.Ii:.\K 1. 1922 



The Florists^ Review 



27 



l)c (lilted tlie pioneer work of the whole- 

 sale florist in the eastern United States. 

 At that time the only other wliolesale 

 house was that of James Hart, New 

 York. 



After a period of three years, during 

 which Mr. Welch did not have a regular 

 place of business, but carried his stock 

 from place to place, he leased a store 

 in a basement at Tremont and West 

 street, Boston. This was in 1879, dur- 

 ing which year Edward Welch joined 

 liis brother and formed the firm of 

 Welch Bros. Later on another brother, 

 David, joined the firm. Thv^ enterprisi- 

 grew rapidly and soon moved to larger 

 ((Uitrters, at 165 Tremont street; ten 

 years later still another move was 

 made, to Beacon street, thence to l'> 

 Province street, and Iti 1906 to 220 

 Devonshire street. In 1912 the firm 

 was incorporated as Welch Bros. Co., 

 with a capitalization of $75,000. 



March 29, 1915, it was announced 

 that Patrick Welch had opened a new 

 commission house, at 262 Devonshire 

 street. This was under his personal 

 management, although he still retained 

 his interest in Welch Bros. Co. In 191 (i 

 a reorganization of Welch Bros. Co. 

 was effected, following the resignation 

 (>*■ David Welch and Edward J. Welcli 

 who had opened commission house's f)l' 

 their own. At that time Patrick Welcli 

 still retaiiied his office as jiresidenf ami 

 tr('asnr(>r. Henry Haas was elecfeil 

 manager and Frank J. Kcvuolds assist 

 .lilt manager. In 1917 Patrick Welch's 

 firm was united with Wi'lch Bros. Co. 

 The staffs of both jilacos were retaiiieil. 

 and a larger busint'ss was iiuiuediatcly 

 linilt. Patrick Welch was at the head 

 i)f the concern so formed and retained 

 liis jiosition until his death. 



Among his business interests outside 

 of Welch Bros. Co., Patrick Welch was 

 tre.-isurer of the Montreal Floral L'^x 

 ch.ange and secretary and treasurer of 

 the Albany Cut Flower Exchange. 



.\t all times Mr. Welch was active 

 in matters pertaining to trade organ 

 i/.ation. He was esi)ecially prominent 

 in the S. A. F., of which he was elected 

 |iresident in 1914, .after having served 

 .•I term as vice-president and filled other 

 important posts. He was a member ami 

 I'x-president of the Florists' and Oar 

 deners' Club of Boston, ,i member of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Seci 

 ety, a member of the American Carn;i 

 tion Society, a member of the executive 

 board of the American T?ose Society, a 

 member of the American Sweet I'.'m 

 Society and an ox-president of the ITor 

 ticultural Club of Boston. 



He was also a member of the New 

 Vork Florists' Club, Youwz Men's 

 •".-ttholic Association, Irish < 'liaritable 

 Saciety, Knights of Columbus, Boston 

 i.ndtre of F:iks and other organi/.;itioiis. 

 Mr. Welch had a summer home at Old 

 Orchard Beach, Me., where he w:is one 

 i)t the lM>st known figures and where he 

 fre(|uently entert.ained his m;iny friends 

 III the <rade. Tie was one of tlie last of 

 what \v;is fain ili;irly called "the old 

 sruard," .a bnrly of men who did much 

 to keep P.oston in the van of .\nieric;ni 

 horticulture. Rome of the former mem- 

 bers of this well ki'own contingent were 

 ^V. .1. Stew;irt, .Io<eph Taill.v, W. S. 

 Kwall. P'Urick Norton. M. H. Norton, 

 ^^illialM Kolvnson. .lames Conlev, .Toliii 

 ^^he|iherd. Fre.l Harris, C. M. .Vtkinson 

 nnd David Allen. 



Mr. W(>leh v.as mnried in 1891 and 

 w.is the father of -ix children, three 

 ^iniv an,] three daughters. 



Patrick Welch. 



Funeral ser\ices were held May 27, 

 with high mass at St. Peter !s church, 

 Meeting House liill. A large number of 

 business men, including many in the 

 trade, attended; among them were ex- 

 .M.-iyor Fitzgerald, F;irk Commissioner J. 

 I! She.a, .1. Mitchell (Jalviu, Thomas 

 Hfdaiid, Frank Edgar, K. Allan I'eirce, 

 (iustave Thommen and others. There 

 were large delegations from the Klks and 

 other fr.-iternal and floricultural bodies. 

 Thei-e w.as a magnificent disj)lay of 

 (lowers, including several ])ieces from 

 |irominent memlieis of the S. A. I'. 

 Interment wjis in Old Calv.ary cemetery. 



A])preci:ifion of Mr. Welch's value to 

 the tr.ade was estimated in ;i statement 

 by Henry Penn, as follows: 



" I'atrick Welch was a man of rare 

 ability. When called upon for opinions 

 and facts, he was ever ready to give un 

 biased views and had an unusual way of 

 reasoning out the proper <diannel to pin- 

 sue, lie w.as ii tower of strength in l)y 

 gone days upon (|uestions of natural im 

 jiortance to the Society of American 

 Florists and the older generation would 

 • ilways look upon Pat Welch's .advice 

 with great favor. 



"Me was ;i credit to the craft .-ind 

 will he missed ;is the vears roll on." 



finally assembled anil checked in alpha- 

 betical se(|uence bv onlv one person. 



Dr. F. V. Coville," TTnited States 

 botanist, is the one man in the scope of 

 this final work best fitted to thus handle 

 it, and he is using all of his time that 

 it is jiossible to (livert from his official 

 duties toward that end. It was not 

 realized how arduous, diflficult and slow 

 this work would be. All are exceedingly 

 anxious for an early completion of it, 

 but it is entirely im]>ossible to expedite 

 it beyond the limit of the jiroduction of 

 one able part ici]iant. The tyjiesetting 

 is jirogressing (dose upon the completion 

 of the co|)V. 



This statement is issued in behalf of 

 the many persons who have subscribed 

 for and .are anxious to receive this cata- 

 logue. .\s the work proceeds, its quality 

 ;ind importance increase in est im.ation, 

 ami we sincerely trust those who have 

 subscribed will re.ali/.e that the sub- 

 committee is doing it.s very best for 

 early comjiletion, tlie ilelays being those 

 impossible to forecast. 



Frederick Law Olm.sted, 

 Chairman of Subconimi'tee. 



THE OFFICIAL CATALOGUE. 



While Jill of the heavy investigative 

 .and pridiinin;iry work in the preparation 

 of the nmnnscript for the Official C.ata 

 logue of St.audardi/.ed Plant Names has 

 been completed for sever.al months, it 

 has l)een found th;it, in order to secure 

 the recpiired accuracy .and easy icference 

 imality, the lists of common and sci(>n 

 lilic names .and the sjx'cial lists must be 



Pawtucket, R, I, — Henry .1. l.'Heu- 

 reux ex])ects to enter the trade in the 

 near future, lie will begin the erection 

 of a greenhouse about July 1. 



Spartanburg, S. C. F. L. (Jentry has 

 bought the interest of Fred W. Sass in 

 Fred's Flowei' CJarden and is now sole 

 ownei'. .Mr. .Sass will continue foi' the 

 [)resent' in the emjiloy of j'red 's Flower 

 < harden .and the intention of Mr. (ientry 

 is to develop a large business, the exjie- 

 rience of the last eighteen months en- 

 coiir.aging him to Ixdiexc there is plenty 

 of op|iort unity. 



