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RECORD CONVENTION 

 CROWDS CLEVELAND 



Both in size of the traders display avid in point of attendance ffie 8. A. F. 

 convention at Cleveland this week exceeds the record set at Chicago in 1912. 

 After a splendid season just past, and facing another full of opportunity , 

 the trade shows prosperity and/ enthusiasm. 



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ANY favorable factors have 

 combined to make the 

 thirty-sixth annual con- 

 vention of the Society of 

 American Florists, which 

 opened at Cleveland Au- 

 gust 17, probably the most 

 successful that the or- 

 ganization has ever held. 

 The trade has had its most 

 prosperous season in history. It is 

 looking forward, barring untoward de- 

 velopments, to another season as pros- 

 perous. So florists are spending the 

 money they earned last year to journey 

 to meet their fellows in the hope of 

 learning how to handle business next 

 year. 



There is need for such mutual con- 

 sultation and discussion, for the outlook 

 presents problems that florists must 

 solve in order to profit fully from the 

 opportunities ahead. 

 The coal supply, the 

 labor question, prob- 

 lems arising from 

 transportation diffi- 

 culties, and others 

 as perplexing are 

 among the things^^ 

 that vex thigtr^e: y 

 In the face oTTHem^ 

 florists from comf 

 munities rarely reply 

 resented in /conven- 

 tion have come to 

 Cleveland to hold 

 council with their 

 fellows. 



Busy Buying. 



It seems, more- 

 over, that many flo- 

 rists have held off 

 placing their orders 

 for merchandise in 

 view of the uncer- 

 tainties they have 

 been viewing. So 

 this year more buy- 

 ing is being done 

 than was the case 

 last year. The buy- 

 ing, be it remem- 

 bered, is from the 

 supply houses. The 

 plantsmen have lit- 

 tle to sell. But in 

 baskets, ribbons, 

 chiffons and other 

 such supplies, the 

 variety is better to- 

 'lay than for some 

 time past. There 

 are imported stocks 

 at this trade's dis- 

 play which were un- 



. BY AIRPLANE 



from 



THE CONVENTION 



For the first time in the history of 

 journalism for the florists' trade. The 

 Review has made use this weeic of the 

 U. S. Airplane Mail Service in reporting 

 the S. A. F. Convention. The flying 

 time, Cleveland to Chicago, is about 

 three hours. 



obtainable since the outbreak of the 

 war. 



The last two years, when flowers were 

 in 80 strong demand, have made florists 

 more dependent upon others for sup- 

 plies. Shipping business has never been 

 so good. This intercommunication and 

 interdependence has brought the trade 



Thomas Roland, of Nahant, Mass. 



Elected President of the Society of American Florists, 

 Cleveland Convention, August 18, 1920. 



at the 



more closely together than it had been 

 before. So their desire to attend the 

 S. A. F. convention is greater than in 

 the past. 



Another big factor that made for a 

 large attendance is the ease of travel 

 to Cleveland from both east and west. 

 Probably! the erstwhile sixth city — ^it 

 is now the fifth — is as Central a point 

 for the florists' trade as there is, being 

 about equidistant fromthe Atlantic sea- 

 board and the central west, the two 

 thickest sections, florieultnrally speak- 

 ing. The eastern states have a bigger 

 representation at this year 's convention 

 than at Detroit a year agft. The Mis- 

 sissippi vallby states havei far more. The 

 southern trade probably was never so 

 much in attendance ftt a meeting of the 

 S. A. F. north of the Ohio. 



To the other attractions must be 

 added that of Cleveland itself. Few 

 cities, if any, posess 

 so many real 

 ' ' live ' ' florists, live 

 not only in their 

 own business, but in 

 connection with the 

 trade as a whole. 

 Moreover, in the 

 state of Ohio are 

 many noted places, 

 where visitors to 

 the convention 

 think it worth their 

 while to stop, either 

 on their way to or 

 from Cleveland. 

 This added induce- 

 ment doubtless has 

 added a consider- 

 able number to the 

 convention register. 



The Hall. 



From the point of 

 view of the exhibi- 

 tor, this year's hall 

 is the best in a long 

 time. From the out- 

 side, the Ninth 

 Garage doesn't look 

 like a great deal. 

 Those who saw its 

 exterior the week 

 before the conven- 

 tion were dubious 

 as to the possibili- 

 ties of holding the 

 display there. But 

 the faith and hard 

 work of the Cleve- 

 land leaders won 

 the day, and, inside, 

 the hall, though 

 crowded, was quite 

 good for exhibition 



