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The Florists' Review 



AcGDST 20, 1914. 



one, for the ground was almost a marsh 

 in the spring and had to be filled in, 

 'the season was late in opening, delay- 

 ing planting, and growth has been slow. 

 It is the consensus of opinion that, con- 

 sidering the handicaps imposed on them 

 by factors beyond control, the Boston 

 convention garden is a wonderful ac- 

 complishment and deserving of the 

 highest praise. It cost an immense 

 amount of effort and a large sum of 

 money beyond what the exhibitors paid 

 for the care of their stock, far more 

 than the average visitor realized, and, 

 should the balance of the season prove 

 favorable, it will make a showing that 

 will delight the people of Boston and 

 in a measure repay the park depart- 

 ment and the Boston florists for the 

 months of work they have lavished 

 on it. 



The Opening. 



The convention really opened in the 

 garden this year, instead of indoors. 

 There is an arbor with a platform in 

 the center of the garden and here the 

 visitors assembled at 11 a. m,, August 

 18, to listen to the welcome and formal 

 dedication of the garden by Mayor Cur- 

 ley, the young chief executive, whose 

 aid had made the garden possible. The 

 Mayor was introduced by James B. 



occurred at 2 p. m., the Mayor having 

 been a guest at a luncheon given by the 

 Boston convention committee. P. Welch 

 called the society to order in Paul Re- 

 vere hall and, after a few words of 

 welcome as from the Boston florists, 

 again introduced the city executive, 

 who made an even better speech of wel- 

 come than he had done at the opening 

 of the garden in the morning. The 

 Mayor is proud of Boston and does not 

 care who knows it. The Mayor was 

 responded to by Frank R. Pierson, who 

 expressed the visitors' appreciation of 

 the cordiality with which the conven- 

 tion has been received in Boston. Mr. 

 Welch then introduced President Wirth, 

 who took the chair and read the annual 

 address, which is printed in full on an- 

 other page of this issue. On motion 

 it was referred to a committee consist- 

 ing of George Asmus, J. J. Hess, F. E. 

 Pierson, A. Farenwald and C. E. 

 Critchell, to report on the recommenda- 

 tions. 



For some reason the society finds it 

 necessary to dispose of its driest busi- 

 ness at the opening session, when there 

 invariably is the best crowd. The min- 

 utes of the board of directors and the 

 reports of the secretary and treasurer 

 are extremely important matters and 



Daniel MacRorie. 



(vice-president elect of the Society of American Florists.) 



Shea and delivered a characteristic ad- 

 dress, telling how pleased Boston is to 

 have the convention and telling of the 

 many things of interest within the vis- 

 itors' range of vision as they stood in 

 the garden. He was followed by Park 

 Superintendent Dillon, who spoke for 

 the horticultural interests of the city 

 and who said the people of Boston 

 would long remember the convention be- 

 cause of the beautiful new garden it 

 had been the means of creating. Presi- 

 dent Theodore Wirth closed with a few 

 words of thanks on behalf of the so- 

 ciety, saying that when the first con- 

 vention garden was planned at Minne- 

 apolis the trade there realized that 

 soin^thing of large possibilities was be- 

 ing started, but that to him it was a 

 'surprise to find that the idea had grown 

 80 amazingly in the short span of a 

 single year. 



The Boutine Business. 



The real opening of the convention 



should be printed, but they are too full 

 of figures and detailed matter to be 

 either interesting or comprehensible 

 when read off as rapidly as possible 

 and in a hot hall. These lengthy mat- 

 ters being disposed of, W. F. Gude pre- 

 sented reports as Washington represen- 

 tative, as chairman of the committee on 

 tariff and legislation, as chairman on 

 rose garden at the capital, and as chair- 

 man of the Smith memorial fund. For 

 the latter he reported that $1,400 has 

 been paid in to the committee and over 

 $1,000 additional pledged. 



R. C. Kerr, who came as the repre- 

 sentative of the Texas State Florists' 

 Association, read a paper telling of the 

 objects of that organization and con- 

 '' eluding with the statement that Texas 

 hopes soon to entertain the S. A. F. 



W. J. Stewart read a letter from Ex- 

 president Johri'lVj, MayV'who is" now 

 only able to be about on crutches' if ter 

 an illness of six months, and on iiiotion 

 of E. G. Hill the secretary was instruct- 



ed to send a message of good cheer. 

 Irwin Bertermann reported the acci- 

 dental drowning, August 16, of Mrs. 



E. A. Fetters, of Detroit, wife of a 

 member, and herself a member of the 

 Ladies' S. A. F. Flowers were ordered 

 sent to the funeral in the name of the 

 society. 



. Mr. Bertermann also brought out that 

 the F. T. D. has already been the means 

 of adding eighty-four new members to 

 the S. A. F. 



San Francisco Next. 



When the time arrived for selecting 

 the next meeting place, Dan MacRofie, 

 on behalf of the Pacific Coast Horticul- 

 tural Society, the exposition manage- 

 ment and the trade, and for himself 

 personally, renewed the invitation to 

 meet in San Francisco in 1915, S. A. 

 Anderson, speaking for the Florists' 

 Club of his city, invited the society to 

 meet in Buffalo. As was to have been 

 expected, this resulted in a warm inter- 

 change of ideas on the part of the 

 champions of the two places. For San 

 Francisco, H. Plath, B. Hammond, M. C. 

 Ebel and E. G. Hill spoke strongly. W. 



F. Easting, W. A. Manda, Charles Len- 

 ker and George Asmus opposed taking 

 the society so far west as San Fran- 

 cisco, favoring Buffalo. It was neces- 

 sary to limit debate, as the hour was 

 growing late. It was decided on mo- 

 tion to have the polls open for two 

 hours, from 7 to 9, in the secretary's 

 office instead of at the president's re- 

 ception, as announced on the program. 

 J. G. Esler was named as chairman of 

 a board of judges and the ballot taken, 

 the privilege of voting being accorded 

 only to those who had paid 1914 dues. 

 The count stood: 



Buffalo 127 



San Francisco 128 



Cleveland 1 



The vote was announced at the morn- 

 ing session August 19, and was received 

 with applause, a motion to make it 

 unanimous being carried with a cheer. 

 A telegram was read, announcing the 

 acquisition of ten new members in Ore- 

 gon this week. 



National Flower Show. 



George Asmus, chairman of the na- 

 tional flower show committee, reported 

 progress on the exhibition to be given 

 in Philadelphia in the spring of 1916. 

 He stated that all preliminary matters 

 have developed satisfactorily and that 

 the society may look forward with con- 

 fidence to a large and successful exhibi- 

 tion, the interest being good both locally 

 and nationally. It is too early, he said, 

 to know if the conditions in Europe will 

 be a factor. 



Nomination of Officers. 



When President Wirth asked for nom- 

 inations of candidates for next year's 

 officers, W. F. Easting named Patrick 

 Welch, of Boston, for president, sec- 

 onded by Robert Craig and P. O'Mara. 

 Frank H. Traendly proposed the name of 

 Charles H. Totty, of Madison, N. J., 

 seconded by E. G. Hill and M. C. Ebel. 

 Daniel MacRorie, of San Francisco, was 

 named as the only candidate for vice- 

 president, and Secretanr John Young 

 and Treasurer William F. Easting were 

 nominated to succeed themselves, v>ith'- 

 oux contest. 



The speeches carried the usual eulo- 

 gies. Polls were open for two hours 

 Thursday morning for the election. 



The proposition of affiliation was th» 



