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20 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August 22, 1907. 



H. B. Beatty, Re-ekcted Treasurer Society of American Florists. 



seen without the aid of a microscope and 

 might be nurtured into lusty specimens 

 without the use of an incubator. Were it 

 not for the express companies a parcels 

 post would .have been a reality long ago 

 — so we are told. The express companies 

 and the S. A. F. have been making one 

 another's acquaintance of late and find 

 they don 't think alike on some things. 



Outdoor Ezhibitioni. 



It is much to be regretted that the 

 executive board found conditions so un- 

 propitious for an outdoor exhibition of 

 planted material in connection with this 

 convention that the project had to be 

 abandoned. It was hoped by many that 

 the humble beginning made in Dayton 

 might be followed up and that in time 

 an outdoor exhibit might be made a regu- 

 lar feature of our conventions, but in a 

 large city the diflSculties seem almost in- 

 surmountable. Wherever circumstances 

 permit I believe it will be good policy to 

 provide at least for a planting of such 

 novelties as cannot be properly presented 

 in an indoor exhibition. 



I am satisfied that the present system 

 of selecting state vice-presidents to rep- 

 resent this society sectionally might be 

 improved upon and would suggest that 

 you consider the adoption of some system 

 whereby, in those localities where any or- 

 ganization exists, we might through mu- 

 tual arrangement confer upon the presid- 

 ing oflScer the honor of representing the 

 S. A. F. in his territory during his term 

 of office. 



National Flower Show. 



As the national flower show project will 

 be reported on at the proper time by the 

 very competent committee of fifty under 

 the chairmanship of my predecessor, I will 

 not take your time now with any refer- 

 ence to it other than to submit that it 

 would be a grave mistake to make any 

 change from the time-honored date for 

 holding our annual convention. If it is 

 thought wise to have a meeting at Chi- 

 cago at the time of the exhibition, let it 

 be a special meeting called as provided 

 for in the by-laws. The proposition to 

 merely meet formally in August so as to 

 comply with the constitutional require- 

 ments and then adjourn over until the 

 time set for the flower show would, I firm- 

 ly believe, very seriously aflPect the pros- 

 perity of the society. 



The Socictv'i Record. 



The birth of the Society of American 

 Florists was the outcome of a conviction 

 on the part of its promoters that the hor- 

 ticultural interests of America were ready 

 to get together for mutual advantage and 

 the uplifting of their art. The young so- 

 ciety found the commercial florist, as a 

 rule, isolated and provincial because of 

 the lack of opportunity for any but the 

 most limited intercourse and interchange 

 of opinion and experience. Not one so- 

 ciety, club or periodical devoted primarily 

 to the interests of floriculture existed on 

 this continent. The best test of the wis- 

 dom of the founding of any institution is 



what it has been able to accomplish. Do 

 you not think that the seed sown twenty- 

 three years ago has borne pretty good 

 frdit? The yield might have been in- 

 creased many fold had every one in the 

 profession who needed just this help 

 taken advantage of it; still it is not too 

 much to say that the S. A. F. has been the 

 underlying force which has in this brief 

 period placed American floriculture on an 

 eminence where it commands the respect 

 of the world and that the splendid confi- 

 dence of its founders in the future mag- 

 nitude of their profession has been well 

 justified. The spirit of progress which 

 prompted them to break the shackles of 

 past isolation and seeretiveness and 

 throw wide open the doors for a general 

 intellectual and material advancement is 

 still our best asset. We must allow free 

 scope to the mighty reserve forces of 

 American horticulture and be constantly 

 on the alert to see and act upon every 

 opening for strengthening our hold upon 

 the heart-strings of the profession. 



Unselfish, hard-working loyalty to the 

 organization and its principles, on the 

 part of every member, is the winning 

 combination in all club and society af- 

 fairs and this I would especially plead for 

 at this time, as we near the close of my 

 ofScial labors. My dearest ambition dur- 

 ing these many years has been to contrib- 

 ute with all my heart toward making this 

 society the great leader in every work 

 tending to the ennobling and enriching 

 of our profession. I know, by intimate 

 contact with those associated with me in 

 the society's service, how faithfully they 

 have done their duty and how unselfishly 

 the members generally have responded 

 when called upon for any assistance. 

 These are the qualities that make for suc- 

 cess in any organization and I earnestly 

 hope they will be continued and strength- 

 ened in the years to come. 



What Conventioni are Good For. 



The society is to be congratulated on 

 the magnificent attendance at this meet- 

 ing. Conventions are always an incentive 

 and encouragement. They give zest to 

 work, feed the intellect, enrich our litera- 

 ture. They are a unifying force, estab- 

 lishing and cementing friendships and 

 bringing into advantageous contact those 

 who, although widely separated, are act- 

 uated by a common purpose in life. I pity 

 the man who sees nothing to interest him 

 here and finds , no inspiration in such 

 gatherings, no strength to help him sur- 

 mount the daily recurring difficulties 

 which are our common lot, no advantage 

 in the opportunity to inspect this great 

 industrial exhibition. Little he realizes 

 how great is his loss. 



And now let us proceed to business. We 

 have diversions innumerable, entertain- 

 ment after entertainment awaiting our 

 pleasure ; the bowlers and their henchmen 

 are eager to pounce upon that tempting 

 aggregation of honor and silverware, 

 but with all their vociferation they 

 are among the best promoters in 

 the societ}' 's service ; the ladies, in- 

 dispensable always, have organized 

 a little side auxiliary of their own; 

 a magnificent exhibition across the 

 way justly claims much of our attention. 

 But with all these allurements let us not 

 forget that the eye of the world is upon us 

 and that important business awaits our 

 attention first. 



Secretary Hauswirth presented liis re- 

 port, as follows: 



