January 28, 1016. 



The Florists^ Review 



13 



THE PRESIDENT'S 

 ia^ ANNUAL ADDRESS 





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IHE American Carnation So- 

 ciety is recognized as the 

 best managed special flori- 

 cultural society in this 

 country, and its influence 

 is - far-reaching. I am of 

 the opinion that some pres- 

 sure should be brought to bear on dis- 

 seminators of carnations whereby they 

 will be induced to use greater care in 

 the selection of stock. I know they 

 are obliged to handle thousands of cut- 

 tings when sending out a novelty, as 

 the demand for a winner is tremen- 

 dous. Nowadays, on nearly every new 

 variety we invest in, we get twenty- 

 five per cent unhealthy stock, which 

 either throws semi-double, curly, or oflf- 

 color flower«. If they cAnnot maat Ihe 

 demand at present prices, why not set 

 a price whereby they can meet it and 

 give us guaranteed stock f I believe 

 we should demand guaranteed stock 

 the same in carnations as in insecti- 

 cides or fertilizers. 



Up to Growers. 



The carnation has 

 been under a severe 

 te^t this seaeron, 

 much more so than 

 during any previous 

 year. Some growers 

 claim that it is los- 

 ing its popularity 

 with the flower- 

 buying public. I 

 cannot agree with 

 this view. It is as 

 popular as ever, "^ if 

 not more so. It is 

 still * ' everybody 's 

 flower," and if it is 

 put on the market or 

 into the buyer 's 

 home as fresh as 

 possible, it will not 

 be replaced by any 

 other flower. It often 

 happens that blooms 

 are old when they 

 are cut, and are 

 ready for the ash- 

 barrel instead of the 

 drawing room. It is 

 in our own province 

 to make or destroy 

 the popularity of the 

 carnation. 



To Vice-president 

 Anderson and the 

 local florists ' club 

 are due the thanks 

 of the society for 

 their untiring efforts 

 in working to make 

 this convention the 

 success I am sure it 

 will prove to be. To 

 Secretary Baur are 

 also due the same ap- 

 preciation and confi- 

 dence of the society. 

 No member, except 

 he be an officer of 

 the society, can form 



The full text of the uUdreiiii'Uf iSamuel J. 

 Goddard, president of the American Carnation 

 Society, delivered at the conTeotlon at Buffalo, 

 January 27, 1915. - ' _^ 



any idea of the amount of work the 

 secretary has to perform. 



The carnation register that Mr. Baur 

 and Mr. Dorner are compiling will be 

 of inestimable value to the society in 

 years to come, and I hope that some 

 action will be taken, at their comple- 

 tion looking toward the preservation 

 of these records, to protect them from 

 fire or other such destructive causes. 



Next year our society complfites its 

 first quarter century of . existence, a 

 period showing achievement performed 

 never dreamed of by its founders, and 

 I would suggest that . wpifchhlf^. feeogair 

 tion be taken to celebrate tbia event ; 

 something added to the premiun) list 

 that would mt^ke it iiotewoTthy, could 

 well be accomplished. 



More Members. ' ' 



Previous presidents have called at- 

 tention to the small membership of our 



Samuel J. Goddard. 



(President of th« American Carnation Society.) 



society compared with the hosts engaged 

 in growing carnations, but no specific 

 ,way has ever been devised or recom- 

 mended whereby we have increased our 

 membership to any extent. Thousands 

 are engaged in growing carnations 

 commercially, either as a side line or 

 specialty, and I am sure that we can 

 get our due proportion if we have some 

 influential members to present to these 

 growers personally the benefits they 

 and we jointly shall derive by their 

 joining the Carnation Society. 



"Why not have appointed one mem- 

 ber in each state or section of the 

 country, whose duty it shall be to in- 

 dnce all eligible to become members? 

 Let UB all endeavor to help increase 

 .ihe membership to at least 500 on our 

 silver anniversary. 



Some few years ago the society had 

 an honorary membership.. For some 

 reason or other, this has been dropped, 

 and I would recommend that the names 

 ori^ally on the list be again added, 

 or if tlus cannot be done under our 

 present rules, that the by-laws be 

 amended, incorporat- 

 ' ing honorary mem- 

 bership. 



Assistant Judges. 



Another recom- 

 mendation I would 

 like to make is that 

 assistant judges be 

 appointed to serve 

 with our regular 

 judges. Often some 

 regular judge is ab- 

 sent and an outsider 

 has to be called in to 

 take his place. If 

 assistants were in at- 

 tendance, they could 

 take the place of the 

 absent member, or in 

 case of a deadlock, 

 as often happens, 

 they could be relied 

 upon to give sound 

 judgment based upon 

 practical knowledge 

 gained while serving 

 with experts. We all 

 can judge by com- 

 parison, but it takes 

 the expert to score 

 on points the new 

 varieties that are en- 

 tered for the Ameri- 

 cB.n Carnation So- 

 ciety and other 

 medals. 



You will be called 

 upon at this meeting 

 to consider at your 

 deliberations the 

 question of affilia- 

 tion with the Society 

 of American Florists, 

 to accept or reject 

 membership on the 

 board of directors of 

 that society, and I 

 earnestly hope that 



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