l'64 



HORTICULTURE 



August 19 1911 



SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS AND 

 ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURISTS 



A Well Attended Convention and Splendid Trade Display 



Chicago the Next Meeting Place 



Officers Elected 



PRESIDENT— R. VINCENT. JR., White Marsh, Md. 

 VICE-PRESIDENT— AUGUST POEH LM ANN, Chicago, 111. 

 SECRETARY— JOHN YOUNG. New York, N. Y. 

 TREASURER— WILLIAM F. KASTING, Buffalo, N. Y. 



'I he meeting hall iu the Fifth Regi- 

 ment Armory, Baltimore, was well 

 filled when at 2.30 P. II., on Tuesday, 

 August 15, President Graham of the 

 Gardeners' and Florists' Club of Balti- 

 more called the meeting to order and 

 opened the preliminary proceedings of 

 the 27th annual S. A. F. Convention by 

 introducing as the representative of 

 the state of Maryland, Hon. M. Wins- 

 low Williams, Secretary of State, who 

 in most cordial terms voiced the wel- 

 come of the state to the visitors and 

 paid a graceful tribute to the ele- 

 vating influences of the florists' call- 

 ing. Mr. Graham then introduced 

 Mayor James H. Preston, who in vig- 

 orous fashion presented the compli- 

 ments of the city to her guests, and 

 told them briefly about Baltimore's 

 parks, manufactures, harbor and pub- 

 lic works. 



Robert Craig responded for the vis- 

 itors. He said that florists always feel 

 at home in Baltimore, and unstinting- 

 ly praised the always ready hospitality 

 which characterizes her citizens. Men- 

 tioning the horticultural history of the 

 city he paid a high tribute to John 

 Cook, whose productions in roses had 

 attained world-wide fame, and ex- 

 tended on behalf of the society warm 

 congratulations on the successful 

 opening of this great event. 



Mr. Graham next presented Presi- 

 dent George Asmus, who after the up- 

 roarious applause had subsided pro- 

 ceeded to read his address as follows: 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the 

 Society of American Florists and 

 Ornamental Horticulturists: — 

 It is with great pleasure I address 

 you on this occasion, the twenty-sev- 

 enth annua] meeting of our society. 

 Although being the first time this city 

 has been chosen for a meeting place, it 

 is not the first time we are guests of 

 our brethren in Baltimore, for the 

 memory has been ever dear to us of 

 that splendid afternoon and evening's 

 entertainment on Friday, August 18, 

 1905, when as a fitting climax to an 

 enjoyable and profitable meeting in the 

 city of Washington we were welcomed 

 here in true southern spirit and now 

 we are here again to partially pay that 

 debt of gratitude, even as a victorious 

 army returns from the scene of con- 



flict. In the six years that have passed 

 we have to our credit many victories 

 won by legislation and arbitration for 

 the general good of our profession and 

 those engaged in it. We also have a 

 much larger sum of money in our 

 treasury, a greatly increased member- 

 ship roll and two great successful na- 

 tional flower shows to look back upon. 



The one thing that stands out promi- 

 nent in connection with the show held 

 in Boston last March was the bringing 

 together of the different societies for 

 the display of their productions and 

 the opportunity of attending the differ- 

 ent meetings at one expense of time 

 and travel. This has been one of my 

 great desires for a number of years. 

 The great growth of our business has 

 necessitated the specializiug of many 

 of our large growers and with them 

 it was a case of "Not that I love you 

 less, Brutus, but that I love Caesar 

 more," meaning that their greater in- 

 terests were in one of the special so- 

 cieties, but we have solved that prob- 

 lem and never again must we meet 

 separately. Ours is one cause for the 

 good of all. Our national shows have 

 come to stay and to that end we 

 should organize at once. The shows 

 should be held once every two years. 

 It is true that the first shows took a 

 longer period of preparation, but that 

 time was used in careful consideration 

 of premium lists, finances and other 

 details which gave us the experience 

 we needed. 



The national show should always 

 be held in the spring. Fall shows are 

 not new and are covered in nearly all 

 large cities and in this connection I 

 wish to state that I am pleased that 

 many local societies and Florists' 

 Clubs are following the example of 

 the national society. Now if we wish 

 to profit by the experience in past 

 shows we must always have as men 

 at the head some of those who have 

 assisted in previous shows and as 

 briefly as possible I will outline my 

 plan for your consideration. 



Permanent Show Committee. 



I would suggest a permanent Na- 

 tional Flower Show Committee, say of 

 six, to be appointed, two for six years, 

 two for four years and two for two 

 years and every other year the presi- 

 dent to appoint the members for the 



six-year term. Thus there would al- 

 ways be on the committee four mem- 

 bers of at least two shows' experience. 

 These committeemen should be as 

 representative as possible of the dif- 

 ferent societies taking part in the 

 show. The chairman of this commit- 

 tee could be elected by the committee 

 or appointed by the president after 

 the location of the show had been de- 

 cided upon, as it would be of great 

 advantage to have the chairman close 

 at hand. These exhibitions properly 

 conducted show but little chance for 

 loss and therefore I would suggest 

 that 50 per cent guarantee be assumed 

 by the society and 5U per cent, as in 

 the past, by personal subscription. 



Trade exhibitions and the selling of 

 space as inaugurated at Boston proved 

 wise and should be continued, and the 

 checking of receipts and disbursements 

 should be done by our officers, as we 

 have a system that has always proved 

 adequate for that purpose and officials 

 that are paid for that work. The 

 great good done by such exhibitions 

 cannot easily be conceived. The stand- 

 ing it gives the trade and the general 

 promotion of horticulture is apparent 

 when the vast throngs that visit the 

 shows and the newspapers' publicity 

 given them are considered. There are 

 no doubt some of you who will differ 

 with me and say that the shows 

 should be conducted outside the soci- 

 ety, but I say no. We have found the 

 way to cement our different lines into 

 one general interest. The meetings 

 and the organization of this society 

 have made this possible and we must 

 not take this healthy young child from 

 the mother organization. Our national 

 charter was given us, too, for the de- 

 velopment and advancement of flori- 

 culture and horticulture in all its 

 branches and we are coming very 

 near complying with that in these ex- 

 hibitions. 



The charter, constitution and by- 

 laws should be printed with the pro- 

 ceedings every year, and it would be 

 well to print therewith proposed 

 amendments to the constitution and 

 by-laws. 



Conventions and Trade Exhibits. 



It has been my experience that im- 

 mediately after the selection of a city 

 for the convention the coming year, 

 inquiries are instituted as to what 



