I 
70 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
those of a criminal nature tliat require stringent laws 
and regulations to keej) them in cheek. 
AMEIHCAN ASSOCIATION Oh NUHSKKYMhN 
February 5. 1924. 
To Members of the A. A. of N.; 
Subject: Should nurserymen consider the distribution 
of their products when making up their schedule of stock 
for foundation planting, or after the goods are fully de¬ 
veloped and ready for market? 
The production of goods for distribution or sale is the 
fundamental basis of the industrial system. The suc¬ 
cess of our business grows out of the demand for what 
we produce to satisfy human needs. At ])resent nursery¬ 
men are considering what and how much to plant. No 
other one thing in our business requires so much care¬ 
ful thought and deliberate consideration. We have only 
to retrospect in order to form some very good ideas for 
the future. 
Do you consider in making up your planting list the 
fact that propagating and developing more nursery slock 
than the planters demand is an economic waste? You 
employ labor, utilize fertile land, which would produce 
food for the people of the world. Nurserymen should 
consider in making uj) their planting schedules the de¬ 
mand of their own respective customers, or rather, what 
outlet they will have for their products when developed 
and r'^ady for market. 
Do we sometimes plant without careful thought and 
consideration just because we can secure foundation 
stock in quantity? By following this method you will, 
without doubt, have a huge bonfire when your j)roduct 
is ready for distribution; thus your economic waste is 
caused by over-production or misjudgmenl in estimat¬ 
ing the requirements of the planters. We should pro¬ 
duce sufficient nursery stock to supply planters with 
their reciuirements at a price reasonable in consideration 
of the j)resent cost of producing and distributing our 
products. The nurserymen, however, should not produce 
a large surplus over and above reasonable demands. If 
we will only give due and deliberate consideration to 
what our outlet will be when our goods are ready for 
the market, we will be able to supply the demands of 
our customers, and at the same time receive a fair and 
just return for our efforts. 
Respectfully yours. 
W. G. McK.vy, Chairman. 
Committee on Distribution. 
February 2. 1924. 
Members of the A. A. of N.. Gentlemen: 
This will be of interest to those' of you that are ex¬ 
pecting shipments of root stocks, or plants this spring. 
The requirement that the roots of such plants shall be 
washed, or cleaned free from dirt is very clearly set 
forth in the regulation of the Federal Horticultural 
Board. European shippers, especially French shippers, 
have been careless this spring, and many cases of plants 
have come into Ne^\ York bearing a considerable cjuan- 
tity of soil about the roots. 
Government insj)ectors delayed these shipments at the 
port of entry, while the F. II. B. was consulting with 
your Legislative Committee. From sanq)les of plants 
submitted to your committee, it would appear as if the 
Government regulations had not been complied with, be¬ 
cause there was a good deal of dirt remaining on tin* 
roots. 
The Government could reject these shipments, and 
send them back to France. The alternative was to clean 
the shipments at the importer’s expense. The chairman 
of your Legislative Committee sought a hearing with the 
F. H. B.. and had present with him. Mr. Charles Perkins, 
Mr. Louis Bobbink and Mr. James Clark, of Dreer’s; also 
Paul Stark. The situation was discussed, and for a time 
it looked as if the F. II. B. would reciuire that all the 
roots be washed. We were, however, able to dissuade 
them from this, and agreed to the fumigation of the cases 
in such a way that they would not even have to be com¬ 
pletely unpacked. This fumigation will be done at the 
importer’s expense. Is is the only way that the stock 
can be gotten in at this time. 
I know that there are members of our association who 
will say that your committee should not have consent¬ 
ed even to fumigation, that the whole situation is one in 
which the F. H. B. was seeking to restrain impoiTations. 
and in other w ays w e will be subject to criticism. Under 
all the circumstances, the arrangement made seemed to 
us, at least, to be the best possible to get shipments now j 
on the docks of New York quickly through to destina¬ 
tion. • 
/ 
There appears to be no reason wdiy shippers should 
not clean their plants better before packing them. Also ' 
there is no reason wdiy they should use packing material . 
that is liable to carry infestations to the United States. | 
It is suggested, therefore, that the cost of this funiiga- j 
tion be deducted from the price of the stocks, or plants { 
imported, and in this w^av it is felt that the necessity of : j 
offering plants free from aoil about their roots w ill very ; 
soon be impressed upon the shipper in Europe. ; 
This year we w^ere able to save the situation, but if 
each nurseryman importing stock does not im])ress upon 
his shipper that the plants must be freed from soil about 
their roots, then the F. H. B. w ill issue an order that 
requires the washing of the roots, and this is something 
that nurserymen very generally have objected to. | : 
In conclusion, I hope that you will be satisfied with 
the work of the committee in the emergency that existed, 
and that you will impress upon anyone from whom you 
import plants the necessity that they free them absolutely 
from soil before packing, and also that they are packing 
material that is not capable of carrying in pests. i 
Very respectfully. 
J. Edw-Vro Moon, CJuiirma)!. ; 
Legislative Committee. 
THEY HAD ’EM 
“What have you in the shape of cucumbers this morning?” 
asked the lady customer of the new grocery clerk. 
“Nothing but bananas, mam,” was the reply. 
