September 28, 1918 



H U KT 1 C ULTURE 



317 



Shortly after the death of Mr. Dick 

 the Executive Committee met in New- 

 York and several names were pro- 

 posed for secretary, and our present 

 one, Jasper R. Lewis, was selected 

 and requested to finish Mr. Dicks un- 

 expired term which he agreed to do, 

 compensation, etc., left until the an- 

 nual meeting. Mr. Lewis has ably 

 filled the position to the satisfaction 

 of all concerned as the result shows, 

 as he has handled successfully the 

 many difficult and different matters 

 left in his hands, and no matter who 

 you may elect as your presiding offi- 

 cer for the coming year, I certainly 

 would like to see Mr. Lewis retained, 

 as I know he Is trustworthy and com- 

 petent to fill the position. 



California and other Societies 

 To our California members and 

 friends we owe a debt of gratitude 

 that is hard to express as they have 

 been of great assistance to us both in 

 membership and co-operation. As we 

 do not all live on the Pacific Coast, 

 but in other sections where conditions 

 are not adapted to growing dahlias, 

 we cannot help but envy our friends 

 living in a climate that gives them 

 such a wonderful growing season. 

 Our earnest desire Is that their So- 

 ciety may continue to thrive and their 

 splendid seedlings may always oe 

 worthy of the high praise they are 

 now receiving everywhere. The To- 

 ronto (Canada) Society is surging 

 along and every year shows increas- 

 ing interest. Culture and observa- 

 tion will show the varieties best 

 adapted to their northern climate. 

 We wish them success and are wil- 

 ling to help them in any way possible, 

 and we thank them for the silver and 

 bronze medal their Society offered us 

 this season. To the various Garden 

 Clubs and like organizations, we ex- 

 tend our deepest desire for their suc- 

 cess and co-operation, and anything 

 that the officers of our Society can do 

 eieher as judges or in any way for 

 the promotion and love of the flower 

 and growing of same, will be done. 

 The New Haven and Boston Horticul- 

 tural Societies had exhibits fully up 

 to the standards of any former dis- 

 plays, and the vegetables shown at 

 the same time made both exhibits 

 useful and educational. 



Flowers and Their Mission. 

 A great deal has been written and 

 said about the flowers being non-es- 

 sential and superfluous since our 

 entry into the World W^ar. Most of 

 these articles are 'by writers who 

 have never understood the full mis- 

 sion of flowers to our homes and hos- 

 pitals, where our loved ones are lying 

 sick and wounded. Great Britain and 



other countries have advocated the 

 growing and use of flowers for the 

 above purposes, and we think that 

 American flower lovers and growers 

 are advocating these flower shows at 

 this time believing that with all the 

 cruelty of war something is needed to 

 brighten life and make it more like 

 living, and many sore hearts are find- 

 ing solace and quiet recreation m 

 their gardens, more than they can in 

 any other way. Let the cultivation of 

 flowers go on: do your bit, read of 

 them, plant them, grow them, show 

 them, and get others interested in a 

 like work. Something has also been 

 said about using the land for flowers 

 that might be used for food purposes. 

 That might be true if land were 

 scarce, but in this wonderful country 

 of ours there are yet millions of acres 

 of land uncultivated, enough to spare 

 to grow all the vegetables all the 

 world might need. Why then be- 

 grudge a small portion of the land or 

 time for the flower garden? 



American Institute. 



We are greatly indebted to the 

 American Institute, its officers and 

 their worthy secretary, Mr. Eagleston, 

 for their kindness and co-operation in 

 every way possible towards making 

 this exhibition the grand success it is 

 this year and in the past years that 

 we have exhibited here under their 

 auspices, and I believe that I express 

 the sentiments of every member of 

 the Dahlia Society when I say that In 

 this period of our history we are more 

 than thankful for their kind help, and 

 our earnest wish is that they may 

 never tire of well-doing in having 

 these wonderful shows which are un- 

 doubtedly beneficial to mankind. I 

 am also indebted to our executive 

 committee and others for their kind 

 assistance throughout the past year. 

 Communion and Fellowship. 

 I am proud to be your presiding 

 officer again this year. Let us come 

 together during this meeting to the 

 material benefit of ourselves and all 

 mankind, so that when we leave this 

 wonder.'ul city we may return home 

 rejoicing in the knowledge gained, 

 the friendships renewed and the new 

 ones made, which will cement us in 

 stronger bonds to the end of our lives. 

 Generosity of thought and action is 

 an attitude of the florist, because we 

 live close to nature, and no body of 

 men and women anywhere stands 

 more ready to extend a helping hand 

 to a brother or sister in trouble. We 

 become more broad-minded as we 

 mingle with the world, more united 

 for progress and the general distri- 

 bution of our discoveries in order 

 that our fellow tradesmen may be 



benefited. Let us strive to increase 

 the use of flowers universally not 

 only for our own selfish or money 

 making purposes, but for the eleva- 

 tion of mankind. Neither should we 

 confine our efforts to our country 

 but let us make use of them freely 

 whenever we can extend our cult 

 from country to country the world 

 over, in the endeavor to bring the 

 peace and good will which will ulti- 

 mately reign throughout the world 

 and bring us into one brotherhood of 

 communion and fellowship. 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS 



Department of Plant Registration 



Public notice is hereby given that 

 F. W. Fletcher, of Auburndale, Mass., 

 and Orlando, Fla., submits for regis- 

 tration the new Asparagus here men- 

 tioned 



Asparagus Fletcherii (densifolius). 

 A variation (seedling) of Asparagus 

 Sprengerii. It varies in the shorter, 

 more compact and much heavier foli- 

 age, four sprays being equal to twelve 

 of Sprengerii. It is especially seen to 

 be an improvement when used as a 

 foundation for sprays, and as a basket 

 plant. Tested five years and proved 

 to come true from seed. 



Any person objecting to this regis- 

 tration, or to the use of the proposed 

 name, is requested to communicate 

 with the secretary at once. Failing to 

 receive objection to the registration, 

 the same will be made three weeks 

 from this date. 



John Young, Secy. 

 11711 Broadway, New York, Sept. 21, 

 1918. 



Do You Know What 

 You Want? 



Look in the "Buyers' 

 Directory" of this issue 

 and you will probably 

 find represented there 

 somebody who can 

 supply you. It's a good 

 plan to look it over 

 every week, for the 

 weekly changes and 

 additions are many. 



