TTTE NATTONAT. NURSERlArAN 
51 
The American Association of 
Nurserymen 
Giving some of (he Reasons ]Mig all Xnrsergnien Should Supporl Ihe 
Organizallon by Becoming Members 
As President Watson states:—-“The Aineriean Asso- 
eialion of Nurserymen ean have neither the wish nor tlu' 
ability to serve any selfish interests; it stands in the 
broadest way for the interests of the whole trade in the 
entire eountry; it represents no seetion, it speaks for no 
elass; it represents all seetions and all elasses: retailers 
and w holesalers, eatalogue and agency, grow ers and sel¬ 
lers, and in nearly every state.” 
Considering the valuable work done by the Aineriean 
Association of Nurserymen, it is ineomprehensihle how 
many nurserymen fail to appreciate the good that the As¬ 
sociation is doing directly for their interest, and hesitate 
to become members simjily because they do not care to 
siicnd a few^ dollars required to jiay the annual dues, yet 
they will spend more in other ways, that will not bring 
them anywhere near the results w Inch a membership in 
the Association wnll. 
The Legislative Committee, of which William Pitkin 
is chairman, has worked untiringly to prevent or min¬ 
imize unjust legislation, not only in Congress, but in the 
several States, and the results accomplished each year by 
this Committee alone, have been the means of saving the 
nurserymen of this country, many thousands of dollars. 
The Transportation Committee, Charles M. Sizemore, 
chairman, has done W'Onders in regulating classifications, 
freight rates and similar problems. Every nurseryman, 
w hether he be a member of not, has benefited through 
these efforts. 
Other Committees, of e(pial importanc(‘, have dorui cor¬ 
respondingly good work, yet tlnui' ar(‘ a mmdx'r of nur- 
.scrymen who fail to ajipreciate it, and ar(‘ allowing the 
members of the association to carry tin' hurdiMi. The 
few^ dollars reijuired to pay the memlxM-ship diu's from 
nurserymen who do not now hidong to the association, 
would go a long way towards assisting in enlarging its 
usefulness. 
The association has for nearly two years cm|)loycd tin* 
seiTices of an attorney, Curtis Nyc Smith, Boston. 
Massachusetts, so that every memher of the association 
may have the benefit of his legal advice w it bout chargi*. 
We are advised by many members, that this free h'gal 
service alone has saved them many hundri'ds of dollais. 
Last year, the association inaugurated a Collection 
Bureau, under the direction of Mr. Smith, w ho is also the 
secretary of the association. This collection hurcau has 
proven invaluable and a complete success. Accounts 
are collected much more quickly and at less expense than 
through other collecting attorneys. 
These are only a few of the many advantages to be 
gained by becoming a member of the American Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen, and not only that, but it is the duty 
of every conscientious nurseryman to siqiport the associa¬ 
tion by paying the small amount of dues reipiired. 
Are you doing your part, or are you leaving other niu- 
serymen pay for the benefits you are deriving from tiie 
work the association is doing? 
LETTER EROM PRESIDENT JOHN WATSON 
New ark, New York, December 28, 1916. 
To the Editor: 
The American Association of Nurserymen at the Mil¬ 
waukee Convention adopted a resolution inviting all 
district and state associations of nurserymen each to name 
a member of an Advisory Board for the purpose of advice 
and counsel and cooperation with our Executive Com¬ 
mittee in all matters where other nursciymen or other 
associations could be of assistance when assistance was 
desired or needed. This resolution was proposed by the 
Executive Committee; it was the lirst resolution offered, 
and it was adojded unanimously by the Convention, in¬ 
dicating the importance attached to it by the nursery¬ 
men at Milwaukee. Following the instruc¬ 
tions contained in the resolution, I wrote 
to the President or the Secretary of every nurseiy associ¬ 
ation that I kntwv of. It has been very gratifying to note 
the cordiality with which the suggestion was received 
ami the prom])tness w ith which tlie invitation was ac¬ 
cepted, and I am now^ sending you a list of the imanbers 
of the Advisory Board so far as I have been notified of 
their appointment. 
The idea of this Advisory Board w as a very happy one. 
The American Association of Nurserymen can have 
neither the w ish nor the ability to serve any selfish in¬ 
terests; it stands in the broadest way for the interests of 
the whole trade in the entire country; it represents no 
section, it speaks for no class; it represents all sections 
and all classes: retailers and wholesalers, catalogue and 
agency, growers and sellers, and in nearly ('very state. 
Now, with the Advisory Board, there has been created 
what is in fact a Congress of the nursery tiade associ¬ 
ations; a clearing-house is effi'cted w lu'ie local probh'ins 
and peculiar conditions can be disposed of w henever 
other nurserymen or other organizations can he of s('i- 
vice to that end. It is a bringing togu'tlu'r so far of 
seventeen associations with lu'aidy two thousand na'in- 
hers and representing most of tin* capital inv('st('d in tin' 
nursery business. And where tlu' .\dvisory Board 
speaks, it spc'aks for the whole trade. It will 
do more than that: It will bring a Ix'ttcr ac- 
([uaintanci* and thcrcfoia' a h('ll(‘r umh'rstand- 
ing; it wdll put the various associations and their mem- 
