248 



horticulture: 



August 2-4, 1907 



cooperation lias been evolved and a 

 system of specialized work established 

 through these auxiliary bodies. 



Plant Registration. 



A well-regulated system of plant 

 nomenclature is needed. It would be 

 an element of great stability if all 

 registration of varietal names could be 

 recorded is one universally recognized 

 bureau. Whether this should l-^e done 

 direct by the owner or first i:ass the 

 scrutiny of a specialized society, where 

 such exists, is of little consequence 

 provided It finally comes into the cus- 

 tody of a central authority having the 

 power to follow up infringement and 

 extend the fullest protection within 

 the law to the originator or owner. 

 This central authority, I believe, 

 should be the Society of American 

 Florists and Ornamental Horticul- 

 turists. 



Two Important Duties of the Society. 



The time seems now ripe for us to 

 insist that horticulture be made a reg- 

 ular course in our public school sys- 

 tem. There can be no question of the 

 wisdom of ihis soiietys tiiiiing an ad- 

 vanced position on this matter and 

 fostering lib( rilly all movements for 

 the dissemiuiition of garden knowl- 

 edge tbrouijh this means. Rvery 

 argument on physical, mental and 

 moral grounds is on our side. 



As a society we should lend aid and 

 encouragement to any investigation or 

 experimentation for the purpose of 

 stimulating the production of any hor- 

 ticultural material for which we have 

 hitherto been obliged to depend upon 

 foreign sources of supply. "Made in 

 America" is an inscription too seldom 

 seen on horticultural godls. Kow 

 can this organization best assist to 

 that end? In the case of those goods 

 which we must import, there is room 

 for a better system and improved fa- 

 cilities in the appraisers' department, 

 and I hope our legislative committee 

 will give this question the attention 

 it should have. 



Parcels Post Needed. 

 The project of a parcels post 

 is a reform worthy of our hearty 

 support. A cheaper and more re- 

 liabte moans of distribution for 

 packages of limited size and weight, 

 such as is enjoyed in most European 

 countries, would greatly benefit the 

 plant and bulb trade and provide the 

 means for supplying the public at 

 small cost with plants of a size that 

 might be seen without the aid of a 

 microscope and might be nurtured into 

 lusty specimens without the use of an 

 incubator. Were it not for the ex- 

 press companies a i>arcels post would 

 have been a reality long ago — so we 

 are told. The express companies and 

 the S. A. P. have been making one 

 another's acquaintance of late and 

 find they don't think alike on some 

 things. 



State Vice-Presidents; Out-door Exhi- 

 bitions. 



I am satisfied that the present sys- 

 tem of selecting State vice-presidents 

 to represent this society sectionally 

 might be improved upon and vould 

 suggest that you consider the adoption 

 of some system whereby, in those lo- 

 calities where any organization exists, 

 we might through mutual arrangement 

 confer upon the presiding officer the 



honor of representing the S. A. F. in 

 his territory during his term of office. 

 It is much to be regretted that the 

 Executive Board found conditions so 

 unpropitious for an outdoor exhibition 

 of planted material in connection with 

 this convention that the project had 

 to be abandoned. It was hoped by 

 many that the humble beginning made 

 ii! Dayton might be followed up and 

 that in time an outdoor exhibit might 

 be made a regular feature of our con- 

 ventions, but in a large city the diffi- 

 culties seem almost insurmountable. 

 Wherever circumstances permit I be- 

 lieve it will be good policy to provide 

 at least for a planting of such novel- 

 ties as cannot be properly presented 

 in an indoor exhibition. 



National Flower Show. 



As the National Flower Show pro- 

 ject will be reported on at the proper 

 time by the very competent committee 

 of fifty under the chairmanship of my 

 predecessor I will not take your time 

 now with any reference to it other 

 than to submit that it would be a 

 grave mistake to make any change 

 from the time-honored date for holding 

 our annual convention. If it is thought 

 wise to have a meeting at Chicago 

 at the time of the exhibition let it be 

 a special meeting called as provided 

 for in the by-laws. The proposition 

 to merely meet formally in August 

 so as to comply with the constitutional 

 requirements and then adjourn over 

 until the time set for the flower show 

 would, I firmly believe, very seriously 

 affect the prosperity of the society. 



The Society's Good Record. 



The birth of the Society of American 

 Florists was the outcome of a convic- 

 tion on the part of its promoters that 

 the horticultural interests of America 

 were ready to get together for mutual 

 advantage and the uplifting of their 

 art. The young society found the com- 

 mercial florist, as a rule, isolated and 

 provincial because of the lack of op- 

 portunity for any but the most limited 

 intercourse and interchange of opinion 

 and experience. Not one society, club 

 or periodical devoted primarily to the 

 interests of floriculture existed on this 

 continent. The best test of the wis- 

 dom of the founding of any institu- 

 tion is what it has been able to ac- 

 complish. Do you not think that the 

 seed sown 23 years ago has borne 

 pretty good fruit? The yield might 

 have been increased many fold had 

 every one in the profession who need- 

 ed just this help taken advantage of 

 it; still it is not too much to say that 

 the S. A. F. has been the underlying 

 force which has in this brief period 

 placed American floriculture on an 

 eminence where it commands the re- 

 spect of the world and that the splen- 

 did confidence of its founders in the 

 future magnitude of their profession 

 has been well justified. The spirit of 

 progress which prompted them to 

 break the shackles of past isolation 

 and secretiveness and throw wide open 

 the doors for a general intellectual 

 and material advancement Is still our 

 best asset. We must allow free scope 

 to the mighty reserve forces of Amer- 

 ican horticulture and be constantly on 

 the alert to see and act upon every 

 opening for strengthening our hold 

 upon the heart-strings of the profes- 

 sion. 



The Winning Combination. 



Unselfish, hard-working loyalty to 

 the organization and its principles, on 

 the part of every member, is the win- 

 ning combination in all club and so- 

 ciety affairs and this I would espe- 

 cially plead for at this time, as we 

 near the close of my official labors. 

 My dearest ambition during these 

 many years has been to contribute 

 with all my heart toward making this 

 society the great leader in every work 

 tending to the ennobling and enriching 

 of our profession. I know, by inti- 

 mate contact with those associated 

 with me in the society's service, how 

 faithfully they have done their duty 

 and how unselfishly the members gen- 

 eraly have responded when called upon 

 for any assistance. These are the 

 qualities that make for success in any 

 organization and I earnestly hope they 

 will be continued and strengthened in 

 the years to come. 



What Conventions Are Good for. 



Tlie society is to be congratulated 

 on the magnificent attendance at this 

 meeting. Conventions are always an 

 incentive and encouragement. They 

 give zest to work, feed the intellect, 

 enrich our literature. They are a uni- 

 fying force, establishing and cement- 

 ing friendships and bringing into ad- 

 vantf.geous contact those who, al- 

 though widely separated, are actuated 

 by a common purpose in life. I pity 

 the man who sees nothing to interest 

 him here and finds no inspiration in 

 such gatherings, no strength to help 

 hira surmount the daily recurring diffi- 

 culties which are our common lot, no 

 advantage in the opportunity to in- 

 spect this great industrial exhibition. 

 )-ittIe he realizes how great is his loss. 

 Business First, Pleasure Afterwards. 



And now let us proceed to business.. 

 We have diversions innumerable, en- 

 tertainment after entertainment await- 

 ing our pleasure; the bowlers and their 

 henchnipr are eager to pounce upon 

 that tempting aggregation of honor and 

 silverware, but with all their vocifera- 

 tion they are among the best promoters 

 in the society's service; the ladies, In- 

 dispensable always, have organized a 

 little side auxiliary of their own; a 

 magnificent exhibiton across the way 

 justly claims much of our attention. 

 But with all these allurements let us 

 not forget that the eye of the world 

 is upon us and that important busi- 

 ness awaits our attention first. 



Upon the conclusion of the applause 

 which followed the reading of the ad- 

 dress. President Stewart assumed the 

 chair and the regular order of business 

 was taken up, the first being the an- 

 nual report of Secretary P. J. Haus- 

 wirth, which was as follows: 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Mr. President and Members of the 

 Society of American Florists and Or- 

 nauienlal Horticulturists : 



As your Secretary I submit this, my 

 fii'st annua' report for your consider- 

 ation. 



Transfer of Office. — By instructions 

 of the Executive Committee I pro- 

 ceeded to Boston the first week In 

 January to have the property of the 

 Society transferred to me by my prede- 

 cessor. It was to be expected that a 

 vast amount of material bad accumu- 

 lated in the number of years that the 

 position of Secretary was held by our 



