68 



The Florists^ Review 



June 28. 1917. 



LiGE Eayl, for many years a prominent 

 nurseryman of Hutchinson, Kan., and a 

 leacier in state politics, died recently 

 following an operation for appendicitis. 



Harlan P. Kelsey has been absent 

 from his office at Salem, Mass., since 

 early in June, having been called by the 

 government in connection with the mili- 

 tary cantonments being erected in vari- 

 ous parts of the country. "When last 

 heard from he was at Louisville, Ky., 

 and did not expect to be able to reach 

 Philadelphia for the A. A. N. conven- 

 tion. 



A. A. N. IN ANNUAL SESSION. 



Meeting This Week at Philadelphia. 



The American Association of Nursery- 

 men was organized in 1876. It has met 

 at Boston, Mass., at Dallas, Tex., at 

 Portland, Ore., and at many points be- 

 tween, but this week it is paying itg 

 first visit to Philadelphia. It has taken 

 a long time to get around, and it does 

 not appear to have helped the attend- 

 ance, as the opening day found only 

 about 200 persons on hand, which is con- 

 siderably less than had been expected. 



Spring business has not been up to 

 tlie mark and ])ractically every member 

 is trying to get a line on the future, on 

 the ])robabilities in the matter of de- 

 mand and the course the trade at large 

 will take to meet the situation. Al- 

 though the framers of the program ig- 

 nored the fact that tlie United States 

 has gone to war, the war and its bear- 

 ing on tlie nursery trade constitutes the 

 principal subject for conversation out- 

 side tlie meeting room. The report is 

 general tliat tlie war caused the post- 

 ponement of many large landscaping 

 undertakings and that the hurrah for 

 (juick increase in food production caused 

 neglect of fruit tree planting. 



Two Years of High Dues, 



This meeting came at the end of the 

 second year's trial of the new ])lan of 

 organization under which dues are as- 

 sessed according to the size of the mem- 

 bers' business and the talk alioiit tlie 

 liotel indicates a disjxisition to consider 

 the results of tlie cliange. It apj)ears 

 that the length of the nu'iii])ership roll 

 has not been a])])recial)ly affected by 

 the increased cost of membership and 

 the necessity for making a statement of 

 the api)roximate size of one's turnover. 

 The receijits from dues have increased 

 to a less extent than many expected, in 

 view of the fact that all members doing 

 above $100,000 per year contribute $50 

 a year additional to tlie fund and all 

 doing over $.")0,00(i ])ay $L\") additional. 

 Of course the failure to realize the full 

 expectation of revenue has retarded the 

 develojiment of tiie new activities. The 

 association has ambitious plans, and on 

 certain ones not requiring much money 

 excellent progress has been made, but 

 where considerable funds are required 

 not much more tlian progress could be 

 reported. The committees, as hereto- 

 fore, have, done much public-spirited 

 work without compensation. 



An Early Start. 



Although the opening of the conven- 

 tion was not progi'amed before June 27, 

 the work actually began bright and 

 early in the morning of June 25, for 

 which hour a special meeting of the 

 executive committee had been called 

 with the request that members of the 

 advisory board and chairmen of all 

 standing committees be present. Dur- 

 ing that day and the next several of 

 the committees held the only meeting 

 it has been possible for them to have 

 during the year, for the discussion and 

 approval of reports prepared by the 

 chairmen. 



As usual, the first business session of 

 the convention, called to order about 

 10 a. m. June 27, was devoted wholly 

 to routine matters, beginning with short 

 welcome by James E. Cattell, represent- 

 ing the city government. After reports 

 by the secretary and treasurer a number 

 of committees reported, the followdng 

 being called: 



Hail Insuruncp, Frank A. Weber, cliairniaii. 

 Nursery, Mo. 



Nomenclature. J. Horace McFarland, chair- 

 man, Harrisburg, I'a. 



Standardization, Hurlan P. Kelsey, cliairman, 

 Salem, Mass. 



Landscape. W. H. Wynian, chairman, North 

 Abington, Mass. 



Publicity, F. L. Atkins, cliairman, Ruther- 

 ford, N. J. 



Telegrapliic Code, R. C. Chase, chairman. 

 Chase, Ala. 



Transportation, Cliarles M. Sizemore, chair- 

 man, Waxaliacliie, Tex. 



The hail insurance committee is ne- 

 gotiating with a mutual cyclone and 

 hail insurance association to take care 

 of the trade. 



Beports of other committees, with 

 the report of the counsel, were reserved 

 for the executive session in the after- 

 noon, when the following were called: 



I.CKisIation, William I'itkin, chairman. Roches- 

 ter, .\. V. 



Arbitration, M'. C. Reed, chairman. Viiicennes, 

 Ind. 



Distribution, M. R. Casliman, (liuirman, Owa- 

 tonna, Minn. 



Tariff, Irving Rouse, chairman. Rocliester, 

 N. Y. 



The arbitration committee had two 

 cases under adjustment when it met in 

 Phila<lelj»hia June 25. 



Tiie tariff committee reported sjiccial 

 interest in maintaining the i)resent sjie- 

 cific duties, ad valorem causing much 

 trouble and annoyance. 



There was discussion of "Two Years 

 Tinder the New Constitution," led bv 

 Henry P. Chase. 



The Business Year. 



Tlie rejiort of Treasurer Youiigers 

 showed the business year, as follows: 

 RECEII'TS. 



.'5al. .Tune L>S. litlO j; 7,R44.r,7 



Received from dues jiiid badtjf hook... .">!(>42.S;i 



■''"fill .$i:i,4S7.r,0 



DISIilRSEMKNTS. 



'I'o Curtis Nye Smith, atty. and se<y..$ .■>..">18.44 



'l"(> .lolin Hall, former secy m9.22 



rrinting. etc S.">s!3H 



Iteporting 1910 convention 8."). 0(1 



Committee expenses l,l!9r(.,Si> 



Treasurer's salary ' .'iO.OO 



Total . . 

 Hal. .Tune 



191' 



$ S.lL'6.43 



.">,.361.07 



Total $l.S.4S7..-.0 



The receipts for the first year under 



the new plan of organization, during 

 which John Hall was secretary, were 

 $5,829.85. In the last year under the old 

 plan, with dues at $5 per year regardless 

 of the size of the members' business, 

 the receipts were $3,151.90. 



How to Make It Pay. 



At the executive meeting June 27 J. 

 H. Dayton, of Painesville, O., discussed 

 the all-important topic, ' ' How to Make 

 the Nursery Business Feed and Clothe 

 Us and Pay Our Debts." He showed 

 up the trade's weak points and con- 

 cluded with the following advice: 



First. Cut all unnecessary expense, but do 

 not figure so close on help tliat stock will suf- 

 fer or your blocks produce second or tliird grades 

 which should be first. 



Second. Fix a fair price, so that if the stock 

 sells it will give a profit, ^lIowing for increased 

 cost of both growing and* selling. 



Third. Stick to your prices. 



Fourth. Do not figure tliat because everybody 

 else is hard up and will decrease tlieir plantings, 

 .vou will keep yours up or increase. Make your 

 planting list correspond witli tlie demand for 

 your products. 



Fifth. If the first war year proves to be a 

 blighter on our business, borrow a little more 

 and pull through; better years are bound to 

 come. 



Sixth. Keep your chin up, your feet on tlie 

 ground, your faith in God and the United States 

 at white heat, your faith in the nursery out- 

 come still hotter, and know tliat tlie Ixird helps 

 those who help themselves, that 500 nurserymen 

 working together, each willing to give the "otlier 

 499 members and everyone of their customers an 

 absolutely sijuare deal, and we will be as near 

 sure to succeed as anything subject to liuman 

 control can be in this world. 



The Dinner. 



The association has tried two or three 

 new things this year. In the first place, 

 the selection of Philadelphia for the 

 meeting was uninvited and the usual 

 local hospitalities were ordered omitted. 

 It was planned as a strictly business 

 convention, but in response to many re- 

 quests a dinner was arranged for 

 Wednesday evening, each member pay- 

 ing for his own ticket. Robert Pyle, of 

 Conard & Jones Co., was jilaced in 

 charge of the arrangements, with W. F. 

 Therkildson, of Burjiee & Co., handling 

 the entertainment stunts that proceeded 

 coincidentally with the rejiast. It seems 

 certain the dinner will become an an- 

 nual feature of the convention. 



The ladies were entertained by an 

 automobile trip while the executive ses- 

 sion was held June 27. 



Papers and Addresses. 



That a departure from custom in the 

 preparation of the program is desirable 

 was apparent from the remarks of those 

 on tiie program for ''addresses." With 

 few exceptions they liad not jirepared 

 themselves; some had been "too busy," 

 while such a reliable inscriber as J. 

 Horace McFarland said: "I am not go- 

 ing to present any jiaper if I can get out 

 of it. If I can start some kind of a 

 discussion which will make the nursery- 

 men sit up and take notice of their 

 needs, that will be the right thing." 



The announced program for the clos- 

 ing days is as follows: 



TIHRSDAY. .TCNE 2.S. 9;.S0 A. M. 



9:.30 to 11 a. m., discussion. "Nurserymen's 

 Publicity," led by J. Horace McFarland, Harris- 

 burg, Pa. 



11 a. m. to 12:,S0 p. m.. discussion. "Sales Pro- 

 motion, Advert ;■ i'ltr." UmI by Irvine Pasciiall, 



