92 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The writer, who has had a full lifetime experience in 
the pursuit of the retail nursery business, having for a 
period of fifteen years tried out the system of replacing, 
free of charge, changing later to replacing at half price 
and afterwards since ten years entirely quitting the 
practice of replacing free of charge excepting in cases 
on account of delays or other causes where the losses 
could be traced to our firm, being at fa-ult. 
Under our present system we actually find that we 
are making more friends by occasionally giving our cus¬ 
tomers a tree where one dies, although we had not ob¬ 
ligated ourselves to do it, when the order was taken. 
We find that under this plan our customers are gen¬ 
erally satisfied. Whereas, under the old plan of replac¬ 
ing free of charge they seemed never to be satisfied and 
we were always kept under obligations to them more or 
less, especially with the careless planter. Under the old 
plan we have often found that the careless planter and 
especially one, who would be inclined to be a little bit 
tricky would call for replacements of the same trees 
several times over. 
In an exchange of correspondence with some of the 
retail nursery firms, it was mentioned that it was easier 
lo get agents to sell nursery stock where the same agreed 
to replace free of charge and, also, because it offered in¬ 
ducements for the customer to place an order. Are we 
not lowering the standard of the nursery business by 
submitting to such unreasonable terms? Are we not 
actually spoiling the good qualities of agents by per¬ 
mitting them to replace indiscriminately and encourage 
an incentive to make unreasonable promises and to do 
things beyond their jurisdiction? Is it not a temptation 
for the agent to replace many things that should not be 
replaced? 
If the policy of free replacing by the retail nursery¬ 
men is advocated, does it not stand to reason that the 
wholesaler, the mail order nurserymen and florists 
would eventually be obliged to fall in line and do the 
same thing? 
Shall the nursery business endure? Shall it occupy 
an equally high standard with other industries of this 
country? Are not our productions among the most use¬ 
ful and beautiful of all things produced? 
If the nursery business of this country is to prosper, 
we must not only cease to invent obstacles that will pre¬ 
vent the progress of the nursery business, we must aim 
to build up a better standard. 
We must not only cease to encourage careless plant¬ 
ing, we must educate our clients to plant carefully so as 
to prevent losses. 
We must not only cease to educate our agents and 
clients in the thought that our goods are a cheap article 
and that we can afford to give away things, we must 
teach them not to make unreasonable promises for which 
we are not responsible. 
We must not only cease to impress the client with an 
unreasonable obligation we are to carry in the practice of 
replacing free of charge indiscriminately, we must en¬ 
courage a policy that will put the stamp of quality on 
our goods and enhance the character of the nursery bus¬ 
iness. 
Would a doctor guarantee to keep a man well for a 
year after collecting a large fee? Could a man afford to 
give guarantee when selling a horse that it would keep 
in good healthy condition for an indefinite time? 
Gentlemen, I sincerely hope you will find time to dis¬ 
cuss this vital and important question during your delib¬ 
erations at this meeting, so that the matter may be taken 
up again at the convention next summer. 
Extending to you my most cordial greetings and best 
wishes for unbounded success of your meeting, I am, 
with great respect, 
Yours very truly, 
Charles E. Greening. 
P. S.—Mr. Greening would be glad to hear from any 
nurseryman on this subject. Address him at Monroe, 
Care The Greening Nursery Company. 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Federal Horticultural Roard 
Washington, D. C. 
February 25, 1921. 
RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY OF FOREIGN PLANTS WIDELY 
MISUNDERSTOOD 
Any law or regulation which restricts freedom of action on 
the part of the individual necessarily has enemies. Federal and 
State plant quarantine legislation aiming to protect this coun¬ 
try from now important plant pests is not an exception to this 
rule. Just now Federal Quarantine No. 37, whicn restricts the 
entry of foreign plants to prevent such entry of pests is being 
unjustly criticised by a few persons who would like to see this 
quarantine abolished or amended so that in large measure the 
old time free importation of foreign nursery stock and other 
plants could be resumed with all its attendant dangers. It 
would hardly be worth while to pay attention to these criticisms 
except that they absolutely misrepresent the quarantine and 
nave been widely circularized through a fairly active propagan¬ 
da and unfortunately have been accepted at face value by many 
plant amateurs and societies of such amateurs. Such persons 
and societies, from lack of acquaintance with the quarantine 
and its workings, have thus obtained a very erroneous idea of 
the actual restrictions now being enforced on the entry of for¬ 
eign plants. The agricultural and horticultural and nursery in¬ 
terests of this country appreciate the need for this quarantine 
and understand the provisions limiting plant importations. But 
for the information of plant amateurs throughout the country 
and of amateur horticultural and garden societies, etc., it seems 
desirable to issue a statement of facts in relation to Quarantine 
37, indicating the provisions which are made under it for the 
importation either free or under restriction of any plant what¬ 
soever for which a necessity can be shown and to correct the 
more impo tant of the misrepresentations which have gained 
acceptance in some quarters through lack of accurate informa,- 
tion about the quarantine. 
Ample Provision Made for the Entry of Any and All Plants 
with respect to possibilities of plant importations under 
Quarantine No. 37, amateur societies and plant lovers have a 
right to be concerned by such statements as the following, tak¬ 
en from this propaganda: 
The Department of Agriculture has inaugurated “a policy that 
would gradually result in the exclusion of all foreign nursery 
stock and florists’ stock, a Chinese wall policy” for America 
which will exclude “other plants which may be discovered any¬ 
where as valuable to us as have been the Apple, the Lilac, the 
Peach, and countless other familiar butexotic plants in use to¬ 
day;” and “the extension of the present system of exclusion by 
regulation under a blanket law will undoubtedly result in a total 
embargo against further horticutural progress in the United 
States! ” 
What are the facts as to restrictions on plant importations? 
No plants are absolutely prohibited entry into the United States 
under Quarantine No. 37 or under any other Federal plant quar¬ 
antine! Ample provision has been made for the importation in¬ 
to the United States of any plant whatsoever, whether for in¬ 
troduction, experimental, scientific, or other purpose. The De¬ 
partment has no wish or intention now or at any time to make 
