272 



HORTICULTURE 



August 21, ISO* 



most detailed knowledge of foreign 

 methods is desirable. It seems likely 

 that if this society made application to 

 the Secretai-y of Agriculture, that of- 

 ficial would order an investigation and 

 would secure and furnish to us all the 

 data obtainable. I recommend that our 

 Secretary be instructed to ask for this 

 information in the name of this 

 Society. 



The work of committees is often 

 made harder because it is the custom 

 to make them consist of three or more 

 members and to have the members 

 hall from different sections. My judg- 

 ment is that for many purposes only 

 one man should be appointed on a 

 committee, except such committees as 

 are expected to do their work during 

 the time of the convention. Have it 

 thoroughly understood that the com- 

 mitteeman can temporarily call to his 

 assistance any other member or num- 

 ber of members, but that wherever he 

 goes he is the committee and does not 

 need to await the action of any other 

 member. 



The Secretary of the society and the 

 President ought to be kept advised of 

 the progress being made by all com- 

 mittees. When it can be done without 

 interference with the work of the com- 

 mittee, such progress should be re- 

 ported to the trade press by the Sec- 

 retary. 



The florists of Illinois have suc- 

 ceeded in getting substantial recog- 

 nition from the legislature with an 

 appropriation that permits the main- 

 tenance of a florists department of the 

 State Experiment Station. A like 

 result could doubtless be obtained in 

 other states if the florists here worked 

 for it as 'energetically as did the 

 florists of Illinois. 



Our retiring Secretary, Mr. Rudd, 

 has taken a keen personal interest in 

 this movement and I suggest that if 

 he were made a committee of one to 

 follow up this work the trade at large 

 might be induced to pull together for 

 greater recognition of their needs and 

 their strength with great resulting 

 benefits to florists generally. 



Sports. 



The matter of Sports at our conven- 

 tions has been referred to by many of 

 my predecessors. I am firmly of the 

 opinion that any clean, healthful 

 sport is a good thing for any man 

 who gives the most of his time to 

 work. Bowling and shooting contests 

 have enough of an attraction so that 

 they often turn the scale and bring to 

 the convention some men who other- 

 wise would not attend. Local bowling 

 clubs do much to bring the florists of 

 a community together and in the en- 

 joyment of contests of skill, petty 

 quarrels are forgotten so that a friendly 

 feeling generally exists among those 

 attending. 



The time has gone by, if it ever was, 

 when a man must be a rowdy in order 

 to enjoy or participate in a trial of 

 physical skill. These matters must be 

 kept in their proper place and not be 

 allowed to interfere with or over- 

 shadow the convention itself; but as 

 at present conducted, I look upon them 

 as both useful and desirable. 



There is much in this address which 

 is not new, but has been urged by my 

 predecessors. I offer no apology for 

 again pressing these things upon you, 

 but if you will take the time to re- 



view our annual reports you will find 

 many useful suggestions that have 

 been brought forward by other Presi- 

 dents and which would make this ad- 

 dress too long if I were to review them 

 here. 



Before closing I wish to assure the 

 members of this society that not my- 

 self alone, but the florists of Colorado, 

 also, keenly appreciate the recognition 

 you have given them by the selection 

 ot one of their number to preside over 

 this Convention. At the close of our 

 last Convention, Colorado had seven 

 names enrolled as members of the so- 

 ciety and seldom more than one or two 

 have been in attendance at the Con- 

 vention. At the present time Colorado 

 hag over forty members enrolled and 

 are here today. 



That her thanks have taken this 

 substantial form is largely due to the 

 untiring energy of N. A. Benson, State 

 Vice-President. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Secretary Rudd then presented his 

 annual report: 



Starting out with bad conditions and 

 dismal prospects financially, greatly in- 

 creased general interest in the Society 

 since the first of January and the con- 

 sequent large accessions of new mem- 

 bers and re-instatement of old ones in 

 default, have converted what looked 

 almost sure to be a year of stationary 

 or backward conditions into a de- 

 cidedly successful one. 



From the financial point of view the 

 convention at Niagara Falls was a de- 

 cided failure. Many causes led to this. 

 Of course the general business depres- 

 sion through which we had passed had 

 a strong effect, and it is doubtful 

 whether a very successful convention 

 could have been held last year at any 

 place. The writer believes, however, 

 that it is a serious mistake to hold con- 

 ventions of this society In any location 

 where there are not large trade inter- 

 ests. In the first place, we lose the 

 enthusiastic work of a good strong 

 body of local florists. The difference 

 between conditions in this, respect at 

 Niagara Falls and what they are here, 

 will. I am sure, be noticed by evej-y 

 member who attended both conven- 

 tions. In addition to that loss, which 

 is so great that it can hardly be over- 

 estimated, we have the lack of draw- 

 ing power to our members. The bulk 

 ot the florists in this country are not 

 wealthy men, but they are shrewd, 

 prudent business men, and the trip to 

 the convention for them must be 

 shown advantageous to the highest de- 

 gree in a business way; and unless 

 they can have added to the pleasures 

 and the advantages of the convention 

 proper, a chance to examine and in- 

 spect greenhouse establishments, suc- 

 cessful retail flower shops, wholesale 

 establishments and other like supple- 

 mentary things which they all consider 

 of great value to them in a business 

 way, many will not feel justified in 

 giving the time and going to the ex- 

 pense 01 a trip to the convention. In 

 short, many of our members do not 

 cave enough for scenery to pay much 

 money for it, and it seems to your sec- 

 retary that never again, unless condi- 

 tions are exceptional, should this socie- 

 ty go to outlying cities like Niagara 

 Falls or Aslieville. At Niagara Falls 

 we only received 50 new members, 

 while the writer will be disappointed if 



we do not add 250 to our membership 

 roll at this place. Fortunately the 

 National Flower Show was an event 

 which attracted great interest (in fact 

 I think by it we lo.st the attendance of 

 a good many people at the Niagara 

 Falls Convention) and we were, during 

 the progress of the show, enabled to 

 take in nearly as many new members 

 as at Niagara Falls. 



The financial statements attached to 

 this report, as well as the treasurer's 

 report, will show a gratifying increase 

 in the General Fund and an unusually 

 good increase in the Permanent Fund. 

 The custom of adding all interest re- 

 ceived on both funds to the permanent 

 fund has been continued and the latter 

 fund has now reached so large aa 

 amount that the interest on it is quite- 

 an item. Steps are being taken to 

 make permanent investments of this 

 fund which will secure larger interest 

 returns than are obtained at present. 

 Starting out 25 years ago with no pat- 

 tern to follow excepting foreign horti- 

 cultural societies which were organized 

 to fit different conditions, our society 

 has had to try many experiments and 

 abandon many of them. We are now 

 just beginning to get our bearings and 

 to see clearly the work which lies be- 

 fore us. Personally the writer believes- 

 that we shall never really and truly 

 come to our own, except through the 

 nursing into a rapid growth of our per- 

 manent fund. The society will never 

 be what it should be and can never ac- 

 complish what it should accomplish for 

 the floricultural interests, until it has 

 a permanent home of its own with am- 

 ple glass structures for the testing of 

 new varieties and for the growing and 

 maintaining in the best condition of a 

 large and representative collection of 

 subjects adaptable to American condi- 

 tions. This is going to take an enor- 

 mous amount of money and we must 

 not be impatient and attempt to start 

 this sort of work until the funds at our 

 disposal are suflicient to make a rea- 

 sonably good beginning. At that time 

 the writtr hopes that the strength and 

 influence of the society will be so great 

 that the national government can be 

 induced to assist directly in the work. 



There are three sources aside from 

 government assistance to which we can 

 look for strengthening our permanent 

 fund. First, of course, in fact the 

 only one which has up to date been of 

 much effect, has been the life member- 

 ships and the compounding of the in- 

 terest, which has been steadily going 

 on. 



Second is the trade exhibition which 

 has grand possibilities but which we 

 seem to have largely overlooked here- 

 tofore. The present method of taking 

 the entii'e trade exhibition matter di- 

 rectly into the hands of the society it- 

 self, is a move in the right direction 

 and I believe will show excellent re- 

 sults this year. The charges for space 

 have been experimentally fixed very 

 low. The writer is convinced they are 

 altogether too low and that, unlike the 

 tariff, they should be revised upwards. 

 Careful handling of this matter, your 

 secretary is convinced, will very short- 

 ly produce an income greater than 

 your entire present revenue, both gen- 

 eral fund and permanent. 



The third source ot income is one 

 that has never been exploited, so far 

 as I know, namely, bequests and do- 

 nations. In the 25 years of the exist- 



