THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



759 



CRITICISM ON CONVENTION. 



Editor, Gardeners' Chronicle: 



As the Chronicle is the official paper of the National 

 association, and thus is the only means of discussing 

 worthy subjects for the good of the association I would 

 be greatly indebted to you for giving me a little space to 

 the few remarks I have to make. 



First, I will say that I do not believe the proper time 

 was given to the transaction of busmess at our last con- 

 vention. During the past }ear great progress has been 

 made on all lines by the association, and, yet, at the 

 annual meeting less time was spent going over the routine 

 business of the society and in electing new officers than 

 was spent at the meeting held in Newark a year previous. 

 Such rush may be excused at a small local society, but 

 certainly not for an organization covering the whole 

 country. We really do not stop to consider the fact that 

 it is a national organization and that its business is cer- 

 tainly greater and more serious than that of a local 

 society and should be transacted accordingly. 



The election of officers also was rushed through en- 

 tirely too fast at the meeting. Just look over the results — 

 all the officers elected for 1914 are, you may just as well 

 say, from New York City. Is that right for a national 

 organization ? 



I think it would be well for the society to elect instead 

 of one vice-president at least four, chosen so that the 

 country at large will be represented. I will go even 

 further : a corresponding secretary should also be elected 

 froiu the same neighl.Kirhnod to act in concert with each 

 vice-president. With such a combination the affairs of 

 the society would be more efficiently managed and 

 greater results achieved, at the same time it would, to 

 my mind, be of some help to the secretary, who has not 

 only to do it all which would not be so hard had he not 

 also to bear it all, which means a whole lot. 



Osc.\R E. .\ddor. 



Larchmont, N. Y., Xmember 13, 1913. 



Mr. Adder's criticism over the quick dispatch with 

 which the association's business was conducted at its 

 last meeting is warranted. It would be far better if the 

 members when assembled at the annual convention 

 would give time for consideration of the various pro- 

 posals put before them rather than to immediately refer 

 them to the executive board for action, which is so fre- 

 quently done. On the other hand, the executive board 

 has always faithfully performed its trust, as the wonder- 

 ful progress made by the association since it was incor- 

 porated shows. 



Respecting the election of the officers. WHiile I quite 

 agree with Mr. Addor that the selection should not be 

 entirely from one locality or neighborhood, but as a 

 national association its officers should be more scattered, 

 the election was entirely in the hands of the members 

 at the convention, nominations were made from the floor 

 and every member had a voice in the nominating ; but 

 there seemed to be no apparent opposition to the first 

 choices. His recommendations that the association 

 should have at least four vice-presidents is a good one 

 and should have further consideration. However, the 

 board of directors, consisting of twenty-one members, is 

 thoroughly representative of the entire country and the 

 powers of each member of this board are practically 

 equal to that of the vice-i)resident. 



As to the affairs of the association being more ef- 

 ficientlv managed, the officers of the past two years have 

 done their best and have devoted much time to the wel- 

 fare of our organization. If they have not succeeded, 

 I can say for all of them it was not due to any intentional 

 neglect of the duties involved on them. We all did our 

 best as far as we knew how. M. C. Ebel, Secretary. 



NEWS OF BOSTON AND VICINITY. 



The landscape gardening class in connection with the 

 Gardeners' and 1-lorisis' Club of T.oston will meet each 

 Monday evening until early in April. The teachers are 

 R. W. .\ldrich and Paul R. Smith. The landscape gar- 

 dening committee of the club comprises W. N. Craig, 

 chairman ; F. E. Palmer and Donald McKenzie. On De- 

 cember 1, in addition to the class studies, Charles E. K. 

 Fraser, of South Natick, spoke on ''Drainage and Road 

 Construction." On December 8 F. E. Palmer gave a 

 very helpful talk on "Planting with the .\id of Dyna- 

 mite." There are twentv-six students in the class. 



The following officers of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society have been elected for 1914: President, 

 John K. M. L. Farquhar; vice-president, Walter Hunne- 

 well ; trustee for one vear, F. O. Ames : trustee for three 

 years, E. B. Dane, S.' M. Weld. Wilfrid Wheeler, E. B. 

 Wilder; delegate to State Board of Agriculture, Na- 

 thaniel T. Kidder; nominating committee, H. A. Clark, 

 John L. Smith. Philip Dexter, A. H. Fewkes, F. S. 

 Moseley. The winter lecture course of this society, com- 

 mencing in January, is as follows : 



January 3. — 'Utilizing Birds in Horticulture." Illustrated. By 

 Edward H. Forbush, Boston. 



January 10. — 'Flower Groupings in a Michigan Garden." Illus- 

 trated. By Mrs. Francis King, Alma, Mich. 



•January 17. — "The Hybrid Tea Rose of Today." By George 

 H. I'eterson. Fair I^wn. N. J". 



January 31. — "Soils and Fertilizers." By Dr. Henry J. Wheeler, 

 Boston. 



February 7. — "Agriculture in Holland and Denmark." By Hon. 

 J. Lewi.s Ellsworth. Worcester. 



February 14. — "Making a New Variety of Asparagus." By J. 

 B. Norton, Washington, D. C. 



February 24-28. — Extension School in Pomology, conducted by 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural College under the auspices of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Lectures as follows: 



February 24. — 9:30 a. m., "Varieties of Fruits," Dr. J. K. 

 Shaw; 10:45 a. m., "Orchard Sites." Prof. F. C. Sears; 1:00 p. ni., 

 "Fertilizers for the Orchard," Mr. Henri Haskins. 



February 25.-9:30 a. m.. "Establishing the Oichard," Mr. R. 

 W. Rees; 10:45 a. ni., "Factors Influencing the Quality of Fruits,'* 

 Dr. Shaw: 1:00 p. m.. 'Orchard Pests." Prof. W. W.'Chenoweth; 

 2:15 p. ni.. "The Spraying Campaign." Jlr. Rees. 



February 26. — 9:30 a. m., "Soil Management in the Orchard," 

 Mr. Rees: 10:45 a. m.. "General Principles of Pruning," Prof. 

 Clienoweth; 1:00 p. m., "Demonstration of Pruning," Mr. Rees 

 and Prof. Sears. 



February 27.-9:30 a. m., "Grafting and Budding," Prof. Cheno- 

 weth; 10:45 a. m., "Picking and Handling Fruit," Prof. Sears; 

 1:00 p. m.. "Packing Apples in Boxes." Mr. Rees; 2:15 p. m., 

 "Packing Apples in Barrels," Prof. Sears. 



February 28.-9:30 a. m.. "Can We Sell Our Apples?" Prof. 

 F. A. Waugh: 10:45 a. m., "Pear Growing." Hon. Wilfrid Wlieeler; 

 1:00 p. ni.. "Co-Operation Among Fruit Growers," Dr. A. E. 

 Canco; 2:15 p. ni.. "Peach Growing," Prof. Waugh. 



March 7. -".Vut Dilture." Illustrated. By Prof. E. R. Lake. 

 Washinston, D. C. 



March 21. — 'Undesirable Foreign Plant Diseases." By Dr. 

 Pcrlcy Spaulding, Washington, T>. C. The John Lewis Russell 

 Lecture. 



IN A GARDEN. 



'I am weary of the garden," 



Said the Rose. 

 'l'"or the autumn winds are sighing 

 .\11 mv ]ilaymates round me dxing, 

 .\nd my leaves will soon be lying, 



'Neath the snow." 



'But I hear my mistress coming," 



Said the Rose. 

 'She will take me to her chamber 

 Where the honey suckles clamber. 

 .\nd I'll bloom there all December, 



Spite of snow." 



— Selected. 



