HORTICULTURAL TRADES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21198, 2 December 1930, Page 2

HORTICULTURAL TRADES.

ANNUAL MEETING OF OTAGO COUNCIL. ADDRESS BY DOMINION ORGANISER. The annual meeting of the Otago Councjl of the Horticultural Trades Association was held in the Returned Soldiers’ Club rooms on Saturday evening. Mr D. F. L. Campbell, the retiring chairman, E resided over a good attendance of memers. Before the meeting Mr George A. Green, the Dominion secretary and organiser, addressed the members, speaking on the general conditions-of horticulture in the Dominion, with especial reference to the horticultural trades. He said the weather conditions, especially this spring, had been unusually trying. This applied to all districts, though the Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, and Hawke’s Bay had been affected less than most districts. The winter had been a cold one and the spring backward. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, trade bad been better than might have been expected, and had it not been for the unfavourable season in some districts it would have constituted a record. Mr Green spoke of the work being undertaken by the Agricultural Department and the Scientific and Industrial Research Department in furthering horticultural research and survey work. - The present was a time to consider economies wherever it could be done without impairing efficiency. Improved methods, new varieties, and better advertising were all factors which the horticultural trades could with advantage exploit to their utniost. ANNUAL MEETING. In opening the annual meeting Mr Campbell welcomed members and also the organiser, and Mr G. H. MTndoe, orchard instructor. He said thore.had been three well-attended meetings during the year, and a splendid spirit of co-opera-tion had been in evidence. The weather had been somewhat trying, nevertheless the volume of business bad been satisfactory. _He referred to the transfer of Messrs Dallas and Inwood of the Orchard Division, one to Palmerston North anad the other to Wellington, and he welcomed the new men; Messrs MTndoe and Frew. He was sure that the present depression was only a passing phase, and largely psychological. There was a nervousness at the moment which prevented the free use of money available. If people would only talk more of their successes and less of their failures it would exercise a potent influence on conditions as they now exist. The balance sheet, which disclosed a considerable credit balance, was presented by the hon, secretary and treasurer and was adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows;—Chairman, Mr H. Bennett; vicechairmen, Messrs G. A. Donaldson and W. Payne (one other to be appointed); the various committees were re-appointed. The chairman said that it had’ been expected that the North Island vice-presi-dent would have accepted nomination for 1930, but owing to matters over which he had no control he had had to decline nomination, and Mr V. C. Davies had consented to nomination for another year. Mr Davies’s nomination was unanimously endorsed. The nomination of Mr J. N. MXeod, chairman of the Canterbury Council, t was also unanimously endorsed. - , The remits to the Dominion conference included the following:—The approval of a schedule of plants approved for registration be made by conference, that approval for increased attention Ming given to horticultural research work by the Agricultural Department and by the Scientific and Industrial Department, especially in the matter of suitable fruit tree stocks and the testing, of new varieties. That protection he continued to the rose growing industry of the Dominion. That the Customs Department be requested to open up negotiation with the Commonwealth with a view of better reciprocal arrangements being made fpr the interchange of plants and trees under reasonable safeguards. That the conference support the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture in its endeavour to secure from the Government financial support for national botanic . gardens for New Zealand, and for the necessary details connected with the correct nomenclature of plants (especially exotics),. Congratulating the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture on the advances which have recently been made in the progress of its educational scheme, and the number of students, now studying in the different centres of the Dominion.

The question of delegates to thee onferenee was left over until the next meeting. In the_ meantime it was ascertained that Dunedin would he definitely represented.