Branching out:
Musser Forests , Inc,, diversifies for success in nursery business
BY MARTHA GEHRINGER When the grounds were being ~
Staff Correspondent laid out, the nursery land was
He calls himself a businessman placed on the better, flatter land,
who happens to be selling trees, with the poorer, hillier areas
rather than a farmer. The business reserved for Christmas tree
he founded and manages is Musser propagation. About 600 acres were
Forests, Inc., a firm that sells originally planted in pine and
roughly 40 million trees a year spruce seedlings, either for
from its 14,000 acres scattered in a Christmas trees or for a timber
30-mile radius from the business’ crop. One species introduced on
headquarters near lildiana, Pa. the farm was Scotch pine. This
Fred Musser, Sr., established variety proved to be so successful
Musser Forests in 1928. This was that' the firm worked extensively
the Depression era, when farmers with it, and now offers a special
were going out of business at an Musser strain of Scotch pine in
alarming rate, and farmland was their catalog,
going for outrageously low prices. Begun in 1938, the nursery
Though Fred’s original intent operation reflects the success of
was to buy the land for investment this new Scotch pine strain. Sixty
purposes, he soon found himself in seedbeds were planted, and a
the business of selling wild single price sheet was mailed to
Christmas trees. The next step was Christmas tree growers. Since that
to hire nurseryman Don Craig. time, more tree varieties have
As the business began to grow, been added, a second seedling
additional employees were hired, nursery has been established and
including a propagator for the a 24-page mail order catalog has
greenhouses and a forester to care been printed,
for the nursery stock. About the same time that nur-
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Year-Old seedlings are housed under miles of shade racks.
More than 40 million seedlings, transplants and rooted cuttings
are produced each year.
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R.D. 4 Box 93, Royer Road • Litite, PA 17543 • (717) 733-0408 Sg
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-as a. jas tree farm,. isser Forest, Inc., has since expanded to include
seedling nurseries, a container operation and a garden center. The firm’s headquarters
(pictured) are located six miles north of Indiana.
sery number-two was being Begun in 1960, this facet of the
developed, Musser Forests moved business has grown to include a
to its present location, six miles million plants on 12 acres. The
north of Indiana on Route 119, and containers are sold at their garden
established a third nursery at their center on a retail or wholesale
new headquarters. At this location basis.
were the offices, a packing One of the uses for the container
building, a six-unit greenhouse and plants sold through the garden
a 30-acre lake for irrigation. center is ground cover for
Later, three more nurseries suburban and rural areas. Many
were developed. These nurseries evergreens are sold for wind
are used for more evergreen breaks, boundaries and fencelines,
seedlings and a full line of hard- and owners of small properties are
wood seedlings, ground covers, particularly fond of rhododendron,
rooted cuttings and ornamentals. the firm reports.
The seedlings are sold at two to An innovative purchase was
three years of age by one of three recently made by an Indiana-area
methods, including wholesale to dairy farmer who bought
other growers and landscapers, by thousands of barbary plants to be
mailorder or retail. Musser used as a substitute for fencing.
Forests is one of only a few nur- The plant’s sharp thorns repel
series nationwide that sells retail, cows, and no fence mending is
offering about 800 different required,
varieties. Though Musser’s varied nursery
etsu,-
Among the customers for these
seedlings is the conservation
district. The district plants
varieties that will provide food and
cover for gamebirds.
Operating from March to
November, Musser Garden Center
offers the largest selection of
nursery stock in western Penn
sylvania.
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Though its seedling sales have
remained constant for the past
several years, the firm’s container
operation has continued to grow.
ADER
And Supreme
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W-M
enterprises have proven suc
cessful, the main focus remains on
their Christmas tree business. The
firm ranks as one of the largest
growers in the country, shipping
trees from coast to coast and
Canada. Musser has recently
implemented the practice of
freezing Christmas trees in an
effort to provide fresh, quality
trees to all areas of the country.
The trees are shipped from
Thanksgiving day to the middle of
December. In order to provide
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Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 3,1985-A37
trees with the proper shape, crews
at Musser Forests are busy
shearing trees for two months
beginning June 15.
Seed selection is an important
part of improving the quality of
their stock. By using quality seeds,
trees stay green without the use of
paint. The firm is also working
with grafting and selecting new
clones for a broader and more
selective genetic base.
Expansion continues, with
Musser’s two bulldozers clearing
about 700 acres a year for in
creased Christmas tree produc
tion.
An integral part of the business
is its advertising department. This
division is responsible for
mailorder advertising in more
than 100> publications, as well as
radio, television and billboard
advertising. The division is also
responsible for catalog production.
Each department is overseen by
a foreman who is a long-time
employee. Fred Musser Sr. serves
as president, with his son, Fred,
Jr., as vice president, and
daughter Nancy in charge of sales
and advertising.
Through a cooperative staff, and
a responsive attitude toward the
needs of its customers, Musser
Forests has become a western
Pennsylvania success story.
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