206 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
hcr(‘. It s('(Mns to mo the oriiameiital nui’sery business is 
lapidly beeoming a local iiislitulion. I don’t predict that 
we will sec the passing of our great nurseries with their 
nationwide clieidelle. Rut I do believe the public is buy¬ 
ing nursery stock closer to home where it can be inspect¬ 
ed before |)lanting and where it can be planted by the 
nurseryman himself or at least handled fresh dug. Our 
patrons are demanding a ])lanting seiwice just as we are 
demanding a similar service wdtli many things we buy, 
and as retailej s w e have in this day of the automobile that 
expensive and time consuming job of personal contact and 
service during the very limited period w^e now' handle our 
l)roducts. I am just repeating your owm story ])erha])s 
wdien I recall a day during the planting season. A home 
owner of moderate means drives to your place and imme¬ 
diately you are obligated to show him all the courtesies 
due a prospective patron, llis planting ])roblem is unfold¬ 
ed and you go over w ith him the many necessary details 
before suggesting w hat he should use at his doorstep, in 
the border or on the lawn. You figure and plan his re¬ 
quirements and then give the estimate. It is mighty ex- 
jiensive. Then he w ants to know^ wdiat he is going to get 
for his money. The conifers you can show" him with a 
degree of satisfaction and after inquiry as to their health, 
happiness, size, age and w ell being you turn to your de¬ 
ciduous stock. If your patron is just the average and you 
are not adejit at description and even if you are, it is 
mighty dillicult to explain to him the beauty of the bell- 
shajied, bluish tinted flowers and the glossy foliage of 
the Abelia or that great pendulous sprays of wdiite blos¬ 
soms w ill cover the Van lloutei and so on through your 
planting list. In the dormant state your plants don’t seem 
quite equal to such descriptions. You will perhaps sell 
your jiatron, but it has consumed a lot of time and the 
most valuable time the nurseryman has, too, for did you 
ever stop to think that of all the agricultural occupations 
that the nursery business is the only one in wdiicli the 
proverbial “seed time and harvest” come at the same 
time? In other words, when it is time for you to plant 
your lining out stock your patron must also have your fin¬ 
ished jnoduct. That is w hy time during this period is so 
valuable to the nurseryman and I sometimes doubt if w e 
get prices remunerative of the knowledge, material and 
time necessary in handling our products. But in the 
busy time the steady stream of patrons is consuming 
your time aud the time of your very best employees. If 
you solicit him at his door similar time is taken. Then, 
too, you are handicapped when the Forsythias and Mag¬ 
nolias bid w elcome to spring, or w hen the Spireas are in 
their glory or the Weigelas are in full bloom your patron 
waints them. You know w ith storage stock you can only 
lengthen the season but very little and field plants will get 
Itack so badly, unless extra care is taken and some time 
it is not worth the effort. Or w hat can w e do now^ with 
the man that comes w ith his newly finished house and 
graded law n too late to catch the regular planting season? 
The season is ahvays too short. We hurry through, do¬ 
ing our best, sometimes not giving every attention to the 
selection of plants for our iiatron’s requirements. We 
sometimes book more than the planting season with its 
adverse weather conditions permits completion or in other 
words we simply do the best w'e can and finally gamble 
on the results to be satisfactory. This summer planting 
idea eliminates a great many of these worries. You have 
more time later to give him that jiersonal attention and 
inspection of his ])roperty that is justly due him. You can 
show him plants not dormant but growing, chuck full of 
leaves and blossoms with everything to see in an instant 
that eliminates any of the doubt or misgiving that may 
have existed when he examined your dormant shrubs. 
These are some advantages of using plants in ware bas¬ 
kets. You can make nursery sales all during the sum¬ 
mer months right in line with your business. 
Self-satisfied customers, they do the selecting (or you 
imagine they do). 
No replacing, as plants are just as sure to grow' as a 
florist’s potted plants. 
Opportunity to replace failures on dormant plantings. 
Ability to clean up surplus or cellared stock. 
Personal attention not possible during the now very 
busy season. 
Ability to keep a planting or landscape service intact 
and busy the entire year. 
Larger local or automobile trade, saves shipping, deliv¬ 
ery and packing. 
Advanced prices willingly paid, consequently more 
profits. 
Immediate sales, some persons forget between bloom¬ 
ing and planting time. 
Ability to dispose of precocious plants that ordinarily 
advance too far to sell along with general nursery stock. 
Opportunity to insure growth on some of the difficult or 
rare subjects like Gedrus dedora, Chinese Magnolia, Jap¬ 
anese Maple, etc. 
Easier than planting, shading, wintering or handling 
stock in tubs, boxes or pots and better results are attained. 
Partial plantings of grounds may be done and finished 
later during the dormant period. 
All classes of plants may be used, insuring fairly com¬ 
plete job at any time. 
No hazard or loss, the plants may be retained several 
years. 
Temporary planting may be made, later removed with 
no loss. 
One Californian said it w'as the only thing be had been 
able to get to keep the gophers from destroying his plants. 
One Southerner was assured of having muzzles for his 
mules ahvays in supply. 
Invaluable for exhibition purposes at flower shows, 
county fairs, etc. 
There is practically no wilting of plants and one good 
soaking w ith w'ater insures growih. 
Plants will grow off much more rapidly in the w^arm 
soil. 
Basketed plants will double the first year’s growih of 
naked root or even balled and buiiapped plants for the 
loot system is left intact. 
The undisturbed root system with liberal ball of earth 
insures growth of plants when transplanted in poor soil. 
Ea.sy sales, the plants seem larger because they are full 
of leaf, fill the eye, need no description, one of these 
things that has made evergreen easy to sell notwithstand¬ 
ing their price. 
Gives nurserymen an opportunity to encourage “field 
days” wiien patrons can choose their plants and take them 
home. 
