THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
138 
up the soil preparatory to a nursery crop; to apply slow 
acting fertilizers, such as bone-meal, potash, and acid phos¬ 
phate, and work thoroughly into the soil to the depth of six 
or eight inches before planting. I have had the best results 
by plowing and working the ground two or three times after 
apphang the fertilizer, and before planting cuttings, small 
fruits, or ornamental shrubbery. If nitrate of soda is used 
on growing nursery stock or other crop, apply just before 
season of greatest growth and as near feeding roots as possible. 
If put on top of the ground, you may or may not receive 
sufficient rain to carry it down to the roots so as to assist 
growth. Use nitrates on quick growing rather than slow 
growing crops, as nitrate of soda does not last long enough 
in the soil to greatly assist slow growing crops unless many 
small applications are made. 
Do. not look for. immediate results from the use of potash 
or bone-meal drilled in in the usual way, as it will take some 
time for deeply rooted fruit tree stock to find the plant food. 
I am satisfied that the matter of using commercial fer¬ 
tilizers must be wo'rked out by each one of us to meet local 
conditions. I am also satisfied that some soils do not need 
])Otash, and if it were applied, no noticeable results would be 
obtained. The same may be true in some instances to a less 
degree in the use of other fertilizers. There is no question, 
however, but that we can grow humus by liberal applications 
of commercial fertilizer between crops of trees, and that we 
must do so if we continue to use the same land for nursery 
purposes for a long term of years. 
WANTED—A REAL PARCEL POST 
W. A. Henry 
Do you know. Reader, that in carrying packages by ma,il, 
our government actually discriminates against its own people, 
in favor of other nations? 
Our post office department at Washington has “conven¬ 
tions,” or agreements, with 29 other nations, by which it 
carries packages weighing up to eleven pounds from any 
postoffice in this country to any postoffice in those countries 
for twelve cents per pound. But a package mailed to the 
next town in the United States must not exceed four pounds 
in weight, and the carrying charge is 16 cents for each 
pound. 
And as though these discriminations were not enough, our 
Postmaster-General has made arrangements with British 
])OStoffice authorities recently, whereby mail packages up to 
eleven pounds are carried from any postoffice in England, 
Scotland, Ireland or Wales to any postoffice in the United 
vStates for the following charge: 
U]) to 3 pounds 30 cents 
Up to 7 pounds 55 cents 
Up to II pounds 79 cents 
By this agreement a British subject can send ii pounds 
in one package from his postoffice to your postoffice for 79 
cents; while you wishing to mail matter weighing 11 pounds 
to your nearest postoffice in this country, must break it up 
into three packages of not over four pounds each, and pay 
$1.76 postage—a discrimination of 100% against you. 
Congress should provide a Parcel Post service somewhat 
as follows: 
(1) Carry packages originating and ending on the same 
rural route at a nominal cost, because the income therefrom 
would be nearly all profit to the government. 
(2) Establish Parcel Post zones, or circles, of 50, 200, 
etc., miles radius from each postoffice. IMake a low carrying 
charge within the first zone, because of the short haul and 
the large volume of business that would result. 
(3) Enlarge the weight limit on parcels carried on rural 
routes to not less than 25 pounds, and elsewhere to not less 
than II pounds. 
With a low carrying charge on rural routes and within the 
first zone, the fanner will be able to order by telephone or 
postal card and quickly obtain from nearby places of business 
medicines, drugs, groceries, bread, dry goods, seeds, plants, 
small implements, tools, bolts, plow points, parts of machin¬ 
ery, etc., also books from the library. In turn he can send 
to merchants and individuals in nearby cities and villages 
many of the smaller and lighter products of the farm, garden, 
greenhouse, poultry yard, etc. 
There are now 42,000 rural mail routes, serving over 
20,000,000 farmers, operated at an estimated cost of about 
$42,000,000 for the year 1912. The stamps cancelled on the 
mail matter taken from the rural mail boxes the present 
year will amount to rather less than $8,000,000, leaving an 
apparent deficit of over $34,000,000 for the year 1912. It is 
hardly fair to call the latter sum the real loss, because the 
rural routes should be credited with part of the postal receipts 
on mail the farmers receive. If each rural carrier could earn 
10 cents daily by carrying packages, the total returns for 
42,000 carriers would be about $1,250,000 annually. They 
should eam’many times this small sum, besides benefitting 
all parties concerned. The average outward rural mail load 
is 25 pounds and the return about 5 pounds; it could and 
should be ten or fifteen times that. The rural mail carriers 
have petitioned the government to let them render greater 
service. No other business is "conducted on such narrow 
lines. 
The adoption of the rural mail service was one of the most 
beneficent acts ever placed on the statute books by congress. 
To round out and complete our postal system, there is needed 
a liberal Parcel Post service. Our people can have this from 
the present congress if they ask for it. 
The only efficient way of working is to write letters to 
members of Congress telling what is wanted, and getting 
neighbors to write. 
Your congressional representatives in Washington are not 
mind readers. If you want a General Parcel Post law, tell 
them so. Failing to do so, do not blame them for going 
contrary to your unexpressed desire. 
Fruit stocks are nowadays largely grown in Holland in competition 
with France, and it seems from the large exports that they are com¬ 
petitors to be figured with. About the outlook, nothing can as yet 
be said. 
The National Nurseryman; 
Enclosed please find check for $1.00 and renew my subscription to 
your excellent paper. 
New York. 
Clarence H. Weeks. 
