AosDST 28, 1919. 



The Florists^ Review 



17 



* to bare necessities. The public is buy- 

 ing as never before. 



No Cause for Pessimism. 



We shall have little cause for pessi- 

 mism when we fully appreciate how 

 enormous has been the development of 

 our national power. Our manufacturing 

 capacity has been vastly increased and 

 improved by the war. We have built up 

 a great merchant marine. New indus- 

 tries have come into existence and have 

 been solidly established. We hold the 

 greatest accumulation of gold in the 

 world's history. With that as a basis, 

 our reserve banking system is equipped 

 to handle our vast credit problem. Be- 

 hind all that is our vast wealth of na- 

 tural resources, which enable us to pro- 

 duce over sixty per cent of the world's 

 supply of cotton, copper, oil, coal, corn, 

 and practically one-half the world's 

 iron, zinc, lead and other metals. 



We hear much of the perilous job of 

 financing Europe from people who do 

 not know that that task is being cared 

 for now. Within the last few months 

 upwards of $300,000,000 has been sup- 

 plied France, Belgium and other coun- 

 tries by banking syndicates, while 

 another $100,000,000 has been supplied 

 by American industrial firms. Most of 

 this money' is being spent here in the 

 United States for goods and merchan- 

 dise. Pittsburgh, Chicago and New 

 York firms joined in a single contract 

 for the rebuilding of the French indus- 

 trial city of Nancy amounting to $250,- 

 000,000, with a prospect that $500,000,- 

 000 might be n?eded. If we look around 

 carefully we see neither reason for fear 

 at our own future, nor any doubt as to 

 our ability to aid Europe with her 

 problems. 



High Wages Develop Desires. 



One of the most encouraging features 

 of the present business situation is the 

 free buying on the part of the people as 

 a whole of so-called luxuries. The high 

 wages during the last year of the war 

 have developed desires among the 

 masses for the best of everything. 

 Articles previously regarded as too cost- 

 ly for consideration are now sought and 

 vaid for without protest. This new 

 spirit suggests opportunity for the flo- 

 rists of America. It opens up immense 

 possibilities for adding new thousands' 

 to the growing number who are learn- 

 ing to * ' Say It with Flowers ' ' on every 

 occasion. 



Reference to opportunities brings to 

 my mind a subject which is now recog- 

 nized as a highly essential part of every 

 program for business expansion, wheth- 

 er the business be the making of pins 

 or the raising or selling of flowers. 



I believe that closer cooperation and 

 a greater use should be made of our 

 promotion bureau, which acts as a clear- 

 ing house for ideas in the florists' trade, 

 where all new schemes for promoting 

 the sale of flowers are collected for the 

 benefit of all the members of the as- 

 sociation. In a number of cities througn- 

 out the country there are well organized 

 movements for encouraging the use of 

 flowers as window decorations at home 

 and even in oflice buildings and fac- 

 tories. In others there exist coopera- 

 tive schemes for the use of flowers as 

 window decorations by shoe stores and 

 department stores. I cite these as sug- 

 gestions which might be fully developed 

 through the efforts of the association. 

 AM I have already said, I believe the 



Paul R. KUngsporn. 

 (Elected Director of the S. A. F. at tbe Detroit Convention . ) 



coming year will be one of exceptional 

 prosperity. Prophets of evil we shall 

 have with us. You will continue to hear 

 a grumbler here and there predict the 

 early tolling of the funeral knell for 

 business and a cheerful idiot recogniz- 

 ing the future only as a tinkle of bells. 



SCHOOL QASDENS BEPOBT. 



[The report of Benjamin Hammond, chairman 

 of the school gardens committee, presented at the 

 S. A, P. convention August 19.] 



The Society of American Florists 

 has a potent influence of uplift as a 

 representative organization throughout 

 the nation. 



For several years past the committee 

 on school gardens of the S. A. F. has 

 annually put the society in touch with 

 the public schools in places wherever is 

 located a member of this society. There 

 is nothing today of more practical im- 

 portance to break the high cost of liv- 

 ing than the home garden, and if 

 children are interested in this work it 

 will not be long before the fathers take 

 an interest in making home premises 

 both profitable and pretty. 



Of all occupations or businesses, no 

 other equals the ability of the florists' 

 to set the example of pretty home prem- 

 ises. 



Your committee reached schools in 

 some 782 cities and villages where mem- 

 bers of the S. A. F. are located, urging 

 this work and telling the school au- 

 thorities that the home florist would be 



glad to lend a helping hand. This work 

 among children is growing. 



It has taken hold gradually until, by 

 word from the bureau of industrial re- 

 search, it is reported that 4,000,000 

 school children within the United States 

 are directly interested in school garden- 

 ing at the present time. 



The outlook over America is that more 

 attention will be paid steadily to this 

 work of usefulness and beauty than 

 ever before and, now that the great war 

 is past, the good work of the florist will 

 be more highly appreciated, no part 

 more so than that which helps to stimu- 

 late the children to make home gardens 

 and keep pretty premises, and a florist 

 in any town is a practical benefit. 



PLANT BEGISTBATION. 



Secretary Young reported that since 

 the last convention of the S. A. F. the 

 following new jjlants have been regis- 

 tered: 



Roses Premier, Victor, Golden Rule and Mad- 

 ame Butterfly, by the B. (J. Hill Co., Richmond, 

 Ind., September 3, 1018. 



Pyrethrums Rutherford. President Wilson, 

 Sylvia. Pink Beauty, Rosy Morn. CnctuS, Dainty 

 Favorite, Columbia, Uefiifht, Rose Pearl and 

 Purity, by Bohbtnk & Atkins, Rutherford, N. J., 

 September 3, 1918. 



AsparaKUs Fletcheri. a seedling of A. Spfen- 

 Keri, by F. W. Fletcher. Au'rinidale, Mass., and 

 Orlando. Fla., October 2», 1919. 



Box Barberry. aieedUnK of Uerberia ThnnbergiU 

 by the Elm City Nurserj Co., Woodmont Nurs- 

 eries, Inc., New Haven and Woodmont, Conn.. 

 November 18, 1919. 



Geranium General Pershlnjf, by A. N. Pier- 

 son, Inc., Cromwell, Conn., DecPmher.^O. 1918. 



Privet Ibollum. by the Elm Citvlfarsery Co.. 

 Woodmont Nurseries, Inc., Nnr nATto. Conn., 

 May 24. 1919. , -*r2 





