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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
REVIEWING THE YEAR 1909, WHAT HAVE WE 
ACCOMPLISHED? 
J. R. MAYHEW 
Delivered as a Presidential Address before the Texas Nurserymen’s Association at Dallas. 
It is well for us in the mad rush of life to stop long 
enough at least once each year to look ourselves squarely 
and earnestly over, to ponder well, past and present policies, 
to take a careful invoice of our resources of mind and heart 
as well as of goods and chattels. Few of us enjoy the ordeal, 
for when the x-ray of sober thought is turned into our lives, 
conscience tells us in no uncertain terms that we have left 
undone many things we should have done, and done many 
things we should not have done. So it is with us in all 
activities of life, business being no exception. 
ACCOMPLISHMENT 
Reviewing the year, 1909, what have we accomplished, 
what have we failed to accomplish ? If we consider the year 
from a financial view-point alone, I judge few if any of us 
have added to our surplus fund, still we have no cause for 
regret here, for the season has been more fruitful than even 
the greatest optimist among us had hoped. The unpre¬ 
cedented drouth of the year cost us thousands of dollars, but 
the lessons wrought therefrom are unquestionably worth the 
price. We learned more about conservation of resources 
during 1909 than we would have known under ordinary 
conditions in a life time. We learned that with ten inches 
of rainfall, coupled with intense cultivation, we could grow 
fairly good trees, and this lesson alone was worth the price 
to say nothing of the lesson of patience. Oh, how we longed 
for rain, waited, prayed maybe, but kept the plows going, 
and though the rain failed to materialize, intense cultivation 
kept our stock growing. We continued our salesmen on the 
road regardless of their cries of woe, regardless of the fact 
that Texas was burning up and there was seemingly no 
possibility of making collections, and who will say we made 
a mistake? Sales probably cost us more than formerly, 
but the man who had the nerve to stay with the ship, has 
made the harbor. Collections, the result of high prices on 
all agricultural commodities, have been about as good as 
usual, and my prediction is that the end of the nursery year, 
May xst, 1910, will find Texas nurserymen in good shape 
financially, and that, having lived through the strenuous 
year just ended, we are stronger and more capable business 
men. 
PAST POLICIES 
Reviewing the year from a standpoint of policy, dull 
indeed is he who fails to note the upward trend. While 
there are many reforms yet needful, happy am I to say the 
nurseryman of today is striving for higher ideals in business 
life than ever before, and is attaining these ideals. Go into 
any community, you will, and you will find the nurseryman 
a leading spirit therein, loved and respected by his people, 
doing not only his duty as it pertains to his own business, 
but giving his time and his money for the betterment of 
mankind. Fortunate, indeed, is that community where 
lives a thoroughgoing nursery concern, for, in my opinion 
these interests are doing more unselfish work for the develop¬ 
ment of Texas today than is dreamed of by the people 
generally. Aside from this, and in addition to the public 
spirited work you are doing for the country generally, there 
is no avenue of trade where your dollars do not find their 
way. From the highest to the lowest—all are benefitted by 
and through your business. I say, without fear of contra¬ 
diction, that, as it pertains to society generally, there is not 
at this time nor has there ever been, any direliction on your 
part. 
GENEROUS RIVALRY 
During past years the spirit of rivalry has been charac¬ 
terized by unbecoming behavior, one toward the other 
maybe, but today there is abroad in the land a spirit of 
brotherly love and kindness that has put to flight all ill 
feeling. We have learned the truism that our success or 
failure is akin, and while competition between us is as keen 
as a two-edged sword, like brethren we are dwelling together 
in unity. I had the pleasure of attending the Southern 
Association at Huntsville, Alabama, since last we met, and 
for a week afterwards I felt as if I had been in attendance on 
a Methodist camp-meeting. After all, why should not this 
spirit of fellowship dominate our lives? Do not fear over¬ 
production, it is the most valuable asset you possess. 
In reviewing the past year, I trust you will not think me 
presumptuous if I refer to questions of policy that, in my 
opinion, should be corrected. These questions are of vital 
interest to us all, for they are either right or wrong and, as 
such, influence our affairs. One of the important subjects 
for your consideration at this time is the policy of replacing 
stock at less than full value. This question has been 
prominently before several associations during the past year 
and I trust the discussions here today will determine what is 
the wise course for the nurserymen of Texas to pursue. If 
its practice is conducive to greater confidence between the 
nurseryman and the planter, if from every viewpoint, its 
influence is good, if it is right from principle and is making 
us money, it should be continued, otherwise we should have 
the courage to abolish it. This question is to be discussed 
by gentlemen of wide experience, whose usefulness covers 
many years in the nursery business, and who know some¬ 
thing of its influence for good or evil. I believe that the 
principle of a thing is either good or bad and of dealing 
with it along these lines. 
Another suggestion I beg to submit, that you appoint 
at this meeting a committee on publicity, whose duty will be 
that of keeping the nursery interests of Texas before the 
public in a favorable light. 
