THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
31 
through the cooperation of the local press. The subjects 
treated will he of general interest and general in their 
application. The committee considered sectional ar¬ 
ticles but voted against them as tending to suggest the 
idea of different interests whereas the Association’s 
work must be made to cover activities that are national 
in scope and whose benefits must be applicable to all. 
Only articles will be used that apply with equal suit¬ 
ability to all parts of the country. 
Illustrations cost too much in making and in distri¬ 
buting to warrant their use except in mats which all 
papers do not use in their make-up. That cost would 
be too much for present funds available. 
A fuller report will be made to all members in a few 
days. 
Legislation : 
On the 8th of January, President Moon and I went to 
Washington to appear before thte House Committee on 
Agriculture, a hearing having been arranged through 
Chairman Haugen of that Committee. Mr. Moon spoke 
for the appropriation for Statistics and his remarks can 
be found in the pamphlet of printed hearings under 
Bureau of Statistics. I addressed the Committee in the 
interest of the appropriation asked for to provide for ex¬ 
perimental work investigating home production of 
stocks and seedlings. Members interested can find these 
remarks in the printed hearings on appropriations for 
the Bureau of Plant Industry. 
While the appropriation for experimental work by the 
department was originally covered by the Gould Bill, it 
was taken up by the Department and put into the esti¬ 
mate for the next fiscal year. The Statistics item was 
also included in the estimate. And I wish to add here 
that not only were those two items included by the De¬ 
partment in the appropriations asked for by them as be¬ 
ing necessary, but Mr. Moon and I were accompanied to 
the hearings by Dr. Taylor, Prof. Coville, Mr. H. P. 
Gould, Mr. Esterbrook and other prominent officials of 
the Department who also spoke earnestly for both ap¬ 
propriations. 
There is a chance that we will get both appropriations, 
but only a chance. The Department is asking for a lar¬ 
ger sum than usual and new items of expense are 
carefully scrutinized, especially just now when war 
expenses have created a deficit and when there is much 
talk of the necessity for economy. But, should we fail 
this time, the ground-work has been laid for further ef¬ 
fort later. We were asked a number of questions by 
the Committee, who seemed interested and we found 
that representatives of a national trade organization are 
heard with consideration in Washington. 
In the Department, where we called on the Chiefs of 
the various Bureaus, we were cordially received and 
assured of interest in our work and of the Depart¬ 
ment’s desire to cooperate with us. We found them, for 
example, greatly interested in a project to have all plans 
for public buildings include planting-plans. At the 
proper time, nurserymen may be able to assist in getting 
legislation to secure that. It will mean development of 
another market. 
Prof. Coville, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, has 
been conducting some interesting experiments in keep¬ 
ing plants dormant with warmth instead of with cold, 
a proposition so opposite to our custom as to seem im¬ 
possible and yet, if practicable on a large scale, sug¬ 
gesting the possibility of radical changes in storage 
methods. Prof. Coville has promised to give us full in¬ 
formation on his experiments. 
At the Federal Horticultural Board, where I had bus¬ 
iness for one of our members, Mr. Althouse showed me 
a very compact litele Bulletin covering the various Fed¬ 
eral and State requirements for inter-state shipments. 
Having had a great many letters from members asking 
for just that information, I asked for a supply and 
through the courtesy of the Board, they have been re¬ 
ceived and a copy mailed to each member of the As¬ 
sociation. Members are urged to make sure in every 
instance that their inter-state shipments comply with all 
the regulations; if they do that, it will save them anxiety 
and possible loss. 
If some members think that this spring they have as 
many orders as they can fill, it should be remembered 
that demand enables the seller to decline unprofitable or¬ 
ders and doubtful credits; that demand and high prices 
stimulate over-production which should be avoided; 
and that efforts should be followed that will continue 
the demand and make a market for what is coming on 
for later delivery. Indications are that planting plans 
seem to contemplate that continuing demand and an 
unusual market two and three years from now; but 
plans are made in most cases without adequate know¬ 
ledge of what others are planning to plant. The result 
in some lines is apt to be surplus stock and unprofitable 
prices; that cannot apply to fruit-trees immediately un¬ 
curtailed; but in the case of deciduous shrubs and cer- 
less prices should reach a point where consumption is 
tain shade trees, there is apparent more of optimism un¬ 
warranted than of knowledge of conditions and judg¬ 
ment based thereon. Two and three years from now is 
the time of uncertainty. There are two things necessary 
to provide against losing what has been gained; effort 
to continue demand and methods of sale that will mean 
a profit; both require close cooperation. 
Yours truly, 
John Watson, Executive Secretary. 
WILD FLOWERS FOB THE GABDEN 
Miss Edith Helen Curtis, Callicoon, New York, has 
started in the business of selling native flowering plants, 
collected from the hills and valleys of Sullivan County. 
N. Y., and Wayne County, Pa. 
An attractive list of about forty-five varieties indicates 
botanical knowledge and familiarity with the kinds of¬ 
fered. 
Properly handled the business should prove an inter¬ 
esting and profitable one. 
There are many of our native plants that deserve a 
place in our gardens and more attention from the horti¬ 
culturists to cultivate and improve them. 
Charles L. McIntosh, 617 Denniston avenue, Roanoke, 
Virginia, has started in the brokerage business to handle 
nursery stock and accessories. 
