August 24. 191S 



11 K T I C U L T U E E 



187 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS 



-AND- 



ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURISTS 



Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting, August 20, 21, 22, 1918, 



St, Louis, Mo, 



Officers Elected for 1919 



J. Fred Ammann, Edwardsville, III. 



E. A. Fetters, Detroit, Mich. 



.John Young, New York City 



J. J. Hess, Omaha, Neb. 



DIRECTORS. 

 II, Richmond, Ind., and C. C. Pollworth, Milwaukee, Wis. 



Everything seemed to co-operate to 

 make the opening session in Moolah 

 Temple a brilliant and altogether in- 

 spiring event. The hall \vas elabor- 

 ately decorated and the stage setting 

 was beautiful. On the platform were 

 seated, besides the officers, Ex-presi- 

 dents E. G. Hill, R. C. Kerr and W. F. 

 Gude and Messrs. W. C. Smith. L. Jules 

 Bourdet, F. A. Windier, W. J. Pilcher, 

 J. J. Beneke and John Moritz, all 

 chairmen of local committees. Mr. 

 Bourdet made an address of wel- 

 come on behalf of the St. Louis flor- 

 ists and was followed by the Mayor 

 of the city, J. F. Ammann responding 

 for the S. A. F., praising St. Louis hos- 

 pitality and emphasizing the business 

 character of this convention, speaking 

 of the sacrifices florists have made in 

 sending their sons to the service and 

 outlining the great work ahead for 

 this organization, after the war period. 

 The meeting was then turned over by 

 Vice-President Hummert of the St. 

 Louis Florist Club to the charge of 

 President Totty who began with a re- 

 quest that the audience join in singing 

 "America." after which he proposed 

 the following resolution, which was 

 unanimously adopted: 



Whereas, the S. A.. F. & O. H.. being 

 now represented in large numbers by 

 their boys "over there" desire to ex- 

 press their appreciation of the Com- 

 mander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, 

 on whose unflinching patriotism and 

 devotion to country they fully rely; 

 therefore, be it resolved that in the 

 thirty-fourth annual convention as- 

 sembled at St. Louis, August 2ii. we 

 beg to transmit to His Excellency, the 

 President of the United States. Wood- 

 row Wilson, our prayers for his con- 

 tinued success in wise leadership and 

 pledge our most loyal devotion to the 

 great cause of which, he more than 

 any other American, is far-seeing 

 leader and examplar. 

 A telegram was read from Ernest 



J. Sayward, president of the Canadian 

 Horticultural Association, extending 

 greeting, reciprocating good will an.l 

 fellowship, shoulder to shoulder, like 

 as our gallant boys will work together 

 for the future good of all. 



President Totty after congratulating 

 the St. Louis florists on the magnifi- 

 cent hall decorations proposed a reso- 

 lution of thanks to them which was 

 carried with great applause. He then 

 delivered his address as follows; 



PRESIDENT TOTTY'S ADDRESS. 



We are assembled today for the 

 thirty-fourth Annual Convention, to 

 greet each other as friends and fellow- 

 horticulturists and to derive mental 

 and iihysical benefit from contact with 

 associates, all engaged in the same 

 business of growing and distributing 

 plants and flowers; a business that is 

 one of the finest on earth, since its 

 sole and only mission is to elevate and 

 improve not only its members but the 

 world at large. 



We are meeting today under the 

 handicap of war. the old, happy care- 

 free note of previous conventions will 

 be absent. ^Meeting facts face to face, 

 with an earnest endeavor to keep an 

 even keel on the troubled "Sea of Bus- 

 iness." demands at this time much 

 thoughtful and careful consideration. 



Let us, first of all as good loyal 

 Americans, reaffirm our faith in the 

 leadership of our splendid president. 

 Woodrow Wilson, and let the world 

 know that we, as florists, individually 

 and collectively, are back of him so 

 that "government of the people, by the 

 people and for the people" shall con- 

 tinue to flourish. 



National League for Woman's Service 

 The times through which we are 

 passing are momentous ones for the 

 florists. In the eyes of some people 

 since war has been declared, we have 

 been regarded to a certain degree as 

 "non-essential." since our product is 

 not necessary to the winning of the 

 war. Physically, flowers are not nec- 

 essary, but their influence on the soul 



of the people has been and will be of 

 inestimable benefit, during the coming 

 winter. In this connection, one of the 

 finest illustrations is the work being 

 done by the National League tor 

 Woman's Service, which works with 

 and through the Red Cross. This 

 movement was organized for the ex- 

 press purpose of presenting our 

 wounded soldiers in the hospitals 

 throughout the country with fresh 

 flowers. Distributions have been ef- 

 fected on a large scale in the New 

 York section for some months and 

 will be spread throughout the entire 

 country as base hospitals may be 

 erected in the different states. Wher- 

 ever the -National League for Woman's 

 Service establishes a branch. I trust 

 the local florists will organize to keep 

 that branch supplied with flowers. 

 Could you hear, as I have, the stories 

 told bv Mrs. Curtin, president of the 

 League, on the way the sick soldiers 

 crave for fresh flowers, preferring 

 them even to any delicacy in the line 

 of food or drink, you would realize 

 that here was a chance for the florists 

 who are too old to fight, to do their 

 share toward alleviating pain and help- 

 ing out the country. I trust this con- 

 vention will go on record as official- 

 ly endorsing this splendid movement. 



Labor Question. 

 The question of help today is an im- 

 portant one. Possibly every florist es- 

 tablishment here represented has con- 

 tributed by enlistment or through the 

 draft some of their best men to our 

 splendid army. In some cases this 

 will mean a radical curtailment, while 

 others are endeavoring to help out by 

 the use of other kinds of labor, but we 

 will overcome this handicap and others 

 much worse, if our government feels 

 it will be necessary on our part in 

 order to win the war. 



Coal Situation. 



In this connection the coal question 

 is the momentous one for the florist. 

 The original government order limit- 

 ing us to .50 per cent, of our average 



