446 
THE GARDE^ERS^ CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
to j;o lo meet with hospitality so typii-al of tlie Westeniei-, and. 
fiiithcniiore, while it is one of the greatest cities lor agrieulture 
and horticiiltiire, yet we are not content with knowing tliis, 
but we are all tlie time trying to devise ways and means to 
improve the gardener's jiosition and standing in the comnumity. 
The organization ha> not increased in membership as fast as 
I -woukl like to see it, and I think it is partly due to the fact 
of its olliiers and members in not emphasizing the objects of this 
national body. Our local societies are doing good work, ami with 
their co-operation we are bound to improve the gardener's stand- 
ing in tlie community. We have a lot of work to do. and shoulil 
always be on the alert to co-opeiate in all movements where we 
can expect to help our fellow men. The gardener of today is 
a dill'erent man from the type that was considered a gardener 
fifteen or twenty years ago, and every year his duties are be- 
coming more inanitold and he himself is the man to educate his 
employer, and we as a society to educate him and help him in all 
his problems, so that by co-operation we can and are now doing 
it — that is, improving his position. 
At this tinie it miglit be just as well to mention that, owing 
to the large number of young men having joined the colors, and 
who are now in various camps, it was only natural to suppose 
that our annual gathering would not be as well attended as it 
would have lieen, but you can rest assured that while we arc 
doing our good work here, our boys are doing equally as good 
work, and better, by showing their loyalty in the manner they 
have, and we wish them (Godspeed, and hope to see them all back 
in our ranks again at the termination of our great struggle. 
"Three cheers for the boys at the front." 
The growth of the association in member--.liip has been g(jod 
considering tiie adverse conditions we are now facing. The 
financial strength will he disclosed in the reports to follow at 
this meeting, which also must be weighed against the adverse 
conditions. 
I wish to urge a greater unity among the gardening profession, 
especially amongst the local organizations, so that we can by 
this unity gain for the profession a greater and better recogni- 
tion of the same which is justly entitled to this hard working 
class of men. 
There has been some advance made toward a co-operative move- 
ment, and [ trust favorable action will be taken on the report 
of the National Co-operative Committee. 1 wouUl suggest at 
this time that our secretary keep in close touch with all local 
societies, and where invited to appear before them in an advisory 
capacity. This should be one of his duties. As the National 
Association of Oardcners is not sufficiently strong financially to 
stand the traveling expense if frefpient, I think the expense 
should be borne by the local society inviting. The secretary 
could write to the nearest director, and. if possible, get him to 
go and do his best, and all this will add towards cenu'uting a 
greater co-operative spirit. 
T also wish to recommend to you a matter of great importance, 
ami that is, the use of our Service Bureau. I would like con- 
sideration ami action be given at this nu'eting to the needs of 
this bureau so as to establish it on a moie solid foundation. This 
matter will be explaiiu'd to you in a report by yoiu' secretary, 
and I sincerely hope you will see the importance of immediate 
action to get best ri'sults. 
At otir last convention in Washington it was jiroposed to raise 
the dues from $2 to .^;! to enable the association to -pread its field 
of activity, which the present dues will not iiermit. I think 
this matter should lie g(MU' into at this meeting, as this matter 
was left over from oiu' last convention to be taken up at some 
future date. 
There is a great Held for us to rover yet. and I wouM urge all 
of > ou to do all >'ou ran to increase our mem!ie!>hip and impress 
u])on them the importance of this association to the gardener, as 
he is partly a traveling man and goes wherever the best induce- 
ments are given him. and therefore the National Association of 
Oardeners ought to be uppermost in tlieir minds, knowing that 
they are to be beiiertted wherever they go, as our association is 
national and follows them everywhere, and is always helping to 
improve the ganiener's position in this country. 
We also need co-operation among our members in regard to 
articles of horticultural interest: work that has proved of great 
value; new plants tried out: articles written on onc'^, travels 
and notes of what is ^een. All these will be eagerly devoured 
by the gardeners of today. Right here you may perhaps feel 
as some other young men feel, and one in |iarticular of Aviiom 
I will now speak — that is, when asked to talk or write something, 
he said "I have never done it. 1 cannot do it. I don't know- 
how to begin and what to say.'' Yet, when I talked to this 
young man and asked him to concentrate his thoughts and make 
up his mind he was going to do something, he got busy and 
selected the sid)ject of "Kock Cardening." and coni postal a very 
valuable ]iaper and received the prize from the comi)etition which 
netted him $2.'> for (he pleastwe he luid had of tinding out he 
cotdd do this if he put his mind to it. and -ince then he has 
enlisted in the 4!sth Highlanders, and after a few months of 
training was made a Cor[iural. and j-iuce tlicn luis lieen taken 
and placed in training for a commission, and is now in Ottawa 
studying liaiil to be able to train and lead others that are to 
join later. This is only one instance where the young man 
wanted a chance to get started on his own, so to speak. Once 
given a little responsibility he felt he was called upon to do 
something greater, and how many there are of the men today 
who do not try and help themselves, so I .say to you all it is up 
to you and us. oiu' and all, to pull together and bring about a 
better imderstanding with our employers of the value of our 
services. Show them that the responsibility entrusted to us is 
worthy of the confidence placed in us. and that our services are 
indispensable to their comfort, for, after all, it is up to us to 
make the places over of which we have the supervision, not only 
a plcasiue to ourselves but a pleasure to all who may come and 
see them, taking the large and small matters together and 
straightening them out so as to relieve our emjiloyers of that 
worry and anxiety, that they do not want to be bothered with 
after returning from a hard day or week of business troubles. 
It is tiien that your services are appreciated liy all right thiid^ing 
men, and if after giving the best that is in you and knowing 
that you are right, then if your services are not appreciated, why 
go somewhere else where they will be. for there are lots of men 
in this world looking for such men and will be writing to our 
secretary in the near future to supply the same. So again I 
say, "It's lip to you." 
In concdusion. I want to thank you all for your support during 
the year of my office, and I also promise my full support to my 
successor in otfice. and let us all work together to make this 
association one to be recognized as the ]iroper channel for our 
employers to look for informaticm regarding employees and also 
make the association a credit to the name that it now bears. 
'J'he minutes of the 1010 animal conveiiti<m were next read and 
ado])te(l. 
T'he followiim re|ioi'ts wiTe read : 
SECRETARY'S ANNUAL REPORT. 
Notwithstanding the unfavorable developments of the past 
year, which have practically involved the whole world in bitter 
conflict, the National Association of Gardeners has more than 
held its own. 
Its linancial condition shows a further improvement over the 
previous successful years, although the payment of dues has not 
been as ]ironi|it nor general as has been usual in the past. 
The associations membership shows an increase during the year 
of 1(53 new members. Three life members were secured — John 
Barnett. Pennsylvania: Peter Murray, Massachusetts; James 
Hamilton. Ohio. Forty-five members were suspended for non- 
payment of dues in 101" in accordance with the By-Laws, which 
has been the ])olicy of the Executive Board to strictly enforce. 
An evidence that the association is constantly gaining more gen- 
eral recognition among the gardening jirofession throughout the 
country is that a large percentage of the new members this year 
came to us unsolicited, and were direct applicants for member- 
ship. 
Eleven hundred and fortx' communications were received from 
the 1st of .Tanuary to the loth of November; more than sixteen 
liundred individual letters were written in response to com- 
munications and otherwise, and 3.729 pieces of mail matter were 
sent out from the secretary's office. Considerable of the corre- 
spondence was in connectiim with the Service Bureau, which de- 
]!artmeiit will receive attention in a separate report. 
The membership roster, ordered printed by the Washington 
convention, was published early in sjuing, and, while there always 
has been a demand that a roster be published, when completed 
and aiiiioiiiiced ready for distribution, comparatively few calls 
were received for it. 
In April the English yew tree was planted, which was officiated 
ovi'r by \'ice-])resident Theodore Wirtli. at the tomb of George 
Washington at Mount .Vernon. Va.. in commemoration of the 
visit of the National -Association to Washington's home last 
December. 
Two meetings of the Board of Diii'ctors were held during the 
year. 
The board voted a general revision of the By-Laws, a commit- 
tee, consisting of \\". N. Craig. Bobert Cameron. Jlass.; John 
W. Everett and .Tolin F. .Johnston. New York, being appointed to 
revise and submit them to the Chicago convention. 
It also voted that inembers answering their country's call to 
the colors shall be exempt of dues during the period of war. It 
is estimated that about 30 per cent, of the profession's young 
manhooil in this country has already entered into the war's 
serx'ice. 
Althcmgh it must be evident even to those who have taken 
but a casual interest in the activities of our association, that it 
has made gi-eat strides within a very few years, its field of devel- 
opment has not yet begun to be tlioroiighly cultivated. There 
is still unlimited opportunitv fiu' thi' association as a unit, and 
f(U' its meinlieiv imliviclually. to aiil in fiiilheriug the cause for 
