FEBRUARY 8. 1900. 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



277 



Nursery of Mr. H. Henkel, Darmstadt, Germany. 



AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY. 



It is to be presumed that most of 

 the readers of The Florists' Review 

 know that last March an attempt was 

 made to organize the American Rose 

 Society. Thirty or forty interested 

 men met and went through the form of 

 electing officers, adopting by-laws and 

 a constitution, and further decided 

 that two shows should be given in 

 1900, one In March, the other in June. 



These men so started this society 

 feeling that there is a necessity for 

 a rose society devoted exclusively to 

 the welfare of that flower. They there- 

 fore felt that they deserve the sup- 

 port, not nominal and subjective, but 

 active and encouraging, of all who 

 not only love the rose for the rose's 

 sake, but especially of those who owe 

 to that flower the foundation of what- 

 ever success they may have had in the 

 florists' business. 



Are they warranted in going on with 

 this enterprise? This is a question 

 addressed directly to you as one for 

 whom the rose has a special Interest 

 and claim. You are one who makes 

 his living by either growing and 

 wholesaling, or buying and retailing 

 roses. It is no good to say that the 

 rose is only a part of your stock. It 

 always has been and always will be 

 your one great standby. You have it, 

 like the poor, always with you. No 

 otlier flower Is like it. 



The chrysanthemum is the flower of 



a day; it is showy, but its perfume is 

 not attractive; it has only color, form, 

 and size. The carnation is sweet, has 

 color and form, but not size. Each 

 has its own society, its own followers, 

 its own advocates. 



The rose has color, form, size, and 

 fragrance. Has been with us for 

 years; the dear people buy it, want it, 

 call for it, will have it, and it has 

 heretofore had no adherents •willing 

 to devote time, money, energy, and at- 

 tention to urging its claims to im- 

 provement and advancement (I am 

 speaking only for America). 



Are you willing this state of affairs 

 should continue? Do you want to de- 

 sert this old, tried, and true friend? 

 Are you going to sit calmly down and 

 permit the buyers to be refused roses, 

 and be compelled to take some other 

 flower Instead, because you are too 

 lazy, inert, or careless of your own 

 best interests to move at a critical 

 time, to turn in and make a success of 

 this society? I do not believe you are 

 or can be so blind to your own advan- 

 tage. 



It is not the paltry sum for dues that 

 will make a success of this society, 

 but it is the encouragement of your 

 names and your presence at the meet- 

 ings and at the shows. If you want 

 anyone else to take an interest in your 

 undertakings you must show your own 

 interest for it, and this is what I want 

 to impress upon you. You are in the 

 florists' business for success, and not 



for amusement. You need to widen 

 your scope of the business and do ev- 

 erything within your power to keep 

 its lines from being contracted or lim- 

 ited. Has it ever struck you what an 

 advantage it would be if you could 

 double your sales of any one flower or 

 plant? Then what greater good can 

 you do your business than to make the 

 rose so popular that two blooms may 

 be sold, two plants put out, where now 

 one is? 



This can only be accomplished by 

 vour individual aid, uniting all efforts 

 of all at interest. Get at the public 

 by bringing to their notice that you 

 are working, and this you can best 

 do through the channel of the Ameri- 

 can Rose Society. I beg of you to con- 

 sider your own interests. 



This year the society will meet in 

 New York. It will depend upon you 

 where it meets if ever again. Will you 

 let it die, or will you give it your sup- 

 port by your presence and by your 

 exhibits? With you it rests, and with 

 vou alone. Respectfully yours, 



BENJAMIN DORRANCE, 

 Pres. Am. Rose Society. 



GAS IN FLORAL STORES. 



I would like to inquire in your paper 

 if burning gas in a florist's store is 

 injurious to plants? Our new store 

 is fitted with gas, and plants do not 

 keep as well as in the other store, 

 where we used electric light. N. 



