282 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



in being as they are to-day, the para- 

 mount question bctV.re them would be 

 how to effect an allian.-.' for mutual bene- 

 lit. That the means, are at Imnd throu-li 

 the S. A. F. whereby this natural and 

 desirable condition can be reached, should 

 be deemed fortunate. It is not by the 

 IJiilling down of any, but l)y the uplifting 

 of all, that we can" hope to place our be- 



loved profess 

 and maintaii 

 usefulness to 

 at large. It 

 the shapinu' ' 

 in this hemi 

 hands, that 

 policies will ; 

 and generati 



in M - ]•' ■'\n'f iirrnt 01 

 ,,il,..|- ^iihl 111.' countrv 

 I i,.M niH.li tn say that 

 ,1,-1 in\ ,if horticulture 

 ,■ 1- l:ir;.'ely in our 

 1-111111,1, 'il, far-reaching 

 i))li.sli much in this day 

 lat otherwise might 



seem impossible. This is an era of wide 

 horizons. Reactionary movements are out 

 of place with the spirit of Americtin 

 progress. Let us join in the grand pro- 

 cession and be not laggards in the gen- 

 eral forward movement! 



Work of the Executive Committees. 

 The appointees made on the Executive 

 Committee in January, were Messrs. 

 Alex. Wallace, of New York City; Emil 

 Buettner, of Park Ridge, 111., and Rich- 

 ard Witterstaetter, of Sedamsville, Ohio, 

 in place of Messrs. John H. Taylor, W. 

 W. Coles and E. H. Cnshman. The 

 gentlemen retiring performed their 

 duties faithfully, and 1 would rec- 

 ommend that a precedent be set by 

 tendering them a vote of thanks 

 in this convention. It is an act of cour- 

 tesy which should, in my opinion, be 

 performed each year as the members 



reported that, for lack of capital, the 

 committee was unable to take advantage 

 <.t in, irk, -1 tliulii.il i,'!!-. Af(,-i some con- 

 -i,l,.i .11 1,111 ii i\.i- \>i,:l !li,ii the commit- 

 I,.,. i„. 1 li'uik,.! Imi ii - -'1 \ H<'s and dis- 

 cliJV^cl. Mr. Will, U. Siiiilli was ad<led 

 to the Committee on l',i iii,in,nl II,,iih', 

 and the committee contiiiiii, I- ^,|^^ ilmt 

 we have a national chart, 1. :i 11,1 ili,' -ti|iu- 

 lation is nindc therein thai ih,' |,iin, ipal 

 olliee of llw ~.i,-i,.t.v >liall li,. in Wasii- 

 ington, »■• Ih'P'' Uml ■< |"-niiaiiriil !.,.iiie 



ing to the society from such an aciuisi- 

 tion arc but too obvious, and do not re- 

 quire elaboration here. Let us hope that 

 we may be able to realize our fondest 

 li,i|„- 111 H-jaiil to it. The work is in the 

 liiiil- ,ii .,1, ;ilile committee and the last 

 a. I, 111 I. 11 i^ .1 t.iwer of strength. The Ex- 

 eeuli\c ( ummittee accepted the proposi- 

 tion of the Butfalo Florists' Club regard- 

 ing the holding of the trade exhibition, 

 and appointed Mr. Chas. H. Keitsch as 

 manager. The committee on award of 

 medals through florieultural organiza- 

 tions recommended that one silver and 

 one bronze medal be offered to each of 

 the following organizations, to be award- 

 ed for new and meritorious plants or 

 flowers of American origin exhibited at 

 a regular public exhibition, said medals 

 not to be awarded unlcs- tlu' ].lant- and 

 flowers exhibited are entinly wurilix of 

 such award, viz.: Xe« '^^■ik I'kaists' 

 Club. Am.'ii.-an Caiiiatn.ii --.ii'nl.v. \iiier- 

 ican I!o-'' ■-• 'i''! \ . Aiii'i I' ■'" I'lhli;, >'>,-i- 

 ety, N<'» .l.-r-,.> l'l,,ii,iiliui:il -,Hi,-iy, 

 Pennsvlvauia Horticultural S,„i,.l.\ , .Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society, S^ociety 



Nymphaeas at the Pan-Amfrican Exposition. Exhibit of H. A. Dreer. 



retire. The committee met in Buffalo, 

 on March 5th last, and remained in ses- 

 sion two days. During that time the 

 Buffalo Florists' Club was unremitting 

 in their attentions to the committee. 

 The usiuil work of preparing a 

 program was completed and the re- 

 sult is shown in the program of this 

 convention. A legislative committee, 

 consisting of Messrs. John X. May, Rob- 

 ert CraiL'. Beni-ninii Pnvfee. Wm. R. 

 Sinitli :iii'l \'iiir )ii i-i''in! .'.:i- appointed, 

 willi -|i,',i.il i,i,a,ti I ■- -, . Ill iiig favor- 

 abh- a, 11, ,11 "ii tin' ■'-'■' ' ;. |.:ir,-els post 



to come up again, i 

 interests of this -■ 

 bill hecomc a law. :\1 

 on behalf of the Pu 



of Indiana Florists, Chicago Horticultu- 

 ral Society, Newport Horticultural So- 

 ciety. 



The official report of the details of said 

 awards, with the name and description of 

 the plant or flower to which said medals 

 have been awarded, shall be furnished to 

 the secretary of the S. A. F. for the pur- 

 poses of record. This seems a move in 

 the right direction. The S. A. F. should 

 be and is above all else educational, and 

 this award of medals should encourage 

 exhibitions of new and meritorious 

 plants of American origin; it should in- 

 crease the prestige and broaden the influ- 

 ence of our society. The medals should 

 become the recognized standard for ex- 

 cellence. 



While the committee was 



telegram was received from Mr. Wm. R. 

 Smith, announcing the signing of the na- 

 tional .hnrtir I'v President M'-Kinlev. 

 In .■.•,n:jiiili,in ,ii Ml. --iiiii Ik- valuable 



then au.l llai,- a |.|m,i,i1 ,,1 I,, iliatl suit- 

 able resolutions of tlianks, have them 

 properly engrossed and framed and pre- 

 sented to him, which was done. 



Development of Horticultural Industries. 



It seems ojiportune here to refer to the 

 principle upon which and through which 

 the charter was granted, viz., the devel- 

 opment and advancement of American 

 horticulture. Along certain lines this so- 

 ciety can do more in that direction thair 

 any or probably all the kindred societies 

 in the country. There are limitless acres 

 and plenty of willing hands ready to pro- 

 duce here almost everything which we 

 now import in plants, bulbs and seeds if 

 the proper impetus is given. Much has 

 been done in that direction already, but 

 much yet remains to be done, and the 

 subject deserves your most careful con- 

 sideration. In various parts of the coun- 

 try the bulb industry has been started, 

 but it is yet in its infancy. Only re- 

 cently a company has been incorporated 

 for the production of bulbs which are 

 now imported. Ex-President Wm. R. 

 Smith forcibly alluded to this in his ad- 

 dress at St. Louis, in 1893, and cited the 

 fact that nearly two million dollars had 

 been sent the 'previous year to foreign 

 countries for plants, bulbs and seeds. A 

 great portion of that sum can undoubt- 

 edly be retained here if proper steps are 

 taken to develop the natural resources of 

 our country. I would suggest that the 

 proper authorities be approached by a 

 ,<pniTnitleo from this society, with a view 

 1,1 ~,ii,lin'_' some one abroad — to Europe, 

 aii,l ]„i"il>ly Japan and China, to study 

 tlic jiroduction of what we import, obtain 

 all essential details, and have the re- 

 sults of his inquiries published in regu- 

 ar form. I would further suggest that 

 .his society obtain samples of bulbs now 

 being produced here, and distribute them 

 among growers for trial; that the silver 

 medals of the society be awarded to the 

 producers of bulbs whose stocks give the 

 best results and that the whole matter be 

 reported in full to the society in conven- 

 tion assembled by the secretary of the 

 S. A. F. Some practical step should be 

 taken to develop this industry, and it 

 should extend to plants and seeds as well. 

 If these suggestions do not appear to fit 

 the situation. I trust that from this con- 

 vention will flow some that will. 



The Educational Problem. 



TTiis work is educational in its best 

 and most practical sense. Before quitting 

 the subject allow me to make a plea for 

 the voung employe. Every florist's es- 

 tablishment should be educational for 

 the emplove in the greatest possihle de- 

 gree. Tlie successful florist must have 

 the keenest knowledge of nature's laws. 

 He is a chemist, if you will, handling the 

 subtle forces of soil, water and air to be 

 transmitted through his agency into glor- 

 ious flowers and redundant foliage, or 

 through his neglect into distorted, sickly 

 and abnormal growths. The employe has 

 much to do with either result, hence his- 

 discriniiiiatiui; faculties must be sharp- 

 ened by awakening his reasoning powers. 

 Be patient with him, reason with him, 

 encourage independent judgment, develop 

 his reasoning faculties, place opportuni- 

 ties for studying the theories of the pro- 



