The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyright, 1896. by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
VOL. IV. ROCHESTER. N. Y. t JULY, 1896. No. 6. 
THE CONVENTION. 
Twenty-first Annual Meeting of the Ameri¬ 
can Association of Nurserymen. 
President’s Address—Treasurer’s Report—Freight Rates— 
State Vice-Presidents—Laws Affecting Nurserymen— 
Wholesale Lists—Officers and Place of Meeting— 
To Plant or Not to Plant—The Duty of Nur¬ 
serymen—Nursery Lands of New York— 
Improving the American Garpe—Tariff 
Discussion—The Exhibits. 
The twenty-fjrst annual meeting of the American Asso¬ 
ciation of Nurserymen was held at the Sherman House, 
Chicago, on June 10th and nth. There were present 130 
members. Among the prominent nurserymen of the 
country who attended this convention were: Robert 
Douglas, George W. Campbell, Jacob W. Manning, Edgar 
Sanders, L. G. Kellogg, Professor H. E. Van Deman, 
Professor L. H. Bailey, N. H. Albaugh, Irving Rouse, E. 
Albertson, Henry Augustine, A. L. Brooke, E. M. Buech- 
ley, Lewis Chase, A. H. Griesa, W. F. Heikes, D. Hill, 
J. W. Gaines, J. J. Harrison, C. H. Perkins, George S. 
Josselyn, D. S. Lake, Thomas B. Meehan, Alexander 
Pullen, Wing R.* Smith, E. Y. Teas, J. Van Lindley, C. L. 
Watrous, W. A. Watson, A. Willis, Allen L. Wood. 
Upon the opening of the convention on Wednesday 
morning, June 10th, by President Silas Wilson, C. L. 
Watrous moved that the election of officers and the 
selection of a place for the next meeting of the associa¬ 
tion be postponed until afternoon on the next day and 
that a committee of three on order of business be 
appointed. The chair appointed as such committee: 
Messrs. Watrous, Albaugh and Heikes. 
president’s address. 
President Wilson said : 
I litive not written an address. Tire object of our association is the 
promotion of the interests of the fraternity, socially and otherwise. I 
wish to call your attention to some important matters connected with 
the nursery business. One of these is the transportation problem. 
We have been, as an association, a little lame in not having ample pro¬ 
vision made to take care of this matter year by year. Our product has 
depreciated 50 per cent, in three years. There is a tendency on the 
part of traffic associations to advance rates, while the prices of our 
product are going down. It seems to me that we should appoint a 
committee to meet the transportation association, and secure such con¬ 
cessions as w r e are entitled to. It has occurred to me that this is a very 
important question. I would recommend the appointment of a com¬ 
mittee of at least three members of the association, and an appropria¬ 
tion sufficient to meet the expenses. We find a change in the minimum 
of nursery stock in carload lots equivalent to an advance in the rate of 
20 per cent., and prices of stock are going down, down, and we do not 
know where they are going to stop. I hope the association will take 
some action in this matter. I believe that the railroad companies will 
meet us half way. Two million dollars worth of nursery stock repre¬ 
sents a large and important industry in the country. This committee 
should have authority to act in the absence of a meeting of the associa¬ 
tion. Last year my attention was called to this subject. I wrote to 
the executive committee, the members of which replied that they could 
not act, as they could not expend money under the constitution. 
Another matter : I believe this association should not take the line 
of a horticultural school. We should make the meeting as social as 
possible, and should, above all things, extend our acquaintance. It is 
a love feast; an opportunity for us to take each other by the hand. It 
is a rest, a change of programme. The nurseryman is not in any way 
idle. 
In regard to the next place of meeting, you will consult the best 
interests of the association in order to get out a large attendance. I 
am pleased to see so large a number here, and so much interest 
manifested. 
TREASURER’S REPORT. 
Treasurer N. A. Whitney presented the following re¬ 
port : Balance on hand, June 10, 1895, $1,558.92; re¬ 
ceived from Secretary George C. Seager, October 11, 
1895, $300; June 3, 1896, $700; June 9, $123.60 ; June 
10, $83.10 ; total, $2,765.62. Paid Professor L. H. Bailey, 
$45; Professor Webster, $21.40; Miss Jackson, $50; 
Union and Advertiser Printing Co., $229.26; salary of 
secretary, railway agent and postage, $340.50; treasurer, 
$50 ; Union and Advertiser Printing Co., $192.34 ; balance 
on hand June 10, 1896, $1,837.12. The gain during the 
year was $278.20. A. Willis, Z. K. Jewett and C. N. 
Dennis were appointed an auditing committee. 
The committee on order of business reported the 
following plan which was adopted : President s address, 
report of the treasurer, appointment of committees, recess 
until 2:30 p. m., election of officers, selection of place of 
meeting, the remainder of the programme as published. 
N. H. Albaugh : “ Last year one of the inducements 
to come to Chicago was a promised sail on the lake. One 
man proposes to take us out at 9 a. m., for a boat ride 
until noon at $i per passenger. There is a proposition 
from the West Michigan Horticultural Society that we go 
over to St. Joseph, Mich., by boat to-morrow night, 
arriving in the morning in time to attend the meeting of 
the society and see a great fruit country, h ree transpor¬ 
tation is offered.” 
O. E. Fifield, Benton Harbor: “ We extend a cordial 
invitation to all to come over and see our fruit country 
in bloom.” 
Wing Smith : “ I move a vote of thanks to the Mich¬ 
igan Society and the appointment of a committee of three 
to ascertain how many will accept the invitation. 
The chair appointed as such committee Messrs. Smith, 
of New York, Stannard, of Kansas, and Albertson, of 
Indiana. 
