284 



The Weekly Rorists^ Review^ 



AUGUST 18, 1898. 



tural Institute at Ames, Iowa, his 

 home, become the standard agricultu- 

 ral institution in our whole country, 

 I say all glory to this worthy inspirer 

 of thought and encourager of action in 

 all that pertains to the subjects in 

 which we are so heartily interested. 



Never has there aasomble.l anywhere 

 to consider any matter a more intelli- 

 gent, painstaking and interested com- 

 pany of gentlemen than those compos- 

 ing your Executive Committee that 

 held its meeting in Washington. Ev- 

 ery subject of interest to the Society 

 was considered, and many practical 

 suggestions are the result of this con- 

 ference. Among them is the sugges- 

 tion, presented to you as the sentiment 

 of the Executive Committee, to have 

 certain new departments under the su- 

 pervision of the Society, which I take 

 pleasure in submitting for your consid- 

 eration. 



The Department of Credit Informa- 

 tion, the duty of which shall be to as- 

 certain the financial standing and cred- 

 it of persons in the trade, should be 

 under the control of a committee of 

 three appointed by the President with 

 the approval of the Executive Commit- 

 tee. This subject, to my mind, has ita 

 advantages and disadvantages. It may 

 redound to the credit of the organiza- 

 tion to endeavor to keep within the 

 great active working body of it.s mem- 

 bers throughout the country a certain 

 esprit de corps, with regard to honesty 

 and fair dealing. Oftentimes, by rea- 

 son of misrepresentation, much embar- 

 rassment and loss is caused to our 

 members, and indeed to the outside 

 world, all of which reflects in part up- 

 on the Association at large. Integrity 

 first in all things should be our motto, 

 and that would cause all dealings of 

 every nature and kind, and with every 

 person, to be had with a due regard 

 for honor. On the other hand, we 

 might say that all who are members of 

 our Society possess sterling integrity 

 and in the highest sense, and that for 

 a moment to question financial stand- 

 ing and business intercourse is an un- 

 due and untimely interference in the 

 affairs of private individuals. Such is 

 the position that I shoiild love to take 

 upon this subject, but none of us are 

 infallible, none of us are stronger than 

 our weakest part. Temptation is a 

 wily, seductive member of the cabinet 

 of his Satanic Majesty, and who can 

 gainsay his mysterious power and 

 winning faculties when visited with 

 full force upon some of our non-sus- 

 pecting and susceptible members? 



But especially do I commend to your 

 favor the Department of Co-Operative 

 Purchase, the object of which is made 

 manifest, as it will secure for the 

 members of the Society reduced prices 

 upon greenhouse supplies, which can 

 be afforded by the co-operative pur- 

 chase in large quantities. This would 

 be under the supervision of a special 

 committee, but would put no re- 

 sponsibility whatever upon it in the 

 matter, except in obtaining from the 



furnishers prices upon large quanti- 

 ties, and then to impart such infor- 

 mation received to the members of tlie 

 Association, who would enjoy sucb ad- 

 vantage as would arise therefrom. 



There is also suggested a I..egislative 

 Department, which would have cbarge 

 of all legislation. State and National. 

 concerning the departments represent- 

 ed by our organization. A general 

 committee could have sub-committees 

 in every state in the Union, which 

 would be constantly on the alert for 

 the advancement of our interests and 

 present the same to the various Legis- 

 latures. This would have an effect not 

 only upon floriculture and tree-grow- 

 ing, but it would also have its Influ- 

 ence in affecting the exportation rates 

 to growers upon the various common 

 carriers In our country. 



Also, an Arbitration Department, 

 which, as the name implies, would be 

 for the amicable adjustment of contro- 

 versies between members, saving of- 

 tentimes long litigation at court, and 

 much notoriety of an unpleasant na- 

 ture which would reflect not at all well 

 upon the credit of the Individuals en- 

 gaged. This would be productive of 

 peace and good feeling, and a commit- 

 tee appointed from your own members 

 would have the interest of the individ- 

 uals at heart and would settle all dif- 

 ferences, whether financial or other- 

 wise, with a due regard both to law 

 and equity; and lastly, a Claim Depart- 

 ment. This would have among its du- 

 ties the adjustment of claims against 

 transportation companies, which to 

 some of our members would be a sub- 

 ject of considerable import. While in 

 some sections the fairest treatment has 

 been meted out by these companies to 

 our organization, yet in other sections 

 it has been simply a continuation of 

 oppressive rates, surrounded by all the 

 disadvantages of delay that can possi- 

 bly come through Incompetent service. 

 It Is a surprise to you, and was a sur- 

 prise to the Department of Labor, 

 when approximating the statistics of 

 the amounts paid by florists for trans- 

 portation, to find that it reached up 

 into the great lines of figures that ex- 

 pressed many hundreds of thousands 

 of dollars. So, therefore, a florist, 

 while estimating the cost of the sim- 

 plest flower produced by himself, is 

 obliged to add oftentimes as much as 

 twenty-five per cent to the cost of the 

 item of transportation in sending it to 

 his customer, 



"Honor to whom honor is due" 

 should be the motto in all honest emu- 

 lation. The more difllcult the prize, 

 in the attainment of it the greater tbe 

 reward; the stronger the foe, the 

 greater the victory. 



It has been suggested that our system 

 of awarding certificates of merit and 

 honorable mention is a little too lax, 

 and awards have been made too freely 

 and without that close scrutiny and 

 just determination which should be de- 

 voted to the subject of awards. When 

 the certificates are issued by this or- 



ganization they should mean some- 

 thing, and the more difficult they are 

 to obtain the more they will be appre- 

 ciated by the holder and the more 

 they will mean to the outer world. 

 This may be regarded by you as a 

 suggestion which, if it meets your fa- 

 vor, might at this session bring forth 

 some definite action which may gov- 

 ern this matter. 



While the general subject of floricul- 

 ture is constantly before us, individu- 

 ally and collectively, I am of opinion 

 that especial attention should be given 

 to the bulb culture in this country, 

 a business feature that would keep 

 many thousands of dollars within our 

 own domain and add greatly to one of 

 the most lucrative and comprehensive 

 products in our industry. The Roman 

 hyacinth especially is commended to 

 your consideration for personal devo- 

 tion at home. 



In the southwest we have a great 

 state, Texas, as large as an emipre (it 

 Is called the "Lone Star State"), send- 

 ing forth at the proper season its 

 sweet perfume of Cape Jessamine, 

 which could it reach far enough would 

 waft its delightful odor over its sis- 

 ter States. Its climate and its soil are 

 such that if a great Chinese waU of a 

 mountain barrier shut off this state 

 from the rest of our country, it could 

 successfully grow almost everything 

 that the earth produces. It is in about 

 the same latitude as the islands of the 

 sea around which now war's alarms 

 are sounding, and its rich lands, wide- 

 spread as they are, offer a welcome 

 to our profession. 



The tuberose and the gladiolus once 

 were upon the Import list, but now, as 

 you well know, they are exported in 

 great quantities to various countries, 

 and bring the revenue therefrom this 

 way instead of leaving It abroad. The 

 crocus, polianthus, and the narcissus 

 are candidates for your kind solici- 

 tation and tender care. The calla lily, 

 which once knew only the confines of 

 the narrow space of their pottery 

 homes, now is reckoned as a free- 

 earth, open-air California product, 

 side bv side with the freesia, whi';h 

 under basking Pacific suns and fanned 

 by the Pacific air is successfully de- 

 velojied and grown. The Lllium long- 

 iflorum and L. Harrlsii should also be 

 sent from this country abroad, instead 

 of having them seek their way to our 

 shores. We will have in the near fu- 

 ture araucaria factories, as we already 

 have various rubber factories, not 

 for rubber shoes nor mackintoshes, 

 but the beautiful Ficus, which Is 

 marvelously well grown by our 

 well-known "Deacon" Harris, of 

 Philadelphia, who was the first life 

 member of our Society. Forty years 

 ago there were only eight Latania 

 Borbonica palms in the United 

 States; to-day there are upwards of 

 three million as potted plants. It is 

 said that only two of these palms have 

 borne seed, one belonging to the Fed- 

 eral Government and the other to the 

 Corcoran estate, both of them in 

 Washington, District of Columbia, and 



