912 



HORTICULTURE 



June 24, 1911 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION 



It was a grand and altogether suc- 

 cessful affair — that Marblehead meet- 

 ing — and will stand in the history of 

 the American Seed Trade Association 

 as something delightful in memory. 

 The quaint old New England seaside 

 town gave the visitors an inspiring 

 welcome with glorious weather, punc- 

 tuated on the first day with a few 

 lively showers as an evidence that 

 Nature had come out of her contrary 

 fit and proposed, hereafter, to do her 

 part for high percent germination. 

 Quite a number of the visitors came 

 a day or two ahead of the scheduled 

 opening day and found themselvea 

 very much at home in the hospitable 

 Rock-mere by the time the first ses- 

 sion came to order at the sound of 

 President Page's gavel. The attend- 

 ance was large and there was an un- 

 usual number of ladies. The officers 

 and every member of the executive 

 committee were present and. as the 

 list of members in attendance shows, 

 the various sections of the country 

 were well represented. D. A. Brown, 

 of Cincinnati officiated as otficial sten- 

 ographer. 



TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 20. 



The first session opened as sched- 

 uled, on Tuesday morning, with an 

 address of welcome and description 

 of the various attractions and points 

 of interest in Marblehead, by Edgar 

 Gregory which was much enjoyed. 

 Then President E. L. Page delivered 

 his annual address. 



President's Address. 



In opening, Mr. Page extended con- 

 gratulations and felicitation on the 

 work done in the past year and th? 

 added number, strength and honor 

 which had come to the Association. 

 He spoke appreciably of the business 

 connections and the close friendships 

 developed in these annual gatherings 

 and declared that the knowledge 

 gained, companionship enjoyed and 

 the privilege of contributing some- 

 thing to the advancement and protec- 

 tion of the seed trade had repaid, 

 many-fold, the effort, the time and the 

 money spent in attending these meet- 

 ings. He continued; 



State Correspondents Useful. 



As "recommendation number one; I 

 would recommend that each state cor- 

 respondent be instructed to look up 

 the eligible and desirable seed firms 

 in their state or states, and those 

 that they can personally recommend, 

 secure their applications tor member- 

 ship, if possible, and submit the same 

 to the membership committee for ac- 

 tion. It has always been more or less 

 difficult for the officers of the Associa- 

 tion, and particularly for our Counsel, 

 to know just the person to write to in 

 any particular state for information 

 upon certain matters and oftentimes 

 the right party was not written to and 

 very often no reply received. Last 

 year for the first time state correspon- 

 dents were appointed in each state, or 

 nearby state, and it has proven a most 

 -.xeellent plan. So far as 1 can recall, 

 tere has been but one instance of my 

 vriting to a state correspondent, with- 

 tut receiving a reply. Our Counsel has 

 ^Iso found the state correspondents of 

 <reat value and help. But it has added 

 largely to his work as well as increas- 



ing his efficiency. Therefore as rec- 

 ommendation number two, 1 recom- 

 mend that state -correspondents again 

 be appointed for the year 1911-12. 

 A Prosperous Year. 



The past year has been a very stren- 

 uous one for the seedsmen. Some va- 

 ritties of seeds were the shortest in 

 years, some in surplus. Some varie- 

 ties were almost prohibitive in price, 

 some were much below the cost of 

 production. Some varieties contained 

 too much moisture, averaged low in 

 vitality. The season was not a normal 

 one. Business disappointing some 

 months — a surprise others. Our law- 

 makers at Washington sent out as 

 usual millions of tree packets. Post- 

 masters in some places insisting on 

 transparent packets. Yet notwithstand- 

 ing all this, I think, on the whole, the 

 seedsmen had a fairly iiro.=;perous year. 

 Value of Counsel. 



There were over sixty bills intro- 

 duced in the different state legisla- 

 tures. Recommendation number three: 

 That Counsel be employed to represent 



E. L. Page 



President American Seed Trade Assoeiatiou. 



this Association and its members and, 

 if the present Counsel can be engagea 

 at a Fatisfactory fee, that he be en- 

 gaged for another year. His services, 

 so far as I know have been entirely 

 satisfactory to the Association and its 

 members. He has been prompt, ener- 

 getic and successful. He has made a 

 study for our business and of legisla- 

 tive matters affecting the seedsmen 

 and is without doubt the best posted 

 man along these lines in the country. 

 Council of Horticulture. 

 There is no question but what the 

 National Council of Horticulture are 

 doing a good work and should be sup- 

 ported. Some of our members in the 

 past have not favored making an ap- 

 propriation to this Council, but I am 

 inclined to think that it is a lack of 

 knowledge of what this Council is do- 

 ing and accomplishing, that makes 

 them so feel. At our last meeting we 

 voted an appropriation of $200 but at 



the suggestion of our secretary and 

 delegate, they used but $125, so there 

 is really left from last year's appro- 

 priation ?75. Recommendation num- 

 ber four is that $75 in addition to the 

 $75 left from last year, or a total of 

 $150 be voted to the National Council 

 of Horticulture. 



About the Disclaimer. 



Some things are old, yet ever new. I 

 do not know if this can be said of our 

 disclaimer or not, but there is one 

 thing certain, that at about every 

 meeting of our Association this matter 

 is brought up and discussed, and only 

 recently a disclaimer was adopted that 

 we thought to be as near perfect as 

 possible. Now, an attorney who is 

 said to have made commercial law a 

 specialty says that unless the disclaim- 

 er or non-warranty clause used by 

 seedsmen is placed on stationery be- 

 tween the date line and the signature 

 it is not a part of the contract and is 

 useless. If this is so most of us will 

 have to make some changes and, as this 

 is an important matter, 1 make recom- 

 mendation number five; That a com- 

 mittee of three be appointed, one of 

 which shall be our counsel, to consider 

 this matter, and report at a future ses- 

 sion of this meeting, if possible, but if 

 unable to do so. report to our Secretary, 

 who shall notify each member of the 

 Association by mail, the findings and 

 decision of this committee. 

 Seed Legislation. 



I wish to say just a few words in re- 

 gard to legislation affecting the seeds- 

 men. Our Counsel will make a recom- 

 mendation in his report in regard to 

 this matter, and I wish to heartily 

 second it. I believe the time is at 

 hand when we must expect legislation 

 of some kind. The farmers and grang- 

 ers are clamoring for pure seed bills, 

 and our lawmakers are ready to listen 

 and introduce bills that will please 

 them. 1 do believe in federal seed 

 legislation — the kind that will so far 

 as possible, protect the planter and the 

 honest seedsman. I believe we are 

 bound to have seed legislation. Why 

 not all unite in trying to get federal 

 legislation of a kind that every seeds- 

 man who is doing a straight, legiti- 

 mate business, can honestly work 

 under Therefore I would earnestly 

 lecommend that some action be taken 

 upon our Counsel's recommendation. 

 Deaths. 



It is with regret that I am obliged 

 to announce that our Association has 

 been sadly invaded during the last 

 year, and that we have lost by death 

 more numbers than in any previous 

 year. Mr. Chas. P. Braslan, of Califor- 

 nia, known by nearly every seedsman, 

 Mr. W. A. Denison of New York state; 

 Mr. John L. Turner of the firm of Grif- 

 fith & Turner, Md.; Mr. Wm. Ren- 

 nie, of Canada; Mr. R. C. Steele of 

 Steele, Briggs Seed Co., of Canada; 

 Mr. E. L. Coy, one of our honorary 

 members, of New York state, and our 

 former well-known member, Mr. S. M. 

 Pease. 



In closing I wish to thank the mem- 

 bers of the Executive Committee for 

 the work and help they have given me, 

 also all of the various committees and 

 state correspondents, some of whom 



