the national nurseryman 
community with which you are identified favorable to 
liberal expenditure of moneys for these purposes. 
“Gentlemen, there are many practical subjects for the 
interchange of opinion and experiences. One subject 
which was brought very forcibly to my attention a few 
weeks ago by one who has been very successful as a result 
of keen foresight and who has been and is to-day still back¬ 
ing up his convictions, is that of investment in lands. 
How much of his capital can the average nurseryman 
afford to put into land? Is it not better to own land than 
to rent it? How have land investments paid nurserymen 
in the past as compared with their other investments? 
Should not every nurseryman be a considerable land 
referring to the things that we have found helpful to us in 
our daily experiences. Your committees have been com¬ 
posed of most excellent men and I wish to thank them all 
for their loyalty and faithfulness. I will but touch upon their 
good work, leaving it to the chairman of each committee 
to make its report from which you can judge somewhat of 
the debt of gratitude we owe to men who have devoted 
such a large amount of valuable time to the work of this 
association. 
“And now, gentlemen, in closing, welcome to our city, 
and may your sojourn with us rest and cheer you and may 
you return to your homes feeling that it was good to have 
come to this place.’’ 
American Association of Nurserymen visiting Highland Park, Rochester 
Photo by National Nurseryman 
owner? Is he not in a position to carry land cheaper than 
the average investor? 
LAND AS AN INVESTMENT 
“The gentleman of whom I speak is connected with 
large business interests, travels extensively and is intimately 
acquainted with land values of the world. He states un¬ 
qualifiedly that for a long investment extending over a 
period of years nothing is so sure to pay well as land in the 
eastern half the United States where he lives. The 
same may be equally true of the Western half. There 
may be new lands in the West and South which some here 
know about in which we should all have a few dollars. If 
so, whv not tell one another. There may be unusual 
opportunities for the young man in certain localities. If 
we should know of them why not put the young man wise? 
“These meetings to my mind should be experience 
meetings. A word might be dropped by any member 
which would greatly cheer and assist some other. Let us 
therefore in coming together try to help one another by 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS 
The reports of the Secretary and Treasurer respectively 
were purely business statements.' They were referred to 
the auditing committee and duly approved. 
R.EPORT OF TARIFF COMMITTEE 
This report w T as presented by Mr. Irving Rouse, chairman 
of that committee. Every member present could not help 
but feel that this was one of the hard worked committees of 
the Association; that its duties were exceedingly difficult. 
It was a matter of deep regret to the chairman that he was 
unable to present a complete and conclusive statement. 
He had been hourly expecting a telegram from the chairman 
of the tariff committee in Washington, stating that the 
tentative schedule as presented by this committee had 
been approved. But unfortitnately the intelligence did 
