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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August 28, 1902 



W. B. Smith, of Washington, which 

 greeted you and gave such a pleasant 

 impression as you entered the vestibule of 

 the Auditorium building. Last of this 

 incomplete story (the best should al- 

 ways be left for the last) was the help 

 given by Eobt. Bottomley from the 

 houses of Biltmore. Dozens of magnifi- 

 cent kentias adorned the hall and stage, 

 but more notable than all were six or 

 eight specimen kentias that were pro- 

 nounced by all the largest and at the 

 same time the most perfect specimens 

 they had ever seen. One on each side of 

 the stage was, for artistic effect, worth 

 a carload of ordinary pahns. 



The attendance at the business meet- 

 ings was above the average, and compared 

 with larger attendance at larger cities, 

 it was a much better ratio. Oh, for the 

 ability to compose that well-rounded and 



feature, as his similar contributions to 

 the society have been. They are educa- 

 tors, and directly you acquire more 

 knowledge of this kind you are a better 

 man. The only criticism I heard of the 

 fine talk and views of Mr. Farquhar was 

 that it was a trifle too long. 



Closer relations will come some day. If 

 either of the reports had been accepted 

 it is doubtful if any of the special so- 

 cieties would have availed themselves of 

 the agreement or privileges. In my 

 humble opinion the smaller societies, de- 

 voted to a special flower, are doing bet- 

 ter and more vigorous work than any 

 committee or section can or will ; and 

 while I believe there are few members 

 of these smaller societies that are not 

 also members of the S. A. F., and the 

 best of members at that, these special or 

 smaller societies will enroll members 



The Pierson Fern at the Asheville Convention Exhibition. 



poetical phraseology of a Mr. Barnard, 

 ana better still to commit it to memory! 

 It was beautiful, and so was the reply of 

 our gifted Patrick O'Mara. On cool re- 

 flection I think we will all agree that 

 the meetings were as interesting and in- 

 structive as we have ever had. To get 

 down to rock bottom truth the meetings 

 must be made interesting, and if even 

 lively and amusing it will appeal to 

 many. Our meetings can be compared 

 to the readers of a newspaper. Some 

 will read only the sporting news, others 

 will read the sensational stories of 

 crime, folly and disaster, and a very few, 

 not five per cent, will read the really im- 

 portant words devoted to the problems 

 of the world and humanity. Few have 

 the capacity to take it all in. So our 

 meetings must cater to all classes, and 

 it is only with a desire to be truthful 

 when I say that the great majority of 

 those attending our conventions go there 

 for what is most laudable and natural — 

 a few days' healthy recreation of mind 

 and body. Learned essays if inaudible 

 to 90 per cent of the audience are no 

 attraction or amusement. Mr. Farqu- 

 har's illustrated lecture was a bright 



who will eventually be as devoted to our 

 mother society as the most loyal. It was 

 cruel to discharge the hard working com- 

 mittee with a bare vote of thanks. Yet 

 I have not forgotten Cleveland, where, 

 after the executive committee had labor- 

 ed and brought in a report, better, I 

 think, than either of those reported at 

 Asheville, the report was turned down 

 without a word of debate and our laboi 

 went in vain. 



There was no need of much entertain- 

 ment at Asheville. We entertained our- 

 selves with keeping off the mosquitos at 

 night and gazing on the eternal hills at 

 every spare moment during daylight. 

 Dott't you ever try to fool me any more 

 about thQ delightful coolness of the 

 mountain tops of North Carolina. To 

 believe that I shall want $500 and a large 

 bag of salt. You are so much nearer 

 old Sol, you know. It can not be called 

 a bowling town, although the alleys that 

 the teams played on were about as good 

 as can be found. Philadelphia had a 

 walk-over. They had a trained and ex- 

 pert team, and when such experts as the 

 venerated W. K. Harris, John Westcott 

 and the youthful Gibson are not good 



enough for a place on the team you can 

 guess how they were fixed. "Vengeance 

 is mine, saith the Lord," and Milwaukee 

 is still to come. 



The shooting has never been equalled 

 for its expertness. There has been more 

 attendance, more conviviality and more 

 fun , but never such remarkable marks- 

 manship. There was a grand absence of a 

 lot of greenhorns wanting to take a shot. 

 A gun and well-loaded shell should never 

 be in the hands of a novice. A misdirected 

 ball at bowling may cause sore shins at the 

 very worst, but careless handling of the 

 shot-gun and a charge through the solar 

 plexus would only give our secretary work 

 to record resolutions of sympathy for 

 the bereaved family. 



It's delightful to think that outside of 

 Philadelphia in the whole United States 

 there actually txist three men who can 

 shoot as well as George Anderson. Al- 

 tick, of Dayton, Ohio; Hammond, of 

 Richmond, Va.; and Brown, of Eieh- 

 moud, Va., are wonders, and shook up 

 things considerably. AVhen men break 

 forty-eight or fifty targets you don't 

 know what they will do next, and if 

 Deacon Harris goes on improving with 

 age, as he has done the past year, he 

 will easily give a handicap to his brother 

 Quakers. The gentlemen of Asheville, 

 who beat the florists' one-half dozen, are 

 gentlemen, and no one begrudges them 

 their honor and emoluments. Major Mc- 

 Kissick and his colleagues are gentlemen 

 from the word "pull," and the major 

 tells a story, too. 



Brother Deake was all over where he 

 could do the most good, and on Friday 

 morning he concentrated all his efforts 

 to take us to the top of Overlook Moun- 

 tain. Up, up we went, winding around 

 the side of the mountains. The scenery 

 was grand when we reached the top, but 

 not so grand as we went up; it was too 

 often a rocky wall on our left and etern- 

 ity on our right. Excuse the interpola- 

 tion, but of all cities adapted to trolley 

 car accidents Asheville is best equipped. 

 If I wanted to realize quickly on my 

 accident insurance I should reside and 

 ride much in Asheville. 



We were photographed in all sorts of 

 positions and conditions. It would take 

 an Austin Shaw to do justice to the 

 distant mountain peaks in the far hori- 

 zon and the beautiful valley below, and 

 if you closed your eyes, your imagina- 

 tion could bring to you Mt. Peter, The 

 Bowery, the Lake of Killarney, Niagara 

 Falls, the Mosambique Channel, Chicago 

 and the Hellespont. 



The crowning piece of enjoyment was 

 the carriage ride to Biltmore, the 150 

 square miles of mountain and woodland 

 and water and the almost unequalled 

 mansion of George Vanderbilt. The hen- 

 nery and piggery and dairy departments 

 are all wonders, but we are not in the 

 live stock business, and although admir- 

 ing the best products that artificial selec- 

 tion has produced in the lower animals, 

 we were all absorbed in the countless 

 trees and shrubs and herbs which border 

 the roads, crown the hills and fill the 

 eye ever.ywhere in this marvelous domain. 

 It is impossible to describe it; you must 

 see for yourself. The view from the 

 mansion is one of surpassing beauty. 

 Time is up; I must close. 'The genial 

 whole-souled Eobt. Bottomley gave us a 

 hint that the basement of the conserva- 

 tory would be a cool place to assemble 

 and we assembled. The fever was as- \ 

 suaged by a cool decoction and it was 



