February, '12] HORTICULTURAL INSPECTORS' PROCEEDINGS 67 



desire protection and certainly have been as much interested and are 

 directly benefited by protection more than any other branch of 

 business or any other body that would be affected by this legislation. 

 As stated, I am glad we have been able to get together and formulate 

 some basis which would be satisfactory all around, and I hope that 

 the proposition as presented by Mr. Symons will secure the approval 

 of this Association, of the Department of Agriculture and of Congress, 

 and I believe the other members of the Nurserymen's Committee who 

 are not here will agree with those of us who are here, and have taken 

 this action, and will feel that this Bill should be supported. Certainly 

 those of us who are here will do all we can to secure the active support 

 of the other members of the Committee, and to get this Bill through 

 and this long disputed question settled and out of the way. I think 

 that as far as I can see, that the Bill as outlined will afford protection 

 to the general public, and the public is entitled to protection and 

 should have it. I think it will be a basis under which the nurserymen 

 can do business and do it safely, and without undue risk, and that is 

 all that we want. 



I think that the law can be administered so that it will not be any 

 hardship to anyone, and that is all that we want, and I will be very 

 glad to do all that I can to help along the good cause. 



Mr. W. p. Stark, Louisiana, Mo. 



Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: 



I want to say Amen to what Mr. Pitkin has said. 



It makes me very happy to see you gentlemen all smiling and 

 happy. We feel the same way. A year or so ago we were having 

 a little scrap by the way with Professor Marlatt, but I think he is 

 just as happy as any of the rest of us right now. 



At the St. Louis Convention, in my recommendations there, I 

 advised and worked for something of this kind, and I feel that your 

 work and our work will be crowned with success, and I am very 

 sanguine that this Bill, as mutually agreed upon, will soon be on the 

 Statute Books, and I am sure that there is no class of men with whom 

 you labor, who are in heartier sympathy with your work and appre- 

 ciate it more than do we nurserymen. The fact is we could not get 

 along without you. 



I want to pledge my support personally and officially to co-operate 

 with you gentlemen to get this Bill on the Statute Books, and I think 

 it was you, Sir, who suggested that the man from Missouri could be a 

 help. I am sure, Sir, that he will be a help. He is an ardent nursery- 

 man and if you will pardon my personal pride, I want to say that in 

 Missouri we expect to see him President. Thank you. 



