August 21, 1915 



HORTICULTURE 



237 



1 would recommend that rlie consti- 

 tution be amended so lliat the mem- 

 bers before taking their seat in tlie 

 Executive Board have the consent of 

 the majority of the club or society 

 they represent. 



Publicity. 



It is needless to point out the value 

 of publicity for the dissemination of 

 proi)er knowledge and educating the 

 public in the more general use of hor- 

 ticultural products. It is necessary 

 for the society to organize a •Publicity 

 Bureau," whose work would be along 

 the lines of a campaign, directed pri- 

 marily for the annual increase of the 

 sale of flowers, plants anil plant i)rod- 

 ucts. through new and varied chan- 

 nels and also to take means to pre- 

 vent any society, corporation or indi- 

 vidual from decrying the use of these 

 products for special occasions. We 

 very often learn of repeated attempts 

 made to discourage the use of our 



feel that the results would justify a 

 reasonable expenditure annually tor 

 the maintenance of such a committee. 



National Credit and Collection De- 

 partment. 



I am forcibly reminded by a large 

 number of the members of our Soci- 

 ety of the pressing necessity for creat- 

 ing a national bureau of credits, a 

 central office where credit information 

 can be kept and references obtained. 

 The commercial interests of our busi- 

 ness have grown to such an extent 

 during the past fifteen years as to call 

 for a more up-to-date standard of busi- 

 ness practice. 



There ought not to be any objection 

 to such a movement as it is highly 

 probable that it would do a great deal 

 of good and there is l>ut little danger 

 that it would do any harm. It should, 

 however, be carefully guarded so that 

 it could be used mutually by both 



of the country, to conider this sub- 

 ject and report at the meeting of the 

 K.xecutive Board in l!Mt; 



American Products. 



There is a constantly growing senti- 

 ment in this country among those who 

 have given the subject study that the 

 time has now arrived when a large 

 part if not the whole of the horticul- 

 tural products which have been grown 

 and imported from Europe should be 

 grown in this country. This is some- 

 tliing I have had in mind for some 

 time past. 



We should not seek to take advan- 

 tage of the unfortunate conditions ex- 

 isting in Europe at the present time, 

 and this society will do its part to- 

 ward helping to maintain the lom- 

 niercial honor of the United States so 

 that we shall emerge from this war 

 period with the love and admiration 

 of all nations concerned. 



Our climate, soil and other condi- 



WlLLIAM F. KASTING 

 Treasurer Society of American Florists 



John Yot'xu 

 Secretary Smiet.v of .\T[ii'i-ic.in I'lurists 



RonisRT C. Kekk 



riiicitor and Vlcc-Prcsldent-elecl Society 

 of American I'Morists 



products. Sill li I asi ^ should be taken 

 up by the Publicity Bureau and every 

 means iiossible taken to offset the ef- 

 fects of such adverse influences. 



I am very much in favor of a stand- 

 ing committee of five members whose 

 duty it shall be to co-operate with the 

 retailers, wholesalers and producers 

 80 that our business shall be brought 

 before the public in a much more fa- 

 vorable and effective light than it has 

 been in the past. 



We should have recourse to the lead- 

 ing daily papers throughout the coun- 

 try, which I believe will gladly publish 

 from time to time articles on Commer- 

 cial Floriculture. This will have a 

 ■wonderful effect for it will bring be- 

 fore the American people the merits of 

 our business and the enjoyment de- 

 rived from the use of our products. 



The hour has come when we should 

 give this question our best thought and 

 action. I think greater benefits can be 

 secured from aggressive work of this 

 nature than any we can engage In. I 



debtol- and creditor. The slightest in- 

 timation that a ireilitor was l)enefit- 

 ing to any extent at the expense of 

 the debtor would create dissatisfaction 

 and lead to serious results. The pres- 

 ervation of the rights of commercial 

 life, liberty and the pursuit of trade 

 should be upheld and not interfered 

 with. 



It is apparant, however, that ways 

 and means should be considered and 

 adopted by which the financial stand- 

 ing, honesty and integrity of the com- 

 mercial florists covild be measured, de- 

 termined and circulated among our 

 members to the end that honest, up- 

 right, just and creditable business men 

 may be singled out from the unjust 

 and unscrupulous operators. I regard 

 this problem a fundamental one, and 

 believe it should be considered and 

 adopted only after a very careful 

 study. 



I would suggest the appointment of 

 a committee of nine members to be 

 elected from the large floral centers 



lions are, according to our best au- 

 thorities well adapted for the growth 

 of palms, bulbs, nursery stock, etc., 

 which now go to make a total of im- 

 ports of $2,000,000 annually. 



I recommend that a permanent com 

 mittee of three be api)ointed to study 

 this problem and seek the advice and 

 rounsel of the United States Depart- 

 ment of .•\griculture, and devise ways 

 and means by which those interested 

 may be encouraged and assisted in 

 taking up tliis work which ought to 

 liring about good results, and report 

 annually to the society in convention. 



Voting. 



Kxiierience has taught iis that our 

 present system of electing officers at 

 our annual convention occupies loo 

 much time. It is wrong to ask a man 

 to stand in line for half an hour and 

 some times longer before be can cast 

 a liallot for the choice of officers. 



.■\8 a remedy for this condition I 

 would suggest that a list of the mem- 

 bers be nlphabetlcallv arranged in four 



