January 31, 1P14 



HOETICULTUR 



E 



117 



in legard to plant deterioration in 

 many of our standard varieties. Are 

 they dettrioratiug? It is a question. 

 We may go to some establislinients 

 and find certain standard varieties 

 looking very poorly, while in others 

 we may see the same varieties linished 

 in a manner that leaves nothing to be 

 desired. May not any difference be 

 due entirely to methods of growing, 

 chemical changes in soil, or some 

 other cause? 



Duty to the Society. 

 When we consider the large number 

 of carnation growers in the country, 

 it is to be deplored that so few of 

 them think it well to become members 

 of this Society. It cannot he that the 

 question of the amount of dues is re- 

 sponsible, for they are small indeed. 

 It must be a lack on the part of many 

 growers to realize the tremendous 

 amount of work done by the Society 

 in the direction of the improvement 

 of the standing of the carnation, and 

 the great benefit to be gained through 

 organization. It is not an individual 

 benefit which anyone might receive 

 from organizations of this character, 

 that should be looked for, but rather 

 the general good and high standing of 

 our business, which is best obtained 

 by such a body as our own. Can we 

 not increase our membership, at least 

 to a point which shall make our So- 

 ciety more thoroughly representative 

 of the whole trade? It might be pos- 

 sible to compile a list of growers of 

 carnations in this country and Canada, 

 and when the same is available, our 

 secretary could send out a letter ap- 

 pealing to such growers who are not 

 already members, to come into the 

 fold. This is merely a suggestion. 



The Program and the Outlook. 



Our program for the meeting em- 

 braces essays by some of our well- 

 known growers, on subjects which are 

 very pertinent to the Society's work. 

 It is pleasing to note that some of 

 the spirit expressed at our former 

 meetings is again :r,anifest. We all 

 remember the very interesting papers 

 and discussions which entered into 

 our Society's work in years past, and 

 many of us have been benefited 

 through the information thus brought 

 out. Wliile, of course, a great deal 

 of the formative work of the Society 

 has been accomplished, new theories 

 and ideas are advanced continually, 

 and there could hardly be any better 

 time for Iheir consideration than at 

 our annual meeting, when they could 

 be disdussed by some of our most 

 noted growers. 



It may be that we have reached the 

 highest point of development of the 

 carnation, as regards size, but no 

 doubt there are many lines of im- 

 provement open, among them increased 

 productiveness, iiiTjirovement in color 

 and more variety of color, and certain- 

 1.V there is need for the develoi)ment 

 of greater fragrance in our seedlings. 

 This subject was touched upon by our 

 ex-president at our last meeting. 



I hope that the sessions of this con- 

 vention will be well attended and (hat 

 all in attendance will feel free to dis- 

 cuss the many questions which may 

 arise, and that our deliberations and 

 decisions will be the tiltimate benefit 

 of the Society so dear to us. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Secretary A. P. .1. Baur then read 

 the following report : 



Your secretary begs leave to report 

 on the past year's work as follows: 



We are pleased to report a slight 

 increase in the membership this year, 

 instead of the decrease suffered each 

 year for several years past. We now 

 have 285 annual members and 12 life 

 members in good standing: ?,<] of these 

 owe for 1913. Since the last report 

 37 new members have been taken in 

 and five old delinquent members have 

 paid up. Thirty-two have been 

 dropped from active membership on 

 account of failure to pay the 1912 dues, 

 so that at the present time we have 

 an increase of 10 active members over 

 last year. This seems to be getting 

 back to the old order of a slight in- 

 crease each year. 



Since the last audit was taken, the 

 secretary has collected moneys as 

 follows: — 



Jtembership fees }!321.00 



AdvertLsing 265 5'' 



Dorner Fund ii'29 



Misoellaueous T99.0O 



'''ol'i' . $1,590.81 



A. F. J. Baur. 



Sei-retary, Aiiiei-ican Carnation Society. 

 All of which was turned over to the 

 treasurer and his receipt taken there- 

 for, except $101.50, which came in 

 while the audit was being taken. This 

 includes $708.00, the amount of the 

 cash premiums awarded for carna- 

 tions at the National Flower Show in 

 Xew York last spring and which the 

 managomcnt turned over to us for dis- 

 tribution. 



The books of the secretary and 

 treasurer were audited by a profes- 

 sional accountant and found correct, 

 as is shown by his report, which will 

 follow the report of the treasurer. 

 All accounts owing by the society were 

 paid promptly by the treasurer on 

 warrants drawn by the secretary and 

 signed by the president. 



The annual report was printed and 

 distributed among the members, as is 

 customary. The schedule of pre- 

 miums for this exhibition was delayed 

 slightly on account of several matters 

 ■which needed to be adjusted at the 

 time of the fall flower show. 



Five new varieties were registered 

 with this society since the last report 

 went to press. The register is gradu- 

 ally nearing completion, although we 

 are still getting additional data which 

 is lacking. Our thanks are due the 

 trade press for printing gratuitously 

 all matter given them for publication, 

 and assisting in gathering information 

 regarding some of the varieties we 

 intended to drop for lack of data. 



The change in the method of con- 

 ducting our meetings seems to have 

 stimulated interest and is no doubt at 

 least partly responsible for the im- 

 proved condition of the membership 

 roll. The plan of relieving the local 

 contingent of all financiai responsi- 

 bility is meeting with general ap- 

 proval and should cause our conven- 

 tions to be in great demand. We hope 

 this year, to gather all the informa- 

 tion possible, in the way of attendance, 

 expenses, etc., for use in arranging 

 tor future meetings. The local com- 

 mittee has labored harmoniously for 

 the success of this meeting and our 

 thanks are due them for carrying out 

 so completely the wishes and instruc- 

 tions of your oflicers. They deserve 

 special commendation for the display 

 of retail work, put up here. Our 

 thanks are also due the growers who 

 donated the blooms used for this dis- 

 play. 



The Board of Directors held its 

 midsummer meeting in the S. A. F. & 

 O. H. convention hall at Minneapolis, 

 Minn., on August 21st, 1913. A report 

 of the transactions will be read at this 

 meeting for the purpose of getting 

 suggestions on several matters and 

 your approval of the board's action in 

 regard to the Medal of Merit. 



TREASURER'S REPORT. 



Treasurei- F. E. Dorner's report was 

 presented as follows: 



EXPENSES. 



I'aid per orders on Treasurer $1,504.78 



i;:il:inc-e. cash on hand .Ian. 20, 

 V.m 780.04 



$2,284.82 

 KECEIPTS. 



Balance Feb. 2,S, 191S .$690.84 



lie.eivcrt cash 1,593.98 



$2,284.82 

 I'EK.MA.NENT I'T'NI-). 



Balance Feb. 28, Wl.'i $2.G2D.ni 



Invested at 4 per cent. 



DORNER MEMORIAL FUND. 



Balance Feb. 28, 1913 $1,018.71 



Interest to Jan. 1, 1914...^. 41.13 



$1,059.84 

 PAID OUT. 



Pnl: in modal for 1913 $18.71 



Transferred to General Fund 



for 1914 Medal 40.00 



5S.71 



Balance, 4 per cent interest $1,001.13 



F. E. DORNER, Trcns. 



The auditors then presented their 

 report confirming the same. 



Itoport of directors was next read 

 by the secretary and in accordance 

 with the recommendations in the same, 

 Peter Fisher was awarded a special 

 medal for having produced Beacon. 



NEXT MEETING PLACE. 



Bufl'alo was selected as the meeting 

 place for next year and the officers 

 were then nominated as follows; all 

 being chosen unanimously. 



NOMINATION OF OFFICERS. 



President S. .T. Goddard; Vice Presi- 

 dent, W. P. Kasting; Secretary, G. F. 



