August 18, 1921 



The Florists^ Review 



31 



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PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 



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THIS is the third time our society 

 has had the good fortune to gather 

 together in this city of Wash- 

 ington for its annual convention. • We 

 can all feel proud at meeting in the capi- 

 tal city of the greatest of nations. 

 Every American is also proud of this 

 noble city, and every member of the 

 Society of American Florists may also 

 be pleased that here we were honored 

 by the grant of a federal charter, which 

 I believe is the only one ever given to 

 a horticultural society. 



Under this charter our society is 

 expected to develop and advance flori- 

 culture and horticulture in all their 

 many branches, and to diffuse the knowl- 

 edge of these subjects. I think we are 

 fulfilling this obligation and living up 

 to the expectations of those whose 

 vision and faith meant so much in the 

 early days when so high a standard was 

 set for us all to follow. 



I want to emphasize the fact that our 

 great Society of American Florists and 

 Ornamental Horticulturists is not simply 

 organized to make money directly for it- 

 self or for its members, but that it aims 

 to improve and stimulate our profession 

 and its practices. I fully believe that 

 the many activities of our society and 

 its affiliated socie- 

 ties cannot fail to 

 foster and create a 

 love for horticulture 

 in every section of 

 our country among 

 all classes of people; 

 and we are not 

 merely doing this to 

 sell a product. We 

 are increasing a 

 love for one of the 

 fine arts, which in 

 some phases comes 

 into the class of the 

 useful arts. As a 

 fine art alone, how- 

 ever, it has the most 

 universal applica- 

 tion to our whole 

 people, and as the 

 great Lord Bacon 

 said, it "is the 

 purest of human 

 pleasures. ' ' 



The Future. 



It seems to me 

 the future of horti- 

 culture never looked 

 brighter. Industry 

 in general is much 

 upset, because of 

 the backwash of the 

 great war, and faces 

 the future with un- 

 certainty. Flowers, 

 however, are a 

 ministry, a solace 

 a- n d a pleasure, 

 and in all these 

 there are many 

 phases of real, abid- 

 ing strength and 

 comfort. For these 

 reasons horticulture 

 may expect to be 



Address of Thomas Roland, president of the 

 S. A. ¥., delivered at the convention at Washing- 

 ton, August 16 to 18. 



ever increasing, for it may be econom- 

 ical or expensive, ornamental or partly 

 useful, and, therefore, it fits life under 

 all conditions, in a way that perhaps 

 may not be matched in another industry. 

 Love for our profession is increasing 

 rapidly and this also makes our future 

 satisfactory in outlook. 



Cheery Prospects. 



Even during the worst of the last 

 half dozen years, when all business has 

 been upset, horticulture held a place as 

 a desirable influence in the world — al- 

 though, of course, expansion and 

 growth were seriously curtailed. But 

 there are ever new hands to take up 

 the work. Prices will recede if produc- 

 tion costs do, and we need hardly fear 

 more than the usual temporary and 

 seasonal drops to figures too low for a 

 living. The cost of greenhouse prod- 

 ucts seems likely to be high always, be- 

 cause there is comparatively little op- 

 portunity for the use of labor-saving 

 devices in quantity production. 



The special societies will continue to 



Thomas Roland. 



(President of the Society of Amerli-an Florists.) 



thrive and these will remain loyal to 

 the parent of all so long as that parent 

 shows progress, for our widespread or- 

 ganization, with vice-presidents and 

 members in every state in the Union 

 and representing every branch of horti- 

 culture, is the logical group with which 

 other kindred groups should be linked. 

 In this way we get cooperation with- 

 out competition or duplication, and 

 there is so much to our work that there 

 is room for the spirit and activity of 

 all. Our aim must "ever be to make this 

 society the greatest horticultural society 

 in the world. 



We must, however, continually prog- 

 ress, or be backward. There is no such 

 thing as keeping up by standing still. 

 Therefore, we must always look for new 

 methods, new forces and renewed vigor. 

 It is my privilege to suggest to you, at 

 this time, some of the things it seems 

 to me we may be doing. 



At the January meeting, in Washing- 

 ton, of your board of directors, it was 

 voted, after careful consideration, to 

 discontinue the publication of the so- 

 ciety's journal, and to issue an annual 

 report. I hope the time may come soon 

 when the society's work will have the 

 size and importance to justify a month- 

 ly journal. Such a 

 publication would 

 stimulate and sustain 

 a keener interest 

 in our activities. 

 In the meantime I 

 hope the society will 

 publish an annual 

 brimful of such in- 

 formation that 

 every member will 

 feel he could not be 

 without it as a book 

 of reference. Such 

 a book would be 

 well worth more 

 than the annual 

 dues, and such a 

 book is already 

 achieved by one of 

 our associated or- 

 ganizations dealing 

 with roses. 



Membership. 



No other society 

 touches horticulture 

 in so many and so 

 various ways, and 

 every branch of the 

 profession is repre- 

 sented in its mem- 

 bership. It seems to 

 me possible to issue 

 an annual at an ex- 

 pense within our 

 means, and yet get 

 a result commended 

 by all. It might 

 prove more satisfac- 

 tory and economical 

 to deal with a 

 regular publishing 

 house for a term of 

 years; in any event, 

 I would recommend 

 the appointment of 



