The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyright, 1900, by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co. 
“Horticulture is the growing of flowers, fruits and vegetables, and of plants for ornament and fancy.”—Yuov. L. H. Bailey. 
Vol. VIII. ROCHESTER, N. Y., AUGUST, 1900. No. 7. 
LIVELY TEXAS MEETING 
State Horticultural Convention During Big Texas Farmers’ Con - 
gress — F. T. Ramsey, F. W. Many, E. W. Kirkpatrick, John 
S. Kerr, H. M. Stringfellow and T. V. Munson Take 
Active Part—National Textile University and State 
Experiment Stations Favored In Resolutions. 
At the third annual Texas Farmers’ Congress, held at College 
Station, Texas, July 3-7, there were present hundreds of 
horticulturists, live stock men, dairymen, cotton growers and 
other producers and business men of Texas. Six state asso¬ 
ciations met during the congress. 
During the congress the fifteenth annual meeting of the 
Texas Horticultural Society was held. President F. T. Ram¬ 
sey, of Austin, nurseryman, presided. Among those who took 
prominent part in the proceedings were Prof. F. W. Mally, 
state entomologist, former nurseryman, and the president of 
the State Horticultural Society the ensuing year ; E. W. Kirk¬ 
patrick, of McKinney, who was active in the recent convention 
of the American Association of Nurserymen at Chicago ; John 
S. Kerr, of the Sherman, Texas, Commercial Nursery ; Presi¬ 
dent F. T. Ramsey, nurseryman, of Austin ; Major H. M. 
Stringfellow, Lampasas, of short-root fame ; and T. V. 
Munson, Denison, the veteran grape specialist. 
John F. Sneed, Tyler, nurseryman, offered prayer, and E. 
W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, delivered an eloquent address of 
welcome. There was an address by B. L. Adams, Bonham, 
nurseryman, and then T. V. Munson reviewed the history of 
horticultural societies in Texas. He told of the various local 
organizations which culminated in the formation of the Texas 
State Horticultural Society fourteen years ago. He said he 
thought the horticultural society and the truck growing society 
had resulted from the organization of the society at Denison 
in 1879. 
Dr. A. M. Ragland of Pilot Point, told of the good work 
the horticultural societies had done in instructing farmers as 
to the varieties of fruit to plant in order to succeed. The 
membership, he said, should be increased by showing farmers 
the benefits in this direction. The time was fast approaching, 
he said, when the nurserymen of Texas would have to rewrite 
their catalogues, eliminating many varieties supplied from 
other states, and write in the many fine Texas fruits which 
had been introduced in recent years, and which are best 
adapted to Texas. 
J. S. Kerr of Sherman, spoke of loyalty to the horticultural 
society. The highest pay, he said, would come from the love 
of doing the work, and this spirit is what will make the society 
most successful. 
Major H. M. Stringfellow was called upon for an address on 
varieties. He was received with great applause. He said the 
most important thing to do was to select varieties adapted to 
the section planted in. He thought there should not be 
another pear tree planted in the coast country. He argued 
for a return to nature’s methods in the cultivation of fruits ; 
deep plowing, he said, was not only expensive, but is injurious, 
ruinous to the trees. It is necessary to produce fruit cheaply 
to make any money out of it and he said he had started an 
experiment to grow fruit on the nature plan, without cultiva¬ 
tion. He also urged a return to the use of tap root stock for 
propagating, saying that the use of fibrous roots was respon¬ 
sible for the short life of so many trees. People should find 
out what is adapted by nature to their country and grow that. 
The coast country is better adapted to strawberries and truck 
growing than to pears, and should engage in the cultivation of 
those crops. 
At the afternoon session John S. Kerr, of Sherman, read a 
paper on “Apple Culture in Texas.” E. W. Kirkpatrick read 
a paper on “ Fruits on the Farm.” 
“ Fruits and Their Culture in Southern Texas,” was the 
subject of a paper read by Prof. F. W. Mally. He urged the 
growing of small fruits, especially of strawberries, as being the 
most promising crop for the coast country. 
At the session of July 5th, Major H. M. Stringfellow read 
a paper on “ New Horticulture by an Old Horticulturist,” 
F. T. Ramsey of Austin, made an address on apricots. E. W. 
Kirkpatrick read a paper on “ Fruits of the Future.” 
At the suggestion of A. G. Pickett a resolution was passed 
calling on Texas congressmen to ask the agricultural depart¬ 
ment of the United States to print the book of T. V. Munson 
on grapes, after revision. This book was written about three 
years ago at the request of the department. 
Prof. F. W. Mally was elected president of the society, He 
said he would at once inaugurate work to make the society the 
peer of any in the country and asked the support of the mem¬ 
bers. B.. L. Adams of Bonham, was elected vice-president, 
Sam. H. Dixon of Pauli, secretary and treasurer, H. Mixer of 
Richards, La., second vice-president. 
The following resolutions were unanimously adopted : 
Resolved, by the Texas Farmers’ Congress, that the establishment of 
a great national textile university by congress, appropriating $1,000,000, 
is hereby endorsed, and it is urged, and the Texas members of the 
United States senate and house of representatives are hereby requested 
to aid in its establishment in Texas. 
Resolved, That we, the Farmers’ Congress, in convention assembled, 
ask our state legislators to vote for an annual appropriation of not less 
than $50,000 to be spent in establishing and maintaining agricultural 
experimental stations in different portions of Texas, and for the further 
and better distribution of agricultural knowledge throughout the state. 
Local press comment on leading lights was as follows : 
Among the young business men who have made a success of horti¬ 
culture as a business are Messrs. John and Stanley H. Watson of 
Brenham. 
One of the characters of the congress was Prof. T. Y. Munson of 
Denison. Prof. Munson is a recognized authority in this country on 
the subject of horticulture and his views are always received with 
considerable interest. 
