The National nurseryman 
107 
their meeting and appeared on their docket, no consider¬ 
ation would be given. We also found we were at a great 
disadvantage in not having known how to proceed, and 
having no statistics showing the volume of the nursery 
business, &c. 
On return home from this' meeting, a list of questions re¬ 
lating to freights received, forwarded, losses, &c., was made 
up and about 700 of these were sent out to the leading nursery¬ 
men of the United States, with circular letter explaining 
same and asking conservative estimates in answers. 
After much delay and scores of personal letters, we finally 
succeeded in getting answers to about 110 of the 700. Many 
were the excuses for not answering,—“fear of giving away 
office secrets,” and “not time to. answer,” &c., &c. 
These 110 answers included most of the heaviest shippers 
though not all. On compiling these answers, we found they 
represented a business the previous year of over 64,000,000 
pounds, or over 3,200 20,000 pound cars of freight. 
Freight paid by nurserymen, over $230,000.00. 
Average weight first class trees, loaded in bulk in 36 feet 
cars, about 14,000 pounds. In 40 feet cars, 18,000 pounds. 
In 50 feet cars, 23,000 pounds. 
Boxes of proper sizes for filling cars load to classification 
minimum. 
September 6th, H. S. Chase with the writer went before 
the Southern Freight Classification Committee, at their 
meeting at Niagara Falls, to argue our petition for lower 
minimum on small cars 36 feet and under, but are sorry to 
report that our petition was not granted at that meeting, and 
since that we have not had time to take it up with them 
again. 
January 8th, owing to change in date other members not 
being able to attend, the writer was again before the Western 
Freight Classification Committee at their meeting at Gulf¬ 
port, Miss., to argue our applications for changes in mini¬ 
mum weight on car loads, trees in bales, peach seed in car 
loads, and excelsior packing material. 
They gave us fifth class on peach seed car loads 24,000 
pounds. Also trees in bales at actual weight in consignments 
of not less than 100 pounds first class; but in printing their 
classification a mistake was made and the change applied to 
“bales, tops wrapped, roots boxed,” instead of “bales roots 
wrapped,” bales roots wrapped having been made 1J times 
first class, bales not weighing less than 100 pounds each. 
But we have the assurance of the secretary that this was not 
intentional and will be corrected to “bales roots wrapped, 
consignments of 100 pounds or over first class.” 
The minimum on car loads and class on excelsior was not 
changed however, we believe that if this is followed up and 
your committee is helped by the members generally taking the 
matter up with the representatives of their lines, there can 
be secured a minimum of 16,000 pounds on 36 feet cars, 
20,000 pounds on cars 36 to 45 feet, and 24,000 pounds on 
cars over 45 feet, without a change in class. But to secure 
this we must all work together. 
Realizing their lack of knowledge as to methods of packing, 
and in fact of the nursery business in general, the secretary 
of the Western Classification Committee came to our grounds 
this spring to investigate and, we think, learned some things 
that will be of advantage to your committee in future work. 
The writer has also made three trips to Chicago and one to 
St. Louis, to talk these matters over with the chairman and 
members of committee. 
January 1st, 1904, the Official Freight Classification Com¬ 
mittee changed classification on seedlings from trees to plants, 
and as there was no rate on plants in car loads lots, shippers 
had to pay first class rates on seedlings in official territory, 
but through the efforts of G. W. Sheldon & Co., Irving Rouse 
and other importers, they saw their mistake and July 1st 
changed it, rating seedlings as trees. 
January 1st, 1903, the classification on trees in boxes, in 
the official report was changed from third class to second 
class making an advance of over 20 per cent, in freights. While 
this proposition was before the committee for months before 
the change was made, it seems the nurserymen were not 
aware of it and nothing was done to prevent it, and for nearly 
two years, we all took our medicine and said nothing. It 
would have been much easier to have prevented the change 
than it is to get them to restore the old rate. 
This matter was taken up last September, and at a meeting 
.of the Western New York Nurserymen's Association later a 
very strong committee was appointed, consisting of Irving 
Rouse, W. C. Barry, Wm. Pitkin, C. J. Brown and O. G. 
Chase. This committee was, by your worthy president, 
added to your Transportation Committee and at once took 
up their work, going to the members of the Official Freight 
Committee who were heads of the leading trunk lines, especial- 
ly'the New York Central, Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, 
and Lehigh Yalley and Erie, and after two or three trips by 
Mr. House and one trip by the whole committee to New 
York, together with voluminous correspondence, succeeded 
in securing their support and a special call signed by the 
General Freight Agents of said roads for special vote on our 
petition. Previous to the vote being taken other members 
of the Official Committee were visited personally by one or 
more nurserymen, patrons of lines they represented, and 
their support sought. 
We understand that this vote by the Official Committee was 
in favor of granting our petition lo restore to us third class 
on trees in boxes, but it seems there is a power behind this 
committee and that when it was submitted to the Railroad 
in the Official Territory they did not ratify it (a very un¬ 
usual action), and that either the work done would be lost, 
or result desired be delayed. Yet having secured the sup¬ 
port of the majority of the Official Committee, it certainly 
would be policy to follow it up and, if possible, find where 
the trouble is, and by personal work with the representatives 
of the roads who have been unfavorable, secure their sup¬ 
port. This change would result in the saving of thousands 
of dollars annually to the nurserymen of the country. With 
this change we would have little to criticize in the Official 
Classification, though there arc some small changes which 
might be made to mutual advantage. 
In flic Southern Classification we have little to ask, except 
lower minimum on Car Load., but thought best to let this 
rest for the present while pushing the work before the other 
committees. 
With the Western Classification Committee we are filing- 
petitions for lower minimum on trees car load and peach 
stones; for lower class on excelsior packing and peach stones, 
