750 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



. . . Motion seconded and carried. . . . 



PRESIDENT CRAIG; You have lieaid the nominations, 

 arc tlierc any further suggestions? 



A MEMBER: I would Hke to suggest the name of H. E. 

 Downer. 



... A motion tliat nominations be closed was carried. 



Is there any unfinished business to come up at this time? 



Have the gentlemen drawn up resokitions regarding re- 

 forestation and preservation? Will they read their recom- 

 mendations at this time? 



Resolution on Reforestation as Follows: 



\\'e. the National Association of Gardeners, assembled in 

 convention in the city of New York, recommend that imme- 

 diate action on the part of the United States Government be taken 

 upon the reforestation of the devastated area of this great 

 country. We also suggest that the private estate owners 

 should likewise support this plan of arboriculture: G. H. 

 Pring, Robert Cameron, D. L. Mackintosh. 



PRESIDENT CRAIG: You have heard this resolution, 

 what are your wishes? 



I\IR. GRAY: I should say that we drew up this resolution 

 at our convention in New York City. 



. . . The motion was seconded and carried at this time 

 witli the amendment of Mr. Gray. . . . 



PRESIDENT CRAIG: The next in order is a resolution 

 of the Committee of Preservation of Native Flora. 



Resolution on Preservation of Native Flora as Follows: 



Whereas, we, the National Association of Gardeners, assembled 

 in convention in the city of New York, October 11 to 14, 

 1921, therefore be it 



Resolved: That this Association go on record as opposed to 

 the depredation and destruction of our native flora by tourists 

 and others who oftimes do this unwittingly: John Barnet, 

 Robert Weeks and John F. Johnston. 



. . . Motion made for the adoption of resolution as read 

 and carried. . . . 



Local Branches 



PRESIDENT CRAIG: Mr. Gray asks about the forma- 

 tion of a branch of the National Association of Gardeners. 

 This is the opportunity to bring that matter up. Has any 

 member anvthing he wishes to say concerning this subject? 



MR. WEEKS: Perhaps, the Secretary will kindly tell us 

 how these branches were formed, how they work. 



SECRETARY EBEL: These branches are organized by 

 gardeners in different communities, nothing in our by-laws 

 provides for them; they consist of a Chairman and a Secre- 

 tary, and whenever anything comes up of interest they call 

 a meeting. I believe in Newport they meet once a month. 

 Nassau County had a meeting a couple of months ago and 

 they appointed a Chairman, also a Clerk, and they decided 

 to meet once a quarter unless something special comes up, 

 then thev will call a meeting, outside of the regular one. 



MR. WEEKS: Do the branches of the National Associa- 

 tion have to pay any dues other than the dues that are paid 

 in the National Association? What plan of co-operation have 

 they with the National Association? 



SECRETARY EBEL: There is no plan of co-operation at 

 present except if they want to submit anything to the Asso- 

 ciation at its convention, then we are supposed to act upon 

 it. We had some resolutions at the St. Louis Convention, 

 from Newport and some from Cleveland. 



These resolutions did not come before the convention in 

 the right form. These resolutions could not be acted upon 

 because they were not published. 



. . . A motion was made that a Committee be appointed 

 to draw up rules and regulations for the formation of these 

 branches. . . . 



PRESIDENT CRAIG: At the last Convention a com- 

 munication was read from Newport, one of the branches 

 of the National Association. It is stated here in the dis- 

 cussion which followed the reading of this letter that the 

 local branches would be of material aid to the progress of 

 the Association and the proof of the interest could be se- 

 cured among local people which is not now shown. The 

 suggestion that that article be added to the by-laws could 

 riot be acted upon as the by-laws provide an amendment 

 must be published ten days before the annual meeting. This 

 was pointed out to Newport and other local branches that 

 similar branches could be organized elsewhere without special 

 provisions in the by-laws. 



MR. STEW'ART: It seems to me that since our organiza- 

 tion is a national one, there ought to be some locals in con- 

 nection with the National Society. It is very hard to get 

 the sentiment throughout the country unless we have local 



branches, but as it is now so loosely constructed they think 

 there is no affiliation, as you might say. We have no control 

 over the Association and they have no control over us. 

 There ought to be some way of binding up these local 

 associations so that they would be responsible to some head 

 soniewhere. 



MR. BARNET: Mr. Stewart is right. If local branches 

 are atfiliated they will have a chance to send delegates whose 

 expenses will be paid. Then we will have the sentiments of 

 the whole country, not local sections like New York, New 

 Jersey, etc. It may have some important bearing on what 

 we are discussing. 



A MEMBER: I don't believe we are really gaining any- 

 thing unless there is co-operation between the National 

 Association of Gardeners and all the different gardeners 

 existing at the present time. I firmly believe that co-opera- 

 tion as far as it goes is good but the trouble is that it is 

 hard to get co-operation from the different societies. You 

 members in different organizations know the feeling. If I 

 criticise, I ought to bring a remedy, and I believe that if such 

 a thing could be done it would be to get all the different 

 societies to officially recognize the Association and have a 

 certain space of time allotted to debating on the National 

 Association of Gardeners and their affairs. At the present 

 time the gardeners do not think that the Association's affairs 

 are part of their fraternity. 



MR. PRING: I would like to speak a few minutes with 

 reference to what the St. Louis Association of Gardeners are 

 doing. We have a membership of over one hundred mem- 

 bers, and a membership, of course, for employers who usually 

 come down when we discuss National Association business 

 at our meetings. We are very enthusiastic about our Asso- 

 ciation, we have an average of between forty and fifty mem- 

 bers present at general meetings once a month. We presume 

 ourselves to be a branch of the National Association and 

 discussed mediums, etc. before the local branch, when the 

 next meeting was to take place, and the happenings of this 

 convention. I then will have the pleasure of telling all the 

 things that were brought up in this meeting. Now, we are 

 a long way from the national headquarters and we find it is 

 a little difficult to get the local men interested in the Na- 

 tional Association, that was the main objection of a few men 

 and we got the National Association meeting there in 

 convention. 



Now if you men in the East would get together a little 

 more and form gardeners' associations in various communi- 

 ties or states you would find you would be one hundred 

 per cent, better off and you would get more co-operation 

 from the National Association. Then you could get the 

 members together and thrash everything out and it could be 

 brought before the directors of the meetings. I think that 

 we should have sub-branches, as you might call it, of the 

 National Association scattered throughout the country. This 

 is not an Eastern organization but has spread out West as 

 far as St. Louis and we are trying to spread it further West. 

 If we can reach the Pacific Coast, so much the better. We 

 look over the news that is given to The Chronicle, we read 

 with interest what Newport, Nassau, etc., are doing, but 

 outside of that what do we hear of gardeners' associations in 

 the East? In our local association we admit not only gardeners, 

 but also men who are not gardeners but who are working for 

 the profession trying to uplift it. We get them into the organi- 

 zation and every Winter we outline a certain course of addresses 

 and lectures where we talk on various subjects relative to 

 gardening. 



MR. THOMSON: Would it not be possible to^ make a 

 motion that a committee be appointed to take this matter 

 up all over the country? 



AIR. BAXTER: We hold meetings all over the district 

 and are invited to go to different places and when we get 

 real ha'-d up we go to the city greenhouses and we always 

 find them open to us. I think the whole failure throughout 

 the country is due to lack of co-operation. 



MR. JOHNSON: We should have local branches all 

 over the States so questions could be brought forward and 

 full meetings held at which detailed discussions would take 

 place. I don't know whether our standing is really illegal 

 or otherwise. 



MR. BAXTER: This Association is incorporated but you 

 may find local branches of no standing, nevertheless the 

 matter is brought up in file .Association. 



I don't see whv branches could not be organized. 



MR. STEW.ART: There is a very poor representation 

 here at this Convention. Gardeners are in very peculiar posi- 

 tions. Lhiforeseen things arise, they cannot carry out plans 

 as they want to. One man up in Massachusetts fully in- 

 tended to be here but things in connection with his estate 



