848 



HORTICULTURE, 



June 29, 1907 



and support ot the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and it would 

 unquestionably be of great benefit to 

 the seed trade throughout this 

 country. 



I would also recommend that steps 

 be taken by the Committee on Weights 

 and Measures, to secure a uniform 

 system oi selling grass and clover 

 seeds by the pound and hundred 

 pounds, "instead of by the bushel, as 

 prevails in some of the leading mar- 

 kets of this country. 



In regard to Posta.l Laws; the 

 method of accepting and mailing cata- 

 logs in bulk, which was put in force 

 last year, gives the seedsmen some 

 relief where large quantities of cata- 

 logs are mailed. Further attempts 

 should, however, be made to bring 

 about a reduction of postage on 

 printed matter, or at least on seed 

 catalogs, to a rate of four cents per 

 pound instead of eight cents per 

 pound as at present; and if this matter 

 is vigorously pressed before the pres- 

 ent Congressional Committee on Re- 

 vision of Postal Laws, I think it would 

 meet with success. 



An important matter which was 

 actively considered at the Toledo con- 

 vention was the question of the gov- 

 ernmental appropriation for the pur- 

 chase and distribution of common 

 varieties of garden seeds. The cam- 

 paign was most actively and en- 

 ergetically handled by the committee 

 representing the seed trade at large, 

 consisting of Mr. Alexander Forbes, 

 Mr. W. Atlec Burpee and Mr. Williaju 

 Henry Maule. I am sorry to say, how- 

 ever, that further than securing an 

 amendment to the original act the 

 matter fell short of the success which 

 we desired. Mr. Forbes, the Chairman 

 of the Seed Trade ComniiUee, will give 

 you some very interesting information 

 in regard ti' this matter, in his ad- 

 dress on The Congressional Free Seed 

 Distribution, and Mr. C. F. Wood, 

 chairman of the Seed Trade Associa- 

 tion committee will also make a re- 

 port as to the workings of his commit- 

 tee in assisting the general committee 

 in the campaign. 



I do not think it advisable to recom- 

 mend that a fight be continued on the 

 same lines against the free seed dis- 

 tribution as for the past two years: 

 but that a special committee be ap- 

 pointed, who shall act as occasion may 

 offer, in opposition to an abuse that is 

 detrimental to the interests of the 

 seed trade and opposed to the policy of 

 good government. This committee 

 should also appear and make a proper 

 representation of the matter before 

 the House ot Representatives Commit- 

 tee on Agriculture and the Senate 

 Committee on Agriculture at the time 

 at which they consider the bill for the 

 usual appropriation for next year. 



In regard to transportation matters; 

 active steps should be taken to secure 

 better classifications ot existing freight 

 rates upon various seeds. I am con- 

 vinced that the existing classifications 

 of certain seeds are entirely too high, 

 and that if proper representations are 

 made in regard thereto, it will result 

 in certain seeds being placed in lower 

 classifications, thus enabling dealers 

 to ship at lower freight rates. The 

 question of delays in freights is also 

 a very serious one to seedsmen, especi- 

 ally when shipping to distant points, 

 and I would recommend that this as- 



sociation join one of the national 

 freight-service associations for the 

 securing of legislation to modify the 

 abuses existing in this connection. 



In regard to Registration Bureau 

 work, a special committee for which 

 was appointed to co-operate with the 

 Department of Agiiculture the past 

 year: I was appointed chairman of 

 that committee at the Toledo conven- 

 tion, but upon being elected to the 

 presidency, requested Mr. W. Atlee 

 Burpee to act in that capacity. Owing « 

 to press of business, Mr. Burpee ad- 

 vised me that he would be unable to 

 assume the duties of the position; but 

 after correspondence with the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, I found it was 

 impracticable to do anything in re- 

 gard to this work this year, so did not 

 make any further move in this direc- 

 tion. The question is a very impor- 

 tant one, and if the Department of 

 Agriculture is likely or willing to take 

 up the work outlined at the Toledo 

 convention, a committee should be ap- 

 pointed from the Seed Ti-ade Asso- 

 ciation to co-operate with them in 

 that direction. 



I would strongly recommend that a 

 special committee be appointed to 

 have charge of the revision and get- 

 ting up of an improved telegraph and 

 cable code for the use of the seed 

 trade at large. The present code, got- 

 ten up in 1895, has proved to be of 

 very great benefit to the trade, but it 

 needs revision and enlarging, and I 

 feel that the proceeds from the sale 

 of the code will meet the cost of un- 

 dertaking this work. Even should 

 this not be the case, however, the 

 Seed Trade Association could not 

 make any better appropriation of a 

 limited amount than to secure a re- 

 vised and improved code. 



In conclusion, I would say that I am 

 more than ever impressed with the 

 future of the seed trade in this 

 country, and that the seed trade is 

 practically only developed in a very 

 small degree, compared to the im- 

 portance it is likely to reach in the 

 future. With the increase of popula- 

 tion, the improved methods of farm- 

 ing and gardening, and the increased 

 prosperity of our agriculturists as a 

 whole, the demand for seeds is bound 

 to increase to a very great extent in 

 yeais to come, and the seedsman who 

 develops or plans his business with a 

 view to taking care of this growth 

 and development will reap the benefit. 

 I do not know of any business that 

 ofi'ers the same incentive to study and 

 improvement, or that offers more 

 profitable returns for the time and at- 

 tention given to it, than the seed busi- 

 ness. It is certainly a business that 

 is calculated to develop those who fol- 

 low the occupation, to the fullest ex- 

 tent. The more we know of the seed 

 business, the more we find is to be 

 learned, and the possibilities tor de- 

 velopment are practically unlimited. 

 Our young men cannot choose any 

 better business, nor a business that 

 offers more possibilities for the future, 

 than the seed business of to-day; and 

 there is no business that tends to 

 bring out more the better qualities of 

 those engaged in it. Tiavel where 

 you may, you can always find matters 

 to interest and benefit you in the seed 

 business, and there is nothing that 

 broadens and develops and gives more 

 interest to travel, than the fact that 



business and pleasure can be combined 

 at the same time. 



I wish to thank the members of the 

 Seed Trade Association for the hearty 

 support and co-operation which they 

 have given me in the work undertaken 

 for the benefit of the seed trade during 

 the past year, and to pledge my best 

 efforts for the future towards the de- 

 velopment and the best interests of 

 anything that may be proposed in a 

 practical way for the advancement of 

 the general interests of the seed trade. 



The Secretary-Treasurer's Report. 



The secretary-treasurer report pre- 

 sented by C. E. Kendel of Cleveland 

 showed balance and receipts of 

 $1,547.34 and expenditures $927.80, 

 leaving a balance of $619.54 with an 

 outstanding bill for badges which 

 would reduce same to $544.54. The 

 association then went into executive 

 session. 



Business was resumed at 3 P. M. 

 and the program consisted of papers 

 by F. W. Bruggerhof on "Reminis- 

 cences of the Seed Trade," Dr. B. T. 

 Galloway on ''What the Department 

 of Agriculture is Doing for the Seed 

 Trade," and S. P. Willard on the 

 "History of the American Seed Trade 

 Association." An invitation to spend 

 the evening at the Roof Garden of the 

 Hotel Astor was enthusiastiaclly ac- 

 cepted. 



SECOND DAY SESSION. 



The second day's sessions opened at 

 10.30 A. M. on Wednesday. Committee 

 reports were in order. The member- 

 ship committee reported favorably on 

 five applications and all were duly 

 elected. The report of Messrs. McCul- 

 lough and Burpee as delegates to the 

 National Board of Trade meeting at 

 Washington last winter was given at 

 length, and indicated that the deliber- 

 ations of that body are of much value 

 and weight. Mr. Stokes reported for 

 the committee on customs and tariff, 

 and Chas. N. Page made an important 

 and very interesting report for the 

 postal laws committee, which brought 

 out an animated discussion. S. F. Wil- 

 lard reported for the committee on 

 seed legislation and Mr. Ross for the 

 committee on Experimental Stations. 

 His remarks on seed adulteration tests 

 were very interesting and convincing, 

 and he was followed on similar lines 

 by Mr. Briggs of Toronto on the sit- 

 uation in Canada, both being received 

 with appreciative applause by the 

 meeting. The committee on obituary 

 notices through its chairman, Mr. 

 Green, presented resolutions on the 

 death of Messrs. Otto Schwill of Mem- 

 phis, Tenn., and H. R. Bassler of Wa- 

 terloo. Wis. S. F. Willard reported for 

 the committee on disclaimer. 



The committee on the recommenda- 

 tions in the president's address then 

 took the floor in the person of its 

 chairman, G. B. McVay, and reported 

 favorably on several of the recommen- 

 dations therein made. On the proposi- 

 tion for a revision of the American 

 Seed Trade Code a spirited discussion 

 was precipitated, and it was finally de- 

 cided to present a revised code for the 

 approval of the executive committee. 

 A request to the committee on Experi- 

 ment Stations was adopted after de- 

 bate to work for the establishment ot 

 seed laboratories at the various State 

 experiment stations to supplement the 



