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The Rorists' Review 



July 18, 1922 



we stand equal to any state association 

 in the United States. But there re- 

 mains much to do, and we should not be 

 satisfied until every florist in the state 

 of Texas is an active member of this 

 association. I appeal to you Texas flo- 

 rists to be ever alert and see to it that 

 this association does not go back, but 

 that it shall go steadily forward until 

 it stands as a monument to the florists 

 of this state. 



Support the S. A. F. 



"I feel also that the Texas florists 

 should not forget, in their enthusiasm 

 for their state organization, that they 

 owe allegiance to our great national or- 

 ganization. I ask every florist in the 

 state of Texas who can possibly get 

 away to attend the national convention 

 at Kansas City. It is a rare opportunity 

 for Texas florists, being only a night's 

 ride from this city, and there you will 

 get a bigger and grander vision of the 

 florists' industry and its future than 

 you have ever dreamed of, and you will 

 come back to Texas a better florist. 

 These conventions, both state and na- 

 tional, are things that no florist should 

 miss. For the man who mixes with his 

 fellows is ever on a voyage of discovery, 

 finding new islands of power in him- 

 self, which would have remained for- 

 ever hidden but for association with 

 others. 



A Good Example. 

 "In closing I want to give you a lit- 

 tle piece that I found the other day, en- 

 titled, 'The Only Way Out Is Through': 



The only way out of a Job Bill knew 



Was through! 

 He never once thought of going around, 

 Or tunneling under it, into the ground. 

 Or turning back — none of these would do. 

 "The only way out of a Job is through," 

 Said Bill, and — well, he proved that he knew. 



"Let's build a derrick and go overhead," 



One said. 

 "The Job is wrongly shoved on us; 

 "It rightly belongs to the other cuss. 

 "Let's slide right by and leave it flat." 

 But Bill with a grin said. "None of that! 

 "It isn't my Job by rights, 'tis true. 

 "But the surest way out of a Job is through." 

 Whatever they put on Bill, he'd do. 



Bin learned a lot that none other knew, 



Going through. 

 Jol)e hunted Bill up and got in his way 

 Till it even affected the poor Iwy's pay! 

 And the others said: "Just watch that duck! 

 "Some stupid fellows have all the luck!" 

 But luck had never a thing to do 

 With Bill's success, for the head guys knew 

 Bill's only way out of a stunt was through. 



Now they call him, "Boss", those others do. 



And you. 

 If you for your motto will take old Bill's, 

 And use your several brains and wills. 

 And look less oft at the office clock. 

 Will soon have boosted your personal stock 

 Till the "luck" of Bill may be your "luck," too. 

 Remember his came becaiisp he knew 

 "The best way out of a task is through." 



Remarks from Visitors. 



President Davis next introduced a 

 number of distinguished visitors from 

 out of town, among them being Walter 

 Armacost, Los Angeles, Cal.; A. S. Gray, 

 president of the Oklahoma State Flo- 

 rists' Association; C. E. GuUett, Lin- 

 coln, 111.; John Furrow, Oklahoma City, 

 Okla. ; J. F. Ammann, Edwardsville, 

 111.; N. A. Benson, Denver, Colo,; H. G. 

 Berning, St. Louis; T. J. Noll, Kansas 

 City, Mo., and T. G. Owen, of Columbus, 

 Miss. Each responded with a short 

 talk, assuring the association of their 

 pleasure in being present, recounting a 

 number of appropriate jokes and witti- 

 cisms, especially concerning the Texas 

 weather, and expressing the hope of at- 

 tending further annual conventions of 

 the florists in Texas. 



After the report of the secretary- 

 treasurer, L. J. Tackett, the following 



committees were appointed: Resolutions 

 — H. O. Hannah, Miss Wood, W. J. 

 Baker; auditing— Robert C. Kerr, Wise 

 Adkisson and William Cunningham. 

 Second Day. 

 At the opening of the second day's 

 sessions, Thursday at 10:30 a. m., the 

 report of the chairman of the legislative 

 committee, Mr. Hall, was given. For 

 the finance committee W. J. Baker re- 

 ported subscriptions amounting to $765 

 for convention expenses and entertain- 

 ment. For the ensuing year the finance 

 committee was appointed as follows: 

 W. J. Baker, James Begbie and E. W. 

 Judge. On the welfare committee were 

 appointed W. J. Baker, James Begbie 

 and Mr. Caden. 



One of the most helpful addresses 

 was that delivered by Eoscoe Smith on 

 the second day of the convention on 

 "How May a Florist Establish Better 

 Credit as a Borrower?" As manager 

 of the Fort Worth Clearing House, Mr. 

 Smith is eminently fitted to speak from 

 the banker's point of view, and hav- 

 ing had intimate friends among the 

 trade and recently having been finan- 

 cially interested in it himself, he real- 

 izes the peculiar problems of the flo- 

 rist. His remarks appear in full oH a 

 preceding page. 



Walter Armacost, of Los Angeles, 

 Cal., who addressed the convention on 

 the same day, took the convention by 

 storm. Had he not been preceded by his 

 reputation from the Pacific coast on 

 this, his first visit to the state of Texas, 

 Mr. Armacost would have met as stir- 

 ring a reception, since he was remarked 

 by many to be one of the most forceful 

 speakers ever heard from a convention 

 platform and impressed his hearers as 

 one of the outstanding men of the pro- 

 fession. 



Prepare — Then Push. 



In discussing the outlook of the 

 flower business in that section. Otto 

 Lang, of Dallas, said: 



"The future of the flower business 

 in this section is fraught with untold 

 possibilities. While we all know that 

 business has not been so good as during 

 the banner years of 1919 and 1920, we 

 have, as a whole, not had the ups and 

 downs that many mercantile houses had 

 to contend with. It is true we had some 

 stock that we purchased at high prices, 

 some we grew with high-priced labor, 

 but, after all, we came out ahead, and 

 the live florist made money, although 

 the prices were cheaper, the orders 

 smaller and fewer. 



"The past year has pointed a clear 

 path in certain phases of our industry, 

 to developments that were not dreamed 

 of a few years ago. Easter and Moth- 

 ers' day were record-breakers. The tele- 

 graph business has grown so large in the 

 last year that many of us found our- 

 selves practically unprepared for the 

 immense volume of business we experi- 

 enced on the above-named days. And I 

 never expected to see the telegraph Qf- 

 ders come in as they did this year, even 

 though I lived to be 100 years old. 



"While the last year has not been a 

 highly prosperous one, it has been bet- 

 ter for the florists' industry than for 

 many other trades. Why should we be 

 pessimistic? Why should I express or 

 think of anything but the bettering of 

 business, or wish for anything except 

 that I could carry all the stock and 

 supplies I shall need and grow all the 

 flowers wanted for our local trade and 

 some to spare? Texas is a large state. 



and with good crops and good prices, 

 we shall have good business. There- 

 fore I say, prepare — then push." 



H. O. Hannah delivered a touching 

 tribute to the memory of J. E. Mc- 

 Adams, one of the first life members of 

 the association, who had died since the 

 previous year's meeting. 



A most instructive talk on "Carna- 

 tions and Carnation Diseases" was 

 given by John Furrow, the noted grower 

 of Oklahoma City, Okla. The skill and 

 knowledge of Mr. Furrow regarding 

 this flower and the interest in growing 

 it lately demonstrated among Texas 

 florists made his remarks doubly valu- 

 able. Mr. Furrow advised against 

 growing carnations in soil formerly used 

 for growing cotton, since there was 

 great danger from possible fungous dis- 

 eases. 



The remarks of J. C. Vaughan, of Chi- 

 cago, were listened to with close atten- 

 tion and respect for this long-time 

 leader in the seed and florists' trades. 



Friday's Session. 



Upon the opening of the session Fri- 

 day morning, John S. Kerr, of Sherman, 

 Tex., spoke interestingly on "Coopera- 

 tion between Florists and Nurserymen 

 in Texas. ' ' He urged the establishment 

 > of an arboretum for Texas. 



At this time the convention was 

 favored with a solo by Mrs. Lang, who 

 sang "An Old-fashioned Garden," 

 which was much enjoyed and most ap- 

 propriate. 



A stirring address by J. F. Ammann, 

 of Edwardsville, 111., in behalf of the 

 Florists' Telegraph Delivery Associa- 

 tion created a good deal of enthusiasm 

 regarding that organization, and the 

 plan advocated by Mr. Ammann re- 

 ceived the convention's endorsement. 

 About a dozen new F. T. D. members 

 were enrolled. 



Demonstration of Designing. 



An innovation on the convention pro- 

 gram was a demonstration of the latest 

 and best in floral designing, given by 

 Peter Miller, of the staff of George V. 

 Wienhoeber, Chicago. Mr. Miller gave 

 a demonstration of adeptness and artis- 

 tic selection in the making of floral 

 pieces that kept the close attention of 

 those so fortunate as to be spectators. 

 This feature of the program was voted 

 to be one of the most successful of the 

 three days' gathering. 



On to Kansas City. 



The appeal of Robert C. Kerr to 

 Texas florists and others to support the 

 S. A. F. was answered by the addition 

 of thirty members to the national so- 

 ciety. Consequently, the Texas State 

 Florists' Association has more than an 

 ample number to entitle it to a repre- 

 sentative on the board of directors of 

 the national organization. 



At the same time it was decided to 

 make up a party of Texas florists to go 

 to Kansas City in special cars, with 

 streaming banners to win the merited 

 attention to the trade in the Lone Star 

 state. 



When the convention closed, the out- 

 going officers and the Dallas florists 

 came in for unstinted praise from the 

 visitors for their thorough preparations 

 for the largest and most successful 

 Texas convention yet held. President 

 Verner ,T. Davis, of Fort Worth; Vice- 

 president Henry Greve, of Dallas, and 

 Otto Lang, also of the "city of the 

 hour," were particularly congratulated 

 on the outcome of their efforts. 



