164 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
to examining the general course of studies, the library 
and laboratory equipment and in interrogating the 
students on their method of training. 
The inspection of the treatment of trees in the vicinity 
of Kent, much of which is experimental work by students 
while undergoing their period of study, proved of ex- 
ceptional interest to the visitors as much intricate tree 
surgery was found among the work inspected. 
In the afternoon J- Horace MacFarland, of Harrisburg, 
Pa., President of the American Civic Association, de- 
livered a lecture on "Trees That I Have Seen," in which 
he depicted in beautiful word pictures civilization's debt 
to the trees and how much mankind's very existence de- 
pends on them. He furnished some most interesting 
statistics on the subject and provided an instructive en- 
tertainment which will not soon be forgotten by his 
audience. 
At the conclusion of the lecture the visiting party pre- 
pared to the club house to meet John Davey, the founder 
of the Davey organization, now seventy-one years of age, 
and who up to this time had not appeared owing to the 
condition of his health. The visitors had already been 
deeply impressed with the rank and file, but their meeting 
with father John, as he is alluded to by all. was truly an 
inspiration. 
The climax of the event came in the evening when the 
visitors, together with the entire executive and operating 
forces of the Davey organization present at the conven- 
tion, over two hundred in number, assembled at the Social 
Service Hall. Here again the wants of the inner man 
were substantially disposed of with dispatch, covers re- 
moved and the gathering comfortably assigned to enjoy 
the evening's programme. 
Following the rendering of "The Star Spangled Ban- 
ner" by the entire assemblage, Judge D. L. Rockwell, of 
Cleveland, acting as toastmaster, again introduced Mr. 
Mac Farland who presented some splendid lantern slides, 
illustrating some of our magnificent trees, following each 
in turn with beautiful colored slides of their foliage, buds 
and blooms in course of growth and, as he stated, no 
orchids can compare to the delicacy of some of the blos- 
soms portrayed. 
He showed illustrations of the desecration of beauti- 
ful trees as well as of their preservation. Standing out 
prominentlv was the destructive tree work of public 
service corporations, going through a community with 
but one motive in mind, to get their wires strimg and 
obtain the toll to be derived therefrom. As in the after- 
noon, Mr. McFarland produced a most instructive en- 
tertainment, causing one of the visiting party to remark 
'T used to like trees, but since I have come here I have 
learned to love them." 
The amusement of the evening was furnished by 
Charles C. Dibble, a prominent life insurance man of 
Cleveland, who, when introduced, pleaded that when he 
had been invited to make an address at the convention on 
effective salesmanship he was at a loss to know what to 
say to a body of tree surgeons, so he applied to a doctor 
to come to his aid and received the following reply : 
"Alen and trees are alike to life insurance agents. 
First thing you notice when you go at them is their bark. 
A tree is easier to handle than a man, for yoti can strip a 
tree of its bark, but the man keeps on barking at you. 
'When a tree dies it gets burned, when a man dies the in- 
surance company gets burned. Trees don't know enough 
to take out insurance because like some men they are 
only blockheads. Tree surgeons and life insurance men 
have much in common, it is the interest of both to keep 
their subjects alive. " 
The visiting guests were next called on and were in 
one accord in their praises of what they had seen, heard 
and learned un the subject of tree surgery since their 
arrival at Kent. 
When John Davey arose and announced that while 
serving his apprenticeship in England as a gardener, he 
was selected to be educated for the ministry, but finding 
that he could not subscribe to some of the doctrines, de- 
cided then and there if he could not save souls that he 
would make it his life work to save trees, and with that 
purpose in mind and feeling that he was inspired in it, 
emigrated to America more than a half century ago, the 
sincerity that sprang from his utterances won the hearts 
of all present. He in turn related that while the idea was 
his, first credit for the successful starting of his idea 
publicly was due to the publisher who sixteen years ago 
had sufficient faith in his theory to bring out his first 
book, "The Tree Doctor" ; then pointing to his son, 
Martin L. Davey, now general manager of the organiza- 
tion, he said, "to this lad who went to Cleveland and sold 
more than a thousand copies of that book belongs the 
next credit, for it caused the papers of that city, which 
in turn was taken up by the press of the country, to raise 
a hue and cry against tree butchery with which they 
declared the country was being threatened," and which 
.Mr. Davey declared was the greatest publicity that ever 
came to his cause as it brought inquiries to him from all 
parts of the country. Credit was given to the son for the 
organization as it exists today. He next alluded to the 
men in the field, through whose loyalty, devotion and co- 
operation, it was possilile to maintain such an organiza- 
tion and to the executive staff which had much to do in 
guiding its service. Turning to the students he re- 
marked, "these are the j-oung men whose devotion to 
their work will help to perpetuate the science." Those 
who heard John Davey speak know^ that his life is in 
harmony with the life of the trees — that he loves 
them. 
Alartin L. Dave_\', general manager of the organization, 
who developed his father's ideal and then successfully 
commercialized it, was the next speaker, talking on the 
subject, "Service, the Greatest Word in History." He 
reviewed his father's history in the cause of saving the 
trees, the privations suft'ered by him until he was able to 
present it in some tangible form to gain the confidence of 
others in his idea and expressed his regret that his father 
could not have enjoyed the fruition of his work in his 
younger days. He then embarked on the general history 
of the Davey Tree Service. That the tree work of a few 
} ears ago was not to be compared with the tree surgery 
of today in which wonderful strides has been made in a 
short period of time, was one of the assertions of Mr. 
Davey. The loyalty, co-operation and devotion of every 
member associated with the organization accounted for 
its general success. Full measure of service to its clients 
was ascribed as ha\-ing gained the public's confidence in 
the organization. 
At 2 :30 a. m., after an actual continuous session of 
eight and one-half hours (exclusive of the dinner), de- 
voted entirely to the life and preservation of trees the 
event was concluded with the singing of "America" and 
"Auld Lang Syne." 
^^'hat the impressions gained b_\- those who pilgrimaged 
lo Kent to investigate tree surgery were are best told in 
their own words in the following expressions : 
J. Horace ilcFnrhtnO. I'rcsiilciit American Civic Association, 
llarrishurg. Pa.: "Vshen I cdusidev the acoomplishmeuts of .John 
Davey I am full of admirntimi and wonder. These accomplish- 
ments ought to encourage any ynung man. for certainly what Davey 
has done has been against handicaps such as few young men in the 
T'nited States are now under. His success in arousing so many 
of the people of America lo a proper estimation of the importance 
and needs of trees, is wholely due to the splendid determination 
with which he took up the work, and to the vigor with which he 
(pvercame every obstacle. I have known Mr. Davey for many years. 
