AUGIST 18, 1921 



The Florists^ Review 



31 



8/^t>g^ig<)t>i;jji^asiit^ia;4iii8j)ij8«as^tgjitat]i^ 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 



Tins is the third time our society 

 has liad the good fortune to j^atlier 

 together in this city of Wash- 

 ington for its annual convention. We 

 • •an all feel proud at nieetinj; in the capi- 

 lal city of the greatest of nations. 

 Hvery American is also proud of this 

 Moble city, and every member of the 

 Society of American Florists may also 

 !)e pleased that here we were honored 

 by the grant of a federal charter, which 

 I believe i.-> the only one ever gi\en to 

 ;i horticvdtinal society. 



Under this charter our society is 

 expected to develoj) and advance flori- 

 lulture and horticulture in all their 

 many branches, and to diffuse the knowl 

 edge of these subjects. J think we are 

 I'ulfilling this obligation ami living up 

 to the expectations of those wliose 

 \ ision and faith meant so much in the 

 I'arly days when so high a standard was 

 set for us all to f(»llow. 



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 inijirove and stimulate our j)rolession 

 ,ind its practices. 1 fully believe that 

 tlic many activities of our society ajid 

 its aftiliated socii'- 

 ties cannot fail to 

 foster and create a 

 love for horticulture 

 in every section of 

 our country among 

 all classes of i)eople; 

 ami we are not 

 merely doing this to 

 soil a product. We 

 are increasing a 

 love for one of the 

 fine arts, which in 

 some phases conu's 

 into the class of the 

 useful arts. As a 

 tine art alone, how- 

 ever, it has the most 

 universal ap])lica- 

 tion to our whole 

 people, and as the 

 great Lord Bacon 

 said, it ''is the 

 jiurest of human 

 pleasures.' ' 



The Future. 



It seems to me 

 the future of horti- 

 eulture never looked 

 l>iighter. Industry 

 in general is much 

 upset, because of 

 *he backwash df th.' 

 i^reat war, and faces 

 'he future with un 

 '■ertaintv. Flowers, 



Adiln ss of 'riiiiiiiMs liiil.'iiMl. pri'sidi'iil of lln' 

 S. A. F., (li'liviTi'd lit llii' (uiivfiilion ,i\ Wiishiti;: 

 toll. .Vii^'iisl II! tu IS. 



ever increasing, for it may be cconoin 

 ical or expensive, ornamental or jiartly 

 iis<'ful, ;ind, therefore, it tits life under 

 all conditions, i!i a way that perhaps 

 may not be matched in another industiy. 

 Love for our ju'ofession is incrt'asiiio 

 rajiidly and this also makes our tut in r 

 satisfactory in outlook. 



Cheery Prospects. 



Fven during the worst of the last 

 half dozen years, when all business ha>- 

 been ujiset, horticulture held a ])lace iis 

 a desirable intluenc(! in the world- al 

 though, of course, expansion and 

 growth were seriously curtailed. lint 

 there are ever new hands to take u|i 

 the work. Prices will recede if ])ro(luc 

 tiou costs do, and we nee(l hardly fe.'ir 

 more than the usual temjiorary and 

 seusonal drops to figures too low for a 

 !i\ing. The cost of greenhouse jirod 

 nets seems likely to be high always, be 

 cause there is comparatively little o]i- 

 ]ioi't unity for the use of labor-saviny 

 ile\ices in (piantity jiroduction. 



The special societies will continue to 



h o w e V ( 

 ministry, 

 a n d '.'I 

 and in 

 there are 



r, are a 



a solace 



]deasure, 



ill these 



m a 11 y 



phases of re:il, abid' 

 "Jig strength a n d 

 'oinfort. For these 

 '••■asons horticulture 

 may expect to be 



Thomas Roland. 



iPresldiTit of till' Society of Aiiiriii'.-iii I'loristg. ) 



tliiivc Mild these will remain loyal to 

 tlie jpiirent ol' all so long as that parent 

 ^Ikiws progress, for nur widespread or- 

 yanizat ion, with \ice presidenls and 

 iiiembeis in e\ crsVstate in the Union 

 .iiicl representing evwy br.'inch of liorti- 

 eiiltuie, is the logical groii)) with which 

 other kindreil oroups should be linked. 

 Ill this wiiy we oet cdojieration with- 

 out coinpet it ion (ir duplication, and 

 tlieie is SIP niiicli to our work that there 

 is room Idr the spirit .ind activity of 

 .ill. Our aim nmst excr lie to make this 

 society the greiitest liort ienli iiral society 

 ill t he world. 



We must, ho\ve\ er, lontiiiiially jooo- 

 less. or be backward. There is no such 

 tiling as keeping iiji by standing still. 

 Therefore, we must .always look for new 

 luetlioils, new I'orces aujl renewed vigor. 

 It is my privilege to suggest to you, at 

 this time, some of the things it seems 

 to me We m;iy be doing. 



At the ■laniiarv meetine, m Wiisliing- 

 toii, of your Ixiard of directors, it was 

 \olcd, after careful cunsiileiiit ion, to 

 discontinue the publication of the so- 

 ciety's journal, and to issue an annual 

 report. 1 hope the time may come soon 

 when the society's woik will have the 

 si/.' and imjiortauce to justify a month- 

 \y Journal. Such a 

 piiblicat ion w o u 1 d 

 st iiiiiil.-iteaiid sustain 

 a l< e e n !■ I interest 

 in our activities. 

 In the meantime 1 

 hope the society will 

 publish an annual 

 liriniful of such in- 

 fo r m a t i o n that 

 every member will 

 feed he criiild not be 

 without it as a book 

 of reference. Such 

 a book would be 

 well worth m o r e 

 t h a n t lie annua! 

 dues, and such a 

 book is already 

 achieved by one of 

 our associated or- 

 ganizations dealing 

 with roses. 



Membership. 



No other societv 

 touches hurt icult lire 

 in so iii;in\ ;iiid so 

 v.arioiis ways, and 

 ever\' branch of the 

 jirofessioii is repre- 

 sented in its niein- 

 bershi]). It seems to 

 me possible to issue 

 iiii annual at an ex- 

 pense within our 

 means, and yet get 

 a result commended 

 by all. It might 

 [irove more satisfac- 

 tory and economical 

 to deal with a 

 regular imblishing 

 house for a term of 

 years; in any event, 

 I would recommend 

 the apiiointment of 



