such conditions of sale, many trees and plants of ques¬ 
tionable value were distributed. I was not aware of 
these facts until the delivery season had closed, and ef¬ 
forts made to find the personnel behind these transactions 
were futile. As is usual in such cases, the buyer be¬ 
gan to investigate after he had been duped and after all 
traces of the tree dealer had been covered up. These 
matters were taken up with state officials with no re¬ 
sults whatsoever, but the suggestion was made that we 
should take effective steps to eliminate future practices 
of this nature, and if we failed, they would in turn act. 
It is evident that something must be done to curb 
these evils. The disreputable tree dealer is a menace 
and every honest nurseryman in the country is a bene¬ 
ficiary of his evil deeds, because the public looks upon 
such matters as a whole and never thinks of placing the 
blame upon the individual where it rightfully belongs. 
I hope you will give this subject careful thought and 
thoro discussion. It demands action that should prove 
substantial and effective because they are our natural 
and economic enemies. 
A resolution was passed at the last annual meeting 
directing the president to appoint a delegate to the meet¬ 
ing of entomologists that was held in St. Louis last win¬ 
ter. I therefore appointed Mr. Paul G. Lindley to rep¬ 
resent our association, and he will make his report in 
due time. 
There is a feeling expressed by some of the members 
that should we procure favorable action by the entomo¬ 
logists in regard to a uniform inspection law for the 
Southern states that it would conform to some one of the 
drastic laws now in evidence, rather than a modified 
law of less restraint and harshness, but I am inclined to 
feel otherwise. When we reach the point of candor and 
frankness in a larger way in our dealings with state 
officials, and change our mental attitude and sift things 
down to a normal human relationship, I am sure they 
will lend themselves to our viewpoint by meeting us 
half-way, and assist us in placing on the statute books 
only those laws that are just and equitable. This is a 
big, broad question, and until we can form a guaranty 
amongst ourselves of something that is convincing and 
substantial, we could not really ask a great modifica¬ 
tion from their present regulations. 
There is also a feeling expressed by some of the mem¬ 
bers that prices and actual values of many stocks sold 
the past season were extremely irregular and below 
value in many instances, and that some step should be 
taken, if possible, to establish a uniform seling price for 
our products. This is a time when every grower and 
seller should know values. Ignorant competition is an 
economic crime for which the public pays, because stan¬ 
dards are not maintained, and this is one of the founda¬ 
tion stones ol any business, the standardization of its 
products. 
One ol the most serious problems confronting us is 
the traffic situation throughout the country. As a de¬ 
terrent business factor, it easily holds first place. Due 
lo the fact that the prosperity of any industry is largely 
dependent upon transportation, any untoward develop¬ 
ment in railroad circles, especially during tin; shipping 
season, reacts unfavorably on our business. The future 
hoids some promise that with increased revenue made 
possible by higher rates that will shortly become effec¬ 
tive, the railroads will slowly add equipment to their 
present holdings and will be in better position to handle 
our products next winter. 
At each annual meeting we have many practical talks 
and valuable papers of inestimable value that should be 
recorded and distributed to the members. We cannot 
grasp the full significance of.rany paper or talk during 
the rush of a business session, besides many members 
are denied the privilege of meeting with us by causes 
beyond their control. For these reasons I feel that it 
would be well to have the proceedings of our meetings 
printed and distributed to the members in order that 
they may have definite and permanent records of our ac¬ 
tivities. I suggest that this matter be discussed and ac¬ 
tion taken if you deem it worthy of consideration. 
Now, gentlemen, I will not detain you longer because 
we have before us many good papers and talks of value 
and interest for discussion that are vital to our success. 
Let us do some constructive work and let the public 
know where we stand. This is an era of publicity, and 
let us tell the world that we are out gunning for the 
Wildcat Nurseryman and Dealer, that we have resolved 
to conduct our business in the strictest honesty and fair¬ 
ness, to avoid all deception and dishonesty and that we 
shall deal fairly with both customers and competitors, 
and will here and now place our house in order and 
work diligently to that end. We can do these things and 
without offense to God or man, but we shall have to 
dig. Don’t be a mugwump merely sitting on the fence 
nor a mere dealer in nursery stock. Be a leader. Just 
transpose the letters 1 and d in the word dealer and you 
have it. This is the time when every one is expected to 
do his share in the general uplift. Let us not shirk our 
responsibilities and duties, for this is a time when our 
men need the action of steady, hard-working, thought¬ 
ful men, men whose feet stand on the ground, men who 
see things as they really are and who are not afraid to 
act accordingly; real men who know there is no royal 
road to success without steady plugging. 
The packing shed and office of the Aurora Nurseries, 
Aurora, Ill., were burned Thursday, x\ugust 5th. The loss 
amounted to about $8,000.00, which is partly covered by 
insurance. Fortunately, all records and books were saved. 
The fire occurred while the President, Mr. J. A. Young 
was attending the III. Nurseryman’s Association meeting 
at Urbana. 
G. M. Buttery, manager of the Louisville Nurseries, 
St. Matthews, Kentucky, has been spending several 
weeks visiting friends and relatives in New England 
and at the same time making a tour of the larger nur¬ 
series. 
lie reports prospects for fall business encouraging, 
especially in evergreens, and a tendency to use more 
evergreens in landscape work instead of deciduous 
stock. 
Mr. Buttery found what appears to be a surplus in all 
common shrubs, but rarer and choicer planting material 
still scarce. 
