HORTICULTURE

Evening Post, Issue 20, 24 January 1935, Page 6

HORTICULTURE

ANNUAL TRADE MEETING

LORD BLEDISLOE'S INTEREST

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, January 23

Tho annual conference of the New Zealand Horticultural, Traders' Association was opened this morning. The president (Mr.' H. Bennett) occupied tho chair, and there was a fairly large attendance. Prior to the commencement of tho business tho president extended a warm welcome to delegates. In his address ho said he was pleased to say that the' association.! had established most cordial relationships with tho Minister of Customs, ' tho Minister of Agriculture, and the officers of that Department, from Mr. J. H. Campbell down, and on occasion they had found tho assistance of the Department of Agriculture to bo exceptionally valuable.

He congratulated Dunedin members on tho national show, which, it was freely, admitted, was tho best ever staged in Now Zealand.

Eeporting on behalf of the landscape gardening committee, Mr. J. W. McLcod stated that business for tho year had been about up to tho average of tho two previous years. A good number of small jobs had been done, but contracts of any size had been few and far botween. The* building subsidy granted by. tho Unemployment Board had helped to somo extent to indued people to build, but prices, even for small jobs, had suffered since the depression. The report was adopted.

Mr. Bennett was re-elected president for the. coming year, Mr. Lawspn Buroughs (Gore) vras re-elected" South, Island vice-president, arid Mr. Arthur W. ' Just, . Palmerston .■ North, North Island vice-president. Mr. ,N. McLebd introduced a Christchurch remit: "That'conference express its appreciation of- the- services rendered to horticulture by their Excellencies Lord and Lady Bledisloe while occupying tho position of his Majesty's representatives in New Zealand." . .•.

Mr. McLeod said that, at the'previous conference, warm appreciation had been expressed to Lord and Lady Bledisloe of the interest taken by them in horticulture, but ho thought that, as they would shortly bo leaving,the Dominion, the association should again convey to them its sincere thanks for their.-kindly patronage and interest. . Mr. Waugh said it had been' decided as a, tribute to his Excellency to ask him to accept the Loder Cup this year for,'Ma- services to • horticulture during, his. term. as Governor-General of New Zealand.' ..;'•' ."■'*', ■, ■ ■ The D.nnedin remit, "That the Labour ■■Department be asked to make'it necessafyfor all seeds, plants, and cut flowers 'covered under the Shops and Offices Act to bo excluded from sight during the extended hours for fruiterers," was carried. In connection -with tlie issue of florists' certificates, a remit in,the following terms was, passed:] "That conference views with approval the- regu-. latiohs; for' florists,',-certificatesji arid; requests the Institute of Horticulture to take early steps , .to bring . the regulations and examinations into .active operation." ■-.;',, : ' V The interests of horticnlturalstiidonts were discussed at some length, the following^ remit being; carried: ".That in view of the large n ( umber of horticultural students-and others desiring to take horticultural courses who are unable; owing. to distance, to attend regular classes, the Institute of Horticulture should approach the Education Depart/ ment with a view tn a correspondence course- being established."