January 5, 1918 



H R T I C U T. T U K E 



A GREETING 



'TJo the Members of the Society of jJmerican Florists and Ornamental 



Horticulturists 



ON assuming the office of President to which you 

 have elected me for the year 1918, I thinlc it 

 hardly necessary to remind you that we are 

 living in troublous times. If there ever has been a 

 reason for the 

 existence of the 

 Society of 

 American Flor- 

 ists as a live 

 body to 1 o o 1< 

 after the inter- 

 ests of its mem- 

 bers, that time 

 is now, and any 

 florist that ex- 

 pects to stay in 

 business and is 

 not a member of 

 the National So- 

 ciety, is not 

 playing fair 

 with his fellow- 

 florists. Readers 

 may ask— "Why 

 so?" and the 

 answer is simple. 

 For instance, a 

 few weeks ago 

 there was a 

 shortage of coal 

 in some sections 

 and a d e 1 e g a- 

 tion of promi- 

 nent meml)ers ol 

 the S. A. F. & 

 0. H., at their 

 own expense 

 went to Wash- 

 ington to inter- 

 view the Coal Commissioner with regard to the coal 

 supply for the florists' business. Many of them had 

 heard that the florists' business was classed as "non- 

 essential" and therefore their coal supply would lie 

 reduced if necessary in order that manufacturers, 

 etc., eoukl keep their factories running. Each of 



Charles H. Totty 



President, Society of American Florists and Ornamental 

 Horticulturists 



these n\en contributi'd reasons showing that the 

 florists' business was just as essential as any other 

 in helping to win the war. Through the 

 Washington representative of the S. A. F., 



Wm. F. Gude, 

 these men ob- 

 tained an audi- 

 ence with the 

 Fuel Commis- 

 sioner and stated 

 their case. Many 

 of the facts pre- 

 sented to the 

 C o m missioner 

 had not occurred 

 to hi m before 

 and he was in- 

 clined to con- 

 sider florists in 

 a more favorable 

 light after hear- 

 ing their side of 

 the case. There 

 is no question 

 but tiiat more 

 recognition was 

 given this dele- 

 gation from the 

 S. A. F., than 

 would have been 

 given any one of 

 them as an indi- 

 vidual. Another 

 excellent thing 

 the Society has 

 done was the ap- 

 pointing of a 

 Committee to in- 

 terview the 

 thereby facilitating the 



'i'ransportation Companici 

 delivery of flowers. 



The S. .\. F. and (). II. at the present time is 

 launching a campaign for the more extensive use of 

 fliiwcrs under the splendid leadership of Henn' Penn 

 of Boston, as rhainnau, :i man who is perhaps re- 



