September 1, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



239 



Mich., are entitled to the profound 

 gratitude of the Society of American 

 Florists for their magnificeiu gratui- 

 tous contribution of lierbaci ous pe- 

 rennials to tbe exhibition grounds at 

 Dayton. And as generous givins; 

 always brings its own reward we do 

 not doubt that the splendid collections 

 as shown will bring in compensating 

 business in due season. 



The announcement that the illumina- 

 tions of Far Hills, plans for which had 

 been spoiled by the rain on Tuesday 

 evening, would be given from 8 to 10 

 p. m. on Thursday was very welcome 

 news to the visitors who attended in 

 great throngs and were treated to a 

 fairy-land scene such as they had 

 never before been privileged to behold. 



No medal of the S. A. P. was ever 

 more worthily bestowed than that 

 recommended by the judges tor John 

 E. Freudenberger for his excellent 

 planning and laying out of the beds 

 and the groups of exhibits adorning 

 the Fair Grounds. 



Never before has an S. A. F. conven- 

 tion been favored with so much music. 

 A band or orchestra was on hand 

 every day and evening at the Fair 

 Grounds and the music rendered was 

 well selected and well played. 



The Detroit Florists' Club attracted 

 much attention in their quaint garb of 

 long linen dusters and farmer boy hats 

 as they marched up Third street from 

 the railway station with their grips 

 and bundles. 



The Western Passenger Association 

 did finally concede the extension of 

 time on the Dayton certificates to 

 August 31, but too late to be of any 

 value to the members from its terri- 

 tory. 



On Thursday afternoon the visiting 

 ladies, to the number of eighty-two, at- 

 tended the theatre as guests of the 

 ladies of the Dayton Florists' Club. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO THE 

 S. A. F. 



Ky Judge Charles W. Bale, at the Open- 

 ing of the Conveution at Daytou. 



"Mr. President and Gentlemen of the 



Society of American Florists and 



Ornamental Horticulturists; 



"In the absence of our Mayor it is 



my pleasure as an official of this city 



and country to welcome you in our 



midst. I don't know of a body of men 



who do more to bring sunshine and 



happiness to a community than your 



association. At this moment some 



sick person, perhaps a little child is 



in the act of caressing a rose whose 



perfume and brightness leads the sick 



on the road to recovery. 



"By your zeal and efforts in study- 

 ing and outlining your chosen work, 

 evidences may be seen on all sides of 

 your progress. Especially is this true 

 in Dayton, which is essentially a city 

 of homes. In almost every cottage we 

 may see flowers and plants indicating 

 the wealth of refinement and culture 

 within. When one goes home in the 

 evening after a hard day of toil, be he 

 a business man or working man. and 

 sits down amid green surroundings 

 and inhales the perfume "f beautiful 

 flowers, is like unto the wi-ary travel- 

 er in the far East who finds an oasis 

 in the desert. I hope to see the time 

 when every front yard as well as 

 every back yard will be dec orated with 

 trees, flowers and plants, to make us 



appreciate more thoroughly the grand- 

 eur and glory of nature. 



"The wealth and beauty of all these 

 make us better citizens and in the end 

 a better country. Your work is a no- 

 ble one, and it is being appreciated 

 better every day. Every one who does 

 his share in beautifying his property 

 and surroundings with the beauties of 

 Nature, should receive the thanks of 

 all citizens. I cannot help but take 

 this occasion to thank the National 

 Cash Register Company for the stu- 

 pendous work of this character. We 

 are reaping the fruits of its work in a 

 generous measure. The day will come 

 when our citizens will show their ap- 

 preciation by some substantial recog- 

 nition of its great and glorious work. 



"We have a beautiful city and a 

 splendid citzenship. We want you to 

 see us in our every-day lite. We want 

 you to enjoy your visit among us and 

 it will be our pleasure to assist you. 

 The keys to our gates we leave with 

 you. Go where you may we are happy 

 to have you within our portals at all 

 times. 



"Therefore on behalf of our citi- 

 zens, I extend to you a most hearty 

 and happy welcome." 



THE EVOLUTION OF THE 

 FLORIST. 



The florists are with us this week. 

 Holding a convention. Getting to- 

 gether to compare notes. Looking at 

 each other's product. Figuring upon 

 the cost of production. Devising ways 

 and means of making two roses bloom 

 where only one blooms now. A useful 

 lot they are, these florists, and the mil- 

 lions of money they have invested in 

 their business makes an industry as 

 staid and staple as the railroads and 

 as important to modern society as the 

 carpet looms. 



The first florist was probably a 

 crippled old woman of the jungles. 

 She was unable to join in the chase — 

 as primeval woman was expected to 

 do. until man found that he could in- 

 duce her to stay at home and do the 

 harder work of preparing the skins 

 for clothing and caring for the children 

 who would be needed when the neigh- 

 boring band made war upon the tribe. 

 This crippled old woman found a 

 flower blooming by the side of the teni 

 and, having the soul of a poet, sue 

 stuck a stick in the ground to prevent 

 the children breaking it down. When 

 the drouth came, she poured a little 

 water upon the plant. When the bugs 

 alighted upon it, she picked them off. 

 When the frosts came she dug up the 

 flower and carried it into the tent and 

 throughout the long winter she watched 

 it and cared for it — for she had no 

 other children she could call her own. 

 and the rest of the band of savages 

 ignored her in her infirmities. 



When the sun of spring came bright 

 and warm, the crippled old woman 

 carried her flower to the light and 

 planted it again in the ground. Tt grew 

 and bloomed and bore a wondrous odor 

 and a brilliant hue — more odorous man 

 the flowers of the wood, more brilliant 

 than the plants of the dell. And the 

 savages wondered at the thing, for a 

 miracle had been wrought. 



And so. taking their cue from this 

 crippled old savage, these florists are 

 engaged in caring for the plants, in 

 improving their odor and their color. 

 While the rest of us savages are busily 

 engaged in hunting food and in prepr.r- 



ing the clothing, these men of miracle 

 are raising flowers, and they say to us. 

 in the justness of the heavens, "Give us 

 of your food and raiment and we will 

 give you of our flowers." It is an ex- 

 change as equitable as the traffic of the 

 gods of old. 



It is a blessed thing that we are 

 able to secure within the day more 

 than enough food and clothing for 

 our own use and that we can spare 

 something to exchange with the flor- 

 ists for their flowers. It has long ago 

 been said that man could not live by 

 bread alone. If he could it would be 

 a mighty poor living. 



The tent of the savage, the one be- 

 side which grew the flower, was a 

 better tent than any of the rest in the 

 jungle. It was the tent to which the 

 savages went in the quiet of eventide. 

 It was the tent where charity was 

 most abundant; the tent where peace 

 prevailed; the tent wherein were born 

 the ideas that were of most benefit 

 to the world; the tent from which is- 

 sued the children who were best pre- 

 pared for the struggles they were to 

 encounter. 



And it has been so ever since. The 

 home surrounded by flowers is a bet- 

 ter home than any other. From it 

 issue men and women who lead the 

 purest lives. In such a home is more 

 harmony, more of love and charity. 

 Thieves are not born amid the flow- 

 ers. Criminals do not wear a blos- 

 som in their coats. The man who 

 seeks to destroy the peace of the com- 

 munity does not visit the flower gar- 

 dens when the dews are upon the 

 blooms. It is in the churches and 

 the schools and the hospitals and the 

 orphan asylums that one expects to 

 see the blooming things — not in the 

 jails and prisons. 



That is why we appreciate these 

 florists. Because we know they are 

 making the world better as well as 

 brighter. They are as much mission- 

 aries as those who carry the Bible. 

 They probably cure as many diseases 

 as the physicians. Certainly they en- 

 tertain as well as the artists or the 

 musicians. And may we learn the 

 lessons that they seek to teach. — 

 Dayton News. 



THE BIRTHDAY BOUQUET. 



Vincent I. Gorly, a wide-awake flor- 

 ist of St. Louis, -Mo., distributed cards 

 at the Dayton convention bearing the 

 following excellent sentiments: 



Every hustling retail florist ought to 

 use his energy and push the "Birthday 

 Bouquet" — help make it a fad. Just 

 think of how many more flowers would 

 be sold the year round in every large 

 city if it became a more general cus- 

 tom. Take for instance St. Louis with 

 700,000 population. Out of that num- 

 ber about 400,000 would be eligible to 

 receive a Birthday Bouquet. Suppose 

 that 50.000 would buy only $1 worth 

 (which would be the smallest amount) 

 there would be spent $50,000 a year 

 more for flowers in St. Louis and every 

 florist would be greatly benefltted 

 thereby. 



It's up to the hustling retail florist to 

 develop every branch of the business 

 to its utmost and this is surely a big 

 field to work in. Why are so many 

 flowers bouglit for the dead? It has 

 become a custom. So let it be with the 

 Birthday Bouquet. Its promotion 

 would make two hearts happy, the one 

 who receives the flowers and the good 

 old florist that sells them. 



