4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
IOWA HORTICULTURISTS . 
Proposed Plan for Examining Tree Sellers and Tree Stocks at 
State Expense Not Endorsed by the State Horticultural 
Society — Preparing for St. Louis Fair — Addresses by 
Messrs. Wilson, Graham, Linton and Patten. 
At the annual convention of the Iowa State Horticultural 
Society, presided over by M. J. VVragg, of Waukee, Secretary 
Wesley Greene recommended the transformation of the society 
into a state department of horticulture in the following state¬ 
ment which, it will be seen, touches upon the nursery interests: 
The department of horticulture should include forestry, floriculture, 
fruit growing, market gardening and all kindred subjects associated 
.with the study and care of plant life. Such an arrangement would in 
no way impede the work of the department of agriculture, for the 
field of operation is a large one and there is a plenty of work to do. 
The society does not want a change in its organization or to lose its 
identity. Experience in the work suggests more could be accomplished 
through a department than as a society. The changes would be nom¬ 
inal only. The board of directors of the society would become the 
state board of horticulture, and the secretary of the society the secre 
tary of the department. The secretary’s salary and that of a stenog¬ 
rapher should be paid from the state treasury, as in the other depart¬ 
ments. This would place the office of the secretary of the society in 
direct contact with the people of the state, and the method of filling 
the office would be free from political influence. 
As a department it might very properly be charged with the care 
and supervision of the lawn around the capital building and other 
public grounds belonging to the state. This need not interfere with 
the duties of the custodian, as he would still have control of the build¬ 
ing and approaches. 
With a stenographer to take care of- the clerical work in the office, it 
would leave the secretary more time for field work, to organize local 
societies, study plant growth in different parts of the state and to note 
the distribution of varieties ; to locate the different fungus diseases 
and insect pests, and to call to his aid, when necessary, the state ento¬ 
mologist or pathologist to help suppress or destroy them. The de¬ 
partment co-operating in this work with the experiment station at 
Ames, which the state should support as well as the United States 
government. 
The directors of the society, acting as a state board of horticulture) 
could make rules in co-operation with the state entomologist to regu¬ 
late the sale and distribution of nursery stock through the state in¬ 
spection laws. The Iowa inspection laws are similar to those of many 
other states. The law might be strengthened in some respects, and 
through the department and state entomologist a license could be 
issued to all nurseries selling stock in the state. 
For an outline of this method, I would suggest that any person 
wishing to sell nursery stock in the state should send to the depart¬ 
ment a fee with the application for a license, on receipt of which the 
state entomologist would inspect the nursery and report its condition 
to the department. Tree jobbers not growing the stock they set 1 
should, in addition to the fee, be required to give a bond to protect 
any person from loss which might occur, through irregularity in the 
sale of the stock. 
The tree agent also should be required to obtain a license before he 
is permitted to solicit orders for the sale of nursery stock in the state. 
To secure the license he should be required to pay a small fee and send 
at least the names of two reputable citizens in the county in which he 
lives to vouch for his character. All money received for licenses 
issued to be paid into the state treasury. To sell stock without a 
license should be made a misdemeanor. The board of horticulture 
could revoke any license where it had positive evidence that the party 
misrepresented the stock sold or offered for sale, or was guilty of fraud 
in the transaction. 
1 his brief outline may not entirely remove the evils complained of, 
but it would have a tendency to strengthen the confidence of the people 
in the men who solicit orders for stock, and thus help to build up the 
nursery trade in the state. 
A board of horticulture could also act as a court of inquiry, revoke 
a license, arbitrate matters in dispute between the buyer and seller of 
nursery stock, and, when necessary, invoke the courts of justice to 
redress the injured party. The wail against the wily tree agent is 
heard annually. Is there no remedy to relieve this cry of distress ? 
The committee on secretary’s report reported as follows : 
Owing to the growing importance of horticulture in Iowa, we be¬ 
lieve the work should be given a wider field of usefulness by changing 
our society to a state organization, our secretary being made a state 
officer, and we therefore heartily commend the secretary’s recommenda¬ 
tion regarding the formation of a state department of horticulture. 
The committee did not endorse the secretary’s plan for ex-' 
amining tree sellers and tree stocks at state expense. 
J. Sexton, of Ames, told why Northwestern Iowa people 
grow their own trees. The relative hardiness of root and top 
is tested, he said. “ We must not only plant hardy varieties, 
but they must be propagated on hardy roots. Here is one 
question I would put to any agent who is soliciting orders for 
trees from me : 4 Where were your trees grown ? ’ If he says 
in the East or South, I would tell him I wanted trees grown 
in the Northwest states.” 
Addresses were made by Silas Wilson, M. J. Graham, S. H. 
Linton and O. G. Patten. 
Following is the resolution introduced and adopted unan¬ 
imously relative to the St. Louis exposition : 
We believe that the horticulture of Iowa should be represented at 
St. Louis in 1903 in a manner worthy of our great state ; that we 
recommend this subject to the most earnest consideration of our board 
of directors, hoping that their plans may be so broad and far-reaching 
as to worthily compass the object sought. 
The committee on president’s address endorsed Mr. Wragg’s 
recommendation for a liberal appropriation at St. Louis. 
Frederick W. Taylor, of St. Louis, representing the St. Louis 
exposition managers, made a plea for a large horticultural 
exhibit from Iowa. Mr. Barnes, of Kansas, asked whether the 
horticultural interests would be separately accommodated at 
the St. Louis exposition. 
“ It is too early to say,” said Mr. Taylor. 
“ I am against subjecting the fruit show to the management 
of the agricultural ring,” said Mr. Barnes. 
“ What ring ? Do you mean to say that the horticultural 
interests at Buffalo were run by any ring ? ” asked Mr. Taylor. 
“ No, no,” quickly responded Mr. Barnes. “ They were not. 
But there was an agricultural ring.” 
“ I guess I ought to know about the fruit exhibits,” said Mr. 
Taylor. “ I had charge of the department at Buffalo. I may 
add that if one man has the St. Louis department in charge, I 
shall be he. Whether I shall be more agricultural than horti¬ 
cultural, I am not prepared to say.” 
“ Fruit men will be glad to show under you, Mr. Taylor,” 
said Mr. Barnes. 
Mr. Taylor said that the present plan is to have the horticul¬ 
tural, agricultural and forestry exhibits in the big agricultural 
building, which will have a first floor space of almost thirty- 
three acres, and be the largest exposition building ever erected. 
It was this statement that brought out the inquiry from Mr. 
Barnes. Mr. Barnes and other fruit growers hope to see the 
horticultural department kept wholly separate from the agri¬ 
cultural. 
The following officers were elected : President, M. J. 
Wragg, Waukee ; vice president, N, K. Fluke, Davenport ; 
secretary, Wesley Greene, Davenport ; treasurer, Elmer M. 
Reeves, Waverly. Directors, Abner Bronson, New Sharon ; 
