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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Eastern nurserymen have just passed 
BROWN through a season of considerable anxiety 
TAIL caused by the importation of that serious 
MOTH. * European pest, the brown tail moth. 
This period has passed away and with it 
perhaps we may have been lulled into a feeling of security 
due in a considerable degree to the vigorous measures insti¬ 
tuted by the New York State Department of Agriculture 
for the stamping out of the pest. It is a regrettable fact, 
however, that all state departments were not equally vigi¬ 
lant and active. There is no doubt at all in our mind that 
we shall hear of out-breaks of this insect in new localities the 
coming summer. There is every likelihood that the enemy 
will appear in new haunts and that we may expect serious 
invasion. This is a matter which interests not only the 
orchardists and the land owner, but is of vital significance 
to the nurserymen. One of the principal barriers to the 
rapid extension of fruit growing is the increasing number 
of dangerous pests. Many a man is deterred from engaging 
in fruit growing not alone by the certainty of being obliged 
to put up a fight against the insects which are already 
established but by the possible invasion of new ones. We 
can keep out insects much easier than we can control them 
after they have got in. The way to keep them out is to 
inspect our imports. This will undoubtedly be trouble¬ 
some and inconvenient, but more difficult obstacles than 
this have already been met and overcome. Let the importer, 
the nurseryman and the planter co-operate in this important 
matter. Speedy action is necessary. 
The various state legislatures have been 
unusually prolific this year of bills relating 
LEGISLATION. to the regulation of manufactured articles 
affecting the fruit grower and farmer. In 
Congress there are at least three important 
bills. One of these, the importance of which the National 
Nurseryman has urged from time to time, is the passage of 
a bill regulating the manufacture of insecticides and fungi¬ 
cides. This is supported not only by the entomologists, 
horticultural inspectors and nurserymen and fruit growers, 
but to a considerable extent by the association of manufac¬ 
turing chemists. It should become law. 
Another bill before Congress which has recently been 
withdrawn is that referred to in our last issue, which aims to 
secure inspection of imported nursery stock. This has been 
withdrawn for the present, and as the season for the impor¬ 
tation of stock is over for this year no harm will arise, pro¬ 
vided nurserymen and entomologists get together and push 
it through before the arrival of another importing season. 
A third important bill before Congress is one which aims 
to regulate the size and character of the various fruit 
packages. This bill specifies the size of the box as well as 
the barrel. It is being vigorously opposed by western fruit 
growers for the reason that the box size specified does not 
conform to the size which has been in use on the Pacific 
Coast for a number of years. As our Pacific Coast fruit 
growers are the men who introduced the box package and 
popularized it, there is considerable force in their contention 
that r they should not now be told, after having proved its 
value, what the box package should be. 
Of the state legislatures, New York is considering bills 
for the regulation of fruit packages as well as the sale of 
manufactured insecticides and fungicides. Maine is putting 
through a package law, and Massachusetts is considering 
something of the same kind. All these things mean progress 
in one way or another, and though laws are sometimes wise 
and sometimes otherwise, sometimes enforced and some¬ 
times dead letters, yet on the whole there is a certain moral 
effect arising out of their passage which is in general benefi¬ 
cent. 
NOTIONS AND EXPERIENCE IN THE MATTER OF 
CREDITS. 
Herbert E. Chase. 
[Read before the Southern Nurserymen’s Association.] 
During the past 16 or 17 years my business has been 
growing and selling nursery stock at wholesale. My ideas 
on credits are influenced by my previous experience in buy¬ 
ing general merchandise, and my experience in selling 
Nursery stock at wholesale. I must tell you stories on 
myself in order that you may understand. 
I began my business life with a merchant, Mr. A. A. 
Shuford, of Hickory, N. C. The firm was A. A. Shuford & 
Co. Mr. Shuford was well known and of undoubted credit. 
I became the buyer, was sent to the markets regularly for 
that purpose, became personally acquainted with the 
department heads in many of the great wholesale houses, 
was regarded as a good customer. Finally Mr. Shuford 
sold his interest in the firm to another young man and 
myself, with the understanding that the firm name should 
remain, and that he would stand behind us if necessary. I 
was in New York buying the fall stock, had been working in 
one of the great dry goods houses a day or more when one 
of the general men said, “Herbert, they want to talk with 
you up stairs.” I wondered what they wanted to advise 
with me about, but made up my mind to be modest; I 1 
went adjusting my cravat; was shown into a little office 
just large enough for two chairs and a small desk, where sat 
a man. The door closed and we were alone. The talk went I 
about like this: 
“Are you Mr. Chase?” 
“Yes sir.” 
“We understand Mr. Shuford has sold his interests to 
you and Mr. So and So, is that true?” 
“Yes sir.” 
“What was the purchase price?” I told him, and then 
followed a lot of questions about how we expected to pay 
the balance, had we paid the notes due, when did we inven¬ 
tory, what was the amount of stock on hand, did we owe 
for merchandise, amount of annual business, how much 
rent, interest, etc., etc. My questioner sat facing me, figur¬ 
ing pad on his desk, pencil in hand; when all his questions 
were answered he added up two columns of figures and said, 
“Young man, by your figures you are in the red, but you 
can have all the stuff the boys can sell you, goodbye, good 
luck.” The door opened and I was outside before I realized 
the credit man had been through me, and that I had made 
a poor show for Shuford & Co., because I simply had an- I 
swered his questions, but had not given all the information 
that would have a bearing on our credit. 
