AUGUST IT. 1899. 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



271 



THE DETROIT CONVENTION! 



One of the Largest Meetings of the Society — Large Hall 



Packed and Seats at a Premium at 



Opening Session. 



COMPREHENSIVE TRADE EXHIBIT, 



Officers for 1900: President, E. M. Wood, Natick, Mass; Vice- 

 President, F. R. Pierson, New York; Secretary, W. J. 

 Stewart, Boston; Treasurer, H. B. Beatty, 

 Oil City, Pa.— New York Next 

 Year Detroit Hospitality 

 Unbounded. 



At the opening session of the Soci- 

 ety of American Florists in Detroit 

 last Tuesday morning the large meet- 

 ing hall was packed to the doors and 

 old members of the society said that 

 it was probably the largest attendance 

 at any convention of the society for 

 many years. 



Mayor Maybuiry was introduced by 

 Vice-President Breitmeyer, and wel- 

 comed the society to the City of the 

 Straits in a most enthusiastic and cor- 

 dial address. He considered it a great 

 privilege to welcome the society to the 

 attractions of Detroit. He hoped that 

 the florists would live in the odor of 

 Detroit's most generous hospitality 

 while in the city. There are good 

 times and hard times in Detroit, as 

 well as railroad and local times, but 

 he hoped the florists would while here 

 have no time but a royal good time. 

 He said the presence of the florists in 

 Detroit was as welcome as were the 

 early flowers of spring. 



He eulogized the purpose of the so- 

 ciety in giving its members opportu- 

 nity to profit by the experience of oth- 

 ers, and held that the man Who had 

 made any discovery of practical value 

 in cultural methods had no right to 

 keep the same secret. He considered 

 such a discoverer merely a trustee of 

 a higher power and that his duty was 

 to immediately execute his trust by 

 communicating the information to his 

 fellows. 



Referring to Detroit, he said that the 

 early voyagers who came there nearly 

 200 years ago landed less than half a 

 mile away from the convention hall. 

 He felt that Belle Isle Park would be 

 of special interest to all. and thought 

 this interest would be enhanced by the 

 knowledge that the island was consid- 

 ered neutral and almost holy ground 

 by the Indians. Here the warring 

 tribes met to hold their conferences. 



and no drop of human blood w-as ever 

 shed there. 



The response was by Robert Craig, 

 and in his happiest vein. He said all 

 had indeed been touched by the words 

 of kindly welcome the mayor had spo- 

 ken. It might seem strange that flor- 

 ists should be singled out for such cor- 

 diality. The explanation was that 

 flowers brought all men together on 

 one common platform. Men might 

 differ on many other questions, but 

 could be depended upon to unitei in the 

 contemplation of the beauty of flowers. 

 He assured the mayor and other De- 

 troit hosts that the kindly words and 

 other evidences of welcome on every 

 hand were most deeply appreciated. 



He felt that the greatest danger to 

 the society was from its friends. He 

 believed that none of the great col- 

 leges ever had the athletic fever worse 

 than the florists now had it. He espe- 

 cially warned everyone against Ander- 

 son, of Philadelphia, and his unknown 

 angles. 



President Rudd then read his ad- 

 dress, as follows: 



President Rudd's Address. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of The Society 

 of American Florists and Orna- 

 mental Horticulturists: 

 Fifteen years ago, with mingled 

 hopes and doubts and fears, assembled 

 together the first convention of the 

 florists of America — the first conven- 

 tion of the Society of American Flor- 

 ists. 



Thirteen times in the intervening 

 years have we met together for the 

 same purpose. Men who were young, 

 as we accept the word, at the time of 

 this first convention have now reached 

 middle age. Men in the mature vigor 

 of their fourth decade now feel old age 

 creeping upon them. Annually new 



faces have appeared among us, and an- 

 nually have old and honored members 

 stepped from the ranks, to assemble 

 with us in this world never again. 



This mysterious, this incomprehen- 

 sible thing we call life and growth, 

 this never-ending removal and replac- 

 ing of parts, has been at work with us 

 all these years, and we are met here 

 today, in our fifteenth annual conven- 

 tion, the same, and yet not the same, 

 as at our first. 



This society stands today for these 

 three things: 



To discourage and stamp out from 

 our profession and practice that which 

 is bad. 



To commend and retain that which 

 is good. 



To point out and obtain that which 

 is lacking. 



These are what it was organized for; 

 they are what it has steadfastly stood 

 for during all the years of its exist- 

 ence; they are what it stands for to- 

 day; and I devoutly believe it will so 

 continue, long after you and I and all 

 of us have passed from the stage and 

 its work is done and its course guided 

 by other hands and other heads. 



The year passed has been notable as 

 one of great prosperity generally. The 

 florist, both grower and merchant, has 

 had his fair share of this increase in 

 the general volume of business, and 

 unless all signs fail, the Society of 

 American Florists at this meeting is 

 to largely recover, financially, what it 

 has lost during the hard times and by 

 reason of holding a convention at a 

 place remote from its center of mem- 

 bership. As a missionary movement, 

 and as a compliment to its members 

 in the west, the meeting at Omaha was 

 desirable, but, as was foreseen by 

 many, the result was a serious finan- 

 cial loss. 



At the present time, perhaps nine- 

 tenths, or more, of our members are 

 located between Boston and Chicago 

 and north of Washington; the center 

 of membership being, probably, in 

 Pennsylvania. The financial welfare 

 of the society, and a due consideration 

 for the greatest good to the greatest 

 number, should prevent frequent meet- 

 ings outside this territory until the 

 western and southern membership is 

 increased. The horticultural sun has 

 always been in the east, but it is al- 

 ready high in the heavens, and is trav- 

 eling towards the meridian. We may 

 expect to see the time when the meet- 

 ings can be held as frequently in the 

 west and south, as in the eastern cities. 



During the current year has oc- 

 curred the discontinuance of the Flor- 

 ists' Mutual Fire Insurance Company. 

 After every effort on the part of the 

 able men having the association in 

 charge, the general apathy of the trade 

 has compelled them to give up the 

 struggle. 



The birth, or renaissance, of the 

 Rose Society is a matter of interest to 

 us all. We wish it godspeed. May it 

 do as much for the rose as its sister 

 society has done for the carnation. 



The continually increasing demand 

 for plants has been noticeable, espe- 



