THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
77 
1895, at Chicago in 1896, and at St. l.ouis in 1897, and it was 
time it should be held in the East again. Mr. Bissell said a 
majority of the nurserymen were in the East ; that if a vote 
were taken according to state representation in the badge 
book, the convention would surely be held in the East. New 
York has 76 members of the association yet has but one vote, 
the same as states having but from three to five members. He 
moved to substitute Detroit for Omaha in the report as to 
place of meeting. Mr. Berkmans suggested as an amendment 
that Chicago be the next place of meeting. 
F. W. Taylor, of Nebraska, made an eloquent plea for 
Omaha. “I have attended ii out of 14 meetings of the asso¬ 
ciation since I became a member,” said he, “and we ask for 
once that the convention be held in Nebraska. The expense 
will not be great to the eastern members. The fare from 
Chicago to Omaha is but $12.50 and exposition rates will pre¬ 
vail in June, 1898. The trip can be made in a night. You 
can eat supper in Chicago and breakfast in Omaha. The 
people of Nebraska have raised $1,000,000 in good hard money 
for the big Omaha exposition. We have good hotels in 
Omaha. We will guarantee that you will have a most enjoya¬ 
ble time if you will come to Omaha next year.” 
C. N. Dennis said the nurserymen could go to Detroit any 
year for a convention, but that the Omaha convention is to be 
next year and should be seen. 
Mr. McFarland thought a successful convention could not 
be held during a great exposition. Little was done at Chicago 
during the World’s Fair, said he, while at Niagara Falls one of 
the best meetings had been held. 
BALLOTED ON THREE PLACES. 
A. L. Brooke, of Kansas, moved that the convention ballot 
upon the three places suggested, Omaha, Chicago and Detroit. 
Mr. Bissell asked that the membership vote be polled, but 
President Wilson declared that such a course would not be 
admissable at that stage of the proceedings. Mr. Taylor sug¬ 
gested as a compromise that the conventions be held regularly 
at Chicago after next year. W. B. Otwell, Carlinville, Ill., sug¬ 
gested that if sociability was the point, an informal ballot be 
taken and the members be allowed to vote upon anyplace that 
had attractions to offer. 
It was decided to ballot on the three places named. Messrs. 
Peters, of Ohio, and Dennis, of Illinois, were appointed tellers. 
The result of the ballot was : Omaha, 62 ; Chicago, 57 ; 
Detroit, 1 ; total, 120. 
President Wilson announced that Omaha had been selected 
as the place of meeting in 1898. Mr. Taylor said to the con¬ 
vention, “ I thank you very heartily. We will do all in our 
power to make it one of the most enjoyable conventions. I 
can guarantee signed permits from the mayor of Omaha allow¬ 
ing you to do as you please, thus going Mayor Ziegenheim one 
better. The first two days can be devoted to the business of 
the association, the remainder to the exposition.” 
The following resolution presented by A. L. Brooke, North 
Topeka, was adopted : 
“ Resolved, That the places of the meetings of this associa¬ 
tion shall not be located either east or west of a line of the 
meridian of the city of Chicago for more than two years in 
succession.” 
TRANSPORTATION. 
A. L. Brooke, North Topeka, secretary of the committee on 
transportation, reported : “ The association last year appro¬ 
priated $500 for the use of the committee. We have not ex¬ 
pended a cent of this money. But we have accomplished 
much in regard to freight rates, mostly in the western depart¬ 
ment. The western transportation committee imposed a hard¬ 
ship by making trees in bulk go at class A rates. We suc¬ 
ceeded in securing a reduction. Those of you who are in the 
East do not have much complaint, because you are under the 
eastern classification which covers territory as far as the Mis¬ 
sissippi river. The western classification governs all the 
western territory except one line to the South. There is also a 
southern classification. The trouble has been with the 
western classification. 
“ What I would like to call your attention to is : First, we 
want a reduction in the size of bundles of trees from ico to 
50 pounds. The western classification requires trees to be 
bundled to 100 pounds for the first class. We find that these 
bundles are too heavy. They are handled carelessly by rail¬ 
road men. If the bundles weighed but 50 pounds they would 
go through all right. There would be no loss of freight to 
railroad companies. 
“Second, as to trees in less than carload lots. Frequently 
it is desired to ship trees in quantities weighing from 4,000 to 
5,000 pounds, which does not reach the carload rate. Under 
the ruling of the western association the ra Iway companies 
must charge 1% rate. 
“You have the eastern nurserymen’s association ; we have 
the western. I want to say that the southern members would 
profit by forming an association also. We take up questions 
in which we are interested as an association and when neces¬ 
sary we carry them to the national association, and we have 
had help every time. There is a burden on freight in the 
South. We recommend a southern organization. If you do 
not succeed the first year or two in obtaining relief, you surely 
will by working on. Railway men are gentlemen. They are 
always glad to have you bring them information. Why do we 
not get more out of them? Because as compared with live 
stock, grain, etc., the nursery shipments are not large. Rail¬ 
way officials should be informed'of needed changes, and I 
assure you that you can bring them about in time.” 
TARIFF REPORT. 
The committee on tariff, through its chairman William C. 
Barry, Rochester, N. Y., presented the following report : 
“ Your committee appointed at the last annual meeting of the 
association to secure, if possible, a satisfactory duty upon 
imported nursery stock, has great pleasure and gratification in 
reporting that through the persistent efforts of the committee 
and the influence which the members of the association 
exerted, the schedule prepared and presented by your com¬ 
mittee was enacted with slight modification by the House of 
Representatives in March, and the bill is before the Senate, 
with the probability that favorable action thereon is likely to 
be had soon. 
“ Your committee does not consider it necessary to present 
a long report giving details of the work, inasmuch as nearly all 
the members of the association are familiar with the plan pur¬ 
sued, from the various circulars which have been addressed to 
them during the winter and spring months, Suffice it to say 
