July 4, 190S 



HORTICULTU RE, 



it 



Seed Trade 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



Address of President George S. 

 Green, at the Annual Meeting, .Mil- 

 waukee, Wis. 



President's Address. 



We meet ;it the cud of m business year 

 of unusual stress and uncertainty, during 

 which the country has had a serious set- 

 back to tlif prosperity of the past few 

 years. Such a year always brings new 

 problems t<> be met and uew difficulties 

 to be surmounted. These problems and 

 difficulties test the temper of the man and. 

 when conquered, usually leave him with ;i 

 new store of experience and knowledge 

 with which to meet future tasks. 



Satisfactory Trade Conditions. 



We are all still doing business, no 

 financial disaster among our membership 

 having come to my knowledge. This is 

 evidence of the permanent character of our 

 trade and of the average ability and pru- 

 dence of our members. 1 congratulate you 

 upon this showing and I hope the coming 

 year tuny prove loss trying. 1 trust the 

 efforts which have been made to Improve 

 the currency and banking system of our 

 country may insure more stable conditions, 

 so that the business man may suffer only 

 for his own bluders and not for those of 

 others. Tight money last fall undoubtedly 

 hampered the operations of our trade and 

 if the recent currency legislation shall 

 prove effective in preventing such con- 

 ditions in future, we shall have at hast 

 that much for which to thank our national 

 lawmakers. Notwithstanding the unsettled 

 financial conditions, the past year has been 

 rcasennbh satisfactory to most houses in 

 the trade. The t.oal volume of business 

 has been large and prices have ruled un- 

 usually high on many staple articles in 

 the seed line. The demand lor high grade 



g Is liuui'v i" increase and there has 



never been a time when a well-earned 

 reputation for furnishing seeds of first- 

 class quality was more valuable than it is 

 today. 



The Tariff Question. 



As there has been no revision of the 

 tariff during the past year, there has been 

 no necessity for special action on the part 

 of the Committee on Tariff and Customs, 

 but since the question of tariff revision 

 seems likely to have attention in Con- 

 gress in the near future, it is essential 

 that our committee be ready to furnish 

 information to the Congressional Com- 

 mittee which will have this matter in 

 charge. After my experience this spring 

 as to the difficulty of doing such work dur- 

 ing the rush of the seed season, I am 

 impresseil with the importance of having 

 this subject studied during the next six 

 months by a competent committee which 

 should make a definite report to the next 

 Executive Committee meeting so that the 

 wishes of the seed trade may be properly 

 presented in the most effective manner at 

 the proper time. In this connection. I 

 wisli to indorse the suggestion of my 

 predecessor. Mr. Wood, as to the desir- 

 ability of specific duties, in preference to 

 ad valorem duties. 



Irrigation Work. 



The progress of irrigation projects and 

 the reclamation of swamp lands are mat- 

 ters of vital interest lo this association. 

 The tinted States Government is building 

 several large dams for the impoundine of 

 flood waters which will be used for the 

 Irrigation of hundreds of thousands of 

 acres of. desert land. More work in this 

 line has been done during tin past year 

 than hi any former year in the history of 

 onr country. Reclamation of swamp lauds 

 is also making progress and the total in- 

 crease in arabl, land from those two 



soul s will be very considerable during 



the next few years. I recommend (hat 

 this Association continue its policy of 

 sending a delegate to the National Irriga- 

 tion Congress aid that we dn all in our 

 power in furtherance of such work. 



Grass and Field Seeds Still Sold by 



Measure. 



I regret that after more or less con- 



tinuous effort for many years on l he part 

 of this association through a standing 

 Committee on Weights ami Measures, it 

 seems impossible to secure uniformity in 

 all I he leading markets of the country as 



to the sale of erass ;m ,l | le |,l seeds by I he 



hundred weight. The bushel siill holds its 

 place on many price-lists. I recommend 

 that the Committ >n Weights and Meas- 

 ures be discontinued, but if any mber 



can suggest a plan by which the us-- of 

 the cental system can be made universal 

 alUOng dealers, it would be well to try it. 



Successive chairmen of the Committee on 

 Weights and Measures have labored in 



vain for years and I see no prospect for 

 success, unless we can devise new argu- 

 ments ,\ hich will be more effective than 

 those thus far employed. All markets 

 using the cental system are well pleased 

 with it. but this seems to have no effect 

 upon dealers in markets where the bushel 

 system still prevails. 



During the past year death has claimed 

 i wo of our members. Mr. Everett B. 

 Clark, of Milford. Conn., who was chosen 

 president of our organization at its six- 

 teenth annual meeting, and Mr. Alfred 

 ITant. of St. Louis, Mo., one of the pioneer 

 seedsmen of the West: Within the past 

 year has also occurred the death of .Mr. D. 

 M. Perry, whose firm, while not members 

 of our Association, has for many years 

 occupied a most prominent position in the 

 seed trade. 



The Mann Pure Seed Bill. 



fhe most important development of the 

 year in the seed trade was the introduction 

 into the House of Representatives of 

 11. K. 13835, known as the Maun Pure 

 Seed I'.ill. This bill, while doubtless in- 

 tended to protect this country against the 

 importation of objectionable weeds, ami to 

 prevent fraud and misrepresentation, was 

 so worded as to have caused serious harm 

 to legitimate business. ' It was introduced 

 into the house Jan. loth, 19U8, by Hon. 

 James R. Mann aud referred to the Com- 

 mittee on Interstate and Foreign Com 

 mono. Hearings were bad on Feb. 4th 

 ami lith, at which representatives of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture 

 were tin: only witnesses. So far as I am 

 aware, no special effort was made at 

 Washington to notify seed dealers of the 

 introduction of this bill, but Mr. Mann 

 states in one »d" his letters to me that 

 announcements of the hearings were made 

 public through the usual channels. 



My first "knowledge of the bill came 

 through Mr. Chas. N. Page of the Iowa 

 Seed Co., about March 4th. I wrote to 

 Mr. Manu requesting him to mail me a 

 copy of the bill and also to send copie-3 

 to members of our Committee on Seed 

 Legislation. He wrote me under date of 

 March 9th asking if we wished a hearing 

 upon the bill, or desired to suggest modi- 

 fications in it. but before I could confer 

 with the Committee on Seed Legislation 

 or plan any united action in the matter, I 

 learned through Mr. Bolglano that the bill 

 would be reported to the House without 

 delay. I wired a protest to Mr. Maim 

 and also to Mr. Hepburn, the chairman of 

 I he committee, and also arranged for 

 other telegrams of protest. Notwithstand- 

 ing this, the bill was reported to the 

 House ou March 20th in pursuance of 

 favorable action by the committee which. 

 Mr. Manu informed me, was taken about 

 a month prior to that date. When this 

 fact was known, an informal meeting of 

 ten or twelve seedsmen was hastily ar- 

 ranged at Chicago. The Mann Bill was 

 discussed and it was agreed that tin- most 

 necessary thing to be done was to get a 

 rehearing before the Committee on inter 

 state ami Foreign Commerce. After much 

 discussion as to who should undertake lie 

 task of going lo Washington lo secure a 



rehearing. Mr. Charles Dickinson agr 1 



to go. He was successful in bis mission 

 and a rehearing was sot for April "1st. 



Meeting and Appointment of Special 

 Committee. 



I then w rot ■ a letter to the trade call 

 ing a representative meeting oi seedsmen 

 at Chicago on April 10th. About twenty- 

 five firms were n presented at this meeting 

 an I maro other firms have shown an 

 active interest in the matter, including a 

 number of firms not members of the Asso 



elation At the line of April loth, the 



Mann Bill was thoroughly discussed in an 

 all day session lasting until late in tie 

 evening. Desirable changes in the bill 

 were suggested, resolutions were adopted. 

 and a committee authorized to represent 

 the seed trade at the hearing. April L'lst. 



Later, the following committee was ap- 

 pointed .is follows: l ' . Vaughan, Chas, 

 \. Page, Chas. Dl Walter p. 



Stokes, Jer it. Lie., i also served on 



this niiiit iee as chairman. Th 



mil lee hail an informal ference with 



Mr. .Manu on April 20th, ai w In. h Dr. \ 

 F. Woods, Mr. Edgar Br 



w. \v. Tracy, Sr.. of the Depar 



Agriculture, were present. At this meel 



ing Mr. Mann expressed his willingness to 

 make changes in the bill ti i the re- 

 quirements of the seed trade, provided the 

 changes would uoi permit the continuance 



of the abuses at which the bill was aimed 



Many of the changes which we desired 



were apparently acceptable to Mr. Maim. 

 others were not, but we left him feeling 

 reasonably sure that the bill would pro! 

 ably tot he pressed for passage in it- 

 original form. I believe that the work 

 done by the committee that day will go 

 far toward lie difying the character of any 

 bill which Mr. Manu may hereafter urge 

 for passage. 



Public Hearing at Washington. 



The public hearing before the Commit- 

 tee on Interstate and Foreign C mono 



was held Me following day, April 21st. 

 Our arguments were presented quite fully 

 and l revised copy of the bill placed in the 

 record embodying all the suggestions for 

 change.- which had been presented to Mr. 

 Mann the previous day. In addition to the 

 members of the committee, the following 

 gentlemen presented arguments: Alexan- 

 der Forbes, of Peter Henderson & Co: 

 Curtis Nve Smith, of Jos. Brook & Sons' 

 Coil..; S. F. Willard, of Comstock. Ferre 

 & Co.: F. V. Hallock, of Queens, N. Y. 

 Among other seedsmen in attendance at the 

 hearing were; Mr. F. W. Bolglano, Wash- 

 ington, D. ('.: Mr. C. F. Dungan, of Win. 

 Henry Maule, Philadelphia. Pa.; Mr. Harry 

 L. Holmes. Harrisburg, I'a. At the close' 

 of the hearing, we were assured that no 

 further action would be taken upon the 

 bill at that session of Congress and that 

 our arguments, together with letters re- 

 ceived by Mi'- Mann, would be made a part 

 of the records of the committee. In this 

 connection. I wish to acknowledge the 

 courtesy and fairness which were shown 

 us ;,t Washington. Our arguments wen 

 heard with patience, ample lime was given 

 US and 1 could sec no evidence in any 

 quarter of an intention to injure the seed- 

 men as a class. The full account of the 

 proceedings at the public hearing has been 

 printed as a public document and at niy 

 request copies were mailed to all members 

 of our association. 



What the Revised Bill Embodies. 



It should be fully understood that the 

 revised bill printed as a part of my state- 

 ment on pages 34, 33 and 36, simply em- 

 bodies the changes in the original bill sug- 

 gested by our committee to Mr. Manu and 

 that none of these suggestions have been 

 formally accepted by the Committee on 

 Interstate and Foreign Commerce. It 

 should also he understood that the original 

 bill is still on the calendar of the House of 

 Representatives on the original report of 

 the committee and might be called up for 

 action at the next session of Congress with- 

 out anv modifications whatever. I believe, 

 however that Mr. Mann will probably ask- 

 to have it again referred to the committee 

 and that important changes will be made 

 in it before it is again submitted to tne- 



1 louse 



The Question of National Legislation. 



This brings to us the necessity of being 

 ready to meet in a practical and efficient 

 manner the question of national legislation 

 regulating the importation of and interstate 

 commerce in seeds. Opinion among our 

 members is doubtless divided a- to the pos- 

 sibility of framing wise legislation on this 

 subject, but 1 regard it -is highly impor- 

 tant that we show in some manner our in- 

 terest in this subject aud our earnest de- 

 sire t.- eaintain a high standard ol busl- 



aess «ritv in our trad.-. 1 believe that 



it wo take the attitude of opposing all 

 ivulati ii. wc shall lose an opportunity to 

 assist "i shaping a law which will be help 

 f„l r atl or than hurtful to hone 

 and which may prove highly benehcial to 



ih,. -e cultural interests of our c 



t i ,, - 1 , . furthermore that if wc should be 

 shorts^ :hted enough t.. oppose all national 

 □ ,,f our business, it would 



halt, the daj n tie :arly every siate 



will |. ■ -i seed law on its statute I ks. 



These laws would probably vary em- from 

 an , th to sm h an extent that interstate 

 busin ''-' seed- would be vei? seriously 



