62 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
This is truly an age of conventions. Every enterprise has its organi¬ 
zation to further its interests. This association dear to us all and 
growing dearer, was first organized mainly for its social advantages. 
Those who organized this annual convention builded better than they 
knew. To this social privilege-and I grant it is a delightful privi¬ 
lege—is being added from year to year a department which looks after 
the business of the general nursery public. To properly organize and 
conduct this business requires the associated effort of this convention. 
I wish, at this time, to especially call your attention to the irnpoit- 
ant questions of transportation of nursery stock : The present system 
of handling imported .stock in custom houses in New York, and our 
relations with our neighbors on the north. Three years ago in this 
city a committee on transportation was appointed for the first time. 
The work of this committee, though quietly done and without any ex¬ 
pense to this association, has resulted in much good to the shippers of 
nursery stock. The western classification committee is composed of 
about seventy-five members. Mr. J. T. Ripley, a very worthy gentle¬ 
man of this city, is its chairman. This committee establishes the rules 
and classifies the rates for all freight west of the Mississippi. The 
official classification governs east of the river. 
The rules of the western classification need some revising to suit 
the conveniences of the shipper and still be just to the railroad. 
Among these are the following : Reducing trees from bales of 100 
pounds to original package to be shipped at same rate as 100 -pound 
bales. 2. To establish a rate for trees in bulk of less than car-load, 
say something like 4.000 or 5,000 pounds up to half car weight. 3. I 
am informed only recently that the railroads have abrogated the rule 
allowing the stoppage of cars in transit by the payment $5.00. 
As chairman of your committee on transportation I had arranged a 
meeting with Chairman Ripley of the western classification at their 
meeting in St. Louis on May 2nd of this year, but owing to the press¬ 
ure of business it was impossible to get a representative number of 
your committee together at that time to attend the meeting ; however, 
Mr. Ripley has kindly granted a hearing at their next meeting on 
November 2nd of this year. I wish to recommend to this convention 
that the committee to be appointed by my successor be authorized to 
be at this meeting and that they be voted means to defray all expense 
in attending the same, but that they be allowed no per diem. 
The present system of inspecting imported stock in custom house at 
New York surely demands attention at the hands of this convention. 
I recommend that either a special committee be appointed to look 
after this matter, or that the committee on tariff be instructed to do 
so. I am not fully posted as to whether there has been any recent 
modification of the Canada exclusion law which prohibits the shipping 
of nursery stock from the United States into the former country. I 
very respectfully desire to refer this matter to you for your considera¬ 
tion and discussion. 
I wish to direct your attention, also, again to the method of adver¬ 
tising to the trade by catalogue or circular price list. This method is 
a very legitimate one, but one which is very often abused. This is 
not a new subject, but one which comes up at every meeting of this 
association. It is so important, however, that I trust you will pardon 
me for pressing the subject most earnestly upon you. It is, perhaps, 
not within your power to stop the abuse of this by any act of yours 
while assembled here. It is simply a question of honor, gentlemen, 
and business integrity ! It is a violation of the most sacred rules of 
the science of business fora nurseryman to give both to me and to a 
planter the same prices on the same grade of stock. If a grower of 
stock in the East wishes me to assist him to distribute his surplus, it is 
a grave violation of business etiquette for him to give to me and my 
customer the same prices for the same stock. It is simply “gorilla 
warfare ” on business for me, in the West, to make to the nurseryman, 
the dealer, and the planter in another part of the country one price in¬ 
stead of three. I bring this matter before you, not because I have 
any plan to recommend for your consideration, but rather to bring this 
subject to your attention and to press the same upon you for discus¬ 
sion. It is well, no doubt, for us continually to school ourselves on 
every feature of our business, for by so doing we not only strengthen 
our own ideas, but help our fellow men. 
1 he past winter was one that will be referred to by the oldest in¬ 
habitant as the coldest on record. It was especially unfriendly to the 
nurseryman. The effect has been to reduce the surplus stock gener¬ 
ally and thus add a stimulant to already advancing prices. Along 
with other industries our business seems to have touched a very 
healthy period, and I believe, gentlemen, that I can safely predict for 
you a sharp advance in prices of almost all lines of trade, and that you 
are about to enter upon a few years, at least, of encouragement to the 
long waiting nurseryman. Let me say to you, also, that the duration 
of these prosperous years depends largely upon us whether we will 
grow for the market what it will bear, or whether we will try to do 
two years’ business in one. You may depend upon it that the market 
will stay with us if we will considerately protect it ourselves. 
Finally, gentlemen, not having had the opportunity of thanking 
you for the honor of presiding over your deliberations I now desire to 
thank you for this honor which, I assure you, was unsought, but 
highly appreciated upon my part. I ask your indulgence for any 
mistakes I am liable to make, and I now declare this convention ready 
for business. 
Upon motion of Silas Wilson a committee to consider the 
recommendations of the president was appointed. President 
Brooke named the following as such committee : Silas Wil¬ 
son la'.; A. Willis, Kan.; N. W. Hale, Tenn.; T. S. Hubbard, 
New York ; W. J. Peters, O. 
SECRETARY’S REPORT. 
Secretary Seager reported that he had received in member¬ 
ship fees $ 690 , about the same amount as last year. For 
advertising in the annual report, $ 149 . 50 , had been received, 
and for advertising in badge book, $ 325.47 ; total receipts, 
$ 1 , 164 . 97 . The secretary stated that when he was elected to 
the office at the convention in 1893 the Association had $ 1,383 
on hand. Since then there had been special expenses as for 
instance $ 839.24 for legislative committee work. It was 
understood, he said, that the amount of the Association’s fund 
in the Whitney estate was $ 1 , 491 , and that this amount with 
interest was secured. Secretary Seager said he had turned 
over to Treasurer Yates $ 1 , 153 . 61 , and that he was “shy” 
$ 11.36 for exchange on checks. 
TREASURER’S REPORT. 
Treasurer C. L. Yates presented the following report : 
Receipts. 
From Secretary Seager . $1,690.31 
Disbursements. 
June 17. Emma Jacobson. '.. $ 50.00 
“ 17. Whitehead & Hoag Co . 60.00 
“ 18. Union and Advertiser Co. 159.07 
July Is. N. H. Albaugh. 48.00 
“ 18. C. L. Watrous. 23.34 
“ 18. C. L. Watrous. 96.30 
“ 18 Silas Wilson. 101.20 
“ 19. Geo. C. Seager. 63 65 
Oct. 1. Union and Advertiser Co . 176.40 
1899. 
Mch. 22. Central Passenger Association . 7.00 
“ 22. Western “ “ 7.00 
May 24. George C. Seager . 323.00 
June 12. Union and Advertiser Co . 201.76 
“ 12. Whitehead & Hoag Co .. ... 28.40 
Balance . 345.19 
$1,690.31 
Both reports were referred to an auditing committee com¬ 
posed of Samuel Lorton, la., J. H. Dayton, O., and Irving 
Rouse, New York. 
P. S. Peterson extended an invitation to the nurserymen to 
visit the Peterson nurseries at Rose Hill. 
Nelson Bogue, Batavia, N. Y., presented a communication 
from the management of the Pan American Exposition of 
Buffalo inviting an exhibit of trees and shrubs at the exposi- 
