May 31, 1917. 



The Florists^ Review 



21 



CUT OUT THE TROLIC? 



Make It a Business Convention. 



Comment ias been created by the 

 lublication of the statement that the 

 lorists and allied interests in New 

 '^ork and vanity are at work raising 

 I, fund of possibly as much as $10,000 

 o be expended on the social and amuse- 

 ment features of the August conven- 

 ion of the Society of American 

 I'^lorists. To a number of members of 

 ihe society it appears that this is no^ 

 ^he time for a convention of the char-> 

 :icter these preparations would seem to 

 ndicate. With the country just enter- 

 ing what threatens to be the time of 

 :rreatest stress in its whole history, 

 Tvith pleas to patriotism on every hand 

 lor men and money, it seems to many 

 that the trade will do itself no credit 

 in the eyes of the public by expending 

 ji large sum for a purpose that might 

 be perfectly justifiable when the coun- 

 try was not at war. 



There are many members of the S. 

 A. F. who believe the picnic feature 

 of the annual convention has outlived 

 its usefulness and that the outing 

 would better be omitted from all con- 

 ventions. To these members it seems 

 that this year affords a splendid op- 

 portunity to break away from custom. 

 In the first place, the proprieties jus- 

 tify a strictly business convention. In 

 the second place, New York city itself 

 affords sufficient ^attraction and distrac- 

 tion so that the attendance at the con- 

 vention should not suffer by the elim- 

 ination of entertainment for the con- 

 vention as a body. 



On to New York. 



In this connection, President Kerr 

 has addressed the following letter to 

 each of the state vice-presidents of the 

 S. A. F., under date of May 25: 



I am this day appointing you chairman of tlio 

 "On to New York" convention committee. 



Your duty will be to stimulate a large at- 

 tendance at the convention in New York this 

 August. 



You possibly realize that this is the most impor- 

 tant convention we have had in years. Due to 

 the fact that serious conditions confront our 

 country at this time, the tlorists of the country 

 should get together and must show our coopera- 

 tion witli the government in the present crisis. 



The florists' business is loooked upon by the 

 warring nations as an unnecessary business dur- 

 ing the time of war. It is up to us to convince 

 tlio people that our business is very necessary 

 mid absolutely essential in this crisis. We should 

 K'> furtlier and devise ways and means of grow- 

 ing such stock as will assist tlie government 

 ill food conservation. Tlierefore, at this conven- 

 tion, these various matters can be taken up and 

 discussed. 



Impress upon tlie members in your state the 

 A ist importance of the coming convention and I 

 tMtst that you will take unusual interest in cir- 

 (• iiating the members of your state. Just a sug- 

 (.-■stion: Get up a state delegation, concentrat- 

 ii g at some central location in your state, and 

 I' oceed to tlie convention in a body. 



I'lease advise me by return mail what I may 

 e.pect I'roin you in tliis work. 



The sale of space in the trade's dis- 

 I ay for tlie New York convention is 

 & id already to be about $4,000, indi- 

 (• iting confidence that it will be an 

 e :cellent business meeting. 



BULLETIN OF PEONY NEWS. 



In sending out tlie American Peony 

 ^•ciety's fourth "Bulletin of Peony 

 ^ 3ws, " Secretary A. P. Saunders says: 

 'The present bulletin, except for the 

 I' Iters of M. Lemoine and Mr. Karri- 

 s' n, is from the hand of the secretary. 

 1' le next issue will, it is hoped, offer a 

 S' mewhat more varied menu in the mat- 

 t' r of literary style. ' ' Users of the 

 b 'oklet will be inclined to think that 

 tl:e secretary's statement partakes too 

 11; icli of the nature of an apology. Most 



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GEORGE W. KERR. 



WHEN the sweet pea enthusiasts gather at the annual convention and exhibi- 

 tion of the American Sweet Pea Society at Boston, July 7, they may expect 

 to sec some new specialties in Spencers. If they do not, George W. Kerr, president 

 of the society, will have to do some tall explaining. For Mr. Kerr, superintend- 

 ent of the Fordhook Farm trial grounds of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., at Doylestown, 

 Pa., has produced many specialties in early-flowering varieties and a few more 

 would cause no surprise. Mr. Kerr has been at Fordhook the last nine years, 

 coming there from Scotland, where he was born. His father, the late William 

 Kerr, was a seedsman at Dumfries, Scotland. When a young man, Mr. Kerr left 

 Dumfries and went with Dobbie <fc Co., now of Edinburgh, and later was with 

 Messrs. Baker, of Codsall, Wolverhampton. He lias many gold medals and silver 

 cups for sweet peas, dahlias, roses and herbaceous plants. 



readers will find something interesting 

 in every one of the thirty-six pages 

 and will probably be conscious of no 

 sameness in the contents, except in the 

 sense that the same high quality is 

 maintained throughout. 



First in the bulletin is a report of the 

 April meeting of the American Peony 

 Society's directors, with a copy of the 

 premium list for the coming show in 

 Philadelphia. The jironouiieing list of 

 jteony names, "mostly French," will 

 be a boon to many who, though not 

 good French scholars, would like at 

 least to "make a stagger at" the right 

 jironunciation, without having their ef- 

 forts bear too close a resemblance to 

 what veterinarians call "blind stag- 

 gers." The article entitled "How to 

 Exhibit Peonies" seems to be practical 

 as well as timely. C. S. Harrison's 

 contribution, already referred to, has 

 reference to the history of the peony. 

 About half a dozen pages of the bul- 



letin are devoted to a review of Mrs. 

 Edward Harding's "The Book of the 

 Peony." 



Secretary Saunders invites sugges- 

 tions "as to what should be done to 

 improve the bulletin." His address is 

 Clinton, N. Y. 



AN EASY PLANT TO GROW. 



Please tell nic how to propagate 

 Anthericum ramosum, the plant used 

 in box and basket work. 



J. P. M.— Pa. 



Anthericum ramosum is a plant of 

 easy culture and sinijde of propaga- 

 tion. It can be increased easily by 

 means of stolons, which it produces 

 freely, also by division and seeds. 

 Place the stolons and divisions where 

 they can be kept warm and close for a 

 time. Few will fail to grow under 

 tliesc conditions. C. W. 



