Conventions of National Societies — 1889. 



89 



show that the work of the society need not be confined to the 

 narrow limits of commercial floriculture." 



The Florists' Hail Association of America, which is a sec- 

 tion of the Society of American Florists, met August 21st. 

 The following extracts are made from the secretary's re- 

 port : 



"After over two years of practical working, we are ready to assert that 

 to-day no more perfect system of insurance exists on the American conti- 

 nent than that adopted by the Florists' Hail Association of America. One 

 hundred and forty-two persons having banded themselves together for the 

 purpose of securing themselves against loss by hail, find that after paying 

 all losses and expenses from June 1, 1887, to August 12, 1889 (except the 

 salary of the secretary for the past year and a small bill for printing), they 

 have a fund of $561.59 in hand. In addition to this the membership fee 

 has accumulated a reserve fund of $743.07, after deducting $76.25 which has 

 been refunded to those who subscribed towards the guarantee-fund and af- 

 terwards became members of the association. The result has been secured 

 to the members of the Florists' Hail Association by the payment of six 

 cents per hundred square feet of double thick glass, and eight cents per 

 hundred square feet of single thick glass. The membership fee having been 

 placed at interest, has this year brought to the assessment fund of the as- 

 sociation, the sum of $33, as will be seen by the treasurer's report. 



" The total amount of glass now insured is 1,327,240 square feet, of which 

 734,386 square feet is double thick, and 592,854 square feet is single thick. 

 The total assessments collected upon the same have been $914.37, and the 

 total membership fees $819.32. No assessment other than that paid by 

 members upon joining has been levied, and it still remains a question of 

 the future, how often it may be necessary to levy the same. The glass in- 

 sured is located in twenty-two states and Winnipeg, Manitoba, the states 

 of Georgia, Alabama and Dakota having been added to those reported last 

 year." $160.09 was paid during the year for glass broken by hail. 



' ' An effort on the part of your secretary to locate the hail belt has met with 

 the following results : So far as he has been able to learn, hail has fallen 

 during the past year at Flatbush, N. Y. ; Short Hills, N. J.; Spring Valley, 

 N. Y. ; Chicago, 111.; St. Ignace, Mich.; Peoria, 111.; New Hanover Co., N. 

 C; Liberty, Mo.; Larned, Kas. ; Montclair, N. J.; Atlanta, Ga. ; Bell Co., 

 Tex.; Lake Forest, 111.; Danville, Va. ; La Crosse, Wis.; Independence, Mo.; 

 Morrison, 111.; Kansas City Mo. ; City of Mexico, Mex. ; Marion, la. ; Abi- 

 lene, Kas.; Bonner Springs, Kas.; Oconomowoc, Wis.; Cedar Rapids, la.; 

 Oswego, N. Y.; St. Albans, Vt. ; Martinsburgh, W. Va. ; Great Bend, Kas.; 

 Montreal, Can.; Clinton, la.; Upper Sandusky, O.; Pembina, Dak.; Lynn, 

 Mass.; Prarie du Chien, Wis.; Lake Geneva, Wis., and Denver, Col. From 

 Montreal to Mexico, from Denver to St. Albans, the florist's fickle struc- 

 ture is as liable to be crushed by hail as to be burned by fire." 



A National Chrysanthemum Society was organized as a 

 branch of the Society of American Florists. The objects 

 sought by this organization, as previously outlined by Mr. 



A-6 



