244 



HOKTICULTURE 



August 19, 1916 



that the Society ot American Florists 

 appoint a permanent committee whose 

 duty it will be to constantly stimulate 

 interest in Mother's Day, and I would 

 suggest that this committee look into 

 the matter of securing a permanent 

 fund to promote this work. As re- 

 gards a suitable flower, emblematic 

 of Mother's Day, will say that consider- 

 able discussion was given to this mat- 

 ter at tlie Convention in San Fran- 

 cisco It was the concensus of opin- 

 ion that the Society of American Flor- 

 ists should advocate the use of the 

 white flower for tlie mother who has 

 passed away, and flowers of any color 

 for the mother living. 



Our Late Treasurer. 

 Before closing I wish to say a word 

 of praise for the dear brother whom 

 we have been unfortunate enough to 

 lose in the last year. On Thursday, 

 June 15 our beloved treasurer, Wil- 

 liam F. Kasting, was taken from us. 

 Our Society lost one of its most ar- 

 dent champions and we all lost a very 

 dear friend. It is not necessary for 

 me to review all the good work that 

 Mr. Kasting performed as his work 

 was made known to all of us. Al- 

 though he had many duties to perform 

 he never begrudged the Society of 

 American Florists his time or his serv- 

 ices. Earnest, conscientious, far sight- 

 ed, outspoken as an opponent, a char- 

 acter with a strong sense of the cour- 

 age of his convictions, loyal as a 

 friend and generous, Mr. Kasting's 

 memory will always remain dear to 

 every member of our Society. 



Conclusion. 



In conclusion, as president of this 

 society, I want to thank the various 

 committees who have worked with me 

 during the year in carrying out their 

 duties, and I want to thank every In- 

 dividual member who has shown an 

 interest in our work, and who has giv- 

 en his support to our institution. 

 There is no more charming art or oc- 

 cupation than that of horticulture, 

 there is no vocation more conducive 

 to human welfare than our own. Let 

 us. therefore, unite our efforts toward 

 making the society of American Flor- 

 ists a greater and more glorious insti- 

 tution. 



Ladies and gentlemen I thank you 

 for your kind attention and hope it 

 will not be many years before we 

 again enjoy the unbounded hospitality 

 of the South. 



ing a large and valuable addition to 

 our membership, our rolls at the close 

 of 1915 showing an increase in the 

 State ot California alone of 112 mem- 

 bers in good standing. There is every 

 reason to believe that the Convention 

 of this year will result also in a sub- 

 stantial influx of members. 



The following have sent in one or 

 more names for membership from 

 January 1st to July 1st, 1916: 



Secretary's office. 61; W. J. Keimel, Di- 

 rector. 40; R. C. Kerr. Vice-Presitient, W; 

 Florists' Telegraph Delivery, 14 ; C. L. Baum. 

 Director. 7; Frank Steinbach, State Vice- 

 President. 6; J. J. Hess. State Vice-Presi- 

 dent. 3; J. H. Perrer. State Vice-President. 

 3; Lon Foster. State Vice-President, 2, 

 H C Nenlirand, State Vice-President. .; 

 American Dahlia Society, 2; W. R. Nichol- 

 son, State Vice-President. 1; Geoi-gi- Schnlz, 

 State Vice-President. 1; J. R. Von Bochove, 

 1; J. A. Peterson, 1; A. A. Niessen, 1 ; U. 

 Mills 1: Charles Plumb. 1; George Hilden- 

 brand. 1: Florists' Hail Association, 1; 

 Robert Sbnck, 1. 



Our Conventions. 



Our Conventions continue to hold 

 the interest of the trade at large, and 



The minutes of the Executive Board, 

 report of Secretary, report ot Treas- 

 urer, Washington representative and 

 chairmen of committees then followed 

 and the reports of State vice-presi- 

 dents were ordered to be printed. We 

 publish in this paper such of the 

 above-mentioned reports as our space 

 will permit and the balance will appear 

 in next week's issue of Hohtk rLTURE. 



REPORT OF SECRETARY JOHN 

 YOUNG. 



Mr. President and Members: 



It is pleasing to be able to report to 

 you that in point of membership our 

 Society is stronger than a year ago. 

 This condition should incite gratifica- 

 tion, the more because our '"onvention 

 of last year was held in a city remote- 

 ly West, and our gathering this year 

 takes place in a city almost equally 

 remote to the South. Our Convention 

 last year was the means of our secur- 



JOll.N YOU.NG 



Secretary Society of American Florists 



friendly competition for the honor of 

 taking care of a convention is still 

 keen, as may be judged from the tact 

 that there are likely to be several in- 

 vitations for the 1917 Convention. 



There is noticeable, however, very 

 generally throughout our ranks a de- 

 sire to eliminate much of the enter- 

 tainment which has of recent years 

 characterized our Conventions. Our 

 membership is now so large tliat the 

 attendance at some of oui gatlierings 

 is much too great to allow of the 

 extension of the hosiiitality which 

 many cities would consider as befit- 

 ting the occasion, and the expense and 

 work incident thereto is necessarily 

 such as to deter many cities from at- 

 tempting to assume the role ot "host." 

 Our hosts in the South have recognized 

 this sentiment and have established a 

 precedent which is worthy of continual 

 observance, by cutting out ail extrava- 

 gant entertainment and arranging a 

 simple yet most enjoyable series of 

 trips and functions which shall not in 

 any way tend to diminish the attend- 

 ance at our business sessions, or 

 through expense create a burden the 



carrying of which might prove em- 

 barrassing in many ways. 



Proposed Changes in By-Laws. 

 At the present Convention the So- 

 ciety is to act upon several changes in 

 our By-Laws affecting the policy hith- 

 erto followed in the conduct of our 

 affairs. These changes have been thor- 

 oughly considered by our Executive 

 Board and endorsed by that body as 

 tending to the better and more equit- 

 able conduct of our work. 



It will be noticed that through the 

 affiliation plan now incorporated in our 

 By-Laws our Executive Board is great- 

 ly increased in size, lending greater 

 strength to its deliberations and v/ork. 

 It should be the object of many more 

 clubs and societies to so increase their 

 membership in this Society as to en- 

 able them to obtain seats upon our 

 Board, and thus extend the usefulness 

 of our organization and increase the 

 value of its work along horticultural 

 lines. 



The establishment of the Committees 

 on Convention Garden, proposed Bu- 

 reau of Collections and Credits, I*ub- 

 licity, and American Products may 

 naturally be expected to result in ac- 

 tion which should prove highly con- 

 ducive to the general welfare of the 

 trade. State Vice-Presidents, by ex- 

 idaining the work expected of these 

 ( ommittees, should be able to induce 

 many florists not at present convers- 

 ant with our work to join our Society. 

 In this connection I would invite State 

 \'ice-Presidents to more closely co- 

 operate with the secretary's office in the 

 work of extending our membershipv 

 While the secretary during this year 

 lias sent out numerous appeals to flor- 

 ists in the different States, necessitat- 

 ing considerable expense and much 

 labor, the response has not been as 

 great as expected. The influence of 

 (lur State representatives should be 

 highly effective in this work, especially 

 when exercised in a personal way, and 

 any assistance the secretary is able to- 

 give in furthering it is at all times 

 available. Although through the 

 growth of the Society and the exten- 

 sion of its plans the work of the sec- 

 retary's office has been greatly in- 

 creased, requests from other officers 

 for assistance in their work will have 

 immediate and cheerful attention. 

 Mothers' Day. 



Considerable interest has been 

 shown by our members in the work of 

 the International Mothers' Day Asso- 

 ciation, which is headed by Miss Anna 

 Jarvis, the originator of Mothers' Day, 

 and, as will be seen by the published 

 list, a substantial fund has been raised 

 for the use ot Miss Jarvis in the prose- 

 cution of her work. It is to be re- 

 gretted that the movement to raise a 

 fund had inception with more than one 

 organization, but it may be that the 

 organizations acting as sponsors for 

 the fund may another year arrange 

 matters so that the work of all bodies 

 may be in harmony. 



Trade Exhibition. 



While our Trade Exhibition this 

 year is most commendable, it has suf- 

 fered somewhat in its extent owing to 

 distance from Eastern markets, with 

 resultant high transportation charges. 

 The great European war, too, is stilt 

 responsible for the diminishment of ex- 

 hibits of the novelties of foreign man- 



