December 13, 1913 



HOETICULTUKE 



809 



Affiliation Once More 



It is quite a little while since I saw my name in print, 

 so I am rushing in again. I am still doing business on 

 the same old stand, Affiliation. I am going to keep after 

 you, my brother florists, till you give up in despair and 

 give it a trial. "Darn that little Dutchman ! I will 

 give him a chance. I am going to vote for Affiliation of 

 our Club next January or February and see what comes 

 of it. I see that he don't seem to want to give in and 

 we may make him take his own medicine and then he 

 may choke on it." Of course here is rather rough senti- 

 ment, brother, but I am willing to take a chance. Let's 

 try it! 



If you have read my paper on Affiliation last August 

 you must remember that I called on all Florists' Clubs 

 to bring this matter up in their January meeting for dis- 

 cussion and a vote on it in February meeting. Now, 

 brother florist, have you provided for it? If you have 

 not, call up the secretary of your Club and express your 

 wish that it should be done. Have all members in- 

 formed what is going to ~he the topic. If you have 

 nobody in your Club who cares to champion this cause, 

 have my convention essay of August read and discussed ; 

 it will give you the main points clearly stated. You 

 may have read it and put it aside with not another 

 thought, but here is a chance to put the searchlight of 

 discussion on it. Pull it to pieces, get at the bottom of 

 it, and then the truth — the need of Affiliation — will 

 creep into your brain and then into your heart. 



We who are taking from the storehouse of ages owe 

 again something to future ages, so let us build up. The 

 call is upon us to do something greater and better than 

 has ever been done in our profession. Don't let us miss 

 it. Get ready. August will soon be here, with it the 

 Boston Convention. The Board of Directors of our 

 National Society declared themselves in favor of Affilia- 

 tion at Minneapolis. They will bring it before you 

 in proper form for discussion and vote. 



Brother florist, 'this is the biggest advance ever 

 brought before the Convention since its birth. Will you 

 be ready for it ? I think you will ! I hope to see at 

 least a dozen clubs show their intentions to join the 

 mother society before August. Of course, the more, the 

 better. We should make our petition so strong that the 

 Convention will ratify it with a rush. So let us get to- 

 gether and do something. We have been talking Affilia- 

 tion for many years. We know all about the good results 

 it had in other professions. It will do the same for us. 

 Do your duty, brother. 



Pointing The Way 



A Christmas greeting from Philadelphia is in order 

 to the readers of Horticulture. We hope you have all 

 had as good a year as we have down here. Business has 

 been good and nearly everybody has prospered. From 

 what we hear, the same conditions prevail in other parts 

 of the country. We extend our congratulations to one 

 and all. 



We also wish to put forth a word of prophetic good 

 cheer. A country that is growing at the rate of at least 

 a million a year need be in no fear of business stagna- 

 tion. We may have gluts here and there due to lack of 

 facilities in distribution— and that is defective man- 

 agement and not inherent. We will find a way out — as 

 grow we must — just so long as these United States 

 continue to grow. 



Let one go around and talk to the eagle-eyed captains 

 of industry like the Hendersons, the Farquhars, the 

 Dreers, and he will quickly become imbued with the 

 fact that horticulture in America is but in its swaddling 

 clothes. All the progressive houses are up against more 

 l>usiness, better business — the public taste is improving; 

 wealth is increasing. If there be faint hearts among us 

 it must be from lack of energy and enterprise. 



The writer has traveled thousands of miles during the 

 past two months and interviewed many of the leaders 

 and not one single doleful note has he heard anywhere 

 but all look forward to even bigger and better times in 

 1914. 



So we say to all — be of good cheer! Gird up your 

 loins and get busy. 



Our Cover Illustration 



Tlie lovely floral basket, a picture of which forms the 

 central feature of our front cover page in this issue, was 

 a wedding gift from the National Association of 

 Gardners to Miss Jessie Wilson. It was arranged by 

 Gude Bros., of Mrs. George Shawyer roses furnished by 

 Chas. H. Totty, and a cluster of cattieyas, vandas 

 and cypripediums on the handle. 



As an Advertising Medium Horticulture has NO superior. 

 Because they ALL read it. And they read it ALL. 



