August 23, 1917. 



The Florists' Review 



Embargo on Valley Pips. 



Last fall your committee was ap- 

 pealed to by various large importers 

 about getting their lily of the valley 

 pips from Copenhagen into the United 

 States. After many conferences and 

 long delays, we were advised by the 

 Department of State that the majority 

 of valley pips in Copenhagen were not 

 grown in Denmark, but were German- 

 grown and, therefore, the British au- 

 thorities were not inclined to let them 

 come through. 



Importation of Azaleas. 



Last fall much time was consumed 

 between the German and British em- 

 bassies and the State Department in 

 endeavoring to have the embargo raised 

 on azaleas and other stock from the 

 Ghent district on shipments into the 

 United States from Belgian growers. 

 This seemed to be an insurmountable 

 problem, and we had practically given 

 up hope of getting the azaleas and 

 other stock in, when we were advised 

 that owing to a misunderstanding be- 

 tween the counselors in London and 

 Berlin, the azaleas had been held up, in 

 error. And, when this misunderstand- 

 ing was rectified, the azaleas came 

 through. 



In reference to the shipment of aza- 

 leas and rhododendrons this year, we beg 

 to advise that we have taken the mat- 

 ter up with the State Department and 

 under date of August 2, 1917, we were 

 assured that so far as the department 

 knows there have been no restrictions 

 or laws changed since 1916 by which 

 azaleas have been permitted to come in, 

 and payment made to the Belgian Bank 

 in London. Our committee, however, 

 feels that until war conditions change 

 in Belgium, no azaleas or other stock 

 can come into the United States from 

 that country. 



Fumigation of Orchids. 



In May last, several communications 

 were received from the Orchid Grow- 

 ers' Association to have an interview 

 with the Department of Agriculture as 

 to the fumigation of orchids, which, 

 some of the growers claim, was so det- 

 rimental to the plants that some had 

 been killed. We took the matter up 

 promptly with the Federal Horticul- 

 tural Board May 27 and were told 

 that the fumigation of newly imported 

 orchids had been suspended until May 31 

 to see what effect the fumigation would 

 have. Subsequently, we have been told 

 that the fumigation orders have been 

 modified so far as orchids were con- 

 cerned until they are now being fumi- 

 gated without detriment to the plants. 



Embargo on Baffia. 



Early in the European war the 

 French government placed an embargo 

 on all raffia exported from the island 

 of Madagascar. The importers became 

 interested and were anxious to have the 

 embargo lifted. We took the matter up 

 with the State Department and after 

 many interviews and cablegrams (paid 

 for by James McHutchison, of Xew 

 York city) we were advised August 1 

 that the embargo had been lifted by the 

 French government, and raffia is now 

 coming in as before. 



Coal. 



Under date of August 9, we received 

 a communication from Philadelphia in 

 reference to the coal situation which 

 seemed to agitate many of our members. 

 We immediately took the matter up 



Anders Rasmussen. 



(Clialrman of the Coniiuittoe on Wind Storm Insui-ancc.) 



with the director of the Geological Sur- 

 vey, who submits the following: 



For your information I would say that blanks 

 exactly similar to those mailed the florists have 

 been sent to many other industries, among the 

 larger of which are flour mills, breweries, steam 

 railroads, municipal gas works, automobiles and 

 automobile motors. In all, more than 16,000 

 blanks have been mailed out requesting infor- 

 mation on these points. Only the limit of the 

 clerical force available has prevented the can- 

 vass of an even greater number of industries. 

 The object of the investigation is primarily to 

 secure specific information on the consumption 

 and storage of coal in order that the proper 

 governmental agencies may be able to act in- 

 telligently on any situation which may arise. 



I wish to take this opportunity of 

 thanking every member of our commit- 

 tee for willing assistance rendered 

 whenever the occasion required, espe- 

 cially since James McHutchison, who 

 is most thoroughly versed in all these 

 matters, has been untiring in bringing 

 about the desired results for our or- 

 ganization. 



SCHOOL GARDENS. 



[Report of Renjamin Ilaniniond as chairman of 

 the school garden committee, presented at the 

 New York convention.] 



The year 1917 will go down in his- 

 tory as a special year of gardens, 

 for gardens are no longer regarded as of 

 no account and suitable only for labor- 

 ing people to attend to. Tlie Society 

 of American Florists lias for several 

 years been encouraging the efforts to 

 "teach the school children of the country 

 about garden cultivation. The florist, 

 wherever he may be, usually has prem- 

 ises that are a model for tidiness and 

 beauty, and an example that people of 

 good taste love to follow. The fact that 

 from one end of the country to the 

 other, we have sent each spring a well- 

 illustr.ated circular letter to school 

 authorities in every town or city that 



has a member of the S. A. F. 

 has had its effect, judging from 

 the correspondence that has come to 

 liand therefrom. It would be difficult 

 to name any city or town of prominence 

 but what is giving attention to school 

 gardening. The city of Grand Kapids, 

 Mich., has issued one of the best circu- 

 lars that we have seen. Chicago, 111., 

 in various parts of the city, has made it 

 a point to instruct the children. On the 

 Pacific coast the movement has ex- 

 tended from San Diego, Cal., to Tacoma, 

 Wash., and much attention has been 

 given this work. Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 

 has been one of the leaders in the work. 

 Boston, Mass., which has always been 

 a thrifty town from the time it was first 

 settled, keeps up the good work. Cleve- 

 land, O., Philadelphia and Wilkes-Bar- 

 re. Pa., Buffalo, N. Y.; Cincinnati, O., 

 Denver, Colo. — and so we may go on in- 

 definitely, and what at first was re- 

 garded sometimes as a fad in school 

 studies has spread from end to end of 

 the United States, and the last year, 

 owing to the conditions arising from 

 the destruction now going on in Europe, 

 it has brought a realization of the prac- 

 tical value of the little garden that en- 

 gaged the thoughts of the ablest men 

 of the nation. President Wilson espe- 

 cially laid stress on tlie desirability of 

 this work. As your committee, we have 

 followed up the work and we believe 

 that the florists in every town where one 

 is located can be a lighthouse showing 

 wliat can be done, not only with flowers, 

 but with vegetables, to the benefit of 

 their communities, and will fix in this 

 country a desire for gardens — both 

 plants and flower.s — to an extent that 

 will remain a permanent benefit to their 

 business. 



