March 28, 1908 



HORTICULTURE, 



407 



ence and the amount of clerical work 

 done would stagger most of us, if it 

 should he put upon us; and he certain- 

 ly deserves the thanks of every mem- 

 ber of this body for his painstaking 

 work, done entirely for love of the 

 good cause, and refusing any pecun- 

 iary compensation therefor. During 

 the past year the expenses have been 

 out of proportion to the income, the 

 officers having advanced money to 

 meet obligations and carry on the work, 

 trusting to the receipts of this meet- 

 ing to balance accounts; failing in this, 

 I suggest that a few friends of the so- 

 ciety meet here in Chicago, and togeth- 

 er lift the treasury out of its awkward 

 predicament. Certificates for new va- 

 rieties authorized at our last meeting 

 and life '.nerabership ceitificates have 

 been provided at considerable expense, 

 but we think lo the credit of the so- 

 ciety. A resolution was favorably re- 

 ceived at the Washington meeting re- 

 questing the executive committee to 

 consider the proposition of establish- 

 ing a rose journal. This matter has 

 received considerable thought and dis- 

 cussion during the year at the hands 

 of the committee, and the secret.ary 

 was authorized to .go ahead and issue 

 a prospectus, which has been sent out 

 broadcast and has been commented on 

 very favorably. The secretary will 

 present to you a fuller report on this 

 proposition; I would ask for it your 

 careful and thoughtful consideration. 

 If the members will support it in .sufh- 

 cient numbers it can be put through, 

 olherwico it must be dropped. 



The June Exhibition. 



A committee was appointed to con- 

 fer with the Association of American 

 Nurserymen relative to the holding of 

 an exhibition of outdoor roses in .Tune, 

 under the joint auspices of the two or- 

 ganizations. Mr. Hill, as chairman, 

 will report on the work of this com- 

 mittee. Tlirough the good offices of 

 our ex-president, Mr. Newbold. an in- 

 vitation has been extended to the 

 American Rose Society by the Horti- 

 cultural Society of New Ycrk to hold 

 a June show this year in Bronx Park, 

 New York City; the latter society to 

 furnish the money and take care of all 

 the details, and our society to offer 

 certificates, medals, etc., and assist in 

 arranging the schedule. The offer was 

 accepted and the exhibition is assured, 

 but the executive committee of the 

 Rose Society authorized the offering of 

 certificates, bronze and silver medals 

 for new varieties only. It is the wish 

 and desire of the members of the com- 

 mittee that the nurserymen, and all 

 others who grow outdoor roses exten- 

 sively, will keep this exhibition in 

 mind" and arrange to make extensive 

 displays of roses in Bronx Park next 

 June. The educational features of 

 such an exhibition, that is free to all, 

 should be very gi-eat, and as an adver- 

 tising medium it is not to be despised. 



In arranging the program for this 

 meeting the commercial rose grower 

 has perhaps been brought to the front 

 more than the amateur, which proba- 

 bly is as it should be at the present 

 stage; but it will not do at all, I think, 

 to allow this society, now, or in the 

 future, TO drift into a trade organiza- 

 tion and have its work restricted to 

 the holding of exhibitions and exploit- 

 ing of new varieties; that would be 

 praiseworthy work, but it can do that 



and a great deal more by opening wide 



its doors, and seeking the co»operaticn 

 of every man and woman in this broad 

 land who has roses in his heart or in 

 his garden. AVe should have in our 

 ranks every authority on roses in the 

 country, and the secretary should have 

 a list of these authorities to whom he 

 could refer questions that are too dif- 

 ficult for him to handle. 



Finally, gentlemen, let us take a 

 wide outlook; let us be broad in our 

 views, and in our discussions at this 

 meetiug let us be considerate of each 

 others' feelings, remembering that we 

 have but one object in view, the plac- 

 ing of the rose on the pedestal where 

 she rightfully belongs, and the en- 

 nobling of our calling and profession. 



Secretary Hammond then read the 

 minutes of the last meetiug and pre- 

 sented his annual report. 



Secretary's Report. 



The Secretary first and foremost de- 

 sires to publicly acknowledge the 

 value of the service rendered by the 

 four trade papers, "American Florist," 

 "Florists' Exchange," 'Florists' Re- 

 view," and "Horticulture," named in 

 order of their age, for the courteous 

 consideration which one and all have 

 given to matters pertaining to the 

 American Rose Society. It has been 

 tlie effort of your Secretary to get as 

 much publicity as we could, because 

 this Society was founded with the idea 

 of its becoming an extensive popular 

 association to spread the love of the 

 beautiful rose among the people. 



And another important fact is that 

 the work of co-operation and patron- 

 age incumbent upon a national society 

 cannot be done unless the society is 

 provided with revenue, and the revenue 

 depends upon its membership. The 

 American Rose Society should be able 

 to patronize local societies by offering 

 its medals freely, but all this takes 

 revenue. The life membei-ship fund 

 gradually increases, affording a reve- 

 nue of 4 per cent, on the investment 

 per annum, and the fund is now close 

 to $3,000. 



The money awarded by the Society 

 at its last show reached the sum of 

 $:J09.00 for stated premiums besides the 

 special premiums. The Bulletin of the 

 annual meeting which was begun un- 

 der Secretary W. J. Stewart's term of 

 office has been continued and GOO were 

 issued. These books seem to be high- 

 ly appreciated, secretaries of kindred 

 societies asking for them in various in- 

 stances. To get out these books nicely 

 is considerable expense, and part of 

 this cost was met by soliciting a half 

 or full-page advertisement; out of 60 

 letters sent out, favorable replies came 

 back. 



At the Washington meetiug last 

 March the desirability of issuing a cer- 

 tificate of merit, for new roses which 

 did not reach the score required for 

 such novelties to win a society medal, 

 was discussed and recommended. The 

 Executive Compiittee acting upon that 

 recommendation prepared such certifi- 

 cates and issued seven: E. G. Hill Co., 

 Richmond, Ind., "Rhea Reid"; F. H. 

 Kramer, Washington, D. C, "Queen 

 Beatrice"; Myers & Samtman, Wynd- 

 moor. Pa., "Wyndraoor": M. H. Walsh, 

 "Woods Hole, Mass., "Paradise," "La 

 Fiamma," "Delight" and "Juniata." 

 This recognition seemed to please 

 everyone. 



Up to last year there had not been 

 any certificate of life membership nor 

 any society seal; a handsome certifi- 

 cate was made, a special seal prepared 

 and adopted, and ^i of these life certi- 

 ficates have been issued to persons 

 who have paid the $50.00, which is the 

 amount that is creating the permanent 

 fund of the Society. The certificate 

 was sent to the family of deceased 

 members. 



The American Rose Society has been 

 invited to hold a June Show in the 

 Botanical Garden in Bronx Park, New 

 York City, in connection with the New 

 York Horticultural Society. Ex-Presi- 

 dent Frederick R. Newbold attended 

 one of the executive committee meet- 

 ings and formally extended the invi- 

 tation and the same was duly accepted. 

 The Executive Committee held five 

 meetings in New York City; these 

 meetings were always attended by 

 soime from a distance, and such mem- 

 bers as were not personally present in- 

 variably reported by letter. 



Early in the year Vice-President 

 Philip Breitmeyer of Detroit set the 

 pace for a fine special premium list, 

 seconded by Arthur T. Boddington of 

 New York, which under the fostering 

 care of Messrs. Poehlmann and Asmus 

 and others of Chicago swelled to very 

 satisfactory dimensions. 



At the last annual meeting a "Rose 

 Journal" was a topic which grew out 

 of the question given by President 

 Simpson, "How to increase the interest 

 and thus the membership." The Sec- 

 retary assumed the responsibility of 

 issuing a prospectus and of mailing the 

 same to all present membership; the 

 details of the results -will be taken tip 

 more fully separately. 



The record of the year shows that 

 after nine years the American Rose 

 Society lives — it has crossed the Alle- 

 ghenies, born in Atlantic City on the 

 ocean shore— holding its earliest ex- 

 hibit in the Metropolis of America, go- 

 ing to the Garden City of Pennsylvania, 

 then to the scholarly city of Boston, 

 from there to the capital of the nation, 

 welcomed by President Roosevelt, then 

 accepting the cordial invitation from 

 Chicago. Here we are in this Imperial 

 City of the West with such a show be- 

 fore our eyes as maketh the heart 

 glad, and our motto is, "A Rose for 

 every home, a Bush for every garden"; 

 and this, if carried out, means beauty 

 and grace in the homes of all the 

 people. 



In the absence of Mr. May, E. G. 

 Hill read the treasurer's report which 

 was as follows: 



Treasurer's Report. 



The treasurer's report for year end- 

 ing March 20, 1908, is as follows: 

 Total cash received on general 



account $1330.62 



Total Disbursements 1077.07 



To balance on hand $253.55 



In addition to above general account 

 seven new members (life) have joined 

 the Society, making a total of 5-5 life 

 members to date. 



Mr. Hill called attention to the low 

 financial state of the treasury and 

 urged that the society ought to be bet- 

 ter cared for by the many men en- 

 gaged in the rose growing industry 

 which had built more greenhouses and 

 more fine homes than any other one 

 plant. There have been fortunes made 



