National Nurseryman, 
Flourtown, Pa. 
Gentlemen: 
In regard to the question of doing a retail business on 
a wholesale plan, M. R. Cashman, of Minnesota, entered 
a plea at the National Nurserymens’ Convention, touching 
many of the things that should demand the attention of 
the retail and wholesale nurserymen. Articles should 
be published in the leading trade journals in regard to 
this question. Not only this, but there should be a mu¬ 
tual understanding between the retail nurserymen that 
they will not stand any longer for the idea of a nursery¬ 
man, who is a wholesaler, issuing and sending out to 
people promiscuously their wholesale lists, from which 
they may buy, and then expect the retail nurserymen to 
buy goods also of these wholesalers. This is not prac¬ 
ticed in any other line of business in this country. The 
wholesaler should he made to feel, that unless he mends 
his ways, the retail nurserymen will form an association 
of their own, the same as other branches of business in 
this country do to protect themselves. It would be wise 
on their part to sit up and take notice so that this will not 
come to pass. 
However, if they will cut out their unbusiness-like 
methods of procedure, there would be no occasion for the 
retail nurserymen to associate themselves in such a cap¬ 
acity so as to make it a hardship to them. 
We are certainly with Cashman and all the rest of the 
retail nurserymen on this proposition. 
We should surely trade with such wholesale men as 
will not try to break down legitimate retail business, as 
the retail men in all lines of trade must be in shape to 
serve and care for their customers. 
The Coe, Converse & Edwards Co., 
F. C. Edwards, Vice President. 
Question. Can you give me any information as to the 
proper method of treatment of forcing stock in winter 
storage? 
I am handling a largo quantity of Lilacs, Spirea, 
Azaleas, Skimmias, Rhododendrons, and so forth, for the 
winter and spring trade. Any information as to the light, 
air, water and heat requirements for the successful hand¬ 
ling of such stock would he very much appreciated. 
I). II. 
Answer. A storage house that is frost proof is really 
needed to store the plants referred to. In the case of 
the Azaleas, Skimmias, Rhododendrons and other ever¬ 
greens it is essential that it be light. These perhaps 
would be better wintered in a cool greenhouse, but there 
is great danger where they are in a greenhouse of the 
temperature running up and growth being encouraged, 
and this, of course, should be avoided if they are intended 
for shipment, as it is always desirable to send them out 
in a perfectly dormant state. 
Where they are for forcing on your own nursery, it is 
quite a different matter, and they can he brought along 
very gradually and into flower to suit the requirements. 
The essentials are to keep the plants dormant and 
away from drying conditions, so that they will not shrivel 
or dry out in the least. It is very important that the 
balls of earth on such plants as Rhododendrons do not 
become dry. 
Where there is no storage house, all kinds of schemes 
are used to store such plants. One method is in cold 
frames. Heel the plants in very close together, thor¬ 
oughly covering the roots in sand or light soil, then pro¬ 
tecting the tops with straw or other material, so as to pre¬ 
vent detrimental action of the frost and sun. 
Attempts to store in barns or outhouses where it is 
dark and that are not frost proof usually end in disaster 
to the stock. While it keeps fairly well while it is frozen, 
the leaves soon fall off in the spring, and the injury is 
usually irreparable. 
Shipments from abroad arriving in frosty weather and 
in a frozen condition should he left in the cases and al¬ 
lowed to thaw out gradually, and if properly handled 
will come through without the slightest injury fom 
f reezi ng.— Editor. 
Question. Would you kindly give us the following in¬ 
formation : 
We import every year a lot of shrubs, etc., for our 
Spring trade and very often shipments arrive very late, 
sometimes when snow covers the ground, which gives 
us a lot of trouble heeling in for over winter, besi 1 ‘s 
losing quite a few. 
On our farm we have a large sand bank and we wsie 
wondering if a root-house in this bank would be suitable 
for wintering shrubs in. Can you give us any informa¬ 
tion on how to build one? Would you recommend a solid 
cement wall, how thick? Or a wooden wall, and how 
