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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
MID-SUMMER MEETING 
of the Texas Nurserymen’s Association 
T lir] niid-siimmi'r of the Ti'xas Nutscmtoumi 
at Colh'fi'O Station, Toxas, on .Inly 27th and 28tl\ 
provinl v(M'v inti'ri'stinp;. This convi'iition is ludd 
(‘ac*h yi'ai' in coniuHMion with tiu' Toxas Fannors’ (-on- 
gn'ss. which is ooni|)os('d of ahont twa'nty Industrial or¬ 
ganizations of the Stall', w hioh have alliliatod thoinsolvos 
under the orp:anization of Thi' Ti'xas Farmers' Conp:ress. 
TIu' Congress has eonu' to be a very fonnidahle and et- 
feelive agrienltni'al force. Hon. II. F. Singli'ton, o( 
McKinley, is president, Hon. T. \\ . Larkin, ol lieainnont, 
is secretary. 
The nnrsi'ryinen held llu'ii' meeting on the 27th jointly 
with the Ti'xas Slate llorlienltiiral Soeii'ty, which is one 
of the oldest and most inllnential industrial organizations 
in the Southwest. Of this association Hon. .1. H. Ar- 
henz. of Sai'ila, is jn'csident. Frol. (L H. Hlaekmon. oi 
C.ollegi' Station, secretary. 
The opening address of the presidi'id oi the Nursery¬ 
men’s .\ssoeiation gave a review oi the niirs('ry< condi¬ 
tions [irevailing in the Southwest, whii'h, on the whole, 
was oplimistie. ri'ciling the facts that while orcharding 
conditions ai'c somewhat quiet, yet. they are sane and 
solid, and that there is a greatly increased demand for 
ornamental plantings, which otTsets the di'crease in or¬ 
chard plantings. It was alleged that the nurseryman 
sets the pace in horticulture.*it being his province to 
originate, discover, jiropagate and otTer to the planters oi 
trees and tlowers those things most successful for the 
various sections. Besides tlie need ot improved truils 
for the orehardist, it is show n that one of the greatest 
tasks the nurseryman of the Southwest has now is to im- 
[)rove and iiu'rease the otlerings to [ilanters ot ornamen¬ 
tal stocks suited to Southwestern conditions. 
The henetits of. and etTorts to promote the new nni- 
form inspection law was urged upon all Southwestern 
Nurserymen. 
The hamiuet on the evening of the 28th proved the 
crow ning e^■ent. This banquet w as called hy the Texas 
Nurseryinen's Association for the purpose of considering 
the whole subject of the eouservation of Native Texas 
Flora, and of such other llora from related sections else- 
where as shall he of advantage to tree planters, as well 
as consider the nu'ans to eolleet. domesticate, hybridize, 
propagate and make available such tlora in the hope oi 
grt'atly impi’oving our Southwesteru gaiah'us and parks, 
and in pursuance of this work to inaugurate plans for 
the creation of a State Botanical Harden and Arboretum. 
(amnnittees of three each had been appointed hy the 
Tt'xas Nurserymen s Association, the lexas Horticultural 
Society, the Texas Florists' Association, the Texas A. 
M. F.oilege, the Texas University, the Texas Experiment 
Stations, the Texas Hepartment of Agriculture and the 
Texas Farmers' Congress. 
These committees and 
many other interested parties were present on this oc¬ 
casion, lively interest ht'ing manitesled hy all. 
It is urged that tlu'ia' art' thousands ol \aluahh' nativt' 
llora in Texas, only a small part of which are being used. 
and w hieh, if eolleeted and disseminated, would make 
our gardens here in the dry Southwest the peer ot Eas- 
tt'i'u, or even of Eurojiean gardens, such tlora being tar 
more satisfactory than many Eastern and European 
plants w hieh have been used heretofore. 
It is shown that a widespread interest already exists. 
One man, Mr. 0. A. Sehattenherg giving a list of sixty 
varieties or more of native llora which he has in cultiva¬ 
tion. many others having a smalh'r number. A numher 
of tentative offers of assistant' in starling the wuirk 
were made hy our State institutions, and hy others. 
A resolution was ])assed hy the Texas Farmers’ Con¬ 
gress asking the Stale Legislature to establish a Texas 
Botanical Carden and Arhoretum, and to aptiropriate ten 
thousand dollars annually for the work, to be adminis¬ 
tered hy a hoard composed of the State Commissioners ot 
Agrieuiture, the Chairman of the Extension Department 
of Texas University, the Dean of Agriculture A. & M. Col¬ 
lege. the Director of the State Experiment Stations, and 
one Nurseryman, chosen hy the Texas Nurserymen’s As¬ 
sociation, who at this time is F. T. Bamsey. Austin, 
Texas. 
A eommittee of live w as appointed to devise ways and 
means for the advancement of this cause, F. T. Ramsey, 
Austin. Texas, is Chairman. 
The regular annual meeting of the Texas Nursery¬ 
men’s Association is to he held in September, place not 
yet selected. Jno. S. Kerr, Sherman, is president; J. M. 
Bamsey, Austin, is secretary. 
Opening Address Before The Tex.vs Nurserymen’s 
Associ.vtion, College St.ltion, Tex.\s 
By Pres. Jno. S. Kerr, July 27th. 
T he ])ast fiscal year, which in nursery practice in 
the Southwest usually ends about May 31st, the 
new year beginning June 1st, has been what w^e 
may term a good year to the nurserymen of the South¬ 
west. 1 am aw'are that many ditliculties have had to be 
encountered and o^'ereome. We have had excessive 
tloods. followed by excessive heat and drought through¬ 
out the whole country. The peach belts and the citrus 
sections have sutTered serious backsets from late and ex¬ 
cessive frosts, damping the general orchard enthusiasm, 
cutting otT the demand for planting stocks, thus ])araliz- 
ing trade in these lines. A])ple orcharding too. has had 
similar reverses, resulting in excessive stocks on hand, 
low ])rices and other troubles. Add to this the general 
depression caused by short agricultural cro])S tor a num¬ 
her of years past, and it would seem the nursery inter¬ 
ests have done well to pull through without serious loss, 
and while some, especially in the citrus districts have 
sustained severe losses, from which they are recovering 
slowly, yet surely, taken altogether. Southwestern nur¬ 
serymen are doing well. The country generally, is en¬ 
joying reasonable prosperity now . the banks are show ing 
