TIIE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
89 
about exposure and about their packing. There seeius 
to be some room for improvement here. 
Advisory Board; At the reijuest of President John 
Watson of the American Association of Nurserymen, Mr, 
Stannai'd was selected to represent the Western Associa¬ 
tion on the Advisory Board which is lo meet in joint ses¬ 
sion with the Executive Committee of the National Asso¬ 
ciation at the next annual meeting of that Association. 
The idea of this Advisory Board is to bring into joint 
council, representatives froin every sectional organization. 
It is an earnest etfort to combine and unify the interests 
of American nurserymen, and it is bound to have a stab¬ 
ilizing effect if given half an opportunity; in fact it is 
already having a most beneficent effect on the attitude of 
the members of the nurserymens’ associations every¬ 
where toward their sister organizations. 
As the old darkey preacher said “The Wold Do 
Move”—. There have been a great many discussions in 
the last few years, but we are coming along, and hon¬ 
estly, gentlemen, I think we are moving rapidly—it seems 
to me there has been a vast amount of improvement both 
in nursery efficiency and ideals. 
The splendid program provided by our Committee is 
concrete evidence of this fact. 
The outlook for spring is, I believe, decidedly better 
than it has been for many years. The big surpluses 
that we have all been staring in the face for so long have 
become depleted. The demand is better in every branch 
of the nursery industry, and if we will be guided just a 
little bit by the past and not repeat those errors of over¬ 
production I feel sure the immediate future is full of 
hope for the nurseryman. What will happen after the 
war no one can predict, but tbere is no reason to feel any¬ 
thing but optimism, for ours is a profession that is supply¬ 
ing a growing demand—as our nation grows wealthier, 
as it builds up, more trees and more ornamentals are 
bound to be planted, and we may expect a bigger, better, 
broader business. I thank you. 
^ nEH 
iij 
‘{a 
Bvsiness Movements. 
CHANGE OF BUSINESS NAME 
Instead of W. N. Scarff, New Carlisle, Ohio, it is now 
W, N. Scarff & Sons. Mr. Max M. Scarff and Mr. How¬ 
ard Scarff now being junior members of the firm. Here¬ 
after, all business of the nurseries will be transacted un¬ 
der this name. 
A. T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Company, 438 
West 37lh street, New York, are sending out the Garden¬ 
ers’ and Florists’ Annual for 1917. Edited by J. Harrison 
Dick. Price 50 cents. 
It is a year book for Florists, Seedsmen, Nurserymen 
and Gardeners and is brim full of up-to-date useful in¬ 
formation. 
THE TBIALS OF A SECBETABY 
We have repeatedly called attention to the lack of 
interest in the American Association of Nurserymen, by 
many members of the trade. This seems to exist not 
only in this country, but also in England, where the 
trade is represented by the Horticultural Trade Associa¬ 
tion. 
In the February number of the National Nurseiyman 
we took occasion to point out tln^ value of the work the 
Association is doing, and it is to be hoped that the mem¬ 
bers of the trade will speedily respond. 
An article by the Secretary of the Horticultural Trade 
Association, printed recently in the Horticultural Adver¬ 
tiser, England, so nearly fits the conditions existing in 
the United States that we reprint it in part, in the hope 
that it will awaken some of our nurserymen to their 
duty to the American Association of Nurserymen, and in¬ 
duce them to become members. 
It makes a wonderful difference to the view, what 
point you stand at to look at it, and the same holds good 
of affairs generally. I think it would do good if we all 
compared notes more often on matters of mutual inter¬ 
est, and so I ask the indulgence of the members of our 
Trade Association for one or two remarks from the 
Secretarial point of view. 
Firstly, it seems to me that too many members expect 
the Council and Secretary to run the whole show, without 
their ever putting a finger in the pie, not to say putting 
their shoulder to the wheels. Of course, the bulk of 
the work must fall on the officials, but the “live” member 
will do his best to increase the membership, will 
promptly advise the Coimcil of any evil or grievance re¬ 
quiring attention, instances of unfair trading, legislative 
dangers, etc., etc., and generally back them up and keep 
them in touch with current events in his district. 
As a matter of fact, a large proportion of our members 
give no sign of life, excepting once a year when they pay 
their subscription. Certainly a few have worked splen¬ 
didly at increasing the membership, and if all had fol¬ 
lowed suit we should have had a roll of two thousand 
by this. 
It seems to one whose work is a good deal at the desk, 
not too much to ask members to respond promptly to 
offical communications, but the bald fact is that only 
about ten per cent, of our members respond quickly, 
another twenty or thirty per cent, answer when stirred 
up, but a very large proportion never reply at all. Only 
on one occasion in my 16 years of office, have I had 
replies from more than half the members to an official 
communication. If our Association is to exercise the 
power and infiuence which it ought to do, the members 
should do their share and respond quickly to demands 
made upon them for information, etc. **** 
As to this matter of subscription, which, by the way, 
is small, compared with most other organizations, it is 
a little rough on the Secretary to have to make half a 
dozen applications for it. The bulk of the members pay 
up pretty promptly, but about fifty require four notices, 
and of these, some thirty wait until the last moment, 
when it is a question of being struck off the roll before 
stumping up. *** 
This is rather plain talk, but if the cap fits any mem¬ 
ber uncomfortably, let him take it to heart. ♦* 
CHAS. B. PEARSON, Sec’y. 
Jamaica, N. Y., February 7, 1917. 
National Nurseryman, 
Hatboro, Pa. 
Dear Sirs:— 
Enclosed find my check for $1.50. Kindly renew my 
subscription for another year. 
Wishing your valuahle paper all success, I am 
Yours very truly, 
A. L. Miller. 
