THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
89 
known, and in the minds of some of our best and truest 
thinkers, we are fast approaching the “field of Armaged¬ 
don.” I know not if that be true—no man can know^— 
and it matters not. What is of vastly more concern to you 
and to me is that today and every day we stand true to 
God and to Country. In all this there is a place for each 
of us. The question of the hour is, where can I serve best. 
If at the front where the shells fall thickest and where 
death and destruction lie in wait, then let me go to the 
front. If on the farm, in the orchard, shop or store, let 
me serve there. Or if by some word or deed I may lend a 
service overlooked, perchance, by all the rest, let me serve 
there. And when the end comes—and the end will come 
—when the gods of war shall have wearied of all this 
strife; when the doors to the temple of Janus shall again 
stand closed; when the principles of political economy as 
I)ronounced by President Wilson shall have been incor¬ 
porated in a world peace compact, guaranteeing the world 
against a repetition of the crime of war, I think that the 
angel choir of heaven will again take up the refrain, 
“Peace on earth and good will to all mankind,” because 
the world will have been purged of a principle of govern¬ 
ment antagonistic to the highest development of mankind, 
and to the will of God. 
A WINTER “SIDE-LINE” FOR NURSERYMEN 
Edwin Matthews 
The old adage “necessity is the mother of invention” is 
again true. 
This winter, which, to say the least has been an un¬ 
usual one, and which perhaps will go down in history as 
a memorable one, has forced many new experiences upon 
us. 
Notable among those experiences has been the “fuel 
question.” 
In many sections of the country and especially in large 
congested areas it has been seriously felt by the inhab¬ 
itants, whose cry for coal went unanswered, the tempera¬ 
ture meanwhile going down below noraial degrees. 
To see a need and to quickly fill it is the essence of 
good business, and so it was the privilege of some nur¬ 
serymen this winter to step out of their usual path and 
routine and render “first-aid” by supplying wood by the 
tmck load for fuel purposes. Some nurserymen we 
know have kept their usual permanent outside force en¬ 
gaged for many weeks in clearing a woodland of its dead 
chestnut trees and cutting same up into lengths and size 
to suit the usual open fireplace of the householder and to 
conserve coal by using it also in the boilers of their own 
greenhouses in which the important work of winter pro¬ 
pagation is carried on with many lines of plants. 
While we would not boast or presume to say that this 
line of action on the part of the nurseryman solved the 
“burning question” by any means, we must all admit 
that it did much to alleviate the condition and hence was 
very commendable. 
Another phase of the matter which must not be over¬ 
looked is the actual gain which resulted to the nursery¬ 
men. 
Everyone of ns knows that in the dull winter months 
“every little bit helps” and while the actual cash returns 
did not put us inside the pale of the “profiteer” yet it did 
help to keep the pay-roll going. At the same time, it kept 
around us intelligent and skilled workmen whose ser¬ 
vices we surely need when the busy spring season ar¬ 
rives and so in a broad sense of an up-to-date vernacular 
it “kept the home fires burning.” 
TIIIUTEENTII ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE 
TENNESSEE NURSERY & FLORISTS’ 
ASSOCIATIONS 
The Thirteenth Annual Convention of the combined 
Tennessee State Florists’ Association, Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, State Nurserymen’s Association and Reekeepers’ 
Association was one of the most successful meetings ever 
held. The program, which was a very lengthy one from 
start to finish was elevating and carried with it the con¬ 
structive idea of bettering the nursery business. There 
were probably two hundred in attendance. Out of state 
visitors were: 
J. R. Mayhew, Pres, American Nurserymen’s Ass’n. 
L. J. Tackett, Editor “The Southern Florist.” 
J. A. Peterson, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
John E. Evans, Richmond, Ind. 
E. G. Hill, Richmond, Ind. 
George E. Murrell, Horticulturist Southern Railway. 
John Frazer, Huntsville, Ala. 
R. C. Chase, Chase, Alabama, 
Prof, G. C. Starcher, Auburn, Ala. 
1. A. Isbell, Auburn, Ala. 
The florists of Nashville tendered the members and 
visiting friends an auto ride through the park systems of 
Nashville, and a visit was made to each of the florists 
after which a banquet was served at the Hermitage Hotel. 
The flower and fruit exhibits were worthy of special 
notice, among them being a fine collection of roses from 
E. G. Hill, of Richmond, Indiana, and several of the be¬ 
gonias resulting from the experiments of J. A. Peterson, 
Cincinnati, Ohio. The fruits of Tennessee production 
were p(M’fect types and impressed strongly upon the minds 
of all seeing them the adaptability of this state to the pro¬ 
duction of fruit. 
The following officers for the Tennessee State Nursery¬ 
men’s Association were elected to serve for the ensuing 
ycvir; 
President, George W. Poague, Graysville, Tenn. 
Vice President, E. W. Chattin, Winchester, Tenn. 
Sec’y-Treas., G. M. Bentley, Knoxville, Tenn. 
According to the British Horticultural Trade Journal, 
imnnhers of the Wholesale Florist Trade last March 
pledged themselves to devote at least fifty per cent, of 
IhcMr open ground to food production and to grow only 
sufficient flowers and plants to keep the florist’s trade 
alive, and presene the stocks which will be needed for 
the immediate development at the close of the war. 
