

AUGUST 17, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



687 



prominence of late. Even at the risk of 

 appearing to overlook fundamental 

 requisites your secretary has long since 

 become disciplined to the idea, that the 

 best evidence of health and prosperity 

 for the society is found in the length of 

 the membership list and the size of the 

 treasurer's balance, and that whatever 

 contributes to the attainment of this 

 condition is an asset, that must not be 

 despised. In considering this vital ques- 

 tion of membership a recapitulation of 

 some of the secretary's records may 

 prove both interesting and enlightening. 



At the convention of 1889, at Buffalo, 

 the first year in which the $3.00 annual 

 assessment went into operation, we find 

 that the number of members who paid 

 for that year was 827. For 1890, the 

 year of the Boston meeting, the number 

 was 926. In 1891, Toronto, the figure 

 dropped to 827; in 1892, Washington, it 

 was 829; in 1893, St, Louis, 685; in 

 1894, Atlantic City, 617; in 1895, Pitts- 

 burg, 54T; in 1896, Cleveland, 551; in 

 1897, Providence, 524; in 1898, Omaha, 

 436; in 1899, Detroit, 535; in 1900, 

 New York, 719; in 1901, Buffalo, 739; 

 in 1902, Asheville, 639; in 1903, Mil- 

 waukee, 745; in 1904, St. Louis, 711. 

 These figures are inclusive of life mem- 

 bership. 



The printed list published each fall 

 should not be taken as an index of the 

 number of members in good standing 

 for the year the list is issued. It is true 

 that the by-laws stipulate that dues 

 shall be paid in advance but it has been 

 customary to carry on the roll until the 

 end of the year, the names of all mem- 

 bers in good standing up to January 1 

 of that year and crossing off on Decem- 

 ber 31 the names of all those who have 

 failed to qualify during the year. The 

 percentage of lapse in recent years is 

 about 15 per cent from each annual list. 

 Not all these members are permanently 

 lost, however, for there are many who 

 choose a fluctuating allegiance, paying 

 the $5.00 initiation fee in those years 

 when they find it convenient to attend 

 the convention. Broadly it may be said 

 that our membership swells when we 

 hold meetings in the populous centers, 

 shrinks when we select locations smaller 

 or more remote from those centers, and 

 fluctuates as to its sectional preponder- 

 ance in accordance with our movements, 

 a series of meetings in one section build- 

 ing up the list locally at the expense of 

 the section neglected; and this will al- 

 ways be true regardless of what we may 

 say or do. 



Of the 783 annual members whose 

 names appeared on the printed list of 

 1904, 155 failed to meet obligations as 

 to dues for that year, consequently, on 

 January 1 their names were stricken 

 from the roll. It may be of assistance 

 in the consideration of ways and means 

 for enlarging our permanent member- 

 ship to know the localities in which these 

 lapses occurred. The loss is divided 

 among the states as follows: Alabama, 

 California, District of Columbia, Flor- 

 ida, Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska, New 

 Hampshire, Ehode Island, Texas, one 

 each; North Carolina, two; Connecticut, 

 Maryland, two each ; Kentucky, Mis- 

 souri, three each; Massachusetts, four; 

 New Jersey, five ; Iowa, seven ; Minne- 

 sota, eight; "Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, 

 fifteen each; Michigan, sixteen; Ohio, 

 nineteen; Illinois, New York, twenty-two 

 each. Offset against the additions in 

 these respective states we find the net 

 result for the year 1904 to be as fol- 



lows: Net gain, Alabama, California, 

 Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma, one 

 each; South Carolina, Texas, Manitoba, 

 two each; Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, 

 three each; Indiana, four; District of 

 Columbia, six; 'Connecticut, eight; Mis- 

 souri, twenty. Net loss, Georgia, Ken- 

 tucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, one 

 each; Massachusetts, North Carolina, 

 two each; New Jersey, Ohio, four each; 

 Minnesota, five; Pennsylvania, six; Iowa, 

 Michigan, seven each; New York, nine; 

 Wisconsin, thirteen. Net gain by states, 

 fifty-eight. Net loss by states, sixty- 

 three, giving a net loss to the S. A. F. 

 of five. Conclusions from these figures 

 should, however, be modified by the fact 

 that a few fluctuations are caused by re- 

 movals from one state to another, also 

 that a few of those members reported as 

 having lapsed last year' are liable to in- 

 sist on paying all arrearages at this 

 meeting. 



With the security of a charter and 

 the foundation of a substantial permanent 

 fund, with the support of the most en- 

 terprising horticultural firms assured 

 through the instrumentality of the regis- 

 tration department, with the co-opera- 

 tion of the dealers as shown in the 

 splendid exhibitions of recent years and 

 the loyalty of the younger element se- 

 cured by the recognition of their games 

 and sports at our annual meetings it 



would seem that now is a good time for 

 a big concerted effort to build up our 

 membership list, and thus make the 

 twenty-first year of the society's exist- 

 ence a banner year in its history. 



Treasurer's Report. 



The treasurer's report was as fol- 

 lows: 



General Fund. 



Jan. 1, 1904, cash on hand $3,136.01 



Receipts for year to Dec. 31, 1904. 2,756.43 



$5,892.44 

 Disbursements 2,969.37 



Balance Jan. 1, 1903 $2,923.07 



Permanent Fund. 



Jan. 1, 1904, cash on hand $2,328.04 



Receplts for year to Dec. 31, 1904 . 491.92 



Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1905. . .$2,819.96 



The reports of state vice-presidents 

 were referred to a committee without 

 reading. 



A telegram in fraternal spirit was 

 read from G. A. Eobinson, president of 

 the Canadian Horticultural Associa- 

 tion, and responded to. 



A. T. Boddington, for the committee 

 on Vilmorin Memorial, reported the 

 collection of $112.15 from eighty-nine 

 contributors and its transmission. 



It was announced that Messrs. Page 

 and Bolgiano, of the Seed Trade Asso- 

 ciation, and T. B. Meehan, of the Nur- 



Wiii. F. Gude. 



(President Wasliln^tou FlorlstH riiiti.i 



