January 2, 1915 



H H T 1 C U L T U K E 



»■ 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS AND 

 ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURISTS 



NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS 



From the President of the Society of 

 American Florists and Orna- 

 mental Horticulturists. 



One of the privileges as well as one 

 of the very pleasant duties of the 

 president of the Society of American 

 Florists and Ornamental Horticultur- 

 ist, is to wish each and every member 

 of the society and his family a very 

 happy and prosperous New Year. 



While we are just now emerging 

 from a period of dullness. I believe 

 that in the very near future, times will 

 change very much for the better. Al- 

 ready we see grain shipments becom- 

 ing extensive, shoe and textile manu- 

 facturers report increasing business. 

 the automobile and steel industries are 

 showing immense improvement and 

 best of all. the banks of the country 

 are giving more confidence for the 

 near future. 



Thomas B. Keed once said that "the 

 alternation of good and bad times ante- 

 dates the pyramids." and that certain- 

 ly ought to give us courage as we 

 know it is true. Commercial horticul- 

 turists together with the other great 

 business interests of our country have 

 shared the losses for the past season 

 and although we are apt to think th^t 

 our particular business has been hit 

 the hardest, we know that this is not 

 the case. But, however that may be, ■ 

 the dominant note of the commercial 

 horticulturists throughout the United 

 States must be that good times are 

 coming and soon will be here. 



Patrick Welch 

 President Society of American Flori.sts. 



Once more, I wish to express to you 

 my gratitude and appreciation for the 

 honors our Society has conferred upon 

 me. I know that with these honors. I 

 have increased responsibility and in- 

 tend, with your support, to shoulder 

 this responsibility and to carry it suc- 

 cessfully throughout the year. At the 

 beginning of the year, when we all 

 make good resolutions, I want one of 

 the resolutions of this Society to be 

 that it will work to increase our mem- 

 bership. Of the ten thousand firms en- 

 gaged in floriculture and horticulture 

 in the United States, but 2'1 per cent 



are members of our Society. This 

 should and must be corrected. We 

 must impress upon the minds of those 

 who are not members that while there 

 are many local clubs and other nat- 

 ional organizations, organized for the 

 advancement of floriculture and hor- 

 ticulture, still we are the most impor- 

 tant society in America, whose aim 

 and purpose have accomplished much 

 in the past and with their co-operation, 

 will extend the field of operations ma- 

 terially in the future. 



I hope that the gentlemen appointed 

 to the Board of Directors and Perma- 

 nent Committees, with our State Vice- 

 Presidents, will prove themselves lead; 

 ers in the new crusade to increase our 

 membership. We are now living in an 

 age of co-operation, and what was for- 

 merly done by individuals, is now done 

 by organizations; consequently, the 

 members of our Society in each state 

 must work with the Vice-Presidents to 

 insure an increased membership. 



An increased membership will have 

 its influence at Washington, with Con- 

 gress, and at the capitols of the differ- 

 ent states, with the legislators both at 

 home and in the national capital. An 

 increased membership will better en- 

 able us to continue our campaign of 

 education, at our National Flower 

 Shows and at our annual Convention 

 Garden. Many of our young men trav- 

 eling through the country, were some 

 sufficient stimulant offered, could as- 

 sist in increasing the membership, and. 

 I am willing to offer the stimulant- -a 



\\ .VI.l.Al I: U. I'lLU.SON 



Din'ctor Society of Auierieaii Florists 



VVii.i.i.v.M It. Nicholson 

 I'ireotor Society of American KJorisls. 



RoiiKHT C. Kkuu 

 Diicilor Soi'lel.v of AiniTiian florists 



