THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
281 
TRANSPORTATION MATTERS 
The following extract shows how Mr. Sizemore, freight and claim agent of Stark Bros. Company, is 
aiding the transportation committee in their efforts to adjust classification matters. 
“Rule 8, page 3 Western Classification provides for the 
excess of a car to go at car rate when minimum is 30,000 lbs. 
or above ‘provided commodity is loaded in a box car.’ As 
the minimum on nursery stock is 16,000, 20,000, and 24,000 
lbs. and in the winter time when shipping seedlings and 
other stock in refrigerator cars the above rule was of no 
benefit to the nurserymen, and Mr. Lake thought it might 
be possible to have change made at this meeting. 
It appears that the Iron Pipe manufacturers had rule 
docketed desiring the elimination of the seventh line which 
reads “provided loaded in a box car.” The elimination of 
the seventh line would not help the nurserymen any, and as 
what Mr. Lake desired had not been properly docketed it 
could be considered in open meeting, but through the in¬ 
fluence of our Alton and other railroad friends the matter 
is to be given special consideration in executive session. 
Had the promise of the Alton, ’Frisco, Rock Island, Union 
Pacific, Colorado Midland, Salt Lake Route, Chicago, Bur¬ 
lington and Quincy and Missouri Pacific representatives 
that they would support matter when it came up, but 
there appears to be considerable objection to making an 
exception in favor of nursery stock as it would make an 
opening for other shippers to apply for exceptions in favor of 
their commodities. Mr. Holcomb, the C. B. & Q. representa¬ 
tive, stated that he did not think the question was one for 
the Classification Committee to decide, further stating he 
thought they would be able to handle it through the 
Western Trunk Line Committee. 
I informed them that we shipped last spring over 200 
refrigerator cars and quite a number of them only contained 
from 10,000 to 12,000 lbs. and in view of this fact thought 
nurserymen were entitled to have their excess refrigerator 
cars go forward at the car-load rate. 
All representatives interviewed expressed themselves as 
being friendly to the nursery interest, realizing what it 
meant to them in the future/but the main thing against the 
proposition was the low minimum on nursery stock now 
existing. However, it is my opinion chances are even for 
carrying proposition. 
Quite a number of railroad men congratulated the 
nurserymen on their success at the Mobile meeting last 
January, in having the obnoxious release clause eliminated. 
While quite a number of them could not recall my name 
all of them remembered the Stark Delicious Apple and 
stated in a joking way that they hoped the apple donation 
would be duplicated at their next meeting to be in San 
Antonio, Texas, in January. They were greatly surprised 
when I told them that during the past twelve years our sales 
shipped amounted to $7,026,533.57 on which we had paid 
freight of $500,503.94; that we had collected from the rail¬ 
roads in the way of overcharge and loss claims on the above 
$16,703.29, this being divided into $8,269.89 for lost ship¬ 
ments and $8,433.40 overcharges. 
The percent of shipments lost based on amount shipped 
is a little better than one-tenth of one per cent and the 
per cent lost based on amount of freight is one and six-tenths 
per cent. Should some nurseryman stick the railroads, 
account the $5.00 release clause being eliminated, Chairman 
Becker may place the subject on docket at some future 
meeting with view to raising rates, and should this be done 
such figures as above would prove beneficial to present to 
the committee which would show practically nothing lost 
compared to the amount shipped. 
Sizemore, Freight and Claim Agent 
Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchard Co. 
ANOTHER NOVELTY 
The Prince Bismarck, a tall, pyramidal, pure white plant 
is one of the most remarkable of recent novelties, surpas¬ 
sing in its qualities all other varieties so far on the market. 
It is hardy in growth, with long, vigorous branches covered 
with large bouquets of pure white flowers. Outdoors it 
may attain to a height of 31 inches or more. It is of value 
I in the borders or grown singly; in the latter case it de\ elops 
into a fine shrub with large clusters of flowers. It begins 
to flower when other stocks have already finished, and con¬ 
tinues uninterruptedly until Fall.— Revue de l Horticultui e. 
NURSERYMAN MAKES LIBERAL GIFT 
In his desire to see beautiful parks in Fresno, Cal., 
George C. Roeding, the well known nurseryman, has spared 
no money to accomplish this result and as a consequence 
the new portion of Roeding’s Park, consisting of 47 acres 
which was donated to the city, has been all planted out this 
spring. But for Mr. Roeding’s generosity this would 
never have been accomplished. When all had been figured 
out, it was found that the plants donated by Mr. Roeding 
and set out in the park this spring, amounted in value to 
$3618.82. 
