LIFE AMONG THE FLOWERS 39 



Lewis Henderson. Do not forget the banquet this evening at 6:30 at 

 this hotel, we would like to see every florist present at that banquet. 



Mr. Henderson: We have the pleasure cf having with us today 

 a member, — one of the board of managers of ihe Society of American 

 Florists; I would like to hear a little from ]Mr. Hess. 



-Mr. Hess: Mr. President, Ladies and G'^ntlemen: It is a .good 

 many years since I have been here to attend a meeting of the Horti- 

 fultural society, or Floral society, although I am a life member, and 

 was. long years ago. When I went in business, I made perhaps as 

 good a shov.'ing as anybody here at the State Pairs, but business 

 Improved to such a proportion that I could not do it any more. My 

 sentiments were always with you. I was very m'jch interested in the 

 reports, and read them over carefully to see what you a^e doing. I 

 notice that you are perhaps up with the time in everything, in Horti- 

 culture, Agriculture and everything else. A few years ago I was at 

 the fair, and I thought it was as good as any in Minnesota, Illinois or 

 any other shows I had seen. However, that is not Avhat I want to 

 see. I am a florist, and I want to give you a compliment on the dis- 

 play of your cut flowe-s. I am surprised to see such bpautiful carna- 

 tions, and roses, grown in the western part of Nebraska. For 

 beginners, with 10.000, 15,000 or 20,000 feet of glass to turn out 

 such goods, the 20th of January, is something remarkable. I was 

 in New York last year at the National Flower Show, and I want to 

 tell you that we didn't see any bette" flowers than we have seen here 

 today. Except that the stems were better, because it was in April. 

 F'vprv florist knows that you can get better stems in April than any 

 other time. 



And the apple man is not any behind. When I was here 23 or 

 2.5 years ago, you could not get a barrel of apples together. If you 

 did, perhaps 50 per rent were worm eaten, and would not keep, but 

 now they are all clean, and they are using the latest methods of keep- 

 ing the insects away. 



Now they wanted me, as one of the directors of the Society of 

 American Florists to make a talk to you. I would like to have you 

 co-operate with me and become a member, and show them you 

 apprecia+e a favor that they have shown us. Because this is a 

 distinction that no other state west of Chicago, except Colorado ever 

 had. I do not think I am such a fine florist, or anything else, but 

 they wanted a man west of Chicago, and they selected me. And I 

 vviil do the be-t I can. and that is all I ran do. I can't do anything 

 unless you co-operate with me and show them your good will. I would, 

 like to say that I would like to see all the florists in the west become 

 members and attend the meetings and if you can, attend the conven- 

 tions. 



Now we had a nice meeting in Minneapolis last year, and I was 



