•2,78 



■HOETICULTUEE 



August 22, 1914 



THE BOSTON CONVENTION 



A Splendid Turn-out of Professional Horticulturists of All Classes 

 from Every Section of the Country* The Convention Gar- 

 den one of the Prime Attractions, A Notable Trade Display 

 in Mechanics Building, Inspiring Meetings and Brilliant 

 Social Features. Entertainment and Sight Seeing Unlim- 

 ited. Superb Floral Exhibition at Horticultural Hall. San 

 Francisco Selected for 1915 Convention. 



Officers Elected— President^ Patrick Welch, Boston, Mass. — 

 Vice-President, Daniel MacRorie, San Francisco, Cal. — 

 Secretary, John Young, New York, N. Y. — Treasurer, 

 William F. Kasting, Buffalo, N. Y. 



We believe that all who were pres- 

 ent will agree with us that the Boston 

 Convention of the Society of American 

 Florists was fully up to all that had 

 been promised and all that had been 

 expected of it. In every respect it 

 was a splendid success and in some 

 respects exceptional as compared with 

 any and all of its predecessors. An 

 unusual number of old-time iirominent 

 workers in the ranks of the Society, 

 men w'hose names are familiar from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific were in 

 attendance but perhaps the most 

 manifest indication of the present 

 virility of this big organization was 

 shown in the great preponderance of 

 young men and this held equally good 

 as to the representatives from every 

 section. 



With the exception of a few "early 

 birds," and those interested in the 

 installing of displays in the exhibition 

 building who arrived a few days in 

 advance the first important party 

 reached "the Hub" on schedule time 

 Monday morning by steamer from 

 Baltimore and Norfolk. This was the 

 excursion party which Mr. Vincent, of 

 White Marsh, Md., had been so en- 

 thusiastically working up for some 

 time and it included about sixty from 

 Baltimore. Washington and Pitts- 

 burgh, A local committee headed by 

 A. P, Calder met the visitors and took 

 charge of them for the day, a visit 

 to historic Lexington and Concord and 

 other places of interest in the north- 

 ern suburbs of Boston, Monday after- 

 noon and evening brought parties in 

 increasing numbers by 'train and the 

 exhibition hall and hotel corridors rap- 

 idly filled up with old friends and new 

 extending greetings and getting their 

 bearings generally. Tuesday morning 

 brought the larger part of the visitors. 

 The party by the all-water route from 



New York numbered over one hun- 

 dred and fifty. Nearly every state in 

 the Union was represented — from 

 Maine to California inclusive, as well 

 as various parts of Canada. 



OPENING CONVENTION GARDEN. 



The opening gun of the Convention 

 was fired when, at 11 A. M. Tuesday, a 

 large concourse wended their way to 

 the Convention Garden in the Fenway 

 and listened to the addresses with 

 which this big undertaking was for- 

 mally opened. It was a most inspiring 

 occasion and full of impressive sug- 

 gestion as to the broadening scope and 

 future greatness of the S. A. F. on 

 lines scarcely indicated in the past. 



James B. Shea, Deputy Park Com- 

 missioner of Boston, as Chairman of 

 the Convention Garden Committee, 

 presided over the exercises at the 

 opening of the garden at noon on Tues- 

 day. A rustic pergoda had been erect- 

 ed, over which the emblem of Boston 

 was unfurled. The platform was dec- 

 orated with urns filled with ivy gerani- 

 ums. There was a large concourse of 

 people. In introducing Mayor Curley 

 he said: 



I am not going to recount the trials 

 and tribulations wliich our committee 

 encountered in formulating this gar- 

 den. We have had, however, the ac- 

 tive support and co-operation of the 

 Mayor and the city government, and 

 have had also the active help of the 

 committee upon which I have had the 

 honor to serve. I know that it has 

 been the desire of everyone to have 

 the one who is most responsible for 

 this garden to give it an official open- 

 ing, therefore, I ask His Honor to give 

 it his sanction. 



Mayor Curley said: Mr. Chairman, 

 Ladies and Gentlemen: It is with ex- 

 ceeding pleasure that I welcome to 



Boston this morning the Society of 

 American Florists and Ornamental 

 Horticulturists, and as the chief execu- 

 tive of this old, beautiful and historical 

 city, I w-ant to express to them the 

 sincere thanks of the people of Boston 

 for this magnificent and beautiful flow- 

 ering garden, their handiwork, which 

 I trust public sentiment will insist 

 shall be perpetuated as a public park 

 for all time for the City of Boston. 

 (Applause.) I question it a more ideal 

 location could be selected for a garden 

 of this character, the natural surround- 

 ings, the beautiful buildings, typifying 

 an interest in the city's welfare and an 

 interest in the people of the city, typi- 

 cal of that spirit of benevolence that 

 has ever characterized genuine Bos- 

 tonians and that has made the word 

 Boston a word to be conjured with in 

 every great crisis in the history of the 

 American people. It is my sincere 

 hope that this park opened today 

 through the public spiritedness of the 

 Society of American Florists, will be- 

 come a permanent institution of the 

 city of Boston, a monument for all 

 time to the generous public spirit, to 

 the foresight of the men who consti- 

 tute the membership of the Society of 

 American Florists. 



Mr. Shea next presented Chairman 

 J. H. Dillon of the Park and Recreation 

 Department, who most eloquently sup- 

 plemented the sentiments expressed by 

 the mayor. His remark "I want to say 

 that I believe there is more honor due 

 the man who plants a tree and grows 

 it for posterity than to the millionaire 

 who erects a marble palace" drew 

 forth long continued applause. 

 . President Wirth, being called upon 

 extended hearty thanks to the city, 

 the mayor and officials and the com- 

 mittee on behalf of the Society of 

 American Florists. 



