1240 



The Weekly Florists* Review. 



March 14, 1907. 



to hold the exhibition and annual meet- 

 ing of 1907 was left in the hands of 

 the executive committee, after a discus- 

 sion, however, which showed plainly that 

 the sentiment of the meeting was in 

 favor of going to some city in the west, 

 should the way be open for us, and 

 should such a course seem to be for the 

 best interests of the society. The ex- 

 ecutive committee left the mattes open 

 until July, thus giving every section of 

 the country an equal chance to compete 

 for the privilege of having the rose ex- 

 hibition. 



The society did not receive any invi- 

 tation from the west; but it did have a 

 very hearty and pressing invitation from 

 tho Washington Florists' Club, which 

 sent its president to New York to back 

 up its formal written invitation. 



The president, Mr. Bisset, assured us 

 that "Washington and its people would 

 see that the local detail work of the ex- 

 hibition was taken care of properly and 

 that an exhibition there would be a suc- 

 cess financially. Whether they have kept 

 their promise you will see for yourselves; 



There is a great amount of detail work 

 to be done in arranging for an exhibition 

 of this kind, particularly when it is not 

 held in connection with some regularly 

 organized horticultural society where 

 men have been trained for the work, and 

 where all the facilities for the holding 

 of exhibitions are at hand; more, per- 

 haps, than many of you realize; and I 

 wish at this time to express my appre- 

 ciation of the hearty enthusiasm with 

 which the ofl5cers and local members of 

 the executive committee have entered into 

 this work, and have done willingly and 

 gladly, whatever was in their power to 

 do. Several meetings have been held in 

 the city of New York, and some of the 

 oflBcers have not failed to attend a single 

 meeting. If the exhibition of 1907 shall 

 prove to be equal in point of interest and 

 enthusiasm to that of 1906 much of the 

 credit is due to the push and energy and 

 painstaking work of our secretary and 

 the enthusiasm of our young treasurer. 



The position of secretary of the Amer- 

 ican Pcae Society is no sinecure I assure 

 you if the incumbent tries to do faith- 

 fully the work that he finds to do, and 

 just in proportion to the quality of the 

 man in office will depend how much of 

 the work shall be done, or how much 

 shall be left undone. For good work the 

 salary is totally inadequate, but in the 

 present state of our treasury I dare not 

 ask for an increase. The work of our 

 present secretary during the last nine 

 months will meet with your entire ap- 

 proval, I am sure. 



PUn and Scope of Meeting. 



As the program for this meeting indi- 

 cates, we have arranged for the reading 

 of papers on interesting subjects by men 

 eminently qualified to talk on the sub- 

 jects treated, and I trust we may give 

 to them our undivided attention during 

 the delivery of the same, and in the dis- 

 cussions that shall follow we may be able 

 to give out and gather in a vast store of 

 useful information. The society is to be 

 congratulated on the personnel of its es- 

 sayists. 



It has been arranged that gentlemen 

 of large experience and observation shall 

 start discussions on matters of vital in- 

 terest to the society; that of increased 

 membership, and new work that may be 

 done by the society as an organization 

 for its members and the public. I do 

 not wish to anticipate or forestall what 



Robert Simpson. 



these gentleman may advise, as I hope 

 for a very full discussion when, in the 

 order of business, these subjects are 

 taken up; however, in this connection I 

 may be permitted, perhaps, to make a 

 few observations, and possibly offer a 

 few suggestions. 



Suggestions for Enlargement. 



Much good work might be done by the 

 society if we had at command funds with 

 which to do the work; much work should 

 be done that has as yet not been even 

 attempted. For instance, a committee of 

 half a dozen men, representing different 

 sections of the country and competient to 

 deal with the peculiar climatic and other 

 conditions of that particular section, 

 might, in conjunction with the secretary, 

 prepare a list of roses with general cul- 

 tural directions, suitable to the condi- 

 tions prevailing in those various sections, 

 that would be worth much more to rose 

 lovers than the annual membership fee. 

 This committee could also advise as to 

 the best roses to purchase, Dutch, 

 French, English, home-grown budded, or 

 own root plants, department store stock, 

 or stock direct from nursery. There is 

 a vast amount of ignorance among the 

 general public along these lines, and their 

 ignorance is frequently taken advantage 

 of by unscrupulous dealers. 



What the society can offer its pros- 

 pective members as an inducement to 

 membership will no doubt be a controll- 

 ing factor in seeking to enlarge that 

 membership; on the other hand, larger 

 resources, as a result of larger member- 



ship, will permit the society to under- 

 take greater things. 



If the American Rose Society should 

 identify itself with the various horticul- 

 tural societies of the country to the ex- 

 tent of offering its silver medal once a 

 year for collections of cut roses, roses 

 in pots, etc., to be judged according to 

 the scale of the Rose Society, it would 

 add much interest to the exhibitions and 

 our society would gather strength ana 

 prestige thereby. 



If the financial resources of the so- 

 ciety were adequate, I would favor the 

 holding of an exhibition in June, as well 

 as March, so that the rose-loving public 

 could see and become acquainted with the 

 beautiful outdoor roses that we oannot 

 place before them in March, such as 

 Frau Karl Druschki, Baroness Rothschild, 

 Mrs. John Laing, etc. The June exhibi- 

 tion would be more popular, more inter- 

 esting and do more to educate the masses 

 in rose culture than it is possible to do 

 with an exhibition of indoor roses in 

 March. 



If the catalogue men of the country — 

 we have some of the gentlemen here to- 

 day — could be induced to give a page of 

 their catalogues each year to a statement 

 of the aims and purposes of the Rose 

 Society and advocate membership in it 

 to their customers, great possibilities 

 would immediately loom up before the 

 society. 



It is reasonable to suppose that our 

 membership could be multiplied several 

 times within a year if all present would 

 resolve to make a point to interest their 



