^'*". f\' •" 



'^ a'cgust 19, 1915. 



The PldHSts' Review 



25 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 



1 I I Hill I'llllllKlllllHllllll 



N any occasion the mem- 

 bers of this society, espe- 

 cially those residing east 

 of the Eockies, could have 

 visited this city with 

 pleasure and profit, but at 

 this time, when the great 

 Panama - Pacific interna- 

 tional exposition is being 

 held here, we deem our- 

 selves most favored. 



It is needless for me to say that I 

 am honored as the presidinff^ oflBcer of 

 this great national society, one of the 

 few in the United States possessing 

 a charter issued under a special act of 

 the National Congress and signed by 

 the President, 



This great opening of our convention 

 proves that we are not an association 

 of New Yorkers, New Englanders, 

 Pennsylvanians or Virginians, but con- 

 firms our boast that we are a national 

 association in representation as well 

 as in name. 



We should and we do feel proud of 

 our profession for 

 the wonderful 

 progress it has 

 made. According 

 to the last avail- 

 able census, that 

 of 1909, the sale 

 of plants and 

 flowers advanced 

 from $18,758,864 

 in 1899 to $34,872,- 

 329 in 1909, an in- 

 crease of ninety- 

 one per cent. The 

 total number of 

 establishments in 

 the United States 

 in our business in 

 1909 was 10,614. 

 The leading states 

 in value of flow- 

 ers and plants are: 

 New York... $5, 110,000 



The full text of the address of Patrick Welch, 

 President of the Society of American Florists, 

 delivered at the convention at San Francisco, 

 August 17, 1915. 



be more pleasant than the gathering 

 together in one great organization of 

 all our business associates in this 

 country? 



Experience has shown us that what 

 is everybody's business is not at- 

 tended to by anyone, and so I say, let 

 the increasing of the membership be 

 an individual matter of pride to us all. 

 We all have a high estimate of the 

 benefits derived from membership in 

 our society; let us memorialize it dur- 

 ing the coming year by doubling our 

 membership^ list. This is an age of 

 cooperation and affiliation, and what 

 was formerly advanced individually is 

 now accomplished only by thorough 

 organization. 



If we are to perform the mission of 

 this society, we can only be satisfied 

 when we have joined to its ranks every 



A society gains 

 much of its influ- 

 ence and useful- 

 ness from a large 

 membership, and 

 while the Society 

 of American Flo- 

 rists has been 

 adding strength 

 to its member- 

 ship, I feel we 

 can do much more 

 in that direction. 



What work can 



Patrick Welch. 



(President of the Society of American Florists.) 



man engaged in floriculture and horti- 

 cuture, whether he is doing business in 

 the north, south, east or west of this 

 grand country of ours. 



Every state in the Union in which 

 we have members is wisely entitled to 

 a national vice-president; wisely, I say, 

 because every state has then at least 

 one national officer within its limits. 

 One of the principal duties of the vice- 

 president is to increase the membership 

 in his state. Therefore, I urge the 

 vice-presidents during this year to con- 

 duct active, spirited campaigns for 

 new members in our society. _, 



Few men join an organization~such 

 as ours without being invited, and any- 

 one, on being informed of the process 

 which this society has made in the last 

 thirty years, will hardly hesitate to 

 become a member when he is in^'ited. 



We are proud indeed of the position 

 of our society today, with 2,000 mem- 

 bers and $30,000 balance in our treas- 

 ury, thanks to the wise, discreet and 

 courageous policy displayed by our 



officers. I feel 

 that with a little 

 effort, on the part 

 of our vice-presi- 

 dents especially, 

 our membership 

 can be materially 

 advanced and our 

 usefulness in- 

 creased accord- 

 ingly. 



National Show. 



For the last six 

 years we have 

 witnessed the suc- 

 cess of the na- 

 t i o n a 1 flower 

 show, and recog- 

 nized its great 

 value as a medium 

 for educating the 

 public in the love 

 and admiration of 

 horticulture and 

 floral products. It 

 has proved a safe 

 financial enter- 

 prise for the so- 

 ciety. 



To insure the 

 continuance o f 

 the national flow- 

 er show and in 

 keeping with the 

 ambitions of the 

 society, it is nec- 

 essary that the 

 best and most 

 efficient members 

 should be placed 

 on that commit- 

 tee. 



There is no 

 branch of the 



