1G4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
The Handling of Nursery Stock . 
A VALUABLE SYMPOSIUM ADVICE BY EXPERIENCED MEN. 
The following questions were asked of a number of nursery¬ 
men. This was not with the expectation of bringing out new 
information, but rather to review and refresh our memories 
on well known principles. 
1. In the course of handling nursery stock, when does it 
receive most injury, and what are the commoner causes of 
injury? 
2. What classes of stock require most care in handling? 
3. What influence has careless handling and packing upon 
the nursery business. 
4. What general suggestions have you to offer for the good 
of the trade on the digging, handling and packing of nursery 
stock. 
AN EVERGREEN SPECIALIST. 
1. Poor digging. Mutilating roots and branches. Letting lay in 
sun and wind after digging, and storing in cold storage before the wood 
is well ripened. 
2. Evergreens, both conifers and broad leaved. They carry the 
same amount of foliage when dormant as when in the growing state, and 
must have circulation of air in packing case. Consequently cannot be 
packed as closely as dormant deciduous stock. 
3. About the same as a dishonest tree peddler in either case the 
buyer gets discouraged and will not try again. 
4. More care should be used in packing material and the proper 
placing of it. Too much chaff and rotted straw is being used, fully as 
much being put among the tops as among the roots by some packers. 
Result, heated stock in ten days, stock should be well ripened before 
going into cold storage. Hand stripped stock shrivels badly, and tips of 
branches die as buds are not matured. 
Waukegan, Ill. Thos. H. Douglas 
FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE GROWER OF ORNAMENTALS. 
In handling of nursery stock, a great deal of injury is received during 
the digging and shipping season by exposing the trees unnecessarily 
long to the sun and wind. Some exposure is of course unavoidable, but 
it ought to be as short as possible, and when brought to the packing 
shed the trees ought to be well watered and puddled just before being 
packed. The best way to [avoid unnecessary exposure is to heel in 
such trees, which can not be brought to the packing shed at once, at the 
block, where they were dug and where they will remain, ready to be 
pulled out and loaded on the wagon at the next opportunity. This is 
most necessary with evergreens, and when these are loaded on the 
wagon, they must lay so that the roots are inward and the tops outward 
in order that the latter protect the roots from the sun and wind. 
The packing of trees is a most important feature, and ought to be 
done by men, who understand it well. Poor packing often ruins trees. 
Of trees most sensitive to exposure are firs, hemlocks, magnolias, 
tulip trees, chestnut trees, cherry trees._ j 
West Chester, Pa. Geo. Achelis 
ADVICE FROM VETERANS IN THE BUSINESS. 
1. At the time of digging when the roots are cut too short and badly 
bruised and broken. When it is left exposed in the fields too long before 
hauled to the packing shed. 
2. Evergreens, cherries, chestnuts, roses, etc. 
3. It leads to a general idea that the business is not well managed in 
other departments as carelessness in packing should never be permitted. 
4. In digging save all the roots possible, being careful not to bruise 
or break them. Care should be used not to leave exposed in the field 
too long before being hauled to the packing shed. In packing see that 
plenty of wet material is used at the sides, top, bottom and end, as these 
are the places where the drying out occurs. 
West Chester, Pa. Hoopes Bro. & Thomas. 
USE SPECIAL CARE IN BOXING. 
1. By leaving stock exposed in the field after digging before it is col¬ 
lected and brought to the packing house; unnecessary exposure by 
allowing it to lie around the packing house or grounds before packing; 
crowding the roots against the end of the box with no packing material 
to protect them from drying out in transportation: cheap, thin lumber 
used in packing cases. 
2. Evergreens and herbaceous perennials. The roots of evergreen 
trees cannot stand exposure, and be made to grow with any degree of 
success. 
3. It tends to lessen the confidence of the buying public and nursery¬ 
men in general. Nearly all other commodities are carefully put up before 
being shipped. 
4. Have only the best of tools with which to dig the stock and insist 
on their being properly used. If for any reason, stock cannot be packed 
immediately, heel it in carefully or place in a storage cellar; judgment 
in the use of packing material. Use strong lumber and box, and do not 
over load them. The boxes used by most nurserymen will not stand 
transportation without breaking to pieces. 
North Abington, Mass. W. H. Wyman. 
PERSONAL SUPERVISION NECESSARY. 
1. Where nursery stock is handled on business methods by com¬ 
petent and experienced employees, we do not know of its suffering any 
injury. We endeavor to so handle our stock that loss or injury but 
seldom occur. 
2. While all classes of nursery stock should be carefully handled, the 
loss to evergreens if improperly exposed to the sun or allowed to dry out, 
is probably the most injurious. 
3. It has the tendency to injure the business, and cause customers 
to be unduly skeptical, in their purchases, and exacting in their re¬ 
quirements. It lias the effect to ultimately lessen the demand, one or 
two unsuccessful plantings are apt to discourage the average planter. 
4. Nothing new to suggest, except that the nurseryman should so 
conduct his business as to secure the same careful care and attention in 
digging and shipping his products as should have been given in their 
growth and propagation. Careful digging, care to prevent exposure to 
the sun or winds, rapid transit to the packing house, up-to-date packing 
cases, boxes or crates, and an abundant supply of packing material, 
either moss or excelsior. 
Morrisville, Pa. Wm. H. Moon. 
GUARD EVERGREENS AND ROSES. 
1. (a) Exposure between time of digging and packing. 
(b) * Careless digging by mutilation of roots. 
(c) Exposure of roots to sun and wind. 
(d) Uneven distribution of packing material. 
2. Roses and evergreens and larger deciduous trees. 
3. It tends to lessen trade because of discouragement of buyers, due 
to failure of trees. 
4. Keep roots covered from moment they are dug until heeled in. 
Be careful that packing material be evenly distributed among the roots, 
not simply between bundles of trees, but at top of roots, as well as bot¬ 
tom. 
Tarrytown, N. Y. S. G. Harris. 
FROM AN EXPERT IN THE HANDLING OF BROAD LEAVED EVERGREENS. 
STUDY NEEDS OF EACH SPECIES. 
One of the commonest causes of injury to nursery stock is the careless¬ 
ness inprotecting it, from the time that it is dug until it getsto the packers. 
Stock should be carefully covered and protected from the moment it is 
dug until it is carefully packed in the boxes. Too frequently, trees and 
shrubs are allowed to lay without covering, and the sun and winds very 
quickly damage the roots. 
Second—It seems to us that evergreens and hard wooded deciduous 
trees, and possibly a few of the perennials, require the most careful 
handling. Evergreens must not be allowed to dry out. Hard wooded 
deciduous trees seem to be affected more by careless handling than soft 
wooded and rapid growing sorts, and in packing, quite a number of 
perennials must have very careful treatment, as some sorts rot off very 
easily when provided with too much moisture, and then again, all peren¬ 
nials will damage very quickly if they are not packed sufficiently moist, 
so that it is necessary for the packing foreman to study the different 
lines, and pack according to the needs of each variety. 
Third—We do not know that careless packing and handling has any 
influence on the nursery buisness in general, but we can easily see where 
it effects very seriously the nursery which is at fault. Certainly no cus¬ 
tomer will return with a second order to the nurseryman who has either 
dug or packed his order in a careless manner. 
