140 



HORTICULTURE 



January 30, 1909 



AMERICAN CARNATION SOCIETY 



Eighteenth Annual Convention at Indianapolis — A Magnificent 

 Exhibition — Splendid Attendance, 



The convention opened under the 

 niosl fuvoiable auspices, with a niag- 

 nificen! exhi))ition, splendid attendance 

 and weather lilce Way. A short session 

 was held at noon, when Fred Burki, 

 Eugene Dailledouze and S. S. Pennock 

 were appointed as extra judges. The 

 I'egtilar .session opened at 7.30 p. rn. 

 with an eloquent address of welcome 

 by City Attorney Bowen, which was 

 loudly "applauded. This was responded 

 to by E. G. Gillett, who rose to the 

 occasion in his appreciative remarks on 

 the hospitality extended and the splen- 

 did facilities provided for the meeting 

 and exhibition. President M. A. Pat- 

 ten was then ''ntroduced and after an 

 enthusiastic welcome read his .^ddress, 

 as follows: 



ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 



Ladief. and Gentlemen of the Ameri- 

 can Carnation Society: We have been 

 already in Indianapolis long enough to 

 learn that we are among indulgent^ 

 friends. As eighteenth president I also 

 extend yon a welcome and wish you all 

 a prosperous and happy New Year, and 

 a successful convention on this our 

 third visit to Indianapolis. 



The past year has been a trying one 

 to the florists. The depression in busi- 

 ness has laid a heavy hand on many, 

 but the future looks bright. Let us be 

 alert and ready to take advantage of 

 the improvement in business. 



Many new varieties of carnations 

 have been introduced the past season; 

 time will tell how many will prove 

 worthy of perpetuation. Anyone send- 

 ing out a new variety should exercise 

 due care to have the stock healthy, 

 cuttings good and well rooted. 



The carnation is still the popular 

 flower, and as our Society stands for 

 the advancement of the carnation, con- 

 tinue it so. The raisers of new varie- 

 ties have made marked improvement, 

 but have not reached perfection yet. 



I think it generally understood that 

 this Society does not necessarily en- 

 dorse a variety as a profitable kind to 

 grow commercially, because it has been 

 successful in obtaining a prize. 



At the National Flow-er Show at Chi- 

 cago, last November, under the aus- 

 pices of the Society of American Flor- 

 ists, the interest in carnations was in- 

 deed manifested by the enthusiasm of 

 the many visitors. This was probably 

 the largest exhibition of carnations at 

 a tall show ever held in the country, 

 and was a credit to the exhibitors. 



As our conventions are held in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country, some mem- 

 bers lose interest when the conventions 

 are held at a distance and drop out. 

 As our society creates an interest in 



the carnation and the proceedings at 

 our meetings are quoted over the en- 

 tire country, every florist receives the 

 benefit to a certain extent and ought 

 in justice to the society to become a 

 member, even if unable to attend. 



Some florists have been growing 

 their carnations on concrete benches: 

 it wovild be interesting if they would 

 relate their experiences. It probably 

 is economy tO' build of concrete if the 

 plants do equally as well as on the 

 wooden benches. Many growers have 

 dispensed with the use of bone, and 

 claim that their plants do just as well, 

 if not better. 



Last year the Experiment S.ation at 

 Washington devoted a lot of work to 

 esirnations, which was appreciated by 

 all who had the privilege of visiting 

 the greenhouses and listening to Dr. 

 B. T. Galloway, Cbief of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. We might get more 

 good from this Bureau if we would try, 

 foi' the officers are ready to work with 

 us. 



What about having pot grown carna- 

 tions at our exhibitions? This has 

 been called to your attention by for- 

 mer presidents, but we don't seem to 

 make any headway in the matter. I 

 think it would be a good thing for the 

 introducers of a nev/ variety to have 

 a well grown pot plant in a pot to 

 show with the cut flowers. It certain- 

 ly would be of interest to intending 

 purchasers. 



Would it not be well to offer prizes 

 for collections of three or more pot 

 grown carnations, say $10.00, $0.00. 

 $4.00. It would give more material to 

 make an exhibition and tend to create 

 more interest in the divine flower. Pot 

 carnations years ago were quite a 

 source of revenue to the florists. 



At the convention of the S. A. F. at 

 Niagara Falls, last August, the Carna- 

 tion Society voted the sum of $25.00 

 to be sent as a premium to the Per- 

 petual Flowering Carnation Society of 

 England. 



I would suggest that the salary of 

 the secretary be increased if possible. 



I hope all our members will wear a 

 carnation in memory of the lamented 

 President McKinley, on January 29th. 



I wish to thank you for the loyal 

 support given me, especially the secre- 

 tary, Mr^ .Albert M. Herr, and Vice- 

 President A. F. J. Baur. also the di- 

 rectors. 



The press, which has been so friend- 

 ly to us, is entitled to all the thanks 

 we can give it. 



To the members of the local society 

 for the arrangement and details of the 

 exhibition, we are under obligations 

 and grateful to each and every one. 



Treasurer Fred Dorner, Jr., followed 

 v.ith the financial report: 



TREASURER'S REPORT. 



Expenditures. 

 Paid orders on Treas., $1104.54 

 Cash on hand, Jan. 24, 



1909 227.58 



$1332.12 



Receipts. 

 Cash from Sec'y Herr, 8S1.00 

 Cash from interest. . . 113.07 

 Balance Jan. 24, 1908, 338.05 



$1332.12 



Permanent Fund. 



Reported Jan. 24, 1908 $2375.31 



F. E. DORNER, Treas. 



Secretary A. M. Herr then read his 

 report for the yeav: 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Mr. Prtsident and Fellow Members of 

 The American Carnation Society. 



Your Secretary begs leave to report 

 having issued the Report of our An- 

 nual Meeting in due time and having 

 mailed the same to all members in 

 good standing. 



January 4th the Premium List was 

 itsued and mailed to all members on 

 fair books: this list was made up as 

 per instructions from your Board of 

 Directors at a meeting held in Wash- 

 irgton last January. The usual effort 

 was made to secure advertisements for 

 tills list by your Secretary. A circu- 

 lar letter was sent to every member 

 f n our books and about 300 possible 

 advertisers who were not members of 

 this Society. Tbis was followed up by 

 a personal letter to a hundred or more 

 w hom ycur Secretary thought should 

 ;.dvcitif,e with us. The result is $105 

 worth of advArtising, not one flfth 

 enough for the work of solicitation 

 necessary to get it, and I again recom- 

 mend that this part of our Premium 

 List be abolished. 



An innovation this year was a re- 

 quest made to every member of this 

 Society to add to our Class B. of 

 named varieties any variety they 

 might want to sfee inserted, providing 

 they would pay the premiums, if any 

 v/ere awarded. Tliis was followed up 

 by an appeal m.ade through the trade 

 papers and the result was one ad- 

 dition, that of Afterglow, by R. Wit- 

 tcrstaetfer, Cincinnati, Ohio. This 

 imager response niay have been due 

 to this feature not being properly 

 understood and partly owing to finan- 

 cial depression. At least it is to b^ 

 hoped that we as individuals will have 

 pride enough in our Society to see 



