The National Nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK. 
Copyrighted 1902 by The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
. “ To be a good nurseryman requires a long sight ."— Professor Bailey. 
Vol. X. ROCHESTER, N. Y., OCTOBER. 1902. No. 10. 
VIRGINIA'S DEMAND. 
State Entomologist Alwood Will Not Accept Certificates Issued 
by State Inspectors In New York—His Letter to R. 
G. Chase Co., Stating His Position—Must 
Have Professional Certificates. 
The following correspondence is self-explanatory : 
Geneva, N. Y., Septembers, 1902. 
Prof. W. B. Alwood, State Entomologist, Blacksburg, Va.: 
Dear Sir —We understand from our State Inspector (Mr. Darrow) 
that you are not willing to admit nursery stock into the State of Vir¬ 
ginia on his certificate. Now you must realize that our State Ento¬ 
mologists, such as Prof. Lowe, are very busy, and we do not know 
whether we can get them to make a careful examination of our nursery 
or not. 
Is Mr. Darrow correct in his statement, and must we, if we intend to 
ship stock into your state, have a certificate from such a man as Mr. 
Lowe or a state entomologist ? 
Very truly yours, 
The R. G. Chase Co. 
Blacksburg, Va., Sept. 4, 1902. 
The II. O Chase Co., Ceneva, N. Y. 
Dear Sirs — I have your letter of the 2d inst. and in reply will say 
that I feel certain you are familiar with the past discussion which has 
occurred between myself and the New York authorities and New York 
nurserymen in regard to admitting nursery stock into Virginia. We 
have in the past made an exception in the case of New York nursery¬ 
men, which we have made to no other state, just because I believed 
that you people were almost without exception the most careful and 
upright people in the trade ; but in our work in this state, it occurs 
that we will every once in a while meet with a case of San Jose scale 
from New York ; and certain things that I have heard, not that I know 
personally, have led me to believe that the infestation in New York 
has become far more wide-spread than it was a few years ago. 
Further, organized bodies in this state have by resolution demanded of 
our Board of Crop Pest Commissioners that I shall not furnish the 
official tags of this office except upon a certificate signed by, or made 
upon, the authority of a recognized professional man. 
On the basis of these requests our Board of Crop Pest Commissioners 
have passed a resolution which is set forth in the circular I am sending 
you. This resolution I believe to be just and fair to all parties, conse¬ 
quently I must ask that New York nurserymen furnish me a certificate 
of the same character that other states furnish. 
In taking this position, we regret very much to have anyone think 
that we would interfere with private business or with fair commerce. 
We are simply fighting for the interests of our people, who have 
suffered very much from the dissemination of the scale on nursery 
stock from other states. In this I am glad to say that New York is by 
no means the chief offender, but it now appears right to us to demand 
of all nurserymen like credentials. 
I know the professional entomologists in your slate, and know that 
they are excellent men, and am aware that they are busy as you say ; 
but we are in exactly the same boat in Virginia, yet we attend pro¬ 
fessionally to the inspection, and in a large measure even to the fumi¬ 
gation of nursery stock in this state so as to protect our own people 
and those without the state aa well. This San Jose scale problem is a 
much more serious one in this state than in New York because of 
climatic conditions, hence I beg you to consider in all fairness our con¬ 
duct in the past, and our intention to treat you fairly in the future. 
Very respectfully yours, 
Wm. B. Alwood, State Entomologist. 
P.S.—I would be glad if you would publish this letter along with 
yours to me. 
THOMAS MEEHAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The employees of Thomas Meehan and Sons, Inc., who for 
some time have been studying botany at the nursery office, 
have formally organized a horticultural society. Constitution 
and by-laws were drawn up and adopted. The society will 
be known as the Thomas Meehan Horticultural Society, so 
named in honor of the late Thomas Meehan, one of the most 
eminent botanists of his day. 
Mr. S. Mendelson Meehan was nominated for the presi¬ 
dency. He declined the nomination, however, and, in a few 
well chosen words, said that while he greatly appreciated the 
honor, yet, inasmuch as the society was for employees exclu¬ 
sively, it would only be proper for the offices to be filled and 
the society governed entirely by them. He spoke highly of 
the pleasant outlook for a successful society and assured the 
members that he would take the keenest interest in the welfare 
of the organization. 
The following were then elected : Mr. Robert B. Cridland, 
president ; Mr. Ernest Hemming, vice-president, and Mr. S. 
Newman Baxter, secretary-treasurer. 
Mr. J. Franklin Meehan defined the constituents of a success¬ 
ful horticultural society. “There is one thing in particular,” 
he said, “that prevails in many societies of this kind, and 
which should be avoided, and that is the desire to argue rather 
than to discuss. If you are not positive that your assertion is 
a fact, do not argue with the fellow that contradicts you, but 
listen to his statement aud if it is a convincing one, then dis¬ 
card your idea of the subject for his knowledge, or investigate 
for yourself.” 
Mr S. Mendelson Meehan then gave, in a very interesting 
manner, an instructive lecture on the Gordonia pubescens, com¬ 
menting upon its relationship to the Stuartia and telling of its 
discovery along the Alatamaha river by the late John Bartram. 
As has been chronicled some time ago, this is one of the 
most unique societies in existence. In fact, it is the only 
society, so far as known, of its kind. It is for the employees 
exclusively, but all are eligible, from the boys who pull weeds 
to the oldest veteran. All who seek knowledge are invited to 
attend the meetings, where the combined practical knowledge 
of men versed in their respective departments in nursery work^ 
affords, in this particular study, instruction that far excels any 
college course or text book. It can thus be readily understood 
that not only the employees but the firm, too, is benefited by 
this commendable method of instruction, 
