March U, 19U8 



HORTICULTURE, 



331 



FLORISTS^ CLUB OF WASHINGTON 



The monthly meeting of this club 

 was held March Srd at Glide's Hall. 

 Officers for the ensuing year were 

 elected as follows: F. H. Kramer, 

 president; John Robertson, vice- 

 president t Chas. McCauley, secretary; 

 Wm. F. Gude, treasurer; directors, 

 Peter Bisset, Chas McCauley, George 

 Shaffer, Wm. F. Gude, John Rbbert- 

 son; awards committee, John Robert- 

 son, Chas. McCauley, J. W. Freeman 

 and George Cooke. F. H. Kramer 

 showed a large vase of Queen Beatrice 

 rose, and Peter Bisset a vase of his 

 new seedling rose "G. B." W. P. Craig 

 of Philadelphia showed a vase of Mr,-< 

 .lardine. The awards committee will 

 report upon above exhibits at the next 

 meeting. 



Another out-of-town guest was Rob- 

 ert R. Jones of Harris- 

 burg, Penn., who repre- 

 sents the Morehead steam- 

 trap, of which he gave 

 an interesting explanation. 

 He also showed several 

 new electric lamps which 

 will soon be put upon the 

 market, and which are 

 said to be a great improve- 

 ment over the present in- 

 candescent light. 



A very pleasant feature 

 of the April meeting will 

 be the annual banquet. 

 which is always tendered 

 the new officers. The com- 

 mittee on arrangements 

 consists of Geo. H. Cooke, 

 chairman, Z. D. Blackistone 

 and Geo. Shaffer. 



One of the most enjoy- 

 able features of the meet- 

 ing was the address of the 

 retiring president. Peter 

 Bisset, of which the fol- 

 lowing is an abstract: 



"It is now two years 

 since you elected me presi- 

 dent of this organization. 

 At that time I promised 

 with your help to see that 

 the club did not go back- 

 wards but forward. You. 

 gentlemen, who have 

 watched the work of the 

 club closely and who are 

 familiar with all that has 

 been acomplished will, I 

 am sure agree with me 

 that we have gone for- 

 ward. Today the awards 

 of this club are thought as highly of 

 as those of any other society in the 

 universe. This has brought to our 

 exhibitions flowers and plants from 

 many sections all striving for the 

 recognition of this club in its medals 

 or ceitificates. It rests with you, 

 gentlemen, to see that these awards 

 shall be as hard to secure in the 

 future, as they have been in the past. 

 for, the moment they are cheapened in 

 any way, or awarded to plants oi' 

 flowers not of high standard, their 

 value will deteriorate. 



"During my term as your president 

 the constitution and by-laws have been 

 revised and many new features added, 

 one of the most beneficial to the work 

 of the club being the creation of a 

 boa id of directors, who have been 

 faithful in their attendance, and I wish 

 now to extend my thanks to thesp 



gentlemen for advice and help in 

 -solving the many problems that came 

 before us. Another innovation wa.? 

 the appointment of the committee ot 

 awards: the gentlemen who have 

 served on this committee have always 

 acted in a conscientious manner and 1 

 cannot pa.v them a. higher compliment 

 than to say I have yet to hear the first 

 word of adverse criticism on thn 

 awards made by them. 



"At the meeting held on April 3, l'Mii\ 

 the club voted unanimously to extend 

 an invitation to the American Rose 

 Society to hold its convention and ex- 

 hibition in this city in 1907. This in- 

 vitation was accepted and we had an 

 exhibition of roses which surprised all 

 who were privileged to see it and 

 was verv creditable for this section. 



F. H. Kra.mer 



President-elect Florists* Club of Washington. 



This exhibition was followed by a din- 

 ner to the delegates and their ladies 

 which fully bore out the reputation of 

 the Washington florists for their good 

 fellowship and generosity. Another 

 wise stejj taken by. the club was in 

 offering a gold and silver medal and 

 two certificates to the best school 

 .gaiden. This created quite an interest 

 and rivalry among the schools and 

 no doubt will benefit the florists of 

 this city a hundred-fold through the 

 love of flowers that those awards 

 helped to develop. I believe the club 

 should award the same number ot 

 medals and certificates every year (o 

 the schools. 



"A series of lectures was also in- 

 augurated and we expected great 

 things from them. It was decided to 

 admit the public to them free of 

 charge. Mr. J. K. M. L. Farquhar of 



Boston came and gave a lecture on the 

 flora of Japan which was appreciated 

 Ijy those present. The lectures had 

 to be abandoned, however, as we were 

 not in a position to pay for suitable 

 Halls. I hope that at no distant date 

 the club may find a hall free of rent 

 where such lectures can be given to 

 the public free of charge, which I feel 

 sure would be ot lasting benefit. I 

 would also suggest that the exhibition 

 of dahlias, roses and carnations that 

 have been held for the past few years 

 be continued. To me personally these 

 exhibitions have been of great benefit, 

 and from what others have told me 

 they also have secured valuable in- 

 formation from them. Abuse of the 

 privilege thus offered can be guarded 

 iigainst by the issuance of admission 

 "^^~ ticlicts to all our membere 

 for distribution to their 

 friends. The club held a 

 fall show last November, 

 successful in every' way 

 but the door receipts. 



"Last summer the club 

 enjoyed one of the most 

 delightful affairs in its his- 

 tory. I refer to the outing 

 to the Great Falls of 

 the Potomac; this outing 

 brought together all the 

 florists with their wives 

 and friends from all sec- 

 tions of the District and 

 outlying suburbs. On Jan- 

 uary 28-30 we had the 

 pleasure of entertaining the 

 American Carnation Socie- 

 ty in convention in our 

 city. In connection with 

 the c-onvention theio was 

 held at the National Rifles' 

 Hall one of the finest dis- 

 plays of carnations it has 

 ever been my good fortune 

 to see. The club gave the 

 visiting members and their 

 ladies a dinner at Raus- 

 cher's on the night of Jan- 

 uary 30, which was a very 

 pleasant affair and elicited 

 many words of praise from 

 the guests. This concludes 

 the most important events 

 of my term of office as 

 your president. 



"The club is at this 

 time better equipped to 

 carry on its work than 

 ever it was; our mem- 

 strong, composed of the 

 lead in our business, 

 to be associated with 

 is an honor and a pleasure, and 

 there is little danger of the club 

 going down as long as it has 

 the strong support of men who are 

 always ready to give of their means 

 as well as their time and counsel to 

 further the work of the club. 1 

 would say to those gentlemen who 

 have always stood by me during 

 the years 1 have been in office and 

 who have never refused to help when- 

 ever requested to do anything for the 

 good of the organization. — Give the 

 gentlemen who will follow me the 

 same help and encouragement that you 

 have given to me, and this club will 

 go on gaining in strength and useful- 

 ness. 



lifr.ship is 

 men who 

 men that 



