220 



HORTICULTURE 



August 31, 1918 



clsms made and perhaps rightfully 

 so, yet it should be remembered tliat 

 the publicity campaign for flowers is 

 entirely new and experience will have 

 to be had before the organization is 

 perfected to carry on the work. It 

 also should be remembered that this 

 work will not have to be made every 

 year as in most, cases the subscrip- 

 tions obtained are for four years' du- 

 ration. There are a number of states 

 in the Union, not yet visited by the 

 secretary where similar conditions ex- 

 ist as in California and when we are 

 through, I feel sure that we will have 

 well over $50,000 subscribed to our 

 fund. 



It is at this time I wish to call the 

 convention's attention to the fact that 

 there will be a decrease in the pro- 

 duction of flowers the coming year, it 

 the government's demand for a 50 per 

 cent less use of fuel is observed and 

 in most instances I think it is. Of 

 course, there are a number of growers 

 who are arranging to grow crops that 

 will not need so much fuel and others 

 who will run until after the holidays 

 and let down and start up early In 

 the spring, but if there is going to be 

 a limited supply of flowers which the 

 demand will be far in excess of, how 

 about the publicity campaign? 



Shall we continue to use the cam- 

 paign during the winter months when 

 the scarcity will be most severe or 

 shall we start out in the early spring 

 and launch a very heavy campaign? 

 These are all things to be considered 

 and hope that the convention will en- 

 ter into discussion that will help your 

 committee in this important work. 



I believe that the results obtained 

 last year by the publicity campaign to 

 be far beyond our expectations and I 

 could not be in favor of suspending 

 entirely, the "Say it with Flowers" 

 campaign. I am in favor of continu- 

 ing the campaign, perhaps using some 

 of our funds this late fall and going 

 lightly through the months when 

 flowers are very scarce and opening 

 up an early spring campaign with big 

 ads. when undoubtedly there will be a 

 bigger supply of flowers. 



I wish to call your attention to the 

 slogan which was adopted by our com- 

 mittees, and that is "Say it with Flow- 

 ers." This has been criticised by ad- 

 vertising men all over the country and 

 has stood the test. It has met with 

 universal approval of all florists in the 



trade and is being used quite freely, 

 but not enough. 



We have in connection with the 

 Promotion Bureau, signs, stickers, and 

 other printed matter which is on ex- 

 hibition in the hall now, and I sincere- 

 ly hope that the florists throughout 

 the country will realize the importance 

 of tieing up with the National Cam- 

 paign and advertise still by displaying 

 and using the signs, etc., which the 

 Promotion Bureau has to supply them 

 with at a cost price. 



To those who have subscribed to 

 this fund and to the committeemen 

 who have helped in this gigantic task 

 of securing this vast sum of money at 

 so critical a time in our business, I 

 wish to extend my sincere thanks. 



On June 22, your chairman, with 

 Chairman Penn of the Publicity Com- 

 mittee, President Totty and Secretary 

 Young, met by arrangement in con- 

 ference in Buffalo. The work of the 

 campaign was at this time fully 

 discussed. It was considered in- 

 advisable to summon the complete 

 committee for this meeting, owing to 

 the great mileage expense to be in- 

 curred thereby. Plans for this work 

 of the immediate future were outlined, 

 but definite action was deferred until 

 such time as a general meeting of the 

 committees could be arranged. Sec- 

 retary Young reported upon the suc- 

 cess so far met with in his visiting 

 tour, and was instructed to continue 

 the same until further instructed. S. 

 A. Anderson of BulTalo, a local mem- 

 ber of the Publicity Committee, was 

 present at this meeting, as also was 

 W. J. Palmer, by invitation. 



Now, as regards the society's share 

 in the results of this trip, the secre- 

 tary reports the acquisition of 250 new 

 members, which at the initiation rate 

 of $5 makes a first year total of $1,250. 



The expense of the trip has proved 

 to be lower than was anticipated at 

 the start, it being reported by the sec- 

 retary at an average approximately of 

 $10.00 per day, covering a period of 65 

 days, and including charges of all 

 kinds, either in respect of main- 

 tenance or travel.' 



W'itli these results before your com- 

 mittee, the question arises whether or 

 not the society, in view of the direct 

 benefit received through this impor- 

 tant addition to its membership and 

 income, should not bear a reasonable 

 proportion of the expenses of the trip. 



Your committee believes it should, 

 and therefore recommends that the 

 society appropriate to the campaign 

 fund a sum equivalent of fifty per 

 cent, of the secretary's expense bill. 



It is the opinion of your committee 

 that the secretary should be asked to 

 continue his work in the direction of 

 personal appeal, the good results 

 which materialize from it, both in the 

 interests of our Publicity Campaign 

 and the society, more than warranting 

 the expense, and being vastly in ex- 

 cess of results obtained or possible 

 through appeals by mail, which when 

 everything is considered, entail a cost 

 fully as great. 



As to our Promotion Bureau, your 

 committee endorses the report of the 

 secretary covering the work of that 

 department of our campaign. This 

 work has been done under the full 

 supervision and advisement of your 

 committee as far as its relation to the 

 expenditure of funds had been con- 

 cerned. All liabilities for considera- 

 tion and approval, the appropriations 

 necessary to cover same being made 

 before any of such liabilities have 

 been incurred. The bills of expense 

 in regard to them have first been sub- 

 mitted to Chairman Penn of the Pub- 

 licity Committee for his approval and 

 O. K., and subsequently to myself, as 

 chairman of your Publicity Finance 

 Committee, for audit and approval, 

 then again to our president and sec- 

 retary before passing to our treasurer 

 for payment. Your committee has 

 constantly had before it a precise ac- 

 count of the funds in hand for dis- 

 posal, and has endeavored, to the best 

 of Its ability, to keep a balance be- 

 tween resources and expenditures, as 

 explained and set out in the secreta- 

 ry's report covering the executive por- 

 tion of our work. 



Up to the time of preparing this re- 

 port, our fund, from all sources, has 

 reached $44,000. We are yet $6,000 

 short of our required $50,000, but your 

 committee believes that this amount 

 will be reached in ample time to allow 

 of the continuance of the campaign as 

 planned and now in progress. 



REPORT OF THE NATIONAL 

 FLOWER SHOW COMMITTEE. 



By George Asmus. 

 The report I am submitting to the 

 convention today is quite different 



