Sbptbmber 11, 1902. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



503 



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THE CANADIAN 

 HORTICILTIRAL ASSOCIATION. 



FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 



The fifth annual convention of the 

 above Association was called to order at 

 2:30 the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 

 3d, in the City Hall, Hamilton, Ont. 

 Mr. C. M. Webster introduced Alderman 

 J. G. Y. Burkholder, who, in the absence 

 of Mayor Hendrie, delivered an address 

 of welcome, in which he assured the 

 members of the Association of the pleas- 

 ure it afforded the citizens to entertain 

 them, and concluded by extending the 

 liberty of the city. He added that the 

 visitors were at liberty to take any- 

 thing they wanted except the mountain, 

 which the citizens felt could not be 

 spared. 



Mr. Thomas Manton responded on be- 

 half of the Association, expressing the 

 thanks of the members for the kindly 

 greeting and welcome extended, and his 

 belief that the convention begun under 

 such favorable conditions would be of 

 great value to the organization. 



The address of President Joseph Ben- 

 nett, of Montreal, was then read as fol- 

 lows: 



President Bennett's Address. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: At this, the 

 fifth annual meeting of our Association, 

 I do not intend to bore you with a long 

 address. Speechmaking is not in my 

 line. I would feel more at home using 

 a spade, though I don't pretend to do 

 much in that line, either, as I find it 

 does not agree with me now. I can 

 easily recall the time when it used to, 

 or rather, I might say, when I had to 

 agree with it. With your permission, 

 however, I will just touch on a few 

 points that have occurred to me to be 

 of interest to us all and which we might 

 profitably discuss. 



First, tlien, at this, our fifth annual 

 meeting, I think we might ask ourselves 

 these questions: Are we satisfied with 

 the progress made, or rather have we 

 made the progress we ought to have 

 done since this Association was formed? 

 If we are not satisfied with the progress 

 made, is it not time and advisable for 

 us to try and find out why, and if we 

 have made mistakes to rectify them at 

 once? 



Is our membership what it might or 

 should be? In quantity, I mean (of 

 course the quality is all right). When 

 we consider the numbers employed in 

 floriculture in Canada and then how our 

 membership roll stands, what do we 

 find? At the present time we have per- 

 haps 50 members, and from several 

 sources I have been able to form a rough 

 estimate that there are about 12,000 

 persons employed in floriculture in Can- 

 ada. This estimate does not include 

 those engaged in the nursery business. 

 Then, again, there must be hundreds of 

 amateurs whom we ought to get in as 

 associate members. We want all we can 

 get if we are to make a national society. 

 Now, in the face of these figures, and 

 we may as well look them right in the 

 face, no half measures will do. I ask 



you again, is our membership what it 

 ought to be? 



How can we induce more to join us 

 is the next question, and not only to in- 

 duce them to join, but how can we hold 

 them after they do join us? Perhaps 

 some of you, as well as myself, have 

 asked someone to join and become a 

 member, and perhaps you have had a re- 

 ply something like this. Oh, what bene- 

 fit is it to me to join the C. H. A? I 

 can't go to the meetings. What do I get 

 for my $2.00? If we look at the ques- 

 tion from this point of view for a mo- 

 ment, we must admit that there seems 

 very little to induce anyone to part with 

 his two dollars. If we published a 

 report yearly with the full proceedings 

 of the convention in the same way that 

 the S. A. F. does, and which I think we 

 certainly ought to do (perhaps the Fed- 

 eral Government would print it if we 

 asked them), then we would have some- 

 thing that might be of value to those 

 unable to attend the meetings, and they 

 would not think that their two dollars 

 was all spent in vain. I think that these 

 are very important questions and should 

 receive your attention during this con- 

 vention. 



While we fully and freely admit that 

 the horticultural papers published on 

 the other aide of 45 are right up to date 

 and first-class in every respect, contain- 

 ing as they do the practical experience 

 of the best men over there, and some- 

 times notes from this side as well, 

 everything almost can be found in their 

 advertising columns. Yet, for obvious 

 reasons, they do not just exactly fill the 

 bill for us Canadians. What we want is 

 a paper published in Canada in the in- 

 terests of us Canadian gardeners, flor- 

 ists, seedsmen, nurserymen, amateurs 

 and pp-ofessionals. We all want it and 

 we want it now. There is not the slight- 

 est doubt but that we would benefit one 

 and all if we were more in touch. At 

 times some of us have a surplus that we 

 would be glad to sell but for want of 

 knowing where to place it we lose it; at 

 times we want' something and don't 

 know where to get it. It would also be a 

 povperful factor in keeping alive the in- 

 terest in the Association between con- 

 ventions, and I am sure would help us 

 to gain many members. I need not say 

 more on the necessity of a Canadian 

 paper. I am sure you all agree with me, 

 and I hope the necessary steps will be 

 taken to get it started right away. 



There are several points that might 

 be taken up if we have the time, but I 

 think those I have referred to are im- 

 portant and should receive attention as 

 soon as possible. I thank you for your 

 kind attention. 



Secretary Swing's Report. 



Since our last very successful, inter- 

 esting and most friendly meeting held 

 in the Forest City of London last year, 

 very little of importance has occurred, 

 although owing to the good missionary 

 work done by some of the members 

 the association has been steadily grow- 



ing in importance and there is every 

 indication that this will be the banner 

 convention and beat the record both as 

 regards attendance and the trade ex- 

 hibit. 



I feel confident that it is only the vast 

 extent of our country and the great dis- 

 tances between towns and cities and the 

 consequent great expense of traveling 

 to and from the convention that has 

 hitherto kept the attendance down, but 

 I also feel confident that as the objects 

 of the association become more known, 

 and the profession generally understand 

 and see the possibilities of it, the less 

 will the expense "bugbear" trouble 

 them. They ^vill see that the expense 

 incurred is returned to them many fold, 

 although perhaps indirectly. 



At this date appearances point to a 

 large trade exhibit, which is likely to 

 bring direct returns to many members 

 and to be a great boon and convenience 

 to others. It is a feature that has per- 

 haps been rather neglected at former 

 conventions, and our Hamilton friends 

 are to be congratulated on seeing the 

 importance of it and working it up to 

 the extent indicated. 



It is gratifying to learn through the 

 horticultural press that a large con- 

 tingent may be expected from the east- 

 ern provinces, and it is to be hoped that 

 when a convention is next held in an 

 eastern city, the western members will 

 reciprocate in like manner. 



I have this year to record the death 

 of W. C. G. Knott, who was superin- 

 tendent of Rockwood Park, St. John's, 

 New Brunswick. He was a member of 

 the executive committee and an earnest 

 worker for the good of the association, 

 but was prevented by ill health from 

 coming to the convention at London last 

 year. 



The executive committee has met 

 twice since the last convention, the re- 

 ports of which meetings will be read to 

 you. It is much to be regretted that 

 the efforts of the convention have been 

 so far unsuccessful in finding a way to 

 start, or get started, a trade paper. 

 However, the matter has been well dis- 

 cussed amongst many of the members, 

 and some progress has been made. No 

 doubt further steps will be taken at this 

 meeting towards this most desirable ob- 

 ject. There appears to be a distinct de- 

 mand from the profession in this coxm- 

 try for such a paper, "made in Canada." 



I have to humbly apologize to the of- 

 ficers and members for my apparent neg- 

 lect in doing the duties of the ofiice to 

 which they elected me. I must assure 

 them that the neglect was not because 

 of any unwillingness or laziness on my 

 part, but simply on account of entire 

 disability owing to change of circum- 

 stances. I wish to sincerely thank those 

 who undertook the work at great per- 

 sonal inconvenience and carried it out 

 so admirably and successfully. 



Reports were also received from the 

 treasurer and the executive committee. 

 All the reports were accepted. A vote 

 of thanks was tendered the president for 

 his able address. 



Messrs. Thomas Manton, Eglinton; 

 E. J. Mepsted, Ottawa; A. C. Wilshire 

 and Jas. McKenna, Montreal, were ap- 

 pointed judges of the trade exhibit. 



There was an interesting discussion 

 upon the president's address, partici- 

 pated in by Messrs. Wm. Gammage, 

 London; J. A. Campbell, Simcoe; Fred 



