^4 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
lieved that the only value in horticultural 
organization is that of the maintenance 
of the price or cheapening the cost of the 
production and the proper regulation of 
die matter of transportation. 'In numer¬ 
ous other ways organized effort is super¬ 
ior to individual effort. The tendency of 
the times is to the enlarged costs of the 
material used for the packing and pack¬ 
age purposes, the costs of living and in¬ 
deed, increased cost in everything that 
the horticulturist purchases. The only 
fair method of safeguarding the growers 
and producers’ interests is to see that in¬ 
creased revenue accrues to him sufficient¬ 
ly to meet the increased cost of produc¬ 
tion as well as the cost of living and the 
necessaries and luxuries of life. 
Concurrent with this comes the thought 
of the reduced cost of production by bet¬ 
ter management, more intensive cultiva¬ 
tion, decreased cost of fertilizing by tak¬ 
ing advantage of cheaper sources of nitro¬ 
gen and other kindred economies. All 
of these are well and should never be for¬ 
gotten. The opening up of new fields of 
production have helped swell the volume 
of material in our markets and should set 
us to thinking of how to overcome this 
new competition. 
The solution of these problems will call 
for the best thought, the best persistent 
effort and ^ the most constant watchful¬ 
ness of the thoughtful classes in our 
midst Among the hopeful signs of the 
present are the cordial relations existing 
t>etween the country and the city; between 
the producer and the carrier; between the 
producer and the consumer. In these bet¬ 
ter understandings of each others’ rela¬ 
tions we see the future solution of +hese 
problems. So long as the different class¬ 
es understand and appreciate each other, 
realize their mutual inter-dependence on 
•* t 
each other, maintain their mutual respect 
for each other, that long will harmony 
and material prosperity exist. In passing, 
it might be said that the accentuation of 
the self-interests of the horticultural class¬ 
es does not necessarily mean war upon or 
antagonism of any other interest. 
The recent report of the U. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture calls attention to 
the enormous resources of American agri¬ 
culture and horticulture. In comparison, 
all other interests combined sink into in¬ 
significance. The sums are so stupendous 
that we can scarcely realize their mag¬ 
nitude. Of this grand total we are a con¬ 
siderable part. It is just cause for con¬ 
gratulation that the importance, vitality 
and dignity of the harticultural classes is 
being recognized. 
Do our horticultural classes sufficient¬ 
ly appreciate the value of and the necess¬ 
ity for diversification ? Do we realize 
the full meaning of living at home? Is 
it not a fact that too great a proportion 
of the income from our products goes for 
that which can and should be grown in 
our own state and possibly in our own 
neighborhood? We hear it discussed on 
all hands, but have not acted on it vig¬ 
orously. While this thought is trite, I 
risk once more calling the attention of 
our people to its vital importance. 
I have felt- strongly impelled at this 
meeting to press upon your attention these 
important matters. To give vent to the 
thought that has been growing in my 
mind for some years, that the most vital 
and far-reaching questions now calling 
for solution by Florida producers were 
not cultural questions but commercial 
ones; not planting but marketing; not fer¬ 
tilizing but transportation. Let us think 
about these things, talk about them, study 
them, conquer them. If this thought, 
