March 29, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



1281 



the year's doings, but you who are privi- 

 leged to see this exhibition will care 

 more for the kind of evidence here given, 

 that the rose growers are wide awake, 

 that the American Bose Society is backed 

 by workers both willing and capable and 

 has now gotten safely beyond the point 

 Avhere any doubt could exist as to its 

 permanency anli usefulness. 



For the first time since the organiza- 

 tion of this society an annual report 

 and bulletin has been published. In it 

 are recorded the proceedings at the 

 meeting in Boston one year ago and the 

 doings of the executive committee in the 

 meantime, including the delightful visit 

 to the rose garden at Hartford, Conn., 

 last June. Several well-prepared and in- 

 structive papers generously written by 

 members for this purpose are included, 

 together with a list of the members up 

 to date. A few advertisements were in- 

 serted which materially reduced the cost 

 of issuing the report. A copy was duly 

 mailed to all members and further refer- 

 ence to it now is unnecessary except 

 that your secretary has to acknowledge 

 the unfortunate omission of a number 

 of names that should have appeared in 

 the published list of members, his own 

 name being one of the unfortunate ones. 

 The others were Miss C. Cruger, J. D. 

 Eisele, A. Gude, W. F. Gude and Mrs. 

 G. M. Reynolds. 



The number of members who have 

 paid annual dues during the fiscal year 

 ending June 30, 1905, or later, is 112; 

 the number of life members, forty-two; 

 making the total membership March 20, 

 1906, 154. Of this number twenty-two 

 are new members added since March 21, 

 1905. Resignations received since that 

 date have been fourteen. 



As I have said, the problem of the 

 existence and prosperity of the American 

 Rose Society seems now to have been 

 solved. Under its standard are gathered 

 not only the commercial cut flower grow- 

 ers with their marvelous enterprise and 

 giant influence, but specialists in roses 

 for the garden, park and the dwelling 

 house. The hybridist and fancier, no 

 matter what direction liis enthusiasm 

 may take, is coming to be a believer in 

 and a supporter of the Rose Society. 

 Your secretary is of the opinion that our 

 best success lies in holding the affairs 

 of the organization under professional 

 management for the present at least, it 

 being clearly the duty of the practical 

 rosarian first to establish the organiza- 

 tion on a sound foundation and then, 

 by such educational means as are pos- 

 sible, to widen the circle of the society's 

 scope and popularity. 



No better beginning can be made than 

 the assembling of an exhibition, alike 

 creditable in extent and quality, such as 

 we have in evidence on this occasion. 

 Under existing circumstances our strong- 

 est appeal to the people lies in the ex- 

 hibition feature. Other work will follow 

 in course. Hybridization, cultural ex- 

 perimenting and investigation must be 

 encouraged and results carefully tabu- 

 lated and given widespread publicity. 

 All this means work unremitting, me- 

 thodical and self-sacrificing, but if it is 

 undertaken in the right spirit we shall 

 have something to show for it all a year 

 or two hence. 



It is a knowledge of this urgent neces- 

 sity which prompts me to ask that you 

 now place the oflSce of secretary in the 

 hands of some one who can give it much 

 more time than I am able to devote to 

 it. I have realized all along, since as- 



M. H. Walsh's New Rambler Rose, Delight. 



suming the duties of secretary, that the 

 time and eff"ort 1 have been able to 

 spend in the work have been most inade- 

 quate to the pressing needs of the so- 

 ciety. Some one should be secured who 

 can keep up a vigorous campaign all 

 tlirougli the year and build up the mem- 

 l)ership so that the annual dues may be 

 sufficient to ])ay running expenses. Our 

 field is a wide one and its possibilities 

 far from being disclosed as yet. 



Good of the Order. 



Tlie treasurer's report brougiit up a 

 general discussion. John II. Taylor ad- 

 vocated a permanent fund, the interest 

 from which would pay running expenses 

 of the society. E. A. Reed, Holyoke, 

 thought a great effort should be made 

 by the society to interest more people, 

 especially amateurs. Robert Simpson 

 thought the best method was for each to 

 endeavor to secure more members. Mem- 

 bership could be lifted to 500 or 1,000, 

 and eventually with the co-operation of 

 amateurs to 5,000. We must, however, 

 get up enthusiasm to achieve such re- 

 sults. A. Farenwald thought efforts 

 should first be made to secure all pro- 

 fessional growers and amateurs later. 

 Benj. Dorrance thought that there should 

 be more accord between growers and re- 

 tailers. J. H. Taylor suggested that the 

 secretary be instructed to ask all grow- 

 ers in the country if they would help 

 the promotion of a permanent fund at 

 $100 each. Messrs. Patrick Welch, Geo. 



(". Watson and W. 11. Elliott spoke on 

 the subject briefly. W. C. Barry said 

 all successful organizations have perma- 

 nent funds. Benjamin Dorrance sug- 

 gested that the rose firms give the so- 

 ciety some advertising space in their cat- 

 alogues asking outsiders to join the so- 

 ciety. James Wheeler urgecl all to go 

 ahead and get up enthusiasm, which is 

 a vital necessity to ensure success. 



Pa]>ers were next read by P. .J. Lynch 

 and J. ,T. f'urrau, each of whom received 

 a vote of thanks. George Asmus ' paper 

 was ordered referred and printed. Mr. 

 Asmus regretted his inability to be pres- 

 ent. A. Farenwald 's paper followed. 



Mr. Pray 's paper on soluble fertilizers 

 caused some discussion, in which W. H. 

 Elliott and A. Farenwald took part. The 

 last speaker said he had become dissatis- 

 fied with the varying qualities in bone 

 and now used blood. It caused a bad 

 odor for a time, but was better for the 

 plants. 



An adjourned session was called to 

 order by President Montgomery at 2:30 

 p. m. on Saturday. Nominations for 

 president were first in order. Mr. Mont- 

 gomery would not be a candidate for a 

 third term. Robert Simpson, P. J. 

 Lynch and H. A. Siebrecht were nom- 

 inated. Mr. Simpson at first declined to 

 allow his name to be used, but finally 

 withdrew his objections. He was elected. 

 For vice-president F. R. Pierson and 

 Alexander Montgomery, Jr., were nom- 

 inated. The latter withdrew his name 



