THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
175 
that nurserymen may with propriety claim deductions upon their 
Income and Profit Tax Returns, for the amount of all losses sus¬ 
tained from insect pests or diseases in any one year. Pest-free 
stock denied a market because of Quarantines, might with equal 
propriety, it would seem, be changed off in our reports under the 
heading entitled “Obsolescence.” 
CROP REPORTS 
Crop estimates reported at least annually that will show with 
reasonable accuracy, how many trees or shrubs of different species 
or varieties in certain ages or sizes are being grown in any one 
coupnty, state or group of states, are felt by nurserymen to be of 
incalculable value. 
(a) This information will give the knowledge requisite to 
govern wisely our propagation and young plantings. It should 
after it has been in operation a few years, stabilize supply so 
that ruinous surpluses and equally disastrous shortages, can 
to great extent be avoided. 
(b) Such data will enable' nurserymen to move stock that is 
surplus in one region toward an area of shortage, prior to 
opening of the general shipping season and distribution as well 
as propagation will thus tend to stabilization. 
(c) Tn the event that nursery stock shall continue to be ad¬ 
mitted in the IT. s. by permit onW, then crop estimates become 
a vital necessity, if such permits are to be issued wisely, for a 
knowledge of approximately how many plants of a variety, 
there are already in the U. S. their size and location, will as¬ 
sist officials in recognizing a threatened shortage, in time to 
honor nurserymen’s requests for permits to import, before an 
exhaustion occurs. 
(d) The requisite data upon which to base such crop esti¬ 
mates can probably best be secured by questionaires sent out 
by the Bureau of Crop estimates, to nurserymen everywhere. 
The supplying of the information would be voluntary on the 
nurserymen’s part, and the final reports later available to 
everyone would not reveal the names of any individual nur¬ 
sery, but rather the aggregate quantity of the varieties and 
sizes reported upon, that are under cultivation in the different 
states or counties. 
To secure the valuable knowledge that such Crop Estimates will 
provide, we therefore reaffirm our action of one year ago, and in¬ 
struct our officers to continue efforts to secure an appropriation 
from Congress that will enable this service to be undertaken by 
he Bureau of Crop Reports of the Department of Agriculture. 
Further, we pledge ourselves to make such estimates as nearly 
accurate as possible, by providing promptly and voluntarily the 
information that shall be asked for with as great accuracy as is 
possible, and that we will also urge on nurserymen not members 
of the Association, their compliance with the request of the Gov¬ 
ernment when it shall be made, in order that the annual census 
of trees and shrubs in the nurseries of the U. S. may when avail¬ 
able be of dependable assistance to the Nursery Industry. 
APPROPRIATION TO ASSIST NURSERYMEN AND OTHERS 
TO CARRY ON EXPERIMENTS FOR THE PRODUCTION 
OF FRUIT AND OTHER STOCKS. 
The securement of an appropriation for $20,000 from the 66th 
Congress for investigating in co-operation with States or privately 
owned nurseries, methods of propagating fruit trees, ornamental 
and other plants, the study of stocks used in propagating such 
plants and methods of growing stocks, for the purpose of provid¬ 
ing American sources of stocks, cuttings, or other propagating 
materials, is acknowledged. It is felt that nurserymen cooperat¬ 
ing with the Department of Agriculture can now secure much 
needed assistance in their experimental efforts to grow new stock 
or that which was not heretofore commonly and readily grown. 
The Deapartment will, however, have to ask Congress another 
year for an appropriation to continue this work; therefore, be it 
Resolved, that the Association shall assist the Department in se¬ 
curing an appropriation, by joining in the appeal to Congress for 
necessary financial support to carry this service on. 
SOUTHERN NURSERYMEN. 
The action of the Southern Association of Nurserymen in en¬ 
deavoring to secure a uniform law for the South Atlantic group 
of States and to secure a modification of the laws now existing in 
certain States, compelling a numbered tag on each and every in¬ 
dividual order, also on each individual bale or box; also a copy 
of each order on day of shipment is inflicting double and unneces¬ 
sary work, especially on the retail nurserymen. The American 
Association of Nurserymen will cooperate in assisting to secure 
these modifications. 
(a) The number of varieties of plants suspected as hosts of 
injurious pests is inconsiderable, so why compel the entire 
Southern tier of States to be governed by a law made in some 
States primarily to control Citrus Canket. 
(b) Would not adequate inspection and certification to which 
policy the American Association of Nurserymen subscribes, be 
capable of securing all the safety, which expensive enumera¬ 
tion of names and tags would provide? 
PUBLICITY TO DISCOURAGE HOME PLANTING OF FRUITS. 
There has been observed during recent years a tendency on the 
part of some state officials and the press, to discourage by pub¬ 
licity, as conspicuously observed in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 
an effort to discourage the planting of fruit trees for one’s do¬ 
mestic use, alleging that such small plantations are apt to be im¬ 
properly cared for or even neglected ,and that they tend to en¬ 
courage the spread of pests. That they-yield insufficiently of in¬ 
ferior fruit and in consequence fruit should only be grown by 
those engaged commercially in its production. 
We believe such efforts to confine the planting of fruit trees to 
commercial interests to be undemocratic in its denial to the fam¬ 
ily the luxury of luscious, fresh fruit; produced upon the home 
grounds. Further, it is our belief after observation that the fruit 
trees of the average lot owner or on the farmstead, are quite as 
apt to be cared for as are those in the commercial orchard. We 
pledge our efforts to oppose propaganda or influences that dis¬ 
courage such plantings of fruits and acknowledge gratefully an 
editorial encouraging the planting for home consumption by Dr. 
Liberty H. Bailey in the Bulletin of the American Pomological So¬ 
ciety, Vol. 1, No. 1. 
NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN 
The action of this Association taken at its Convention in 1917, 
pledging its efforts for the securement of a national Botanic Gar¬ 
den at Washington, D. C., or for a chain of such gardens through¬ 
out the country for the promotion and dissemination of horticul¬ 
tural knowledge is reaffirmed, and our officers instructed to bring 
the Association’s influence promptly to bear in the action now 
pending before Congress for the establishment of one such Na¬ 
tional Botanic Garden in or near the District of Columbia. 
STATE OR MUNICIPAL NURSERIES. 
There would appear to be no more reason for a government en¬ 
tering upon the production of nursery stock for its own consump¬ 
tion or for the encouragement of planting for forestation or other 
purposes by individuals or corporations, than for it to produce 
other commodities for its needs or to disseminate them in order 
to promote the use of the commodity. 
(a) Tax paying nurseries are thereby denied markets, which 
the community or state that receives the taxes used to estab¬ 
lish their own nurseries with. 
(b) The dissemination of trees grown in States or Munici¬ 
pal nurseries, might be endured without objection by the in¬ 
dustry, if the plants from such nurseries were used exclusive¬ 
ly on publicly owned land. The practice, however, is to sell 
cheaply or even to donate, under mild restrictions; tire trees 
for planting on privately owned properties. Trees available 
for wide dissemination under such favored terms are an in¬ 
strument in the hands of officials for the establishment of 
prestige, that should not be possible in the public 'service. 
(c) The argument that the state or city by the establish¬ 
ment of such nurseries gets its trees at cost is true, but valid 
only if that cost is less than trees of similar character can be 
purchased for on the open market. 
(d) There are nurseries growing in large quantities and of 
high quality trees suited for the purposes that State and Muni¬ 
cipal trees are usually grown for, so that a supply is avail¬ 
able and a greater quantity soon would be if the industry did 
not have these public nurseries to succumb to. 
THE BABY RAMBLERS 
The Baby Bamblers maintained their reputation for 
service and prettiness during the convention. The or¬ 
iginal stock is becoming a little overgrown and it is high 
time a few more were brought out of the propagating 
house, hardened off, and planted where they can be ad¬ 
mired. 
The present stock is getting a hit leggy. 
JAMES McHUTCIIISON 
A resolution was adopted at the Chicago Convention 
expressing sympathy for James McHutchison, who has 
been ill for several weeks. Mr. McHutchison is a much 
esteemed associate member and has heretofore been a 
regular attendant at previous conventions and his ab¬ 
sence was much regretted. 
Upon motion it was decided the convention send its 
regards to him, and to “Say it with Flowers.” 
WHAT IS THE REASON? 
It is claimed the ladies are becoming more prominent 
in business, politics, and all other activities. This did 
not hold good at the Chicago Convention. 
With the exception of a number at the banquet it did 
seem as if the visiting nurserymen had left their wives 
and daughters at home. 
