1918 - 1956

During the ensuing nine years, from 1918 through 1926, ONA members were discussing such diverse subjects at their annual meetings as increased freight rates, prices, inventory of saleable nursery stock, foreign quarantines, credit and collection, shortage of labor, rotating nursery crops, how the wholesaler can help the retailer, better informed salesmen, the establishment of an arboretum on the campus of The Ohio State University, the objection of some nursery inspectors growing nursery stock on their own property, and improving conditions in the horticulture department at OSU.

During that period, dues were raised to $5 per member in 1921 and remained unchanged until 1932. In 1923, a motion was passed to pay the secretary $50 a year.

In 1927, the ONA celebrated its 20th anniversary and Mr. A. S. Buskirk, ONA president, called the annual meeting to order on February 1 at the Neil House in Columbus. Balance on hand was $547.32. Mr. T. B. West indicated that a Mr. Dawes was planning to locate an arboretum on a tract of 350 acres of land near Newark.

At the banquet that year, speeches were given by professors Paddock, Hottes and Ries, also, Richard Faxon, Edmund Secrest, Harry Day, Art Cultra, T. B. West, Ed Jenkins, Clarence Siebenthaler and Howard Scarff.

It was in 1928 that Dr. L. C. Chadwick began the annual Ohio State University Nursery Short Course. However, it wasn't until 1931 that the ONA convention was held in conjunction with the OSU Nursery Short course.

At the 25th annual meeting, ONA members officially adopted its first constitution and by-laws on January 28, 1932. Dues were adjusted to $10 for active members and an associate member category was added, with dues of $5.

The 30th annual meeting of the ONA took place in January, 1937, at the Deshler-Wallick Hotel in Columbus where William A. Natorp was elected president. A new dues schedule, based on number of acres and ranging from $10 per year to $50 per year, was approved by the membership. The hot topics that year were the competition from farmers growing Christmas trees and the spread of the Japanese beetle.

Also a motion was made to have the ONA protest the ruling of the IRS that nursery labor be classed as non agricultural. Surprisingly, this motion of protest failed.

In 1938, the Ohio Chapter of the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN) was officially chartered with 22 firms comprising the membership.

The year 1947 marked the 40th anniversary of the ONA with the annual meeting held January 23 and 24 at the Neil House in Columbus. President Roger Champion presided. Concerns that surfaced during that meeting included an outbreak of Japanese beetle in Painesville, a need for increased teaching staff and research facilities at OSU and a fair labor practice bill and a shade tree control bill, both pending in the Ohio Legislature.

Speakers at the convention included author Louis Bromfield of Malabar Farms and a Mr. Oliver Hobbs who spoke on "experiences with the divining rod". So much for 1947!

During the fall of 1956, a move was afoot to hire an executive secretary and shortly thereafter, George L. Zeis was hired in that capacity.