108 JAMESTOWN CONGRESS OF HORTICULTURE 



proper authorities. Instances are not lacking where similar combina- 

 tions, representing all the branches of a great industry, have appeared 

 before the officials of a great national exhibition and insisted upon and 

 secured the proper recognition and awards, which would never have 

 been given them or even have been considered, had not such a general 

 committee been in existence. 



The need for fair consideration of horticultural interests at the 

 national exhibitions is well known to everyone who has marked the 

 very apparent errors in buildings, in classifications, and in premiums at 

 many of them, and certain it is that horticulture in its broadest sense 

 has not been rightfully considered at these exhibitions, and never will 

 be until our interests act together as they can do through the represen- 

 tation they now have in the National Council of Horticulture, by regu- 

 larly elected delegates, and by the co-operation which this brings about. 



The Council, because of the few actual workers available in its 

 ranks, the difficulty of frequent meetings, and because of the widespread 

 locations of its members and its lack of funds for traveling expenses, 

 has not taken up actively the other lines of its work above mentioned, 

 but it must be done, and the growth of the Council and the willingness 

 of its membership to contribute funds, prove that its further work will 

 surely be taken care of in the reasonably near future. As soon as more 

 frequent meetings can be had and a fair attendance be counted on, the 

 broader questions of nomenclature and international co-operation on 

 similar lines will be in order. 



It is not, and has never been, the object of the Council of Horti- 

 culture to take up any work which up to the present time is the exclu- 

 sive work of any single national interest, but to act only as a represen- 

 tative body of these various interests on lines which are common to 

 them all and which no one can claim the right or privilege to take up 

 and do for the others. For instance, the organization of a National 

 Congress of Horticulture would hardly be the duty of the national apple 

 growers, florists, or nurserymen, but can well be conceded as coming 

 within the province of a council like this, organized and supported by 

 these separate interests and made up in its membership by actual dele- 

 gates from the various societies, combined with noncommercial members 

 interested in the educational side of horticulture, and without commer- 

 cial interests, against whom no charge of commercialism or commer- 

 cial interest in the work can be made. 



It is the intent of the Council to elect from its noncommercial 

 members its permanent chairman. While the present temporary chair- 

 man is from the commercial delegates, yet it has been his aim to so 

 conduct the affairs of the Council that no charge of commercialism 

 could be made. 



