THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
16 
that would tell us why co-operation would not co¬ 
operate* in this instance in disseminating useful infor¬ 
mation to members of the trade at a considerable sav¬ 
ing to the National Association, and incidentally “Why 
is the Association Bulletin?” 
The most earnest desire of the trade 
THE is to prevent the business from 
NURSERYMAN’S slumping back to pre-war conditions 
CHANCE and prices, when cut-throat compe¬ 
tition and the brush pile were large 
factors in the annual clean-up of stock. 
War conditions, Quarantine 37 and other factors have 
produced artificially a shortage of stock and prices, 
which if they could he maintained would give the nur¬ 
seryman the opportunity to give more attention to quality 
and make a profit on his investment and labor. 
The present shortage of stock has really produced con¬ 
ditions that give the nurseryman a chance to clean house 
that may never occur again. 
We may blame the weather, pests, government regula¬ 
tions, transportation, the financial situation, labor, the 
public, or any or all those things that affect the business, 
but the fact remains the most blameworthy cause for the 
troubles that beset the trade is the narrow, selfish prac¬ 
tices of the nurserymen themselves. 
An over-production of inferior stock is sure to follow 
a shortage with high prices. 
Nurserymen will not only try to grow all they can 
themselves to make a killing, but they will contract with 
the farmers to grow certain crops for them. 
The farmer in turn begins to grow nursery stock on 
his own account, adding to the surplus that must be dis¬ 
posed of, and which has its effect on the downward trend 
of prices. 
The adventitious nurserymen would be few in num¬ 
ber if they were not encouraged and started in the bus¬ 
iness by the regularly established concerns. 
It is an extremely short-sighted policy that helps to 
develop a competition that has neither tradition, reputa¬ 
tion, organization or overhead to govern their business. 
A letter from Lloyd G. Stark, of the Stark Bros. Nur¬ 
sery & Orchard Company, advises nurserymen to discou¬ 
rage in every way possible the selling of fruit stocks to 
any except established nurserymen. 
This would indicate it to be a common practice to sup¬ 
ply raw material to the orchardist, so he could grow his 
own trees and incidentally put on the market the surplus, 
and culls not needed for his own use. 
If nurserymen had pride of profession to set that stan¬ 
dard of quality which only the established concern can 
produce, it would automatically discourage the dollar 
chasing grower who had not qualified. 
Thinkers in the trade are fully alive to the necessity of 
doing everything possible to stop practices that demor¬ 
alize the business. The National Association is doing its 
best to bring about better standards and to raise the code 
of ethics. 
Another encouraging sign is the development of the 
Bud Selection Idea in California, but there are a good 
many nurseries outside these influences that should he 
ostracised by the trade unless they subscribe to stan¬ 
dards of business practice set by the trade at large. 
Every nurseryman who wishes the trade to have a 
good standing in the commercial world should get busy 
and urge seedling growers, importers and others to keep 
the business in the hands of the legitimate nursery 
industry. 
LABOR 
A letter from the Bowery Mission, 227 Bow¬ 
ery, New York, states that conditions in the lodging- 
house district in the Bowery remind one of pre-war 
times. The free labor bureau is very busy in trying to 
bring employees and employer together, without any 
financial charge. Should any of the readers of this pa¬ 
per require male help of any kind, communicate with 
A. C. Baker, Sec’y, Bowery Mission, 227 Bowery, New 
York City. 
Many of our readers will be pleased to hear that James 
McHutchison of McHutchison & Co., 95 Chambers St., 
New York, is gradually recovering from a long illness. 
Mr. McHutchison has been away from business for the 
past eight months, but is now putting in his appearance 
at the office three times a week, although still under 
medical treatment. 
To The Editor of 
The National Nurseryman : 
JOSEPH MEEHAN 
AN APPRECIATION 
With the wane of the old year went out a life which as 
it relates to the profession of horticulture was of ines¬ 
timable value. 
In the death of Joseph Meehan we have lost one of 
those peculiarly useful men who as they gather know¬ 
ledge immediately impart it to others. 
For several years it was the writer’s privilege to be 
closely associated with Mr. Meehan and like a standard 
work on our bookshelf one could immediately turn to 
him for information on any question pertaining to trees 
and plants. 
In fact so much faith did we have in his intimate 
knowledge of hardy plants that it was quite a proverbial 
thought in our mind to say “when in doubt consult 
Uncle Joe” as he was affectionately called hy us of a 
younger generation. 
As it is only by continued and intimate association 
with a person, that we are able to test friendships and 
discover their inherent traits, so personal contact with 
Mr. Meehan revealed many sterling qualities of character 
which all must admire. 
Even to the point of severity he had a keen sense of 
justice and not in one iota could he be swerved, from any 
principle which in his heart he knew to be right. 
Is it not somewhat fitting that Mr. Meehan’s life should 
go out in the last days of the old year, for like the year 
he had reached his December and had well completed his 
cycle and after a life full of useful work has gone to rest 
and sleeps in the bosom of mother earth which in his 
life he loved so well. 
Edwin Matthews. 
