38 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



August 19, 1009. 



Albert McCuIIough. 



(Cbairman Committee on President's Reception, S. A. P. Convention.) 



data obtainable. I recommend that our 

 secretary be instructed to ask for this 

 information in the name of this society. 



The work of committees is often made 

 harder because it is the custom to make 

 them consist of three or more members, 

 and to have the members hail from dif- 

 ferent sections. My judgment is that 

 for many purposes only one man should 

 be appointed on a committee, except such 

 committees as are expected to do their 

 work during the time of the convention. 

 Have it thoroughly understood that the 

 committeeman can temporarily call to his 

 assistance any other member or number 

 of members, but that wherever he goes 

 he is the committee and does not need to 

 await the action of any other member. 



The secretary of the society and the 

 president ought to be kept advised of the 

 progress being made by all committees. 

 When it can be done without interference 

 with the work of the committee, such 

 progress should be reported to the trade 

 press by the secretary. 



The florists of Illinois have succeeded 

 in getting substantial recognition from 

 the legislature, with an appropriation 

 that permits the maintenance of a flo- 

 rists ' department of the State Experiment 

 Station. A like result could doubtless be 

 obtained in other states if the florists 

 there worked for it as energetically as 

 did the florists of Illinois. Our retiring 

 secretary, Mr. Budd, has taken a keen 

 personal interest in this movement, and 

 I suggest that if he were made a com- 

 mittee of one to follow up this work, the 

 trade at large might be induced to pull 

 together for greater recognition of their 



needs and their strength, with great re- 

 sulting benefits to florists generally. 



Sports at Conventions. 



The matter of sports at our conven- 

 tions has been referred to by many of 

 my predecessors. I am firmly of the 

 opinion that any clean, healthful sport 

 is a good thing for any man who gives 

 the most of his time to work. Bowling 

 and shooting contests have enough of an 

 attraction so that they often turn the 

 scale and bring to the convention some 

 men who otherwise would not attend. 

 Local bowling clubs do much to bring 

 the florists of a community together and, 

 in the enjoyment of contests of skill, 

 petty quarrels are forgotten, so that a 

 friendly feeling generally exists among 

 those attending. 



The time has gone by, if it ever was, 

 when a man must be a rowdy in order 

 to enjoy or participate in a trial of physi- 

 cal skill. These matters must be kept 

 in their proper place and not be allowed 

 to interfere with or overshadow the con- 

 vention itself, but, as at present conduct- 

 ed, I look upon them as both useful and 

 desirable. 



There is much in this address which is 

 not new, but has been urged by my pre- 

 decessors. I offer no apology for again 

 pressing these things upon you, but if 

 you will take the time to review our an- 

 nual reports you will flnd many useful 

 suggestions that have been brought for- 

 ward by other presidents and which 

 would make this address too long if I 

 were to review them here. 



Before closing I wish to assure the 



members of this society that not myself 

 alone, but the florists of Colorado also, 

 keenly appreciate the recognition you 

 have given them by the selection of one 

 of their number to preside over this con- 

 vention. At the close of our last con- 

 vention, Colorado had seven names en- 

 rolled as members of the society and sel- 

 dom more than one or two have been in 

 attendance at the convention. At the 

 present time Colorado has over fortv 

 members enrolled and many are here to- 

 day. 



That her thanks have taken this sub- 

 stantial form is largely due to the un- 

 tiring energy of N. A. Benson, state 

 vice-president. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



[The following Is the report of Secretaiv 

 W. N. Rudd, read before the Society of Ameri- 

 can Florists, in convention at Cincinnati, August 

 17 to 20, 1909.] 



Starting out with bad conditions and 

 dismal prospects financially, greatly in- 

 creased general interest in the society 

 since January 1, and the consequent 

 large accessions of new members and re- 

 instatement of old ones in default, have 

 converted what looked almost sure to be 

 a year of stationary or backward condi- 

 tions into a decidedly successful one. 



From the financial point of view, the 

 convention at Niagara Falls was a de- 

 cided failure. Many causes led to this. 

 Of course, the general business depres- 

 sion through which we had passed had a 

 strong effect, and it is doubtful whether 

 a very successful convention could have 

 been held last year at any place. The 

 writer believes, however, that it is a 

 serious mistake to hold conventions of 

 this society in any location \yhere there 

 are not large trade interests. In the 

 first place, we lose the enthusiastic work 

 of a good, strong body of local florists. 

 The difference between conditions in this 

 respect at Niagara Falls and what they 

 are here, will, I am sure, be noticed by 

 every member who attended both con- 

 ventions. In addition to that loss, which 

 is so great that it can hardly be over- 

 estimated, there was the lack of drawing 

 power to our members. The bulk of the 

 florists in this country are not wealthy 

 men, but they are shrewd, prudent busi- 

 ness men, and the trip to the convention 

 for them must be shown advantageous 

 to the highest degree in a business way; 

 and unless they can have added to the 

 pleasures and the advantages of the con- 

 vention proper, a chance to examine and 

 inspect greenhouse establishments, suc- 

 cessful retail flower shops, wholesale es- 

 tablishments and other like supplemen- 

 tary things which they all consider of 

 great value to them in a business way, 

 many will not feel justified in giving the 

 time and going to the expense of a trij' 

 to the convention. In short, many of 

 our members do not care enough for 

 scenery to pay much money for it, and it 

 seems to your secretary that never again, 

 unless conditions are exceptional, should 

 this society go to outlying cities like 

 Niagara Falls or Asheville. At Niagara 

 Falls we only received fifty new mem- 

 bers, while the writer will be disap- 

 pointed if we do not add 250 to our mem- 

 bership roll at this place. Fortunately, 

 the national flower show waa an event 

 which attracted great interest (in fact. 

 I think by it we lost the attendance of 

 a good many people at the Niagara Falls 

 convention), and we were, during the 

 progress of the show, enabled to take in 

 nearly as many new members a.s at Ni- 

 agara Falls. 



