AITGUST IS, 1S9S. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



289 



The awards were as follows: 



John C. Moninger Co., Chicago, cer- 

 tificate of merit for cypress lumber for 

 greenhouse construction. 



Quaker City Machine Co.. Richmond. 

 Ind., certificate of merit for ventilat- 

 ing apparatus, durability and ease of 

 operation being specially noticed. 



Dayton Paper Novelty Co.. Dayton. 

 O., special mention for cut flower 

 boxes. 



W. H. Elliott. Brighton. Mass., high- 

 ly commended for cut strings of Aspar- 

 agus plumosus. 



Wednesday Morning. 



The nomenclature committee made 

 its annual report covering the work of 



TRADE EXHIBITIONS: THEIR VAL- 

 UE TO THE FLORIST 

 BUSINESS. 



Bv E. H. Clshman. 



[Read before the Omatia Convention of the So- 

 ciety of .American Florists.] 



The subject of trade exhibitions is 

 of vital importance to every one of us 

 who has anything to sell. They fur- 

 nish a good opportunity for every 

 plantsman and dealer, who would 

 make a business success. They are 

 a gathering of the same lines of busi- 

 ness under one roof, for the purpose of 

 showing what we have to sell, and giv- 

 ing an opportunity for comparison and 



Illinois Building, Omaha Exposition. 



the year and but few synonymous 

 names were noted. In chrysanthe- 

 mums Jeannie Falconer and Peter Kay 

 were voted as practically the same. 

 Also Miss Agnes Dalskov and Ivoire 

 Rose; in fuchsias. Gracieux and Little 

 Beauty; in roses. Climbing Kaiserin 

 and Mrs. Robert Peary. In each case 

 the first came is given priority. 



The proposed amendments to the by- 

 laws were, after considerable discus- 

 sion, both voted down. 



Of the proposed new special depart- 

 ments, that of credit information was 

 not concurred in, and the plan was 

 abandoned, but the others were con- 

 curred in and committees appointed to 

 put them in execution. 



Detroit was selected as the meeting 

 place for next year. 



THE DETROIT ORGANIZATION. 



The invitation to Detroit was ex- 

 tended by Mr. Geo. Rackham on be- 

 half of the Detroit Florists' Club, re- 

 cently organized, with officers as fol- 

 lows: Philip Breitmeyer, I^res. ; Geo. 

 Rackham, Vice-Pres.; Robert Flower- 

 day, Sec'y; Bruno Schroeter. Treas. 

 The organization has at date about 6ii 

 members and expects to swell the list 

 to 1<X> very quickly. 



the extension of business acquaint- 

 ance, not otherwise possible. 



These gatherings of, commercial men 

 with samples of their goods, in con- 

 junction with a large gathering of con- 

 sumers of those goods, is one of the 

 very best advertisements possible. The 

 wide awake and practical, soon get 

 the rough corners worn off at these 

 shows, and usually the conceit taken 

 out of them, if they have any. There 

 are so many good things in connection 

 with these trade gatherings, I am sure 

 it is a poor man who does not get val- 

 ue received for exhibiting or attending 

 our conventions. 



Just cast your eyes about in the 

 Trade Hall, and see what a busy place 

 it is. What introductions these ex- 

 hibits give. Men who never would 

 find each other, do so when they see 

 the trade sign out. or they are inter- 

 ested in the same line, and fall to con- 

 versing about it. In this way many 

 pleasant business and other relations 

 are formed, which terminate only 

 when the mortal part is put to rest. 



Gentlemen. I do not wish to be 

 cranky on this subject, but our trade 

 shows have done so much for me. and 

 I see such possibilities in them for 

 others and the trade at large, that I 



wish as far as possible to create great- 

 er interest in this vital organ of the S. 

 A. F. I ask you gentlemen to throw 

 your efforts for the building up and 

 improving of this branch of our work. 

 What the eye sees is retained longer 

 than evidence taken in through any 

 other of the senses. Show the best, 

 that customers will know when they 

 are getting the best, and you will 

 make it more difficult for poor stock 

 to be palmed off on purchasers. Ex- 

 hibitors at our conventions are doing 

 more than just selfish work. These 

 exhibitors are keeping up an educa- 

 tion among florists themselves, of in- 

 calculable benefit. Brother exhibitors 

 and florists. I ask of you to do all you 

 can for this feature of the convention. 

 If you see points that are weak, seek 

 in a wise way to strengthen them. If 

 we tear down let us have something 

 better to put in its place. The discus- 

 sion that will follow this. I hope will 

 bring out many valuable thoughts, and 

 indicate lines of improvement. 



I had thought to give you a few of 

 the requirements of a successful exhi- 

 bition, but I fear that would only be a 

 "drug on the market" as you all know 

 how to "get there," as well as I do. 

 If I could tell you how to conjure im- 

 possible conditions so as to bring a 

 harmonious combination. Oh my, what 

 shows we would have! No ill feel- 

 ings, no del>t to wipe out and everyone 

 with first. There are great opportu- 

 nities for the trade to develop through 

 exhibitions and shows. It behooves 

 us. as wide-awake S. A. F.'s. to endeav- 

 or to take advanced steps in exhibi- 

 tions. We must have national exhibi- 

 tions in keeping with our national 

 progress, they will be trade promoters, 

 and we must watch and work with our 

 government and the management of 

 future great expositions, and see that 

 our interests are second to none. I 

 believe our Trade Exhibition is the 

 most important feature of our meet- 

 ings. See to it then, that it receives 

 due consideration in the future. It is 

 worthy of the best hall and manage- 

 ment, this organization can command. 



There is another sort of a trade ex- 

 hibition, which it might be well to 

 call to mind. The efforts individuals 

 may and do make at home in their 

 every day business. The chief end of 

 a display is to create a desire, and of- 

 fer an opportunity for comparison. No 

 honest dealer can begin to convey, by 

 a description in type, what he has to 

 sell, as he can by placing the thing 

 itself before the would-be purchaser. 

 This being fully realized, the up-to- 

 date florist, or dealer, is always ready 

 and anxious to show his skill at every 

 opportunity. This applies to the local 

 florist of a small town, as to the lead- 

 ing city establishment, to our county 

 fair, as to our grand expositions and 

 trade displays. If you are a market 

 florist, it stands you in hand to study 

 your display, so as to make it catch 

 the eye, and cash as well, as to study 

 how to produce. Only the smartest 

 are capable of running the retail end 

 of a florist business, and at the same 



