64 
THE NATIONAL 
NURSERYMAN. 
to dealers and planters we consider this a subject of very great impor¬ 
tance and suggest its full discussion and such action as this association 
may deem advisable. 
ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 
The vice-presidents reported the following nominations for 
the officers of the Association for the ensuing \ ear: 
President—Wilson J. Peters, Troy, O. 
Vice-President—D. S. Lake, Shenandoah, la. 
Secretary—George C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y. 
Treasurer—C. L. Yates, Rochester, N. Y. 
Executive Committee—Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y.; C. L. Wat- 
rous, Des Moines. Ia.; E. Albertson, Bridgeport, Ind. 
PLACE OF MEETING. 
The report was adopted unanimously. The vice-presidents, 
through Thomas -B. Meehan, of Pennsylvania, recommended 
that the convention of 1900 be held in Chicago and at the 
Chicago Beach Hotel. The report highly complimented the 
hotel manager on the splendid accommodations and complete 
service afforded, and so enthusiastic and unanimous was the 
vote that when it was called, every member jumped to his feet 
instantly, the president calling for a rising vote. 
A communication from the manager of the Chicago Beach 
Hotel, George B. Ross, was read by the president. Mr. Ross 
extended an invitation to the Association to hold its next con¬ 
vention there and offered the same liberal rates. He said he 
had been gratified to hear the many expressions of approval, by 
the members, of the service rendered at the hotel and he prom¬ 
isee equal care and attention next year. Mr. Ross’ communi¬ 
cation was received with applause. 
Professor S. J. Hunter of the State University, Lawrence, 
Kan., read a paper on “ The Nurseryman and the Entomolo¬ 
gist,” an extract from which will appear later. 
QUESTION BOX OPENED. 
At this point the question box was opened and the first dis¬ 
cussion of the convention ensued William A. Peterson, Chi¬ 
cago, asked: “ In Illinois the nursery stock is taxed as personal 
property. Is this universal ? Is this just ? ” 
Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb.: “ We are asked to pay taxes 
on nursery stock in nursery rows and also in cellars.” 
N. H. Albaugh, Phoneton, O.: “ There was a proposition to 
do that in Ohio, but we overruled it. We showed very plainly 
the injustice of taxing the stock before we ourselves got any¬ 
thing for it and then taxing what money we finally got out of 
it. Nursery stock ought to range in this respect with wheat 
and oats and corn.” 
Silas Wilson, Atlantic, la.: “In our state nursery stock is 
classed as realty, whether severed from the ground or not.” 
President Brooke: “In Kansas nursery stock escapes taxa¬ 
tion, so that we have money to pay our taxes on the land.” 
Mr. Peterson: “ In Illinois this is a very live issue.” 
A. Willis, Ottawa, Kan.: “I think it is right that nursery 
stock should be taxed; but wheat and corn and other crops 
should be taxed. It is not right if some crops are exempted.” 
C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la.: “ This is not a subject for 
a national organization to handle. It is a matter for the indi¬ 
vidual states. This Association could do nothing about it. 
The subject could properly come before the state horticultural 
societies.” 
At the opening of the Thursday morning session at 10 
o.’clock, President Brooke announced the following committees: 
On Pan-American Exposition—Nelson Bogue, New York; Peter 
Youngers, Nebraska; Thomas B. Meehan, Pennsylvania. 
On Exhibits—Hiram T. Jones, New Jersey; Joseph Davis, Mary¬ 
land, J. H. Skinner. Kansas. 
Papers were read by Professor L. R. Taft, of Ingham, Mich., 
on “ State Control of Insects and Diseases by N. W. Hale, 
Knoxville, Tenn., on “ The Nursery Business in the South,” 
and by Orlando Harrison, Berlin, Md., on “Why We Fumi¬ 
gate.” 
PRACTICAL INFORMATION WANTED. 
The question box was again opened and again it provoked 
a lively discussion, the second discussion of the convention. 
“ How effective is fumigation as applied to nursery stock ? ” 
was the question. 
Mr. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, Tex.: “I had hoped some 
one would bring us a sample of the San Jose scale and of 
plants injured by it, so that by this time we could appreciate 
the danger, grasp the situation and learn something. We 
hear a great deal about the pest, but at least in our country 
we do not see any results. We read of the gypsy moth and 
its disastrous work in Massachusetts where it promised to 
drive the human race off the face of the earth. But when we 
come here we do not find any one who will say, ' I have the 
San Jose scale in my stock. Here is a sample. Take warn¬ 
ing.’ 
“ Now, we have not seen this scale. We do have laws and 
we have officers who go forth to execute the laws ; but we see 
nothing. I want to see and hear of more actual work in the 
field at our conventions. Let a man stand up here and say, 
‘ I have it,’ or ‘ My neighbor has it.’ 
“ We are hammering along year after year on this subject 
of San Jose scale. We are paying the expenses for its sup¬ 
pression. But have we got the scale ? If we have we want 
to know it at once. If not we want to know we have not. 
Mr. Alwood at the St. Louis convention turned on me and 
said, ‘ I am very sorry you have the scale in Texas.’ But I 
have traveled all over Texas and I cannot find it, nor can I 
find anyone who has found it. 
“ Bring the scales along and spread them out before me and 
show me characteristics so I may say which is the scale to 
fear. They tell us there are thousands of them and that it is 
difficult to tell which is the true San Jose scale. We want 
knowledge we can apply ; science we can take home with us. 
We want to know what progress is being made ; whether the 
enactment of laws is beneficial; whether the scale laws have 
made it possible to ship trees and plants with lesss friction 
and annoyance, or whether they have made it more difficult to 
import and export stock whether the scale laws are not a real 
detriment.” 
A voice : “ They have been a detriment.” 
“We want to know,” continued Mr. Kirkpatrick, “whether 
San Jose scale agitation in the United States has not led 
Canada and Germany to enact laws affecting nursery stock ; 
whether it will not seriously injure business if we go on enact¬ 
ing scale laws. We like to hear long spun out papers by 
college professors. We like to read them at home better than 
we like to hear them read here. We want practical discussion 
here. I am willing to travel to any state in the Union to see 
the scale. By the way, California has dissmissed the San 
Jose scale as almost a myth. They have now ignored it. Are 
we to take it up now and go through the same long mill of ex¬ 
perience ?” [Applause.] 
Mr. Hubbard, Fredonia, N. Y. : “ In talking with ento¬ 
mologists I find that the San Jose scale is not considered by 
