MAD AS HORNETS. 



HIS is a mild expression for the 

 irate temper of the great mass 

 o f American horticulturists 

 over the appointment of Wal- 

 ter S. Maxwell as manager of 

 the Horticultural Department 

 of the World's Fair. 



The societies of New York, 

 Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and 

 Connecticut have been prompt in 

 protesting against his confirma- 

 tion. Their objections being that he is not sufficient!)' 

 acquainted with the needs of such a department. Even 

 the papers of Los Angeles, California, Mr. Maxwell's 

 home town, have " bitterly opposed him on the ground 

 of his entire unfitness for the position !" 



This contest has been mainly triangular between the 

 horticulturists, the wine men, and the boomers of self- 

 and-Chicago. 



The horticulturists contented themselves, for a time 

 at least, with meeting in conventions, state and national, 

 and passing high-toned resolutions of confidence in 

 Parker Earle, blindly thinking that because they repre- 

 sented the great mass of the people who made the 

 several branches of horticulture their means of living, 

 and the avenues by which they contributed their labor 

 to the world's needs and its happiness, that therefore a 

 hint to those making appointments for "Department 

 B " of the World's Fair would be sufficient. For which 

 conclusion, they had seemingly sufficient warrant in the 

 address of Mr. Thos. B. Bryan, vice-president of the 

 Commission, before the assembled delegates of the 

 horticultural associations of the Union, wherein he as- 

 sured them that for this purpose, among others, they 

 had been called together, and that the commission de- 

 sired those delegates to recommend some man ; and Mr. 

 Bryan assured them that the choice of the horticultur- 

 ists thus represented would receive the appointment. 



The wine interest opened the contest with a pro- 

 gramme that contemplated a capture, not alone of " De- 

 partment B," but of whomsoever should be appointed 

 its manager; this was already inaugurated by the 

 "classification" for that department as set forth by 

 said interest. 



The boomers inaugurated a more "foxy" method 

 than either of their competitors. The membership 

 postal guides of associations, such as the nurserymen, 

 florists and others were hunted up, and a cleverly 

 worded personal letter was sent to each individual, in- 

 timating the necessity of guarding associate and busi- 

 ness interests, and making a personal appeal that the 

 individual would sign "the enclosed recommendation" 



of " Mr. Boomer Foxy" and mail in the stamped en- 

 velope accompanying — which, of course, was addressed 

 to the Director General. This was a big scheme, and 

 it came provokingly near success, too ! It is no wonder 

 that the Director General was surprised at such a mass 

 of recommendations which the mails brought for Y. M. 

 Samuels, who with James D. Raynolds divided the hon- 

 ors as to which could most thoroughly boom the interests 

 of self-and-Chicago. 



The next move on the qhess-board shows the horti- 

 culturists, through the medium of the Peninsula Associa- 

 tion of Delaware and Maryland, then about to hold its 

 meeting, perfecting a "classification" that should most 

 thoroughly prevent wine from becoming the great jug, 

 and all other horticulture only the handle in this great 

 exposition. At the same time some machine-made rec- 

 ommendations, along with their accompanying "stamp- 

 ed envelopes enclosed " were sent off to the Director 

 General for his information of how " influence " was be- 

 ing manufactured. 



With a contingent of $300,000 voted by California to 

 present the interests of that state properly at the fair, 

 the wine interest centered its enthusiasm around 

 Gen. N. P. Chipman. To quote from the California 

 Fruit Grower: "All California clamored for the Gen- 

 eral's appointment, but when seemingly upon the eve of 

 success, the California commissioners suddenly dropped 

 the General's name without any apologies or explana- 

 tions, and sailed in for one Walter S. Maxwell, unknown 

 to horticultural fame." 



About that time less than a half dozen men in Flor- 

 ida (according to their own enumeration), presuming to 

 speak for the great interests of horticulture, especially 

 in the south, rushed in to commit hari-kari. "A petition 

 was prepared at the office of the Florida Dispatch, ask- 

 ing Director General Davis not to appoint to that posi- 

 tion Parker Earle, since his rulings at the New Orleans 

 World's Fair in favor of California and against Florida 

 had shown him to be lacking in the impartiality requisite 

 in that high office. This petition was signed by the 

 president and secretary of the (Florida) State Horticul- 

 tural Society, the secretary of the Orange Growers' 

 Union, and the editors of the Agriculturist and the 

 Farmer and Friiit-Grower." These five gentlemen have 

 now opportunity to go to their constituents and learn 

 that they acted in haste and without authority. 



These hasty gentlemen of Florida boast in a recent 

 impression of the Dispatch of the great undoing effected 

 by the protest sent over their five names ; and the Cali- 

 fornia Frnit Grozver sAys : "Florida's protest only in- 

 tensified, if possible, the contest. " Do they like Mr. 

 Maxwell, as he is photographed by his neighbors, better 

 than Mr. Earle for this position ? 



