Gbe national nurseryman 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK ' 
Copyrighted 1908 by the National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XVI. ROCHESTER, N. Y., APRIL, 1908 No 
A FINE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
At the meeting of the Alabama Horticultural Society 
held at Birmingham, February 13 and 14, President Heikes 
delivered an address much above the ordinary because of 
its high note of enthusiasm. President Heikes has the gift 
of foresight and the power to feel the trend of events. He 
is one of those men so much needed in Horticulture, a man 
who sees the finer and higher side of his profession. The 
Society in Alabama is striving to better itself and the condi¬ 
tions in the State. It needs, and has, a man gifted with 
enthusiasm and foresight to act as leader. We regret that we 
cannot print the whole of the address. However, the 
extracts that follow will show clearly its fine character. 
“Though the horticultural societies of the United States 
rank with the best in the world, we as one of the youngest 
of them can point with some pride to the progress we have 
already made, an advance that should be a splendid incen¬ 
tive to us to face with unfailing courage the problems still 
awaiting solution. 
We are not going to lose any opportunity in trying to 
reach the excellence in matters horticultural attained by 
certain other states that as yet excite our envy. It should 
be remembered, however, that those states have had more 
years of experience and have been favored in various ways 
not enjoyed by us. Of their advantages, I would lay stress 
on the knowledge gained by large and carefully conducted 
horticultural enterprises, intelligent testing of trees and 
plants in order to secure varieties best suited to the partic¬ 
ular section, and, above all, to the advantages of the large 
state apyiropriations and the moral support given to conduct 
the needed experiments. 
“As a society we should take a live interest in the work 
of our Agricultural Colleges and Schools and lend them every 
support possible. A few of the professors and instructors 
identified with them are active members of our Society. 
We need the cooperation of all, but more especially of those 
in the Department of Agriculture. 
“The subject of Horticulture cannot well be taught in 
ordinary class rooms. Suitably constructed greenhouses, 
with their laboratories and other rooms, such as the more 
advanced institutions have found necessary, are needed at 
Auburn. They are all workshops of the Horticulturist, but 
more especially are the greenhouses essential to his experi¬ 
ments and these should be extensive enough, it occurs to 
me, to demonstrate the practicability of forcing vegetables 
and fruits under glass on a commercial scale. 
“As there is a large and constantly increasing demand in 
our growing cities, both South and North, for vegetables and 
fruits out of season, I think there is a fine opening in the 
South, where fuel is cheap and sunny days are more numer¬ 
ous than in the North, for the forcing of vegetables under 
glass. This is a field that has not as yet been sufficiently 
developed. 
“A brighter era for the farmer and fruit grower of the 
State was inaugurated when the last legislature, with the 
hearty support of Governor Comer, enacted laws appropriat¬ 
ing liberal sums, not only for the common schools and higher 
educational institutions—the State University and the 
Industrial School for Girls at Montevallo, one of our most 
worthy institutions—but also for the Alabama Polytechnic 
Institute and the District Agricultural Schools and their 
Experiment Stations. As a consequence, the various 
branches of our educational system will have better build¬ 
ings and equipment and more money for maintenance. 
Nearly every county is to have a High School. 
“Each one of the nine District Agricultural Schools—-an 
Experiment Station is connected with each school—will by 
this law receive from the State annually $4,500, of which 
$750 is to be used for work along agricultural lines. This 
is unquestionably a wise expenditure as the results of tests 
and investigations conducted at the Experiment Stations 
will certainly be of great value"to the States. The Agri¬ 
cultural Colleges receive, along with the funds allowed them 
by their respective States, financial aid from the United 
vStates Government. 
“We see that much is being done to awaken a greater 
interest in agricultural and horticultural work and to 
familiarize the people with the more improved methods. 
The appropriation for the Agricultural Schools will make it 
possible to increase their efficiency and consequently their 
popularity, and to gain for them greater recognition. 
“In agricultural and horticultural pursuits, as in almost 
all others, science has now an important part, and it need 
hardly be said that he who keeps best informed of the ad¬ 
vances made in his particular field of work and avails him¬ 
self of the improved methods stands a far better chance to 
succeed. Impressed with the great importance of scientific 
and industrial education to the agriculturist I would direct 
attention to the so-called Davis Bill, now pending in Con¬ 
gress, and which, if enacted into law, will usher in the dawn 
of a still brighter day in our educational system. 
“This bill, if passed, will carry an appropriation of ten 
cents per capita of the population of the United States for 
the maintenance of instruction in Agriculture and Home 
Economics in agricultural High Schools of secondary grade, 
