INAUGURAL MEETING 11 



reconsider the schedule program for the shows as first proposed 

 for this year. 



We planned some months ago to appropriate about $8500 for 

 prizes for flowers, fruits, and vegetable exhibits and to especially 

 feature a vegetable show in the fall by the giving of much larger 

 money prizes than has been customary lately, but we have been 

 forced to reconsider the advisability of this for various reasons. 



In the first place, our income is going to be considerably less, 

 less rentals and less bounty from the State and our necessary 

 expenses are going to be higher, e. g. coal SIOOO.OO more this year 

 than last, so that it is manifestly necessary and advisible to con- 

 serve our resources to the fullest extent. Again, the thought has 

 occurred to us that our Society could and should actively assist 

 in some recognized war charity or work for the benefit of our 

 soldiers and as the best manner of doing this we are planning 

 to make all our important shows Pay Shows, to give no money 

 prizes except in a few special cases where money has been given to 

 be awarded in special ways, and to give all the net receipts to the 

 Red Cross or other as well recognized charity. 



We are going to call upon our amateur and professional growers 

 and our wholesale and retail flower dealers to actively participate 

 in undertaking to make these shows a wonderful success and in 

 that way to contribute a goodly sum to the good cause of charity. 

 The more you think of this, the more I trust you will be favorably 

 impressed with our purposes, and the more you will be determined, 

 I hope, to make the shows a great success. We may well say to 

 ourselves in what other ways can we assist to meet the serious 

 consequences of war? Already our Halls have been used for the 

 Red Cross for three months rent free for surgical dressings work. 



Should we not be considering whether we cannot do more in 

 encouraging the proper planting and growing of commerical crops? 



It is all well enough to stimulate the growing of vegetables, 

 but is not a lot of money wasted doing it as it was done last Spring? 

 If done again this spring, should not proper instruction be given 

 in the matter of fertilizers and the proper method of preparing 

 the ground? If with our resources we could start an advanced 

 course of instruction to teachers in this line of work, it might do 

 much good and save a lot of useless expense. 



