A to U ST 22, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



19 



of porch and window boxes for both sum- 

 mer and winter, the innumerable little 

 table ferneries, the tons of lawn and flow- 

 er seeds, the cargoes of spring and sum- 

 mer bulbs, the garden implements, the 

 vast quantities of evergreens and shrub- 

 bery and border and bedding plants for 

 Avhich a demand can be created, not to 

 mention the conservatories and conserva- 

 tory plants, or the small fruits and prod- 

 ucts of the kitchen garden which every 

 home lover likes to indulge in, once the 

 appetite of the people for such things has 

 been thoroughly aroused. Large as the de- 

 mand already is, numerous and prosperous 

 as we know the craft to be, yet who can 

 say that our country is not well able to 

 furnish business sufficient for many times 

 the present number of our commercial es- 

 tablishments and employment for good 

 gardeners in far greater numbers than 

 they can be supplied today? With these 

 facts in view I know of nothing which 

 promises so rich a return as the school 

 garden movement. In addition to its ser- 

 vices in the cause of good citizenship it 

 must be obvious to all that activity on this 

 line is also good business policy and as- 

 sures the interest of the coming genera- 

 tion in parks and gardens, tree-lined high- 

 ways, horticultural exhibitions and plants 

 and flowers everywhere. 



Object Leitoni. 



Again, every florist 's home should be a 

 shining object lesson. Show neighbors and 

 .passers-by the possibilities with spring 

 bulbs, with easily grown plants in bed 

 and border, in piazza box and window; 

 excite their dormant perceptions with rose 

 and clematis and honeysuckle-bowered 

 porch and pillar; impress them with the 

 dignifying effect of ornamental trees and 

 shrubbery, the cheery picture of ever- 

 greens in winter time. See that they are 

 wisely instructed in the selection, planting 

 and care of material and that they realize 

 that the time is probably not far distant 

 when bare yards and flowerless windows 

 will pass as an evidence of ignorance and 

 squalor within. The public are in the 

 mood to welcome such activity on the part 

 of the florist, the newspapers are at all 

 times disposed to assist, and the more the 

 florist does in this direction the higher po- 

 sition bo will occupy in the esteem of his 

 townsmen. 



The Society'i Sphere. 



Having thus hastily scanned our field 

 in a few of its many phases, the question 

 comes as to what part this society should 

 assume conformably to its avowed aims 

 and through what channels best results 

 can be reached. It is the business of an 

 organization such as this to help men to 

 help themselves and then to conserve and 

 saff^guard the results of their work so that 

 those who come after them shall have as 

 their heritage the sum total of the efforts 

 of their predecessors. 



It has been my conviction for a long 

 time that there is nothing more to be de- 

 sired to place this organization in a posi- 

 tion of greatest usefulness than some sys- 

 tem of direct affiliation with existing or 

 prospective special and local organiza- 

 tions. Far from regarding these societies 

 as a possible menace, I look upon their 

 multiplication as distinctly to our advan- 

 tage. The field is practically limitless 

 and we can well afford to nourish any and 

 all well-meant efforts to build up horti- 

 culture in any of its branches. There is 

 an infinity of specialized detail and local 

 work which the smaller and more compact 

 bodies can care for with an efficiency far 

 bpvond the reach of a society constituted 



as this is. Let them do it if they will, and 

 wherever and whenever the time comes 

 that they find their burden heavy and the 

 road rough let us put our big shoulder to 

 the wheel and help them. On the other 

 hand, there are movements where a 

 successful consummation is only possible 

 under the capacious mantle of a large na- 

 tional organization. Events of the past 

 year have indicated to us how at any mo- 

 ment we may be called upon to champion 

 the cause of some branch of the trade 

 where strength of numbers and national 

 incorporation become elements of great 

 strength and where the existence of a 

 powerful representative body serves as a 

 restraint and defense against corporate 

 plunder. I believe we should keep work- 

 ing on this problem of closer relations 

 until some feasible plan of affiliation 

 and intelligent cooperation has been 

 evolved and a system of specialized work 

 established through these auxiliary bodies. 



Regiitration and Other Dutiei. 



A well regulated system of plant nom- 

 enclature is needed. It would be an ele- 

 ment of great stability if all registration 

 of varietal names could be recorded iu 

 one universally recognized bureau. 

 Whether this should be done direct by 

 the owner or first pass the scrutiny of a 

 specialized society, where such exists, is 

 of little consequence provided it finally 

 comes into the custody of a central au- 

 thority having the power to follow up in- 

 fringement and extend the fullest pro- 

 tection within the law to the originator or 

 owner. This central authority, I believe, 



should be the Society of American Flo- 

 rists and Ornamental Horticulturists. 



The time seems now ripe for us to in- 

 sist that horticulture be made a regular 

 course in our public school system. There 

 can be no question of the wisdom of this 

 society's taking an advanced position on 

 this matter and fostering liberally all 

 movements for the dissemination of gar- 

 den knowledge through this means. Every 

 argument on physical, mental and moral 

 grounds is on our side. 



As a society we should lend aid and en- 

 couragement to any investigation or ex- 

 perimentation for the purpose of stimu- 

 lating the production of any horticultural 

 material for which we have hitherto been 

 obliged to depend upon foreign sources 

 of supply. * ' Made in America " is an in- 

 scription too seldom seen on horticultural 

 goods. How can this organization best as- 

 sist to that end? In the case of those 

 goods which we must import, there is 

 room for a better system and improved 

 facilities in the appraisers' department, 

 and I hope our legislative committee will 

 give this question the attention it should 

 have. 



Cheaper Trangportation. 



The project of a parcels post is a re- 

 form worthy of our hearty support. A 

 cheaper and more reliable means of dis- 

 tribution for packages of limited size and 

 weight, such as is enjoyed in most Europ- 

 ean countries, would greatly benefit the 

 plant and bulb trade and provide the 

 means for supplying the public at small 

 cost with plants of a size that might be 



P. J. Hauswirth, Re-elected Secretary Society of American Florists. 



