August 19, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



265 



part of the expense the society will 

 have to assume, and I think that a 

 by-law should be passed that would 

 cover this matter in a general way. 

 The officers of our society awakened 

 to the fact a few years ago that our 

 membership was not developing in pro- 

 portion to the expense which we in- 

 curred, and about the same time we 

 also discovered that one of our 

 largest assets, the trade exhibition, 

 was being used as a big joy fund, and 

 in several instances there was enough 

 left, although we all had participated 

 in considerable joy, to fatten the treas- 

 ury of the local organization. 



The necessity of stringent rules 

 for the proper conducting, the charg- 

 ing and rating and the responsibility 

 was apparent, and the rules to manage 

 and maintain that part of conventions 

 were adopted, and the results of that 

 action arc just beginning to be felt. 

 By referring to the report of the Roch- 

 ester meeting it will be found that 

 over $1,500.00 was added to the treas- 

 ury after paying all expenses. Thus 

 wlen we accept invitations from cities 

 that as an inducement give us conces- 

 sions such as hall rent, etc. free, it is 

 of great assistance. This beautiful 

 building has been granted to us by the 

 Baltimore brethren on behalf of the 

 business men of the city on those con- 

 ditions. Then the three principal 

 things for us to consider in the selec- 

 tion of the next place of meeting are: 

 the offering of the hall, the advantage 

 to our trade exhibitors and the oppor- 

 tunity for increase in membership. 



The society has no financial induce- 

 ments to offer any city soliciting the 

 convention. It long has asked that 

 lavish entertainment be done away 

 with, as there is always one enjoyment, 

 greater than any other, that of meet- 

 ing your fellow in trade and exchang- 

 ing ideas. The amount of business 

 we have to do sometimes suffers 

 by the entertainments. I can see the 

 day not far distant when the fourth 

 day on the programme will have to be 

 devoted to business sessions. Very 

 often debates and discussions on sub- 

 jects important to everyone are short- 

 ened for lack of time, and several of 

 our important committees have com- 

 plained, that after a large amount of 

 work and the preparation of a lengthy 

 report, that the matter is hastily 

 rushed through and much that might 

 be gained by discussions is lost. 



I do not wish to be understood as 

 against all entertainment. There never 

 need be any fear of that! The danger, 

 if any, lies in each city trying to outdo 

 the other. 



Convention Shows. 



At the convention in Cincinnati two 

 years ago a resolution was adopted to 

 hold a cut flower and plant exhibition 

 in connection with the trade exhibi- 

 tion. This was attempted at Roches- 

 ter last summer by the Rochester flo- 

 rists who, with the aid of exhibits by 

 trades people, made a creditable show- 

 ing. I am pleased to note that the 

 members of the American Gladiolus 

 Society arc with us as a body, and it 

 is just such exhibits as this that will 

 make the exhibitions possible. 



The Board of Directors has proposed 

 as one way to promote the plant and 

 flower exhibition at the convention, to 

 allow the local people at certain times 

 to admit the public at a reasonable ad- 

 mission, the money thus obtained to 

 help defray the expense of music, dec- 

 orations, etc. 



Rules 1 and 2, as adopted by the 

 Executive Board, should I think be 

 added to our Constitution and By-laws 

 and are as follows: 



1. The society shall control all the 

 features of the trade exhibition. 



2. There shall be appointed annu- 

 ally at the winter meeting of the Ex- 

 ecutive Board a superintendent of ex- 

 hibits and an advisory committee of 

 three. Said superintendent shall have 

 general charge of all details of the 

 annual exhibition. He shall receive 

 all applications for space and assign 

 the same in the order in which they 

 are received by him. He shall furnish 

 the society, through the secretary 

 thereof, a list of the exhibitors ami 

 exhibits by 1.00 P. M. on the day of 

 opening the convention. He shall also 

 furnish the secretary with a list of 

 novelties and new devices submitted 

 for awards, said list to be for the use 

 of the judges. 



He shall make no expenditure ex- 

 ceeding $10 in amount without the 

 consent of the advisory committee. He 

 shall keep full detailed records of re- 

 ceipts and expenditures and other mat- 

 ters of importance relating to the ex- 

 hibition. Immediately after the close 

 of the convention he shall make a 

 complete report, which, after having 

 been audited and approved by the ad- 

 visory committee, shall be forwarded 

 with the records of the exhibition to 

 the secretary. All money collected by 

 him shall be forwarded from time to 

 time, without undue delay, to the sec- 

 retary. All bills incurred shall be en- 

 dorsed by him and submitted to the 

 advisory committee for approval, after 

 which they shall be sent to the secre- 

 tary for payment by the treasurer of 

 the society. 



The advisory committee shall act as 

 an advisory and audit board, subject 

 to instructions of the Executive Board, 

 and in case of disagreement between 

 them and the superintendent their de- 

 cision shall be final except it be re- 

 viewed by the Executive Board. 



My reason for this is that it has 

 taken years of work to bring this fea- 

 ture up to its present standard and a 

 matter in which the revenue involved 

 is so large in comparison with the 

 total amount of dues received, should 

 be under the control of the society- 

 proper. The details should be left as 

 they now are. in the control of the 

 Board, as minor changes are very 

 often necessary. 



Membership. 

 This is one of the great problems 

 that confronts us, and in proportion 

 to the growth of all branches of our 

 business, it suffers by comparison. 

 Reasons and theories have been ad- 

 vanced but when the benefits derived 

 are considered it seems incredible. 

 True, we are slowly and steadily grow- 

 ing. Our secretary's report will show 

 that we made a fine gain during the 

 national show at Boston, and the re- 

 sults of recent efforts with which you 

 are familiar through the literature re- 

 ceived will also be given you, but 

 when our tariff and legislation com- 

 mittees go before bodies of whom we 

 are asking our rights, they immedi- 

 ately want to know who we are, and 

 whom we represent, and our member- 

 ship of only eleven hundred does not 

 signify that we are as strong as we 

 should be to obtain proper recognition. 

 By carefully examining the secretary's 

 reports we find that our gains in mem- 



bership are almost entirely at conven- 

 tions or national flower shows and in 

 some cities where we had reason to 

 i the largest increase we were 

 disappointed, and for the reason, we 

 have discovered, that the open hand of 

 hospitality was so far reaching. The 

 craft in general has been invited, re- 

 gardless of their being attached to any 

 organization. Just so long as they were 

 florists they were feted and treated, 

 and went away happy but forgot the 

 magnitude of hospitality offered them 

 through the members of the society 

 and the society itself. 



We have been so liberal that we 

 thought it would be terrible if, when 

 a florist came to the outer doors of 

 ili' tabernacle and asked for admis- 

 sion, we would a.sk him if he was a 

 member, but does not the work of you 

 gentlemen for the past 26 years in 

 their interests demand support? Aye, 

 and so for several years past we have 

 asked that in consideration for his 

 membership we shall pin upon his 

 bosom the highest token of honor, the 

 leaf and emblem of our national or- 

 ganization, which grants the right to 

 our festive occasions and business 

 meetings. Not to be severe with those 

 that are paying for space in our trade 

 exhibitions we have granted them the 

 privilege, by personal recognition, of 

 bringing into the building our broth- 

 ers in the trade, and we have always 

 hoped and trusted that before they re- 

 tired they would join in our ranks — 

 this has helped us gain some members 

 and it will continue to do so just as 

 long as we adhere to this policy. 



A natural increase in membership 

 also comes from the convention being 

 held in new localities where the so- 

 ciety has not held its meetings for 

 several years, and in the selection for 

 the place for the next meeting, this 

 should be given due consideration. 



The Elections. 

 I am now going to voice the senti- 

 ments expressed by several of my 

 predecessors and say that the presi- 

 dent of our society ought to have had 

 experience on the Executive Board to 

 make him better fitted for the office. 

 I am also in favor of the election of 

 the Hoard of Directors by the society. 

 I think that the selection of the men 

 to perform the important work of the 

 Board would be better left to the dis- 

 cretion of a number of men rather 

 than to the several presidents. On the 

 contrary with the offices of secretary 

 and treasurer, their work has to be 

 scrutinized by the Board, who are also 

 the instigators of a large proportion 

 of their work. If perchance the offices 

 were not satisfactorily filled, and sat- 

 isfactorily means judiciously, prompt- 

 ly, correctly and obediently, there is 

 no immediate redemption. Their 

 official capacity is better known to' 

 the Board to whom are entrusted the 

 welfare of the society and the greater 

 proportion of our serious questions, 

 therefore why not this? 



Trade Exhibits and Officers. 

 In conducting the trade exhibit it 

 has been the custom to hire a superin- 

 tendent and as a recompense allow 

 him 10 per cent of the gross amount 

 derived from the rentals of space, 

 which for several years past have 

 amounted to from $225.00 to $250.00, 

 and on several occasions an additional 

 $50.00 has been allowed as expense out- 

 side of the ordinary requirements. 



