106 



HORTICUt. TUBE 



February 1, 1919 



THE AMERICAN CARNATION 

 SOCIETY 



The American Carnation Society 

 held its annual meeting in the Hoi- 

 lenden Hotel on January 29 and 30. 

 The exhibit was staged in the ballroom 

 of the hotel and the banquet was held 

 on the evening of the 30th. Following 

 is the address of President C. S. 

 Strout of Biddeford, Me. 



The President's Address. 



It has been our privilege to meet in 

 convention in this delightful city of 

 Cleveland on former occasions. It is 

 my pleasure to bid you hearty wel- 

 come to this twenty-eighth annual con- 

 vention. 



We are all conscious that the past 

 year has been the most difficult year 

 we have faced since our society was 

 formed. The conditions produced by 

 the Great War found us in a field of 

 uncertainty, in which many of us 

 were doubtful as to whether we should 

 retrench and wait a more favorable 

 time. The problem of Hamlet "To be 

 or not to be" was ours. The air was 

 filled with rumors of a coal shortage. 

 Dame Rumor said the florists' busi- 

 ness was to be shut down as a non- 

 essential. To meet the situation, the 

 American Carnation Society and the 

 S. A. F. & 0. H. sent a delegation to 

 Washington and, partly as a result of 

 their arguments, the dictum of the 

 fuel administration was that growers 

 using more than forty tons a year 

 should be allotted fifty per cent of the 

 average used for the past three years; 

 those of forty tons or less, the full 

 amount. Private growers were denied 

 the use of coal. 



The fuel shortage has not been an 

 unmixed evil. To illustrate, one of 

 our well known growers reduced his 

 glass one-third, yet produced 30,000 

 more blooms than the previous year 

 in the same period with all his glass. 

 This he brought about by careful, in- 

 tensive work and conservative use of 

 fuel. 



The spirit of patriotism among our 

 younger men led them into the Army 

 or Navy; the draft laid its hand upon 

 some, and a labor shortage added its 

 problem for many growers. Among 

 those who entered the service of 

 Uncle Sam being, our then President. 

 W. J. Vesey, Jr.. and David Ward, one 

 of our Judges. 



Like all other lines of business, we 

 were affected by the scarcity of supplies 

 and prevailing high prices. Difficulties 



of transportation made the delivery 

 of express companies uncertain. We 

 were beset on all sides and to add to 

 the story, the high percentage of sun- 

 less days has made the past year an ex- 

 ceedingly difficult one. 



In spite of all, however, this has 

 been one of the most profitable sea- 

 sons for florists. The old law of sup- 

 ply and demand has led to higher 

 average prices, and the phenomenal 

 amount of sickness created a quick 

 demand for all we could offer. The 

 circle of clients has been largely in- 

 creased by the advance in wages pro- 

 duced by special war work in ship- 

 building, ammunition factories and 

 mills. This increased demand has en- 

 abled both grower and retailer to se- 

 cure a reasonable price and profit, 

 and brings to our minds once again 

 the question as to whether or not we 

 can bring about a minimum and max- 

 imum price in the interests of both 

 grower and retailer. These are days 

 of co-operation; a league of interests 

 should help us solve this question. 



The fact that florists the country 

 over have generously donated flowers 

 to Red Cross drives and campaigns for 

 Y. M. C. A., K. of C. and similar or- 

 ganizations indicates the spirit of 

 patriotism and the opportunity for 

 service outside our regular field of 

 business. There are several growers 

 of whom I know in New England who 

 have each contributed flowers which 

 have netted $1,500 each for such work. 



Early in November brought the glad 

 tidings of the signing of the armistice 

 and the removal of restrictions on 

 travel, and with it our energetic sec- 

 retary took up the plans for this con- 

 vention. You are all well aware 

 that the railway administration had 

 frowned on gatherings similar to ours. 

 Traveling was discouraged in every 

 way, and our plans had been more or 

 less tentative. Thanks to the executive 

 ability of Mr. Baur and the interest of 

 the local committee on arrangements, 

 there is every indication of one of the 

 most successful anniversaries we have 

 had. 



It has .seemed to me that the phe- 

 nomenal circumstances under which 

 we have labored the past year called 

 for review for permanent record. 



Believing it will meet with the ap- 

 proval of this Society, I suggest to 

 you that steps be taken to furnish 

 fitting recognition of the members of 

 the Society who have entered the 



U^fy WAite 



This is the coming florist early all 

 white forcing Gladiolus. We have no 

 stork to offer to the trade this season, 

 but will have a small surplus this 

 coming autumn. If you want an ideal 

 florist all white Gladiolus, send us 

 your address and we will mail you our 

 trade circular when issued. 



A. E. KUNDERD 



GOSHEN, IND. 



service of the United States. What 

 form this recognition should take I 

 think could readily be determined by 

 a committee appointed for the purpose. 



As an aid in reconstruction and as 

 a mark of our respect and sympathy 

 for our brave allies, I would suggest 

 that this Society correspond with 

 French Floral Societies and offer them 

 carnation stock to replace that de- 

 stroyed by the ravages of war. I am 

 sure individual growers will be happy 

 to send stock for this purpose. 



I further recommend that the Amer- 

 ican Carnation Society go on record 

 as urging carnation growers in groups 

 or sections to try for more uniform 

 prices and more accurate grading of 

 stock. 



Well grown carnations are worth 

 the average price paid this season, and 

 all things considered, should command 

 a better price than has been paid in 

 the past few seasons. But the extreme 

 prices, high or low, demoralize the 



