THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
91 
every effort through their representative, Mr. Sizemore, 
at the Interstate Commerce Commission hearing, to pre¬ 
vent this change of classification, which is causing hard¬ 
ship on the planters of nursery stock and nurserymen, 
the committee evidently had its mind so set on increasing 
the revenues of the Express Companies, that our protest 
was in vain, and nursery stock went to first class on 
January 1st, and the cost of transportation increased 
33 Ya%. This almost doubles the cost of express for nur¬ 
sery stock in the last year or so. 
Everybody should immediately write the strongest pos¬ 
sible kind of letters, especially the American Association 
of Nurserymen, to his Congressman and Senator. Also 
protest in the strongest possible manner to the Interstate 
Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C.; also to the 
Head Office of the American Express Company, in New 
York City. 
This matter was brought up at the recent meeting of 
the Western Nurserymen’s Association and it was agreed 
that this situation creates a great menace, not only to the 
future of the nursery industry, but to the future fruit 
food productive power of America. It will greatly reduce 
an industry that the Federal Government and the State 
Governments have fostered and endeavored to up-build 
from their inception. 
To make America productive and to reap bountiful 
harvests of fruit and grain, is of vital interest to every 
American—whether he be a producer or a consumer. 
The wisdom of fostering any Agricultural industry 
which increases the food production of the United States 
has never been questioned. Every Senator and Con¬ 
gressman, for the last 75 years has realized this fact. 
This fact is the reason for all our great irrigation pro¬ 
jects. It is the basis of all our conservation and forestry 
work. It is the basic reason for giving every possible 
Federal and State aid to increase planting of fruit and 
forest trees. Preferential freight rates and express 
rates have always been recognized as desirable on these 
products, in order to stimulate their production and pro¬ 
pagation. 
Most of the small home owners and the farmers de¬ 
pend largely on express shipments for their nursery 
stock. These express rates have now been raised to such 
a point that it is going to materially decrease the move¬ 
ment and planting of nursery stock. Ultimately, this 
will mean a great decrease in the bearing, food-produc¬ 
ing fruit trees in the country, and a consequent shrink¬ 
age of fruit supply. 
Statistics show that in the last ten years, the bearing 
orchard acreage has decreased nearly 50%. In the State 
of Missouri, for example, there are only one-halt as many 
bearing fruit trees as there were ten years ago. len 
vears ago there were fourteen million—today there are 
only live million bearing trees. 
The alarming thing about this situation is 
this 
‘‘When the Government Officials and Congressmen real¬ 
ize that the new prohibitive express rates and similar re¬ 
strictions have further reduced the number ot Iruit trees 
in this country to the point where the American people 
cannot obtain enough fruit for their health and well-be¬ 
ing, it will be too late.” It takes eight to ten years to 
make an orchard. Fruit trees planted today will lui- 
nfsh the fruit supply ten years from now. When the 
people realize that their fruit supply has been largely 
exhausted, it will be too late. 
The nurserymen and the farm interests and everyone 
who plants fruit trees or uses fruit, should without de¬ 
lay, place this matter before their Representatives in 
Congress and their Senators. Urge them to bring the 
strongest possible'pressure to bear on the Interstate Com¬ 
merce Commission to put fruit trees and other nursery 
products back in their old express classification 
namely—second class express, instead of the higher 
priced, almost prohibitive, 1st class rate. If they don’t 
the cost of express transportation will remain as it now 
is, almost double what it was a short time ago. 
It may be that the strongest kind of letters you can 
write will not correct this disastrous situation, but the 
time will come when the Express Companies will 
realize that the present rates are not productive, and must 
be reduced. This time will probably come within the 
next year and when that time comes, your efforts now 
will undoubtedly bear fruit. Get on record now, act at 
once, to help break this strangle hold on the nursery and 
orchard planters of America. 
If we all act, act quickly and with the utmost deter¬ 
mination, we can make the proper officials realize the 
disaster they are calling down upon the fruit production 
of the United States. 
Hoping for prompt action, I am 
Very truly yours, 
Lloyd Stark, President, A. A. N. 
P. S.—It is suggested that you send copies of your re¬ 
plies from your Congressmen, Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission, and the American Express Company, to Clias. 
Sizemore, Traffic Manager, Louisiana, Missouri, or to the 
writer. 
ABOUT THE FREE REPLACEMENT 
NURSERY STOCK 
OF 
Monroe, Michigan, February 15, 1921. 
Editor National Nurseryman, 
Flourtown, Pa. 
Fellow Nurserymen:— 
Allow me to take up just a little ot your valuable time 
in discussing and exploiting on the much abused sub¬ 
ject of free replacing of nursery stock. 
The question arises whether it is good policy for us 
nurserymen to replace indiscriminately, trees that fail 
to grow the first season. 
I believe that none of us nurserymen will argue the 
question or the justification of replacing trees tree ot 
charge or refunding money paid where the nurseryman 
is to blame. However, when it comes to a point where 
the blame for losses in nursery stock after planting icsls 
with the customer, can we nurserymen afford to gamble 
on conditions arising through carelessness in cultivation, 
exposure and neglect, poor planting—often crowded in 
small holes, improper pruning, injury done by domestic 
animals, and through carelessness in cultivation, or 
where the stock is planted on hard, heavy and dry soils. 
