30 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
The National N urseryman. 
C. L. YATES, Proprietor. RALPH T. OLCOTT, Editor. 
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., 
305 Cox Building, Rochester, N. Y. 
The only trade journal issued for Growers and Dealers in Nursery Stock cJ 
all kinds. It circulates throughout the United States and Canada. 
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
AWARDED THE GRAND PRIZE AT PARIS EXPOSITION, 1900. 
SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 
One year, in advance, - - - - - $1.00 
Six Months, ______ .75 
Foreign Subscriptions, in advance, - - - 1.50 
Six Months, “ “ 1.00 
Advertising rates will be sent upon application. Advertisements 
should reach this office by the 20th of the month previous to the date 
of issue. 
Payment in advance required for foreign advertisements. Drafts 
on New York or postal orders, instead of checks, are requested. 
Correspondence from all points and articles of interest to nursery¬ 
men and horticulturists are cordially solicited. 
AHERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN. 
President, Robert C. Berckmans, Augusta, Ga.; vice-president, R. J. 
Coe, Fort Atkinson, Wis.; secretary, George C. Seager, Rochester, 
N. Y.; treasurer, C. L. Yates, Rochester, N. Y. 
Executive Committee—Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb.; N. W. Hale, Knoxville, 
Tenn.; William Pitkin, Rochester, N. Y. 
Committee on Transportation—A. L. Brooke, N. Topeka, Kan.; William Pit¬ 
kin, Rochester, N. Y.; Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb.; N. W. Hale, Knox¬ 
ville, Tenn. 
Committee on Legislation—C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la.; Silas Wilson, At¬ 
lantic, la.; Charles J. Brown, Rochester, N. Y.; Howard A. Chase, Phila¬ 
delphia, Pa. 
Committee on Tariff—Irving Rouse, Rochester, N. Y.; J. H. Dayton, Paines- 
ville, O.; Thomas B. Meehan, Germantown, Pa. 
Annual convention for 1903— At Milwaukee, Wis., June 11-12. 
Entered in the Post Office at Rochester, as second-class mail matter. 
Rochester, N. Y., March, 1902. 
A MODEL NURSERYMEN’S CONVENTION. 
Come, now, let us reason together. In this issue of the 
National Nurseryman are presented discussions of practical 
topics that took place at the annual convention of the Southern 
Nurserymen’s Association, in Charleston, N. C., in the latter 
part of January. 1 here, by the way, was very nearly a model 
convention. The members of the Southern Association gathered 
and really discussed live topics bearing directly upon their trade. 
They freely exchanged ideas, experiences, successes, failures 
and suggestions. And will anyone say that each nurseryman 
at that meeting did not take home with him more than he had 
imparted ? 
We have repeatedly argued that at the annual conventions 
of the American Association of Nurserymen information of 
almost incalculable value might be imparted mutually if 
the discussions tnat are confined to small groups in the 
hotel lobbies were transferred to the convention hall. If this 
were done, the American Association might not find, as it did 
at its last annual convention, that at the very last moment it 
had business of the most important nature to transact, but 
could not do it justice at the eleventh hour. Free discussion, 
from the very beginning of the convention, would bring out 
the business that is to be transacted at these annual meetings ; 
it would be better than the reading of many papers ; it would 
give opportunity for many to take part, furnishing experience 
upon which deductions could be based ; it would give the 
members much that is of special value and repay them for 
their attendance ; it would give them something to take home, 
and it would do more than anything else to increase the 
attendance at the conventions. 
Over and over we have argued on this line. As an incen¬ 
tive toward discussion we have urged the use of the question 
box, and we have noted that at the last two conventions the 
only real discussion, and consequently the greatest interest in 
the proceedings, resulted directly from the putting of a few 
questions. But a general discussion of trade topics has not 
taken place in the conventions of the American Association in 
recent years, and we have sometimes wondered if it were pos¬ 
sible to bring it about. That it can be done successfully has 
now been conclusively shown by the proceedings of the South¬ 
ern Association ; and we are pleased to note that a member of 
that Association is the President of the American Association. 
We believe that if the programme for the annual convention in 
Milwaukee is so arranged that there may be provision for col¬ 
loquy on matters as to which every member is eager for infor¬ 
mation, President Berckmans will give the opportunity. 
And this leads us again to urge the importance of preparing 
a convention programme for the Milwaukee meeting that shall 
repay the large attendance which it is hoped will be recorded. 
Despite the expressed opinion that these annual gatherings are 
primarily for the rest and recreation of the members of the 
Association, there is, we believe, a majority of sentiment that 
the rest and recreation will be experienced anyway, and that 
due provision should be made for business and trade discus¬ 
sion, to the end that at the close of the. convention there may 
be a definite feeling that it has been both profitable and 
pleasurable. 
It is not too soon now to begin work on the programme for 
the June convention. 
MAKE IT PRACTICAL. 
So important is the matter of arranging a progromme for the 
annual conventions of the American Association of Nurserymen 
that we suggest the advisability of a committee on programme 
whose duty it shall be to provide a line of work for the Asso¬ 
ciation that shall be productive of the most good to the mem¬ 
bers who are thus brought together for two days once a year 
from all sections of the country. Above all things the subject 
matter brought before the Association at this time should be 
practical ; it should bear directly upon the daily work of the 
members. In this way will the meetings prove of such value 
that members cannot afford to neglect attendance and the 
scurrying for names to make up the one hundred low rate list, 
on the part of the secretary, will be a thing of the past. There 
was a large attendance at Niagara Falls ; let the prospect for 
the Milwaukee meeting be so attractive that the record may be 
broken. A full programme in advance will be so added to if 
