20 



The Florists^ Review 



Jandabt 1, 1920. 



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BETIBING PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. 



After an Auspicious Year. 



Greetings to one and all, with best 

 wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New 

 Year. 



After two trying years for o;ir pred- 

 ecessors in office and the trade at large, 

 we were, January 1, 1919, ushered into 

 office under most auspicious conditions. 

 Demand for florists' stock was excep- 

 tionally good. Growers and retailers 

 were getting prices worth while, the 

 volume of business was greater than 

 ever before and everybody was pleased 

 and satisfied. 



Now let us make a short review of 

 the whys and wherefores. First of all, 

 we had less production at the close of 

 1918 and beginning of 1919 than we 

 had for some time previous. The many 

 reasons for this we need not give in de- 

 tail here. Second, the demand for our 

 product, no doubt, was greater than 

 ever before. Some say on account of the 

 flu epidemic; others say publicity was 

 a large factor. Well, let us grant that 

 it was either, or probably both. One 

 thing we must all admit — it was a con- 

 dition brought about by the supply and 

 demand. Now then, if that is true, and 

 I am sure it is, then we, no doubt, have 

 the problem solved. All we have to do 

 is to create a demand sufficient for the 

 supply and we all will be happy. This 

 has been one of the primary aims of the 

 past administration. We tried it through 

 publicity, both national and local. The 

 results, we feel, were quite satisfactory' 

 for a beginning. 



Publicity Contributions. 



Local cooperative advertising has been 

 initiated in many communities with 

 satisfactory results. The F. T. D., as an 

 organization and through its individual 

 members, has done some creditable 

 work along this line. The national 

 publicity contributions are, however, 

 not coming in nearl5^ so well as they 

 should. In order to keep up this great 

 work, more activity must come from the 

 yet indifferent class among the trade. 

 There is only one good reason why a 

 florist, be he grower, wholesaler or re- 

 tailer, should not subscribe, or rather 

 invest, in national publicity. That one 

 reason is, "if he does rot expect to pay 

 his pledge when due." 



A condition already existed where 

 the publicity committee had to tempo- 

 rarily borrow funds against outstanding 

 accounts to pay advertising bills 

 promptly. This should not be so, and I 

 want in closing to admonish all sub- 

 scribers to pay their pledges promptly, 

 so the committee can get the benefit of 

 all cash discounts, which amount to a 

 considerable sum in one season. 



Gratitude and Thanks. 



Just as a closing word, I want to ex- 

 press my sincere gratitude to all who 

 have had a part in the great stride our 

 society has made the last year. The 

 credit belongs to no one person, least 

 of all to myself. It is due to the efforts 

 of the various committees, the adminis- 

 tration office, the earnest cooperation 



of our affiliated societies and the liberal 

 space given to the work by the trade 

 press. 



Gentlemen, I thank you one and all 

 from the bottom of my heart for the 

 service you have rendered our beloved 

 society and for the privilege I have had 

 in having a part with you in moving 

 the grand old S. A. F. just a step on- 

 ward. Now let us all join heart and 

 hand with the new administration to- 

 wards a greater goal and higher ideals. 

 J. Fred Ammann, 

 Retiring President S. A. F. 



NEW PRESIDENT'S GREETING. 



On The 1920 Express. 



We are all standing together on the 

 old December platform, suitcases in 

 hand and our other baggage checked, 

 waiting for the 1920 express. We hear 

 the warning screech of the locomotive 

 whistle around the curve. The train 

 draws in, on schedule to a second. 



Old Father Time, the one train dis- 

 patcher who is always on the job, no 

 matter what the weather may be, swings 

 his dim lantern; Experience, the only 

 conductor in whom we may with safety 

 place our confidence, shouts, "All 

 aboard." 



We all pile in. There are ample reser- 

 vations in the popular parlor car. Good 

 Luck, and there 's a- well stocked dining 

 car forward. Caution, the brakeman, 

 closes the gates. Again the whistle 

 screeches and we are off, Hope, the 

 headlight, blazing the way into Jan- 

 uary, 



Well, how do things look for a success- 

 ful journey? Our last year's trip on the 

 1919 wasn't so bad after all. Here and 

 there for one reason or another there 

 was a slow-down, but we didn't jump 

 the track or have a collision and we got 

 in on time. 



The Season's Compliments. 



In extending the season's compli- 

 ments to our beloved society and affili- 

 ated organizations, my best wishes go to 

 each and everyone. To the ,dear ladies 

 of our sister society I extend my hearty 

 greetings. May God spare them to con- 

 tinue the good work of making our an- 

 nual gatherings more pleasant by their 

 inspiring presence. I hope and believe 

 that the 1920 express will carry us all 

 safely through and that we shall be nap- 

 pier and more prosperous at the end of 

 the run than ever. 



We have reason to congratulate our- 

 selves at this time, fellow members. The 

 good old U. S. A. stands out on the 

 world map bigger than ever, rtronger 

 than ever, more patriotic than ever. 

 After a rest, following the end of the 

 war, we have taken stock and find that 

 prosperity is with us in abundant 

 measure. But our share of it in the new 

 year will not come with mere wishing. 

 We need to take off our coats, roll up 

 our sleeves and get down to hard work. 

 We have got to go after it. 



Our society represents cooperation, 

 thrift and conservation. We owe a great 

 deal to our old leaders. They appreciated 

 these three great qualities and founded 



our society upon them. Let us strive 

 to continue their good work to make 

 our organization more influential and 

 more representative. In union is 

 strength. All the way from the green- 

 house to the retailer there should be 

 helpftO. cooperation. Our interests are 

 closely allied. For one to be successful, 

 all must share in the success. 



Problems Ahead, 



In the year just beginning, there 

 are important matters which are bound 

 to engage our attention, a few of which 

 I want to mention. 



While we have great respect for the 

 men who form the membership of the 

 Federal Horticultural Board, we never- 

 theless feel that the efficiency of that 

 important body would be materially 

 strengthened and the best interests not 

 only of the florists but of the public 

 in general served were practical growers 

 invited to suggest one of their number 

 for appointment on that board. In all 

 fairness to the great and ever develop- ■-^ 

 ing industry which is represented by our 

 organization, we believe the department 

 should have the official benefit of the 

 ripe experience which comes through 

 continued, direct touch with the various 

 activities in plant propagation and cul- 

 ture. 



Encourage recreation and affiliation. 

 "All work and no play makes Jack 

 a dull boy," This particularly applies 

 to the florist who does not affiliate him- 

 self with his trade organizations,. He 

 misses many opportunities. No man in 

 our profession can afford to be on the 

 outside and no one is too big or too 

 small to become a part of us. We are 

 fortunate to have such an edifying 

 membership and I hope soon to see all 

 the wholesalers, cut flower growers and 

 pot plantsmen enrolled. 



Publicity. 



Support publicity. Our publicity cam- 

 paign is only in its infancy and needs to 

 be encouraged. We are indeed favored 

 by having such efficient men to wage 

 this campaign, but we must all join and 

 help in the work. Just imagine what 

 we have accomplished in less than two 

 and a half years. Why, for. a few thou- 

 sands, we have succeeded in flashing t)ur 

 slogan, ' ' Say It with Flowers, ' ' through- 

 out the United States; yes, throughout 

 the whole civilized world, while other 

 tradesmen and manufacturers, after-' 

 spending many years of laborious work 

 and incurring exorbitant expenses, have 

 not met with the success we have. 



I congratulate myself on having such 

 fine material for state vice-presidents, 

 men who willingly give their time to 

 work toward making our society as 

 strong as the rock of Gibraltar. 



To the officers I want to say that I 

 feel greatly honored in being elected 

 to serve in this high office, and with 

 their cooperation and that of my fel- 

 low members, I will do my utmost to 

 make my administration a success. 



I need add only one thing. Let us 

 work in the New Year with a united 

 purpose to carry forward the work com- 

 mitted to our hands,. The road lies 



Lic^iA 



