io8 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
that have given us reduced rates to their 
meeting. 
To the several hotels that have given 
us reduced rates. 
To the fertilizer concerns that have 
given us attentions and demonstrations of 
their operations. 
To the Officers of the Society, notably 
the President and Secretary, for their un¬ 
tiring energy, fairness and courtesy. 
Wm. C. Richardson, 
J. Earle Bacon, 
L. B. Skinner. 
For the Preservation of Our Forests. 
Mr. McCarty—Mr. President, I would 
like to ask the unanimous consent of the 
society for permission to present out of 
the regular order, a matter now in the 
hands of Mr. G. W. Wilson, our second 
vice-president, pertaining to the important 
matter of forestry preservation. This is 
a matter that very properly comes before 
this society. It is an important matter 
upon which every State is seeking needed 
legislation. 
The President—There is no objection, 
by unanimous consent the rules are 
waived. The society will hear Mr. Wil¬ 
son. 
Mr. Wilson—Mr. President. The mat¬ 
ter of legislation upon forest preservation 
has been before the various legislatures 
of the several States for several years. 
The time has arrived when it is almost im¬ 
perative that some needful legislation 
shall be enacted if possible in our State. 
The reason that I have asked permission 
to appear before you in this behalf at this 
time, is because the Florida legislature is 
now in session, there remaining only 
about three more weeks of the session, and 
it is important that this matter be pressed 
as urgently as may be to the enactment 
of some measure into a forestry law. 
This matter is urgently pressed by the Ag¬ 
ricultural Department at Washington in 
all States where there has not been a for¬ 
estry law enacted. Some good measure is 
also called for in our State by the lumber¬ 
man, the cattleman and the naval stores 
people. I will now read you this com¬ 
munication and proposed measure and ask 
for such endorsement by the society as the 
same merits. 
Titusville, Fla., May 9, 1905. 
Pres. Fla. Horticultural Society^ 
Jacksonville^ Fla. 
Dear Sir: 
It seems to me that steps should be 
taken to urge the present State Legislature 
to pass laws to protect the pine trees and 
other trees from foolish destruction. It 
seems foolish to allow the turpentine men 
from other states, who have little real in¬ 
terests in the welfare of Florida, to come 
here and put more than one box in a tree 
and to box trees under 5 or 6 inches in 
diameter. We criticise other countries for 
allowing destruction of the rubber and 
