THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
67 
should.” The inclusion of our flower shows in the national 
and international circuits of several moving-picture concerns 
has likewise done much to inform the world of some of the 
activities at the Garden, and within the last year or two the 
radio has likewise been a factor in disseminating information 
from the Garden. Practically all of the conventions which come 
to St. Louis devote a part of their program to a visit to the 
Garden, and this likewise assists in acquainting people away 
from St. Louis with the institution. During the past year two 
interviews were published in a local paper, one from a man 
from Spain, the other from North Dakota, and if all visitors 
are impressed in the same way it is easy to understand why 
the Missouri Botanical Garden commands the position it does. 
“The Missouri Botanical Garden has left the deepest im¬ 
pression on my wife and myself. I have never seen such a 
perfect collection of botanical specimens anywhere else. The 
obvious intelligence of the care given to these flowers and 
plants speaks well for the vision of whomever founded the Gar¬ 
den.” (Barcelona, Spain.) 
“The beauty of arrangement and the many wonderful flowers 
found at Shaw’s Garden make it the most striking in the world.” 
(Bismarck, North Dakota.) 
The question is often asked how the Missouri Botanical Gar¬ 
den ranks in comparison with similar institutions throughout 
the world. Because of the unique character of the Garden, 
it being neither a part of a park system nor connected directly 
with an institution of learning, it is difficult to make any just 
comparison. Until the out-of town garden is established, the 
area is considerably smaller than some other botanical gardens; 
but in its appeal to the casual visitor as well as to the student 
of plants, it possesses certain features not to be duplicated 
elsewhere. It is obviouslv impossible to compare a garden 
located in the middle west of North America with a similar 
institution to be found in the tropics, and yet it is only fair 
to say that considering the limitations imposed by climate as 
well as the restricted income (much less than that available 
for many other gardens) it is the greatest of its kind in the 
world. As was pointed out at length in my report for 1921, the 
only source of income for the Garden is from the estate of Mr. 
Shaw. With similar institutions receiving increasing amounts 
each year from the city or the state or the nation, to whicii are 
frequently added private gifts of large amounts, it will easily 
be seen how difficult it is to maintain the high standard set 
by Mr. Shaw in Competition with other gardens. This is fur¬ 
ther complicated by the fact that the Garden nays taxes on 
all its revenue-producing nroperty and is still deprived, as it 
has been for the past thirty-five years, of any revenue from 
the two-hundred-foot strip which Mr. Shaw expected would 
considerably augment the Garden’s revenue. 
THE SCHOOL FOR GARDENING 
As definitely provided for in Mr. Shaw’s will, instruction 
is given at the Garden to regularly enrolled pupils in subjects 
calculated to give them a wide knowledge of plants. General 
floriculture and horticulture, together with such special topics 
as plant breeding, diseases of plants, soils and fertilizers, ento¬ 
mology, etc., are well taken care of, and landscape architecture, 
from mechanical and free-hand drawing to the principles of 
landscape design, is offered. In addition to the formal 
courses, all the facilities of the Garden are placed at the dis¬ 
posal of pupils in a wav calculated to give them practical ex¬ 
perience in the propagation and care of a great varietv of plants 
both outdoors and in the greenhouses. When satisfactorily 
completed, a three years’ course at the Garden is recognized as 
fitting students to an unusual degree for a variety of profes¬ 
sional work along landscape and hardening lines. During the 
past year the enrollment, including vocational students, has 
been eighteen, a number larger than in any previous year and 
more than we properly are prepared to take care of. Four vo¬ 
cational students completed their training during the year and 
are now holding good positions. In the regular course Miss 
Edith Mason and Miss Katherine Perkins have continued the 
work begun a year ago. and Mr. Joseph Crupe and Miss Ruth 
Dowell have been admitted to advanced standing. Mr. H. E. 
White, Miss Fern Goss, and Mr. Josenh Grimme were enrolled 
for the regular three years’ course. The high standard of the 
school is evidenced by the fact that all of these students have 
successfully fulfilled the entrance requirements of Washington 
University, four having had previous college work and one 
having obtained the master’s degree in botany. The remaining 
students, assigned to the Garden by the United States Veterans’ 
Bureau, have had varying amounts of schooling, but all have 
made a satisfactory record. It is universally recognized that 
the training in gardening given to the vocational men by the 
Missouri Botanical Garden is the best of the kind offered in 
this country. , 
RESEARCH AND INSTRUCTION 
During the year 1923 the experimental or laboratory investi¬ 
gations have been most varied in type. Studies along the line 
of metabolism of the fungi have continued to receive much at¬ 
tention, especially in the direction of nitrogen metabolism and 
the relation of pathogenic citrus-inhabiting forms to citric and 
other organic acids. The location of a “Sulphur Fellowship” 
with the graduate laboratory by the Crop Protection Institute 
has resulted in an extremely interesting investigation of the 
nature of the toxic compound in the sulphur-containing sprays 
and dusts. The problem seems to have been solved by the 
determination that this compound is pentathionic acid, and 
that it is a product related to a state of division of the sulphur 
particles. On this account collodial sulphur preparations have 
been given the greater consideration. During the latter part 
of the year field experiments have been designed (located 
primarily at Geneva, New York) by the Institute to determine 
the application of the principles to field work. Other graduate 
students have pursued studies dealing with the etiology and 
physiology of a few fungous diseases. The mosaic disease of 
tobacco has occupied much of the attention of some members 
of the staff, and further interesting data have been secured 
bearing upon the nature of the infective agencies in this enor¬ 
mously destructive disease. At the same time investigations 
have been instituted to determine the possibility of studying 
the life cycles of bacteria by means of ultra-filtration, thus 
applying some principles deduced in the case of the mosaic 
disease to a study of the life history of the bacteria in general. 
Finally, the pigmentation of fruits, a study begun during the 
previous year, has been brought to conclusion. 
For the first semester of 1923-24 there have been offered the 
usual research courses, the seminar, and three lecture labora¬ 
tory courses, somewhat more than the average number, but 
during the second semester the number will be reduced to not 
more than two. 
CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF 
NURSERYMEN, ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., 
JUNE 25-26-27, 1924 
Headquarters at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, on the ten-mile 
boardwalk, facing the ocean; over 700 rooms, all have 
hath with salt water direct from the ocean if wanted; 
every room furnished alike, only difference is location 
and outlook. 
There will be sent a booklet to every member, describ¬ 
ing the hotel, etc. Also a road map for those who will 
come by auto, and by the way of the best roads in the 
world, as that is what Jersey is noted for. Sixty miles 
of continuous concrete road from Philadelphia, no dirt 
or dust, and many beautiful rides around Atlantic City 
and neighboring resorts. 
If you look the rates over, you will find it less than 
the last few years, especially when you double up for 
$2.00 each additional person in any room in the house. 
Some of our members, especially if they bring the fam¬ 
ily with them, may want a place to stop that is less ex¬ 
pensive. If so, write me and it will be confidential. I 
will get you a place, clean, respectable and comfortable, 
for as low as $3.50 a day. including meals. 
This is the best hotel we have ever had and the con¬ 
vention will he the best, biggest or bust. 
Wm. F. Miller, 
Chairman Arrangement Committee. 
Gloucester City, N. J, 
Tuesday. June 24, 1924, the day before the conven¬ 
tion. we have arranged a trip by special train, to Sea- 
brooks Farms, over 3500 acres of the largest irrigated 
farm in the world; also Roster’s and Jackson & Perkins 
