12 



The Florists^ Review 



Junk 26, 1919. 



the cordon syatem, exhibition flowers 

 may be reasonably expected over an ex- 

 tended season. However, the help ques- 

 tion in the majority of gardens has been 

 a rather perplexing one for some time 

 past, and to grow sweet peas on the 

 cordon system where any quantity ia 

 cultivated takes considerable time, so 

 that it has in some gardens been en- 

 tirely dropped during the last two sea- 

 sons. Let us hope that as the world's 

 affairs become stabilized, and we re- 

 turn to normal conditions, this form of 

 culture may be more largely followed, 

 for we want to see our beautiful annual 

 grown at its best, and this is certainly 

 the way to do it." 



How to Increase Interest? 



A lengthy discussion took place as to 

 means of increasing the interest in the 

 society's work. On this subject Secre- 

 tary Gray said in his report, "I have 

 heard our society referred to as of little 

 consequence, owing to the mistaken idea 

 that organizations like ours should have 

 large reserve funds. I look upon hor- 

 ticultural bodies in general as more or 

 less philanthropic in nature, and believe 

 the funds should be expended to fur- 

 ther the objects and aims for which 

 they are organized, retaining from year 

 to year a balance sufficient for them to 

 continue to function. 



"Too often it is the case that hearty 

 applause is heard when a large sum is 

 turned into the treasury at the end of 

 the year, and scant notice given to the 

 report of what has been accomplished 

 in the way of promoting horticulture, 

 no matter how wisely the money may 

 have been spent. 



"For a society of national scope a 

 modest sum is involved. This suggests 

 that an effort should be made to in- 

 crease the interest, and make our so- 

 ciety assume the importance it should. 

 Members should grasp every oppor- 

 tunity to induce sweet pea lovers to 

 join our ranks, for it is only through 

 interesting others that we shall be able 

 to build up a strong organization. In 

 these days of increased expenses on 

 every hand it may seem dubious to sug- 

 gest the lowering of the dues to $1 a 

 year, but at this more popular figure it 

 might be possible to so greatly increase 

 our memliership as to warrant the 

 change. ' ' 



The treasurer's report showed an in- 

 crease in the society's balance on hand 

 during the last six months, with a pres- 

 ent total of $287.90. 



Officers Elected. 



All the officers were reelected, as fol- 

 lows: President, Geo. W. Kerr, Doyles- 

 town, Pa.; vice-president, Edwin Jon- 

 kins, Lenox, Mass.; secretary, William 

 Gray, Newport, R. I.; treasurer, Wm. 

 Sim, Cliftondale, Mass. Two new direc- 

 tors were elected, James Stuart, Ma- 

 maroneck, N. Y., and E. C. Vick, New 

 York. 



A memorial resolution on the death 

 of Wm. J. Stewart, of Boston, was 

 passed, and a copy ordered sent to the 

 family of the deceased. 



An invitation to hold the next exhi- 

 bition and meeting in Boston was read 

 and considered, and was finally referred 

 to the executive committee for action. 



WHY CAN'T TOXTBISTS TEAVEL? 



Steamer Trade Suffers. 



As the months have passed since the 

 armistice, the retailers, particularly 

 those of the Atlantic ports, have await- 

 ed the removal of the government's re- 

 strictions on the tourist travel to Eu- 

 rope. For a time it seemed as though 

 the state department was somewhat 

 freer in issuing passports, but later 

 followed a tightening up that put all 

 hope of crossing the Atlantic far from 

 the minds of all but persons who had 

 real business reasons for making the 

 voyage. The signing of peace, it was 

 hoped, would cause the government to 

 let down the bars, but there are no 

 signs of its so doing. Not before 1920, 

 it is reported, will passports be issued 

 for any save business trips to Europe. 

 And reasons for such a trip are scru- 

 tinized rather closely by government of- 

 ficials before they issue the travel pa- 

 pers, as some members of the trade who 

 have wished to get across the ocean have 

 sorrowfully learned. 



Although the government has removed 

 the censorship, and customs officials 

 have ceased the examination of all bun- 

 dles and parcels delivered to outgoing 

 steamers, and the European lines in- 

 crease their schedules of passenger ves- 

 sels week by week, these are small items 

 in comparison with the big, 6-barred 

 gate of government restriction of tour- 

 ist traffic. Nobody sends flowers to the 

 business man bound for Europe; so the 



retail florists are still deprived of their 

 steamer trade by the refusal of the gov- 

 ernment to grant passports to tourists. 



Europe Wants Them. 



The reason for such refusal after the 

 signing of peace is hard to see, Europe 

 would welcome the millions of dollars 

 which the tourists from America would 

 bring to their coffers. They do not need 

 their destroyed factories, they do not 

 need their devastated farm lands, they 

 do not need their ruined mines and for- 

 ests to reap the profits of this business. 

 The facilities are there. The natives 

 at the travel centers, at the famous sea- 

 side resorts, at the points of sight- 

 seeing interest, are awaiting the return 

 of the thousands of Americans who 

 made them their livelihood before the 

 war. The prime minister of Belgium 

 put into figures not long ago the amouut 

 of money the inhabitants of his coun- 

 try's seacoast resorts expected to re- 

 ceive when tourist travel resumed; the 

 sum was startling in its amount, but 

 pre-war figures show he did not exag- 

 gerate. 



Upon the return of the soldiers, 

 France will lose, in addition, the vast 

 sums that they have been spending in 

 furloughs in the army rest areas and 

 in the cities of the country. An average 

 of 1,000,000 soldiers have spent half 

 their pay in France during the last year 

 and a half. This income, at its lowest 

 half a million dollars a day, will shortly 

 be stopped altogether. Why should not 



IMPORTS OF PLANTS AND BULBS FOB FIBST HALF OF FISCAL YEAB. 



The following are the imports of plants, bulbs, trees, shrubs and vines, with the 

 duties collected thereon, for the first six months of the government's last fiscal 

 year, beginning July 1, 1918, as reported by the U. S. Department of Commerce: 



St. Paul, Minn.— The Minnesota State 

 Horticultural Society held its summer 

 meeting June 20. Peonies and peren- 

 nials were the exhibits. 



Articles Rate of Duty 



Plants, trees, sbrubs and Tines: 



lUilbs. b>ilh roots or oorms. rultlvated 

 for their flowers or foliafre — 

 Hyacinth bulbs, astUbe, dielytra and |2.60 M 



Illy of the valley clumps. 

 Lily bulbs and calla bulbs or corms. . $0 M 

 Lily of the valley pips, tulips, nar- $1 M 



clssus, begonia and gloxinia bulbs. 

 Peony, herbaceous, Iris Kaempferl flO M 

 or fremianica, canna, dahlia and 

 amaryllis bulbs. 

 All other bulbs, roots, root stocks, 60c M 

 corms and txibers -which are culti- 

 vated for their flowers or foliage. 

 Bulbs, mature mother flowering, Im- Free 

 ported exclusively for propagating 

 purposes. 

 Fruit plants, tropical and som I tropical. Free 

 for the purpose of propagation or 

 cultivation. 



Hop roots for cultivatloii 25% 



Orchids, palms and Azalea Indies Trie 



Do. (from Philippine Inlands) Fre« 



Plants, trees, shrubs, roots, seed cane rre« 

 and seeds, imported by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture or the United 

 States Botanic Garden. 

 Rose plants, budded, grafted, or grown 4c each 



on their own roots. 

 Stocks, oiittiiips and soodnncs — 



Fruit and ornamental trees, decldu- 15% 

 ous and evergreen shrubs and vines, 

 and all trees, shrubs, plants and 

 vines commonly known as nursery 

 or greenhouse stock, n. s. p. f. 

 Myrobalan plum, Mahaleb or Mazzard %! M 

 cherrj', Manetti multiflora and 

 brier rose, Rosa rugosa, 3 years 

 old or less. 

 Pear, apple, quince, and the St. $1 M 

 Julien plum, 3 years old or less. 

 Tea plants Free 



Total plants, trees, shrubs and vines. ! t!'"^^ .. 



Six months ending Dec. 81, 1018 

 Quantity Value Duty 



771,000 



1,000 



9,067.00 



8.00 



$ 7,641.00 

 1,281.077.00 



771.00 



192,306.06 



