164 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The National Nurseryman 
Established 1893 by C. L. YATES. Incorporated 1902 
Published monthly by 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN PUBUSHING CO., Inc. 
Hatboro, Pa. 
Editor .ERNEST HEMMING, Flourtown, Pa. 
The leading trade journal Issued for Growers and Dealers in 
Nursery Stocks of all kinds. It circulates throughout the 
United States, Canada and Europe. 
AWARDED THE ORAHD PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION, 1900 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 
One Year in Advance .$1.50 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance .$2.00 
Six Months .$1.00 
Advertising rates will he sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance reiiuired for foreign advertisements. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are rei^uested by the 
Business Manager, Hatboro, Pa. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
Photographs and news notes of interest to nurserymen should be 
addressed, Bditor, Flourtown, Pa., and should be mailed to arrive not 
later than the 25th of the month. 
Entered as second-class matter June 22, 1916, at 'the post office at 
Hatboro, Pennsylvania, under the Act of March S, 1879. 
Hatboro, Pa., June 1919 
Subscribers to Nurserymen's Fund for 
Market Development" 
On every side we hear the word 
RECONSTIIUGTION. reconstruction used and realize 
to a certain extent, business, so- 
policies and politics are undergoing reconstruction 
without trying very hard to reconstruct our own ideas 
and codes. 
It is true conditions are forcing us to adjust ourselves 
to the new regime in the world’s history, hut individually 
we are letting George do all the reconstructing, and 
like sheep following the leaders even if they are goats. 
It there ever was a time when our owir particular bus¬ 
iness was in a state of flux and in condition to he 
moulded into anything desired, that time is now. 
Tlie time is pregnant with big, vital things that are 
going to alfect the future of the business. The leading 
iiLirseiymen of the country are going to meet in conven¬ 
tion this month. If this opportunity to reform and adopt 
a code of ethics to govern the business in the future is 
missed it will jirove our wishes for better conditions are 
not genuine. 
There is the old question of prices still in cliaos. 
The method of controlling production to prevent 
glutted markets and waste. 
A sensible recognition of those entitled to trade prices 
and a well defined ruling on those who are entitled to 
receive less than retail prices. 
Credits. 
There are a number of trades that make it practically 
impossible for the consumer to buy except at consumer 
rales. Plumbers supiilies and the glass trade are ex¬ 
amples. 
It may he aigued that the nursery business is different, 
of course every business is different, hut they are all 
amenable to sound business practices. 
If the leaders as represented in the national Associa¬ 
tion would show a solid front, the corner nurserymen 
would not he able to aff ect prices very inucli. 
Next year there will he from five to Jiine million plants 
short that have hitherto been imported. 
Are the wholesalers going to take advantage of the 
shortage and ask the same jirice to the trade as to the 
consumer, or will they decide what is a fair retail price, 
and only ask their own jiortion. 
If the nursery business is to develop, a plan will have 
to he worked out to train more skilled help. 
Standardizing nursery stock as to grade and quality is 
also a great need. 
These are only a few of the problems awaiting solution 
and action. 
If there is no solution under the present system of 
doing business, now is the time to change the system. 
PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION 
The most intricate problem or piece of machinery be¬ 
comes simple if it is taken opart and analyzed and studied 
in detail. The nursery business is extremely intricate 
seen as a whole and seems to defy solution when at¬ 
tempts are made to make rules and regulations that will 
put it upon a more satisfactory basis. 
There are so many conflicting interests. In most lines 
of merchandising, a manufacture or production is en¬ 
tirely separate from the selling or distribution. Not so 
with nursery stock. Some of the largest wholesale grow- 
eis are also retailers. The result is an endless confusion 
and conflict of interests and prices. 
If it were possible to simplify the nursery business by 
separating the fruit tree grower from the growers of 
ornamentals, and then again consider the interests of the 
glowers apart from the distributors and consumers, it 
would be a much easier matter to find a satisfactory 
basis. Take for instance tbe matter of prices. If the 
fruit tree grower would be satisfied with his job to grow 
double X grade trees and not concern himself at all 
about the selling of them, the chances are he would make 
more money with less worry than he does by attempting 
to sell them as well as, grow them. Suppose the cost of 
growing fruit trees was $10 per 100, giving him a reason¬ 
able profit, the distributors finding the market and hand¬ 
ling them at another $10 per 100. This brings them 
somewhere about the average price they have been bring¬ 
ing on the market recently. These figures of course are 
only suggestive. The retail single selling price could 
then be fixed at say three and one-half times the cost 
fiom the distributors or middlemen. 
It is only by separating out and handling nursery 
stock upon the most approved mercantile methods that 
there will be satisfaction and stabilized prices. 
To many it is difficult to understand why there should 
be such a big difference between trade and retail prices. 
The dilliculty vanishes when experience teaches. 
The main reason is because the elements of labor and 
risk enters so largely into the handling of nursei-y slock. 
Add to these the short planting season, and the retailers 
overhead and the need for a multiple three and one-half 
times is readily understood. 
