The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyight, 1900 by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
“ An exact knowledge of the adaptation of stock to graft will be the perfection of culture.”- 
—Marshall P. Wilder. 
Vol. VIII. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., JUNE, 1900. 
No. 5. 
ITS FIRST QUARTER CENTURY. 
Brief Review of the Work of the American Association —Topics 
Discussed at the Annual Conventions— The Trade Well 
Protected by Vigorous Committees—Value of the Files 
of the Official Journal for Reference. 
In view of the fact that the convention of this month in 
Chicago marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the American 
Association of Nurserymen, it is of interest to note briefly the 
principal features of the annual meetings of the Association 
during the last quarter of a century. 
At the Crystal Lake meeting of the Northern Horticultural 
Society in January, 1876 , Dr. John E. Ennis, of Clinton, la, 
proposed that a national centennial meeting of nurserymen, 
florists and seedsmen be held in Chicago. The following 
committee on arrangements was appointed : Dr. John E. 
Ennis, Clinton, la.; L. K. Schofield, Freeport, Ill.; J. S. 
Stickney, Wauwatosa, Wis.; A. R. Whitney, Franklin Grove, 
Ill.; Edgar Sanders, Chicago, Ill.; D. Wilmot Scott, Galena, 
Ill.; Lewis Ellsworth, Naperville, Ill. An informal meeting 
was held in Chicago at which the following temporary office]s 
were elected : President, Edgar Sanders ; secretary, D. Wil¬ 
mot Scott ; treasurer, A. R. Whitney. A call was issued to 
nurserymen, florists, seedsmen, horticultural implement makei s 
and dealers in supplies for nurserymen and florists to meet in 
the exposition building, Chicago, June 14 , 1876 , at 10 a. m. 
At the first annual meeting vice-presidents were appointed 
for some of the states ; the executive committee was authorized 
to name the others. No essays were read at this meeting 
Sixty members were enrolled. A trip to the South parks was 
enjoyed. 
The second annual meeting was held in Chicago on June 
20 , 21 and 23 , 1877 . No essays were read, but matters of 
interest to the trade were discussed. Sixty-three members 
were enrolled. The South parks were again visited. 
The records for 1878 , 1879 and 1881 are missing. The 
fifth annual meeting was held in Chicago on June 16 , 17 and 
18 , [ 880 . Essays were read, 150 members were enrolled and 
visits were made to the South and Lincoln parks. 
At the seventh annual meeting the American Forestry 
Association was organized. This meeting was held June 21 , 
22 and 23 , 1882 , in Rochester, N. Y. One hundred and fifty- 
two members were enrolled. Essays were read by Patrick 
Barry, Thomas Meehan, C. L. Watrous, John J. Thomas and 
others. 
Members to the number of 179 were enrolled at the eighth 
annual meeting which was held in St. Louis, in 1883 . The 
members enjoyed an excursion on the Mississippi river and 
visited Shaw’s garden. 
The ninth annual meeting was in Chicago again. It was 
held June 18 , 19 and 20 , 1884 . M. A. Hunt, Chicago, was 
president, and there were 346 paying members ; honorary 
members, 45 . There was a trip to Pullman, a visit to the 
parks and a banquet by the Chicago florists. 
The members met again in Chicago for the tenth annual 
meeting, on June 17 , 18 and 19 , 1885 . There were 34 lady 
honorary members and 367 paying members. A ride on the 
lake and a visit to Lincoln park were enjoyed. 
There was much ioutine business, but only one essay at the 
eleventh annual meeting which was held in Washington, June 
16 , 17 and 18 , 1886 . President Norman J. Colman presided, 
and the essay was by B. E. Fernow, of Washington, on 
“Forest Tree Seeds.” 
For the twelfth annual meeting the Association went back 
to Chicago, on June 15 , 16 and 17 , 1887 . President C. L. 
Watrous presided. At this meeting the name of the Associa¬ 
tion was changed from “ American Association of Nursery¬ 
men, Florists and Seedsmen ” to “ American Association of 
Nurserymen.” The florists and the seedsmen had formed 
national associations of their own. A committee was appoint¬ 
ed to prepare a telegraph code for the use of nurserymen. 
The thirteenth annual meeting in Detroit, June 20 and 21 , 
1888 , was marked by the report of the committee on railroad 
freight classification, composed of S. M. Emery, N. H. 
Albaugh and J. B. Spaulding, showing that through the efforts 
of this committee, the classification of nursery stock, boxed, 
was changed by the Railway Traffic Association from first to 
second class ; it was estimated that this would save the 
nurserymen of the country not less than $ 50,000 per year in 
freight and would greatly stimulate shipments. The commit¬ 
tee on the reduction of postage reported the organization of 
the U. S. Postal Improvement Association. 
In Chicago again the Association met for the fourteenth 
annual convention, on June 5 and 6 , 1889 . There was a long 
programme of papers upon subjects of interest to the trade. 
President George A. Sweet, Dansville, N. Y., presided, and 
Charles A. Green, Rochester, N. Y., was secretary. 
The fifteenth annual meeting was held in New York City, 
June 4 , 5 and 6 , 1890 . There was a long programme of 
papers including those by Professors Van Deman, Fernow, 
Bailey, Budd and Galloway ; G. E. Meissner, H. S. Wiley, 
Thomas Meehan, S. M. Emery, J. T. Lovett, G. J. Carpenter, 
George W. Campbell, J. H. Hale, J. W. Manning, Jr., Samuel 
C. Moon, and G. J. Kellogg; also William Fell, England 
The sixteenth annual meeting was held in Minneapolis, 
June 3 , 4 and 5 , 1891 , President S. M. Emery, Lake City, in 
the chair. There were interesting papers at the sessions. 
The members were treated to a carriage ride through the park 
system of the city, tendered by the city government. 
A telegraphic code was adopted at the seventeenth meeting 
in Atlanta, Ga., June 1 , 2 and 3 , 1892 . There were excursions 
to Tallulah Falls and to several large peach orchards. 
