250 



HORTICULTURE. 



August 22, 1908 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS AND 

 ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURISTS 



A Remarkable Gathering of the Florist Craft at Niagara Falls — 

 The Trade Exhibition the Prime Attraction. 



Cincinnati the Next Meeting Place. 



Officers Elected. 



PRESIDENT — J. A. Valentine, Denver, Colo. 

 VICE-PRESIDENT— E. G. Gillett, Cincinnati, O. 

 SECRETARY — W. N. Rudd, Morgan Park, III. 

 TREASURER— H. B. Beatty, Pittsburg, Pa. 



Never before has an S. A. P. Con- 

 vention opened with more delightful 

 weather or more inspiring circum- 

 stances. The attendance was very 

 large, equaling if not exceeding that of 

 any recent year and probably un- 

 equalled even in the extent of territory 

 represented. The entire ground floor 

 of the big Cataract House, with the ex- 

 ception of the hall used for the meet- 

 ings, together with a large annex built 

 over the vacant space in the rear, was 

 filled to the utmost with exhibits and 

 it was stated that for the first time in 

 the history of S. A. F. exhibitions the 

 applications for space exceeded the ac- 

 commodations and quite a number of 

 late applications had to be turned away. 

 A good many of the delegations had 

 arived on the previous evening and by 

 noon on the opening day, Tues lay, 

 August IS, all had arrived and the ex- 

 hibition halls were thronged, the num- 

 ber of ladies present being notably 

 large. Taken all together, it was a 

 remarkable gathering together of the 

 florist craft. Detroit sent an enor- 

 mous crowd as did New York, Phila- 

 delphia and Chicago. The attendance 

 from Cleveland. Cincinnati, St. Louis 

 and Washington was a representative 

 one. Boston and Pittsburg sent 

 rather light delegations. The New 

 York people were loud in their praise 

 of the attention given them by the 

 special representative of the D. L. & 

 W. R. R-. who accompanied the party 

 and of Messrs. Rickard and Fenrich 

 vs bo had been entrusted with the duty 

 of entertainment on their special train. 

 The Detroit party had enjoyed a night 

 on Lake Erie and a portion of the 

 Chicagoans had traversed Lake Michi- 

 gan and Lake Erie, having started on 

 Saturday evening. 



THE OPENING SESSION. 



The opening session of the conven- 

 tion was called to order by Vice-Presi- 

 dent George F. MoClure at 2.45 p. m. 

 He introduced Mr. E. T. Williams who 

 in the absence of Mayor Douglass and 

 at his request, extended the right 

 hand of fellowship to the visitors, on 

 behalf of the City of Niagara Falls. 

 He made a flowing and polished ad- 

 dress referring enthusiastically to the 



world famed scenic properties of 

 Niagara Falls which he said were 

 recognized as the heritage of the 

 whole world and would never be al- 

 lowed to suffer from any commercial 

 interference with their beauty and 

 grandeur. He deprecated the agitation 

 raised by, the American Civic Associa- 

 tion which he said was hysterical an I 

 based on theory and false premises. 



Patrick O'Mara responded with 

 characteristic eloquence, for the so- 

 ciety. He referred to Niagara as an 

 asset without a peer, aside from its 

 economic value and that aesthetic 

 s^nse and love for the beautiful is 

 what induces us to prize Niagara and 

 not its properties in kilometer or horse 

 power, and warned the previous 

 speaker in a jocular way that the 

 American people, while fully trusting 

 the city to do the right thing, were 

 keeping their eye on it. He character- 

 ized the S A. F. as existing for the 

 purpose of making the world better 

 and more beautiful, and ready to do 

 its part in a general and specific 

 manner. 



The vice-president then introduced 

 President F. H. Traendly who received 

 an ovation and then after a few ap- 

 preciative words proceeded to read his 

 address as follows: 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: In preparing 

 my address to you, I am following a 

 custom established by all of my prede- 

 cessor. I have no thought of outlin- 

 ing any policy which would help to 

 build up our society to the numbers to 

 which its good work for the different 

 branches of our business entitles it. 

 I know well that every conceivable 

 plan for accomplishing this has been 

 tried. The florists of the country have 

 had an object lesson showing the value 

 of organized effort to accomplish re- 

 sults, in the success of the society 

 last year in appearing before the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission for the 

 purpose of compelling the express com- 

 panies to revise their freight rates. 

 The contention of the S. A. F. & O. H. 

 prevailed, thus financially benefitting 

 many florists throughout the country. 

 This one instance should prove to 



every one, grower, retailer, wholesaler 

 and supply man, that his interest lies 

 in becoming a member of the S. A. F. 

 & O. H. They may then see that many 

 problems which they have faced at 

 some time during their career and con- 

 quered with difficulty, if at all, would 

 have become easy if they had been 

 members of the S. A. F. & O. H. 



For the younger men of our business 

 who expect to make their living in the 

 florist business, being a member of 

 the S. A. F. & 0. H. will gain them 

 much valuable information, as well as 

 the experience and advice of our older 

 members; and for the young man 

 whose experience is confined to one 

 branch of our business, there is no 

 r v:ay of gaining a general know- 

 ledge of the business than by attend- 

 ing the meetings of the S. A. F. & 

 O. H. 



We have just passed through one of 

 the worst panics this country has had 

 in years, and I think the florist busi- 

 ness is to be congratulated, that it has 

 weathered 'he financial storm as well 

 as it did. To my knowledge very few 

 failures have occurred, and while 

 florists in general have not made the 

 money they have made in recent years, 

 I feel that 1 am safe in saying that 

 most of them have more than paid ex- 

 penses. I think this is much better 

 than most manufacturing concerns 

 were able to do. 



K\-President Burton and Ex-Pres. 

 Breitmeyer, in their respective mes- 

 sages, called attention to the large 

 amount of greenhouse building going 

 on at that time, and both felt that it 

 would tend to over-production, and 

 their predictions, I think, have since 

 been verified. All through this last sea- 

 son especially ,has this been so in regard 

 to carnations., the New York market 

 alone receiving at least four times as 

 many of these flowers as were ever re- 

 ceived before in any one season. This 

 over-production has reacted on the pro- 

 ducer to the extent of a large amount 

 of worry as to the disposal of his 

 stock. 



Considering a season like the last, 

 when flowers were abundant and 

 cheap, it would seem to me that this 



