76 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
porting business. These subjects will be presented re¬ 
spectively by Madison Cooper, of Watertown, and James 
McHutchison/of New York. 
The program committee is laying a great deal of stress on 
the Friday evening feature, which is to take the form of a 
fruit banquet. A choice selection of fruits in season are 
assured us, so we are informed. “Native wines are also 
expected.” The toastmaster of the evening will be Mr. J. H. 
Hale, and we can expect that things will hum under his 
executive wand. Now members, show your appreciation of 
the persistent and efficient efforts of the program committee 
by a good turn-out at this the thirtieth annual meeting. 
The members of the committee have worked hard. The 
variety and excellent arrangement of the subject matter 
shows that. Let us remember that while the preparation of a 
program is a “thankless job” this committee has worked 
unselfishly and to a purpose. The success of the meeting is 
now in the hands of the members. 
The program committee has reason to hope for the presence 
—nay more expects both Secretary Wilson and Shaw. Their 
presence would add immensely to the interest of the occasion. 
We are free to say (and now while using the editorial we 
do so with a strong personal inflection) that this banquet 
“wrinkle” of the program committee strikes us most favorably. 
This is where we shine, especially when our mind is not wor¬ 
ried by a half incubated speech. Remember that Hale is 
toastmaster and “things will be doin’ ” If Hale has any 
scores to settle he will not forget the opportunity—and there 
may be a chance for others. 
Bring your wives and sweethearts. Come in claw hammers, 
tuxedos or tweeds; but come!! 
As one looks over the great array of horticultural journals 
of the present day, he can hardly fail to be impressed with 
the notion that a radical change is taking place in the type of 
writing now most generally found in their 
• columns. In many instances it is a 
tendencies style of literature and method of ex- 
IN HORTICULT- pression which we cannot do other than 
URAL WRITING. than deprecate. While we commend the 
abundance of illustration, the good letter 
press, the artistic make-up, we are not in 
sympathy with the over-enthusiastic, nay more, almost 
hysterical methods of describing common place every day 
operations in the garden and orchard. It is unnecessary to 
speak continuously in superlatives. Many of the articles of 
to-day are much too lavish in the use of exclamation points. 
For instance, in describing the simple art of top-grafting, 
a writer in a recent high class horticultural journal says after 
detailing the method of preparing the stock and scion, “And 
now the operation becomes exciting,” referring to the simple 
act of inserting the scion into the stock. We have no desire 
to suppress healthy enthusiasm, but there are certainly many 
more exciting and exhiliarating operations than the inser¬ 
tion of a scion into a stock. 
Again one notes that the pages of some of our leading 
journals are filled with florid and glowing accounts of success 
in gardening, orcharding, or flower culture. These appear so 
constantly that one might imagine that these operations 
required only a small amount of perseverence, a modicum 
of ability, and success was assured provided the worker was 
endowed with a proper spirit of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is 
first rate, but it will not replace judgment, experience and 
industry. 
One is almost led to believe that horticultural magazines 
are following the lead of some other journals of yellow hue 
in their eager search for the sensational and striking. We 
must confess to a strong preference for the sane and con¬ 
servative methods of the older journals of this country and 
England, and we believe that we should hold fast to the 
sound and conservative, though less catchy and attractive, 
for in the long run such a policy will redound with most bene¬ 
fit to our patrons. The conservative policy, the careful 
method are the ones which will live and endure. 
In looking over the pages of our contemporary, The Cold 
Storage and Ice Trade Journal, one is greatly impressed by the 
development of this comparatively new* industry. We learn ? 
for instance, that the government of 
New Zealand is interested in developing 
refrigera Tt ON refrigeration plants throughout that island. 
and cold This is largely due to the fact that New 
STORAGE . Zealand is an important dairy, meat, and 
fruit producing region. Although the 
dairy business is not much more than 
twenty years old, yet it now forms an important part of the 
agricultural exports of the colony. The frozen meat trade is 
also of great importance. In 1903 this amounted to 266,- 
408,800 pounds of meat, valued at $15,000,000. The fruit 
industry is also increasing in importance. Some few years 
ago considerable quantities of New Zealand apples were 
landed in San Francisco. While this is not likely to be re¬ 
peated, or to increase to any extent, for the very reason that 
cold storage on this side of the water is so very efficient, it 
suggests the vast possibilities of the application of cold stor¬ 
age methods to various branches of the fruit and plant in¬ 
dustry. 
We are glad to note that this subject will have a place on 
the program of the West Baden meeting. Mr. Madison 
Cooper, of Watertown, New York, is down for a discussion 
of the refrigeration of nursery stock and the application of 
refrigerating methods to cold storage cellars. From the 
nurseryman’s standpoint this is an exceedingly important 
topic. A prominent plant grower writes us as follows: “I 
believe that refrigeration of nursery stock and cold storage is 
the coming method of extending the season, and the proper 
way to handle nursery stock so that it will be shipped in a 
thoroughly dormant condition. I believe it means extending 
the nurseryman’s season at both ends, and that the day is 
coming when we will have cases of nursery stock put in cold 
storage in this country, shipped across the continent in re¬ 
frigerator cars, and delivered to nurserymen in Europe in a 
perfectly dormant condition, late in the season. What I 
have said applies even with greater force to stock travelling in 
opposite direction.” We would suggest that those who are 
interested in this particular phase of the storage question 
should write Mr. Cooper in advance of the meeting, suggesting 
special phases for discussion and asking him to enlarge on 
those points which appear to be of greatest moment and in¬ 
terest to nurserymen. 
