lor October, 1920 



349 



\\'hat proved to be of the greatest benefit to the gardener 

 and his profession, and to the credit of the association, was 

 the masterly address delivered by W. N. Craig on "The Point 

 of View of the Professional Gardener," before the Garden 

 Club of America, at its meeting in New York City last Spring, 

 and its publication in that organization's official bulletin. As 

 a result, the professional gardener is today regarded in an 

 entirely different light than he formerly was by many owners 

 of country estates. The association is indebted to the Garden 

 Club of America for the opportunitj- to present the cause of 

 the gardener to its members, who include many of the fore- 

 most country estate owners of America. 



The action taken at the Cleveland convention last year 

 to discontinue the standing committees and to have the president 

 appoint special committees as required, was a progressive 

 step, as is indicated by the committee reports. 



The Service Bureau was a busy department of the associa- 

 tion during the past year, bringing many visitors to the office, 

 creating an extensive correspondence, and involving con- 

 siderable additional work for the secretary, who directed the 

 attention of some critical members (who, from the tone of 

 many letters received, appeared to be under the impression 

 that the entire time of the secretary is at their disposal) to the 

 fact that his position is not a salaried one, and consequently, he 

 has to devote some of his time and energy to inatters pertaining 

 to his own personal business. 



The Publicity Campaign of the Service Bureau has ad- 

 vertised it well and estate owners are beginning to learn of 

 this source to which they may turn when seeking tlie services 

 of efficient gardeners. The strong contention that the Service 

 Bureau would never be more than a local service, and could 

 not serve a national purpose, was upset by the visits to the 

 office of country estate owners from Ohio, Illinois. Virginia. 

 Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida, besides many others from 

 eastern states, with communications from as far distant as 

 Arkansas, Nebraska and Montana. What may be regarded 

 as the greatest achievement of the Service Bureau in its 

 efforts to bring country estate owners and their gardeners 

 into closer and more confidential relations, was the success in 

 turning what had been classed as impossible positions into 

 desirable ones, by placing gardeners qualified to meet the 

 particular requirements which the position called for. Those 

 who are most familiar witli the operation of the Service 

 Bureau fully realize that it is still far from perfection, but that 

 it is constantly developing to meet the aims for whicli it is 

 intended. 



The secretary's financial statement showed collec- 

 tions from dues and Service Bureau Publicity 



Fund amounting to $5,155.00 



Expenses of the secretary's office and of the Service 

 Bureau for postage, telephone and telegraph 

 toll, stationery, clerk hire, and the secretary's 

 traveling expenses, amounting to $1,507.54 



The treasurer's report showed disbursements for 

 members' subscriptions to the G.\RnEXERs' 

 Chronicle, advertising the Service Bureau, puli- 

 lishing the 1919 convention report. 1919 conven- 

 tion expenses, general printing, and the secre- 

 tary's office expenditures, making total dis- 

 bursements $5,016.72 



Balance in bank September 10, 1920 2.018.70 



Investment Third Liberty Loan Bond 1.000.00 



The secretary's financial statement and the treasurer's re- 

 port were audited by L. P. Jensen, Peter Duff, George H. 

 Pring. auditint;; committee. 



SPECIAL COMMITTEES' REPORTS 



Service Bureau Publicity Fund Campaign Committee, 



Alexander Michic, chairman, reported that 262 members con- 

 tribute<l to this Fund, which amounted to $1,432.00. It had 

 been estimated that at least $2,500.00 would be collected for 

 this purpose, and as the results were so disappointing, the 

 committee recommended tliat some other method be intro- 

 duced at the convention to secure the necessary funds to 

 continue the publicity and other expenses of the Service 

 Bureau. 



Committee on Quarantine Bill No. 37, W. N. Craig, 

 chairman, reported that at the conference lu-ld by the asso- 

 ciation in New York City last spring, it was unanimously 

 voted to endorse the action taken by the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society to hold a conference of all horticultural 

 bodies interested in the exclusion act. This conference was 

 held in New York Citj' on June 15, at which the \ational 

 Association of Gardeners was represented, and a strong com- 

 mittee appointed which, it is hoped, will be heard from 

 further in an emphatic way. The National .Association of 

 Gardeners, while co-operating in every possible way with 



other organizations that are seeking at least a partial letting 

 down of the bars erected against the importation of prac- 

 tically all plants and many bulbs, plans to continue aggressive 

 work on its own account, and since the June conference 

 aforementioned, has been successful in interesting a number 

 of the employers of the members in the injustice of Quaran- 

 tine Bill No. 37. It hopes, with their support, to obtain such 

 modifications of this quarantine that plants and bulbs which 

 cannot be produced in the Lhiited States may be imported 

 under proper, practical safeguards, so as to preclude any 

 possibility of their carrying dangerous insects and diseases, 

 and thus raise the rigid embargo which shuts out many plants 

 and bulbs that our gardens need, and which are very unlikely 

 to bring in injurious insect pests and diseases. 



.\ motion oft'ered by Montague Free of New York, that the 

 convention go on record as heartily approving the good work 

 accomplished by the Committee on Quarantine No. 37, during 

 the past year and authorizing the committee to continue its ef- 

 forts to secure a moduication of the present drastic regulations; 

 always bearing in mind that as Americans, we stand on all 

 things for America and with "Safetv- First" in all that concerns 

 our great country, was unanimously carried. 



Committee on School Gardens, George H. Pring, chair- 

 man, appointed at the Cleveland convention to assist in 

 the school garden movement in Cleveland, submitted a re- 

 port to the Cleveland Board of Education (as published in 

 the G-\RDENERs' Chronicle), which was accepted by that Board. 

 The outcome was the installation of a Normal School course 

 in horticulture for the regular summer term, or six weeks, 

 to which the chairman of the School Garden Committee had 

 the honor of being called to Cleveland as an instructor. The 

 class included upwards of forty members who were a part 

 of the school garden teaching corps. 



Committee on Interesting Young Men in Gardening, 

 M. C. Ebel. secretary. Following a lengthy discussion at the 

 Cleveland convention on the subject of interesting young 

 men in the profession of gardening, an advisory committee 

 was appointed to co-operate with the secretary and all parties 

 interested to formulate some definite plan to interest young 

 men in gardening, and to provide the necessary training for 

 them by taking the subject up with country estate ow-ners 

 who have the facilities to offer. 



Owing to the committee being widely scattered throughout the 

 country, it has not been possible to get the committee together for 

 a meeting, so in order to keep the movement alive and to report 

 favorably at this convention, the secretary has taken upon himself 

 to do what could be done, seeking the advice and co-operation of 

 the committee through correspondence. 



-A communication was addressed to the prominent members 

 in the trade, catering to the gardener, asking them to co- 

 operate and also to give such financial support as they could 

 to get the movement under way, which would involve an ex- 

 pense in advertising and issuing of literature. Several con- 

 cerns responded that they were interested in the subject. 

 Lord and Burnham Company contributed $100. Contribu- 

 tions were also received from F. F. Drurj', of Cleveland, 

 (J. H. Francis, superintendent), for $100; from E. D. Speck, 

 of Grosse Pointe Shores, (W. H. Griffiths, superintendent), 

 for $20; from James B. Duke, Somerville. X. J.. (James 

 Dymock, gardener), for $25. 



A number of plans were proposed and considered, and the 

 secretary was finally able to interest the School Garden De- 

 partment of the United States Bureau of Education at Wash- 

 ington in its plans. The co-operation of this department 

 has been offered to the committee, and such publicity as will 

 be necessary, furnished to the public press by the department, 

 to call attention to the opportunity the profession has to 

 offer young men as soon as the association is ready to pro- 

 vide positions for those who may manifest interest in taking 

 up the work. 



The subject was taken up with several estate owners. Re- 

 cently Pierre S. du Pont visited the association's office in 

 New York, as he is keenly interested, and said he will do all 

 that is necessary to furnish the proper facilities to train from 

 ei.ght to ten youn,g men on his estate, and we shall have the 

 whole-hearted co-operation of Mr. du Pont in what we are 

 endeavoring to undertake. J. Ogden .Armour, through his 

 superintendent, has advised that he will provide for four 

 young men on his place, and ne.gotiations are under way with 

 several other estate owners, which have not advanced far 

 enough to report on at this time. Your secretary believes, 

 from wliat has been accomplished so far, that there will be 

 no difticulty in obtaining desirable young men. earnest in 

 their intentions, to take up the profession of gardening: and 

 'hat if the subject were presented to the owners of many es- 

 Jates by their superintendents or gardeners, there would be 

 many openin.gs for such trainin.g. The lack of interest shown 

 on the i)art of those members who could effectively co- 



