Gbc IBational IRurscryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXIV. HATBQRO, PENNA., DECEMBER, 1916 No. 12 
PRODUCTION, PRICES, SALESMANSHIP 
AND CREDIT 
By George C. Roeding, Fancher Creek Nurseries, Fresno, Cal., Read before the California Nurserymens 
Association, October 26th, at Santa Barbara, Cal. 
I T is no exaggeration to say that the subject which has 
been assigned to me is indeed a very broad one. It 
covers every phase of the nursery business, and to 
be in a position to elucidate intelligently under each head 
embraced in the title of this paper would simply mean 
that I had offered a solution of all the problems confront¬ 
ing the nursery business. 
How prominently the word “Success” looms up before 
us! There is not a single one of us who would not like 
to ascend the highest pinnacle and after reaching the 
goal look out on the busy world below, flaunt our banner 
to the breeze and exultingly declaim—“It is all mine!” 
How often have we dreamed just such dreams, and how 
we have had our well-laid plans shattered as we have 
been tossed around like shuttlecocks in this busy, cold, 
relentless world in which the survival of the fittest is 
constantly flaunted before our vision. 
I might go on addressing you in this strain, but it 
would simply mean that old memories, sweet and disas¬ 
trous, would be revived. Cold facts speak louder than 
words, and these are what you want now. I am going 
to consider the subjects in the order in which they have 
been presented, for each one of them plays an important 
part in the success or failure of any nursery business. 
It is really too bad we are not mind readers, at least to 
the extent of being in a position to have a fairly good 
supply of the particular fruit or ornamental which is in 
great demand in any one season. We are engaged in a 
commercial business entirely unlike any other in one 
very important respect, and that is that we are not even 
in the position to protect ourselves against an unprece¬ 
dented demand for any particular line, because we can¬ 
not grind our stuff out within a period of five or six 
months to meet the call, but must commence our prep¬ 
arations years in advance and take our chances on what 
the demand may be. There is absolutely no basis to 
work upon and from my long years of experience and 
much thought to this problem there never will be. The 
business then resolves itself into a great game of chance; 
there is no precedent to follow, except for the nursery¬ 
man to grow a complete line of fruit and ornamentals to 
protect himself to the extent of keeping up his assort¬ 
ment and depend upon his ability to make purchases, at 
reasonable figures, of such stock from his competitors 
that will allow a good margin of profit when retailing to 
the planter. 
In no vocation does the personal equation cut so impor¬ 
tant a figure as it does in the nursery business. The pur¬ 
chasers of nursery stock are very insistent in their de¬ 
mands to know definitely where the particular stock they 
want has been grown and also if the same has been raised 
by the nurseryman with whom they place their order. 
It is not practical for a nurseryman cataloging a general 
line of stock to grow everything himself, nevertheless it 
is almost necessary for him to give a complete history of 
his products so that he can effect sales in many cases. 
In this day of pedigreed stock, which in many instances 
is carried to extremes, it is beyond the ability of a prac¬ 
tical nurseryman to comply with all the demands. To 
particularize on this point is out of the question at this 
time. I wish to lay stress, however, on one point and 
that is, where a nurseryman supplies trees true to name 
and free from pests, the demand that he give, in addition 
to this, the life history of the trees that he is offering for 
sale is not possible. I do not wish to convey the idea 
that care should not be exercised in the selection of buds 
and scions, for this is important. 
As a matter of fact much better trees would be secured 
if nurserymen would specialize and grow such trees only 
as are particularly adapted to their soil and climatic con¬ 
ditions. This plan, if followed over a period of years, 
would result in securing trees from men who, through 
a steady and increasing demand, would be¬ 
come trained experts. This plan may not seem 
practical at this time, but eventually this is what the bus¬ 
iness must drift into. There are great responsibilities 
attached to the man who grows trees. It is his duty, if 
he has his business at heart, to be in a position to give 
those who favor him with their orders intelligent advice 
as to the best root stock for different soils and honestly re¬ 
commend to the grower what he should and should not 
plant. He has a solemn duty to perform and that is. not 
to forget that the man who buys his wares must wait a 
period of years before he realizes any return from his 
trees. 
It must never be forgotten that the original cost of the 
