4A 



The Florists^ Review 



ACQUST 16, 1912. 



THE CANADIANS' ; 



,./ ANNUAL MEETING 



CONCLUDE CONVENTION. 



Officers Elected. 



At the conclusion of the fifteenth an- 

 nual convention of the Canadian Horti- 

 cultural Association, at Montreal, the 

 first day's proceedings of which Were 

 reported in last week's issue of The 

 Review, the following officers were 

 elected: 



President — Walter Muston. 



First Vice-president — H. S. Cowan. 



Second Vice-president — George Hop- 

 ton. 



Secretary and Treasurer — Julius 

 Luck. 



Executive Committee — B. Milford, P. 

 Wise, William Ferguson, H. G. Willis, 

 A. E. Ewing, J. Graham, A. Annan- 

 dale, F. S. Cheesman, E. J. Mepstead 

 and A. E. Ellis. 



Peterborough, Ont., was chosen as the 

 place for next year's convention. 



A Canadian's Comment. 



Over 100 members and friends were 

 present. There is no gainsaying the 

 fact that had the various sessions been 

 -carried through as thoroughly as were 

 the different functions in connection 

 with the entertaining part of the pro- 

 gram, lasting benefits might have ac- 

 crued; but, unfortunately, one cannot 

 look ba«k and say, "There, something 

 has been accomplished!" On the con- 

 trary, the discussions proved singularly, 

 and plurally, abortive. There is a lack 

 of cohesion in the society, and instead 

 of pulling together for the welfare of 

 the whole, the spirit of seriousness and 

 businesslike "get" seems to give way 

 at all these conventions to a feeling that 

 "jollying" should be the order of the 

 day. The tariff question, for instance, 

 and the postage rates, both of which 

 subjects were handled at the convention 

 at Ottawa last year, are problems not 

 any nearer solution now than they were 

 twelve months ago. 



The treasurer's statement had not 

 been entered up for two years, and un- 

 til the last minute the auditors were 

 not in a position to report as to the 

 finances of the association. 



Only two out of the forty odd To- 

 ronto florists attended the convention, 

 although at least half their number 

 might reasonably have been expected. 



The president, A. C Wilshire, proved 

 a most efficient chairman, and his ad- 

 dress, as well as the report of the secre- 

 tary, Julius Luck, proved agreeable 

 reading. 



W. W. Gammage, London, Ont., con- 

 tributed a paper on the cost of produc- 

 tion of florists' stock, and after a long 

 argument showing the difficulty of ar- 

 riving at such cost and the unlikelihood 

 of the producer enlightening the trade 

 after arriving at his conclusion, it was 

 generally conceded that the individual 

 grower must settle this matter for him- 

 self in the quiet of the evening, and not 

 stay with the water and the soil until 

 Jie becomes too tired to think. 



"The Economical Management of a 

 Retail Store," by Geo. W. Geraghty, 

 Toronto, proved a good paper, but 

 evoked little comment, as the contribu- 

 tor was not present to back up his 

 arguments. 



Thomas Manton, Eglinton, Ont., dealt 

 with commercial orchids in his own in- 

 imitable style, and lovers of this aris- 

 tocrat among flowers were particularly 

 fortunate in listening to this enthusias- 

 tic grower's remarks. 



Arising out of the discussions on pa- 

 pers placed in the question box, one 

 point in particular was emphasized in 

 connection with cheap Saturday sales: 

 James McKenna, who caters to the high- 

 est class of trade in Montreal, expressed 

 the opinion that while these sales 

 brought flowers within the reach of peo- 

 ple who otherwise might not ordinarily 

 be able to afford them, yet another sec- 

 tion of the public also realized that the 

 Saturday clean-up afforded the assur- 

 ance that for the beginning of the fol- 

 lowing week fresh stock would be the 

 only quality of stock it would be pos- 

 sible for them to cultivate. During 

 certain glut seasons such sales- appear 

 inevitable, but the florists every year 

 profit through the public becoming edu- 

 cated in this way, despite all that may 

 be suggested to the contrary. 



One of the most important papers 

 read was that by William Hunt, of the 

 Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, on 

 the nomenclature of plants. Twenty- 

 five plants had been dealt with by this 

 gentleman, and the pronunciation of 

 their Latin names proved a perspirijig 

 effort, but George Robinson, one of the 

 convention's hardest workers, nobly 

 struggled with the encyclopedical re- 

 sults, and the flower buyers of Canada 

 will be much better off, it is hoped, by 

 learning how cyclamen, clematis, be- 

 gonias and other plants should be asked 

 for when they approach their florist. 



Trade exhibits made an attractive 

 feature at the convention, the Dale Es- 

 tate, William Ewing & Co., Dupuy & 

 Ferguson, J. A. Simmers, H. Bayers- 

 dorfer & Co. and E. Hayward contribut- 

 ing to an agreeable effect. 



The association banquet, Thursday 

 evening, August 8, was a delightful af- 

 fair, the speeches being short and to 

 the point, interspersed with songs by 

 W. G. Peacock and W. D. Deas, and 

 recitations by Mr. Bowles and Mr. 

 Green, of Philadelphia. The retiring 

 president, A. C. Wilshire, and his wife 

 were the recipients of a splendid clock 

 and gold watch, and in these days of 

 sham it did one good to see and to feel 

 their genuine emotion when they both 

 expressed their sincere and heartfelt 

 thanks for the little tribute their good 

 work had made so timely. 



Friday was given up to a trip to 

 Senneville, that part of the island of 

 Montreal where the beautiful- summer 

 homes of Sir Edward Clonston and R. B.. 

 Angus are unique, in their Canadian 



grandeur. The picturesqueness of the 

 scenery and the perfection of the land- 

 scape effects were an aesthetic treat to 

 the large party, and the summit of hu- 

 man happiness was reached when R. 

 Burrows escorted everybody to the huge 

 marquee, under which Lady Clonston 

 and R. B. Angus had given Montreal's 

 best caterer cart blanche in the matter 

 of hospitality. Never were convention 

 delegates so lavishly entertained as on 

 this occasion, the pleasant memories of 

 which will last for years to come. 



The MacDonald College, at St. Anne 's 

 de Bellevue, was visited during the 

 afternoon, and the outing was com- 

 pleted by the return of the party to 

 Montreal by boat after shooting the 

 Lachine rapids. 



Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Hall, Mr. and 

 Mrs. George Hopton and Mr. and Mrs. 

 A. C. Wilshire were largely responsible 

 for the lunches and parties that proved 

 such pleasing features to the ladies at- 

 tending the convention, and their hard 

 work was thoroughly appreciated by 

 cvervbodv. W. G. P. 



BOSTON. _ 



The Market. 



Business has been quiet for the last 

 week, there having been scarcely a rip- 

 ple to disturb the prevailing midsummer 

 dullness. Asters are more than ever the 

 dominant flower and are arriving in im- 

 mense numbers, the bulk of splendid 

 quality, but prices on even the best are 

 low and unsatisfactory and a large num- 

 ber are unsold each day. Sweet peas 

 continue abundant, but the quality is 

 not good. Gladioli are seen in greater 

 abundance, those most in evidence be- 

 ing Augusta, Shakespeare, America and 

 Mrs. I^ancis King. These have sold 

 fairly well so far, but the present week 

 will probably see a glut of them. Roses 

 are less abundant. Beauties and Tafts 

 are the two most popular sorts. Carna- 

 tions are nearly down and out; the few 

 arriving cut little figure, purchasers pre- 

 ferring asters. Valley is not in much 

 demand. There is a good supply of 

 lilies, both longiflorum and speciosum, 

 with little demand. For the various 

 miscellaneous flowers arriving, demand 

 is light. A few Cattleya gigas and Har- 

 risonise are seen. For asparagus and 

 adiantum,. demand is at a low ebb. 



Exhibition. 



The prize exhibition August 10 and 11 

 filled the main room at Horticultural 

 hall and proved successful. R. & J. Far- 

 quhar & Co. had a splendid table of 

 Lilium Henryi. Bay State Nurseries 

 had an extensive display of phloxes, 

 lilies and perennials in variety and was 

 awarded a bronze medal. Eastern Nur- 

 series, H. S. Dawson proprietor, made 

 their first exhibit, having an extensive 

 collection of perennial phloxes, physoa- 

 tegias and other perennials. "William 



