July 22, 1920 



The Florists^ Review 



17 



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i^ TEXANS CONVENE ^ 



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CONVENTION AT FOBT WORTH. 



Attracts Oood Attendance. 



From all over the Lone Star state and 

 from other parts of the south as well, 

 llorists gathered at Fort Worth this 

 week for the sixth annual meeting of 

 the Texas State Florists' Association. 

 The excellent business of the last 

 reason, accompanied by much hard work 

 ;is well as good profits, made members 

 of the trade ready for a vacation, par- 

 ticularly when they could combine with 

 it the opportunity to discuss the prob- 

 lems of the coming year with their fel- 

 low craftsmen. So an attendance was 

 on hand July 20 for the opening ses- 

 sion that well rewarded the preparations 

 of the Fort Worth florists and made 

 their efforts quite worth while, 

 thorough-going and comprehensive as 

 Ihey were. 



Since the local trade organized the 

 Fort Worth Florists ' Club three months 

 ago, with arrangements for this con- 

 vention its especial object, all have been 

 working hard for the meeting's success. 

 Tlie able oflBicers of the club received 

 special commendation for their energy 

 and the results they have obtained. 

 These are: President, Vernon J. 

 Davis, of the Greenwood Floral Co.; 

 vice-president, Leo Bales, of the Drumm 

 Seed & Floral Co.; secretary and treas- 

 urer, Elmer Eastwood, of the Baker 

 Bros. Floral Co. 



Opening Day. 



The convention was held in the 

 auditorium of the Chamber of Com- 

 merce, which is a spacious hall. Around 

 three sides of it runs a balcony, under- 

 neath which the exhibits were staged. 

 The center of the room was reserved 

 for the meetings. The decorations were 

 exceedingly good. 



The program for the opening session 

 was in the nature of the* usual routine, 

 calculated to give everybody time to get 

 his bearings before discussions started. 

 Vernon J. Davis, vice-president of the 

 Texas State Florists' Association and 

 president of the local club, called the 

 meeting to order Tuesday afternoon, 

 July 20. After the invocation and the 

 mayor's address of welcome, responded 

 to by Karl P. Baum, of Knoxville, Tenn., 

 n. O. Hannah, of Sherman, delivered 

 his address as president of the organi- 

 zation. 



President's Address. 



After commending the hospitality of 

 the Fort Worth florists and remarking 

 (in the prosperity of the season just 

 past, President Hannah said: 



"Is there a florist here but what feels 

 flattered over his sales and profits dur- 

 ing the last year, even if they have 

 been won by hard work and long hours? 

 Yet in the midst of our prosperity, how 

 many of us have considered the many 

 causes of this success? Was it due to 

 our effort alone, or was it not due much 

 fo the assistance and efforts of our 

 ')rother florists? For we are much de- 

 pendent upon each other. For much of 

 "ur cut flowers and finished ornamental 

 plants we depend upon our northern 



and western growers. The past is gone; 

 we only have its experience. The vital 

 question is: How shall we profit by 

 the past and how can we improve the 

 coming year? I have a few suggestions 

 to offer, that are every florist's duty to 

 himself. These suggestions are made in 

 the most friendly way, a real heart-to- 

 heart talk. 



"It is every florist's first duty to be 

 an active member of the Society of 

 American Florists. Until you get 

 hitched up and lend a helping hand to 

 the S. A. F. you are only half a florist. 

 This is your honorable duty, as every- 

 one must admit when he considers 

 for a moment what the S. A. F. is con- 

 tinually doing for him. I say this, 

 having seen the enthusiasm at the so- 

 ciety's annual meetings. 



Only Fair Return. 



"We each know the great benefit we 

 derive from the society's work. If I 

 had assisted you in doubling your sales, 

 would you not be ungrateful if you did 

 not assist me in doubling them again? 

 Consider the important work of the 

 society in legislation alone, how during 

 the war it kept thousands of feet of 

 glass from freezing, how in regard to 

 our plant and bulb importation it is 

 continually on the job. Think of the 

 hail insurance of a branch of the S. A. 



F., covering 50,000,000 square feet of 

 glass; I need it, having collected about 

 $1,500 in the last four years. Take the 

 publicity campaign; what have you 

 done to advertise your business in such 

 magazines as the Ladies ' Home Journal, 

 Harper's Weekly, the Literary Digest 

 and a multitude of others just as good, 

 read by thousands; yea, millions? The 

 S. A. F. has advertised your business by 

 that famous slogan, "Say It with 

 Flowers," until it has become a house- 

 hold word and everybody buys flowers. 

 May I ask how much you have donated 

 to the publicity fund? If nothing, do 

 it at once. Let's make Texas 100 per 

 cent strong in its support. 



Support Your Trade. 



"The same as to the F. T. D. Are you 

 a member? If not, why not? You are 

 the loser. There are florists here whose 

 F. T. D. business has more than doubled 

 in the last year. It will put dollars 

 in your cash box. 



"Then think of all the societies 

 affiliated with the S. A. F. — the Ameri- 

 can Eose Society, the American Carna- 

 tion Society, the American Sweet Pea 

 Society and many others. Who has 

 bought Eussell, or Columbia, or Premier 

 in the last year and has not thought 

 what an improvement over the old 

 Bridesmaid? Perhaps the vision, the in- 



Otto Lan;. 



