THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
183 
magazines and papers, and then they see them in reality in their 
favorite movie theatre. There is no question that ornamental 
planting has been greatly stimulated through this sort of pub¬ 
licity, and the American Association will do well to increase the 
appropriation for the Market Development Committee’s work 
from year to year. Mr. Rockwell’s articles are becoming recog¬ 
nized by many leading journals as authoritative material on hor¬ 
ticultural products. We should not fail to take advantage of the 
position we have already gained by enlarging the w r ork along the 
lines already started. 
The Booster 
A little experiment was suggested by Dr. Rockwell during the 
early part of the year which later materialized into a little 
pamphlet mailed out to the members under the name of The 
Booster. We have not had facilities to make this little periodical 
a regular affair as yet, but we offer the suggestion that it is well 
worth its cost if made a monthly or bi-monthly issue. It could 
be the official medium for friendly discussion between members 
and thru it announcements could be made on all matters consid¬ 
ered confidential and pertaining to association business only. I 
bespeak for the Booster the serious consideration of the incom¬ 
ing executive board. 
In this connection, I wish to state that your president has 
avoided public utterances through the trade papers to a marked 
degree during the past year, and I take this occasion to say to 
the editors of our very estimable trade journals that my failure 
to take advantage of the very kind offer of the columns of their 
papers was due not to the fact that I had nothing to say, nor 
to a personal desire to keep out of print, but remembering the dis¬ 
cussions that appeared in the trade journals in 1920-21 and the 
comment and criticisms emanating from these discussions, I felt 
that the public expression of views on association matters could not 
be conducive at this time to the best interests of this organiza¬ 
tion. Constructive criticism is good and should be welcomed 
by every progressive nurseryman, and I do not wish to be under¬ 
stood as discouraging public expression of a nurseryman’s views 
thru the trade papers, however, in view of the change in policy 
inaugurated at Chicago last year, I was and am still of the 
opinion that it was best to proceed as quietly as possible and 
give our new plan at least one year’s trial before subjecting it to 
public discussion thru the press. I feet satisfied that our policy 
of indirect publicity and quiet procedure has at least given every 
member of our association an opportunity to observe both the 
weak and strong qualities of our present plan. My own personal 
opinion is that the place to thrash out our differences is on the 
floor of our convention hall and not in the public press, which is 
so apt to be misleading to the outsider. 
» 
Vigilance Work 
Under the aggressive direction of the Vigilance Committee, 
vigilance work has developed to a degree that makes it indispen¬ 
sable to the American Association. Our Vigilance Committee is 
the traffic official that directs the nursery business in the proper 
course. Nurserymen like those engaged in all other lines are 
very anxious to improve and raise the standard of business eth¬ 
ics in the trade, and it is to this end that associations are formed 
and meetings are held. The creation of a Viligance Committee 
to assist in promoting the general welfare of nursery practices 
was a step forward and the work that the committee has done 
has resulted in making membership in the American Association 
of Nurserymen almost indispensable to good standing in the 
trade. 
The present practice of scrutinizing and investigating every 
application for membership in this organization makes it prac¬ 
tically impossible for any nursery firm or person to gain member¬ 
ship unless his methods and business ethics have been up to 
standard. Thus the Executive Board takes care of all new mem¬ 
bers joining the association, while the Vigilance Committee looks 
after those that are already members of the association. Our 
Viligance Committee has not confined itself to investigating com¬ 
plaints made against members of the A. A. N., in fact, so far 
as I know there has been very little complaint along that line, 
but other people have been addressed by Mr. Paul Lindley and 
his assistants. His report on these matters will no doubt be 
very illuminating. It is very evident that the nurseryman who 
does not practice his business according to our standard of ethics 
does not apply for membership in this organization, and while 
it is perhaps outside of cur jurisdiction to look after him, I am 
pleased to state that the Vigilance Committee has been most 
active in giving many of these fellows their most careful atten¬ 
tion. Complaints to the Vigilance Committee are just a little 
interesting from a nurseryman’s viewpoint because so many of 
them arise from victims being caught by misleading advertise¬ 
ments appearing in various papers and periodicals. Would it be 
out of place to suggest that vigilance work be directed just a 
little to those papers and periodicals whose columns are appar¬ 
ently open to questionable advertising? 
Legislation 
The Legislative Committee will no doubt make a report of its 
activities during the past year. We have had less cause for ap¬ 
prehension over proposed adverse national legislation this year 
than for many years in the past. Some nurserymen are concerned 
over the new tariff bill increasing the duties on nursery imports 
to double its former figure, and the legislative committee is mak¬ 
ing an attempt to have the schedule reduced, and may succeed 
in doing so. There have been no horticultural bills of a serious 
nature introduced that I know of, and the Legislative Committee 
has devoted more time to quarantine and regulation matters dur¬ 
ing the past year than to legislation. 
State and Sectional Association 
The past year has seen the organization of several new sec¬ 
tional associations, and it is noticeable that every state and sec¬ 
tional association has been particularly active throughout the 
past winter. These activities to my mind augur great benefits 
to the nursery industry and are also powerful contributing agen¬ 
cies to the strengthening of the national organization. The sec¬ 
tional associations, embracing as they do, many firms outside of 
the national body, very quickly manifest the need for co-opera¬ 
tion and team work among nurserymen if they can hope to suc¬ 
cessfully combat abuses in the trade or defeat vicious legislation. 
You very seldom find a member of a state or sectional nursery 
association who would lose his membership for many times its 
cost. These men readily recognize the need of a national body, 
and it is only a question of time until their application is sent in. 
I am firmly of the opinion that the future of the American Asso¬ 
ciation will be greatly influenced by the activities of local and 
sectional bodies, and the stronger the local association becomes, 
so will the national body. We can not hope to take care of local 
matters, but we can lend our strength and support thru a local 
organization and thereby make our efforts more effective. No 
doubt vicious state legislation will arise from time to time, but 
if the personal influence of state members is called upon and 
backed up by a state organization, which in turn is supported 
by the national organization, I dare say we need not fear that 
our business rights will be encroached upon. At the present 
time, there is not the proper relationship existing between the 
national association and sectional associations, and I suggest 
that a plan be worked out whereby every sectional association in 
the United States will take out an auxiliary membership in this 
organization, and that a board of secretaries embracing the sec¬ 
retaries of every sectional association be formed and recognized 
as a unit of this national body. The chairman of the board of 
secretaries could be appointed by the president of the national 
association, and I believe some very effective work for the bet¬ 
terment of the industry could be brought about. 
Transportation 
Transportation matters will be presented by Mr. Sizemore in 
his report. We have been particularly active during the past 
year in our attempt to bring about a reduction in freight rates 
on nursery products. We have succeeded in securing a 10% 
general reduction in freight rates effective July 1st, but this is 
not sufficient for we are still over-burdened with an excessive 
freight rate that is of course reflected in the price we are obliged 
to charge for our products. Express rates are even more burden¬ 
some than freight rates, and instead of the service improving as 
the rates increase, we find in our section of the country the op¬ 
posite to be the general rule. Freight deliveries during the past 
year have been more prompt and expeditious than for many 
years prior, but I am sorry I cannot say the same of express de¬ 
liveries. The question of lower express rates and lower freight 
rates should demand the attention of this convention and a con¬ 
certed effort should be made to secure a more acceptable classi¬ 
fication for fruit and ornamental tree shipments. 
Nomenclature and Standardization 
Substantial assistance has been given the Nomenclature and 
Standardization Committees by appropriations for the carrying 
on of their w'ork. This association is deeply indebted to Mr. 
Harlan P. Kelsey, of Boston and his committee, for the vast 
amount of laborious work expended entirely gratis for the bene¬ 
fit of the American nurseryman. We can not repay Mr. Kelsey 
in dollars and cents for he would not accept it, furthermore, our 
debt to him can not be measured in a material way. We owe 
Mr. Kelsey a debt of gratitude that to my mind should be recog¬ 
nized by this association in a fitting manner. You will hear Mr. 
Kelsey’s report, and I respectfully ask that every member attend¬ 
ing this convention be in his scat when this report is read. 
