68 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
“ Members of the Association, the hour designated for 
our meeting has arrived. It beeomes my pleasant duty to 
eall you to order for the transaetion of business. Our place 
of meeting is indeed an appropriate one. Within this beau¬ 
tiful city and its immediate environments, the student of 
nature can find more of interest and a more complete exem¬ 
plification of the power, wonders and beauties of nature than 
cl.-^cwhere in any like area. It is therefore especially appro¬ 
priate to men of our avocation to convene here to deliberate 
and discuss questions affecting our business and receive 
those great benefits, resulting from a personal conference, 
such as cannot be acquired by correspondence. 
“ Coming here, fresh from our fields of labor, where we 
can lay aside, for the time being, our immediate cares and 
combine pleasure with business, it is self-evident that the 
surroundings are such as enable us to draw additional inspir¬ 
ation therefrom, such as will be conducive to our advance¬ 
ment, both mentally and physically. No other avocation is 
as trying as ours upon the nervous system. The haste, 
excitement and worry incident to the inevitable rush of Fall 
and Spring deliveries is trying in the extreme, and when the 
relaxation comes we need such meetings as this to revive 
our energies and recuperate our health, hence the change 
of surroundings is very essential to us all. No branch of 
business furnishes greater opportunities incident to its busi¬ 
ness transactions, or makes a more pressing demand upon 
the mind and body than horticulture; as exemplified by 
managing an extensive nursery. These trials and perplexi¬ 
ties were graphically and truthfully illustrated in rhyme by 
Hon. N. H. Albaugh, of Ohio, several years ago. Recog¬ 
nizing these conditions, it is especially proper that we should 
assemble annually for the double purpose of rest and infor¬ 
mation. In order to excel in our avocation, we must 
become close students of nature and nature’s laws, and to 
do this requires close observation and earnest, persistent 
study. To the successful horticulturist, such study becomes 
a source of pleasure, and when among his trees and shrubs, 
he can almost hold communion with them, and by frequent 
contact, they become a part and parcel of his life work ; 
making him at times oblivious to all else beside. To know 
the silent forces of nature and how to apply them is no less 
the study of the horticulturist than the scientist, hence it 
follows as a very natural result that the development of 
mind and character is such as to produce a well-balanced 
complete manhood, and fit one for the highest forms of cit¬ 
izenship, whether in the field or forum, and of such, Hon. 
Jeremiah Rusk (deceased) and Hon. Norman J. Coleman, 
both ex-commissioners of agriculture, are notable examples. 
“The past year has been a trying one for all branches 
of business. When we adjourned in Chicago last year, I 
must confess that it was with grave apprehensions as to the 
future that we parted to return to our homes, each to do all 
that was possible to meet the situation which portended 
serious disaster. It is therefore extremely gratifying to be 
able to say that the nurserymen of this country have passed 
through the trying ordeal of the past year of financial and 
industrial depression with comparatively few disasters, and 
taking into consideration the perishable nature of our 
products, it is truly wonderful how we escaped with such 
slight losses. 
“ It is doubtless true, that in the case of nurserymen 
especially we are very largely indebted to the able, earnest 
and persistent efforts of the horticultural press of the coun¬ 
try which has created an increased demand for our prod¬ 
ucts, the extent of which it is impossible to estimate and 
hence, notwithstanding the unprecedented unfavorable con¬ 
ditions, it is probable that no more than the average per¬ 
centage of stock has been consigned to the brush pile, or 
allowed to stand and become overgrown. In the May 
number of The National Nurseryman, of Rochester, to 
which periodical all of you are doubtless subscribers, (or if 
not, you should be), a review is given which fully confirms 
these conclusions. 
“ It is evident that as our country becomes more dense'- 
ly populated and as we advance to a higher stage of civili¬ 
zation, the consumption of fruits is rapidly increasing in a 
ratio far in excess of the increase of the population. The 
result has been attained, not alone by horticulturists, but 
the medical profession as well, in all its branches, have 
become active co-workers, not from any desire to especially 
benefit our avocation, but from the fact that the liberal use 
of fruit in connection with other articles of diet is universally 
conceded to be necessary and conducive to both physical 
and mental development. The system of rapid transporta¬ 
tion has also been a potent factor in promoting increased 
consumption, while the system of commercial orchards 
under intelligent management has been the crowning factor 
which has saved us from disaster. Let us hope that the 
crisis has passed and by careful conservative management 
try to avoid an over production, which would be ruinous to 
all, and in this connection let us not forget that it was only 
the comparatively light supply, coupled with the auxiliary 
aid herein recited that saved us. We therefore should not 
increase, but if anything, curtail our planting. This is 
especially true of apple trees and grape vines, which are 
superabundant at this time. Taking the most hopeful view 
of the future, we cannot reasonably expect a rapid return to 
the prosperous conditions existing prior to the panic. 
Therefore we should adjust ourselves to the existing circum¬ 
stances, bearing in mind that we had better have an under, 
than an over production. 
“ Let it be our constant study to extend the introduction 
of new kinds and classes of fruits, which will diversify and 
increase consumption, and above all, let us actively co-oper¬ 
ate with the introducers of preventives and remedies for 
destruction of the thousands of insects and fungi which are 
the great enemies of the fruit grower. To this end 
the system of spraying is practically more effective 
than all others, but the liberal use of wood ashes, 
or potash in its various forms will be found a great 
