MUVEMBEB 11, 1009. 



The Weekly Florists" Review* 



35 



ebarmtt henceforth. A devoted student, 

 whose keen eye detected the superior 

 qualities at a glance, he loved flowers, and 

 bis enthusiasm knew no bounds. He was 

 always elated when fortune smiled on the 

 efforts of others, thus making it possible 

 for the world to hav6 better things. 



He was the first to enter the show on 

 the opening day and the last to turn 

 away on the closing night. His was not a 

 passing admiration. You would see him 

 all day long, often with a flower -in his 

 band or possibly tucked away in his hat, 

 — maybe not a whole flower, sometimes 

 a carnation or chrysanthemum petal or 

 even a leaf that would strike his fancy. 



I have often heard his rap at my room 

 at five o'clock the morning the show was 

 to open, discontented until he could find 

 some one with whom to converse upon his 

 pet themes, always free to impart his 

 knowledge and advice. It was be who 

 first conceived the need of and later was 

 the prime factor in founding this society. 

 To this man we owe much, for it was bis 

 teaching that kindled a desire in others 

 to improve the varieties we had a quarter 

 of a century ago. It is our duty at this 

 meeting to adopt resolutions setting forth 

 our profound respect, as well as regret 

 for his demise. 



Affiliated Societies. 



Through the efforts of ex-President 

 Loveless plans were devised to secure 

 the afliliation of various horticultural so- 

 cieties. Last year the Lenox Horticul- 

 tural Society took advantage of this 

 offer, and this year the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society has joined us, so 

 we now have two affiliating societies. It 

 is to be hoped this number will be in- 

 creased each year, as I feel certain the 

 effect will be stimulating not only to this 

 society, but to the ones so affiliating. 



In conclusion I wish to thank the mem- 

 bers of the several committees appointed 

 to inspect seedlings, for the time and 

 energy so generously spent in our behalf. 

 Their work I consider of great import- 

 ance, and their findings above reproach. 

 We all heartily thank the horticultural 

 press who have so kindly devoted space 

 for our notices, and the American Insti- 

 tute, who have provided the exhibition 

 hall for this occasion and whose officers 

 have faithfully looked after the many 

 details incident thereto. We are also un- 

 der obligations to those who have given 

 us support and encouragement by donat- 

 ing special prizes. 



NEW VORK FOR THE C. S. of A. 



[A paper by I. L. Powell, of Millbrook, N. Y.. 

 read before the CbryBantbemnm Society of 

 America at its meeting in New York, Novem- 

 ber 10.] 



In considering this question, I realize 

 that it is a big one, and that there are 

 great possibilities of usefulness before 

 us, but I have learned, or at least think 

 I have, that possibility and practicability 

 are often too widely separated to be 

 united. Knowing the numerical and 

 financial strength, or rather weakness, of 

 our society, I shall endeavor to discuss 

 the subject from a practical point only. 



In his appeal for increased member- 

 ship and support for the society, by those 

 who are benefited by its work, our worthy 

 president made the unquestionably true 

 statement that the work being done by 

 this organization is almost entirely of a 

 charitable character. If there are any 

 similar organizations that are doing as 

 . much for the general horticultural public 

 as is being done by this society in pro- 

 viding committees for the examination of 



any and all new varieties that the pro- 

 ducers may bring before them, I do not 

 know of them. As you know, the results 

 are given to the general public as freely 

 as to our members. 



Increase the Benefits. 



Now-jl would suggest that the society 

 endeavor to increase the benefits to be 

 derived from membership. I would sug- 

 gest that a committee to consist of one 

 member be appointed for each of the 

 general growing centers throughout the 

 country. The duties of these committees 

 will be to prepare a brief but thorough 

 report of general conditions respecting 

 the production and marketing of chrys- 

 anthemums, of varieties proving most 

 valuable, and the production and dis- 

 semination of any new varieties that 

 have not been placed before any of 

 the committees. If deemed advisable, 

 these reports could be collected and 

 printed in the form of a bulletin, 

 which could be sent to the members in 

 time to be of benefit in preparing for the 

 coming year's plantings. If not pub- 

 lished in a special bulletin, they should 

 be incorporated in the annual report. I 

 think that such reports from members 

 interested in the work would provide 

 much information not available through 

 the ordinary channels, and would prove 

 interesting and beneficial. 



I would suggest that some means be 

 devised for providing new members, who 

 may be novices in the work of growing 

 chrysanthemums, with specific and de- 

 tailed information upon the subject. 

 Whether some arrangement could be 

 made to supply those who desired to 

 have such information with a treatise 

 upon the cultivation of the chrysanthe- 

 mum, or whether the publication in the 

 annual report of all the papers treating 

 of cultural matters would be best, would 

 be a matter to be decided by a commit- 

 tee. I think that some such means could 

 be devised, to provide such information 

 at slight cost, and might prove an induce- 

 ment for some to become members. 



Improve tlie Exhibitions. 



While it may not be possible for our 

 society to have direct control of afay 

 chrysanthemum exhibition, nevertheless, 

 we should use all the influence possible 

 toward the improvement of the decorat- 

 ive feature of exhibitions. Competition 

 at our exhibitions unquestionably has 

 stimulated efforts to better cultivation 

 that have resulted in the splendid speci- 

 men blooms and plants that are now 

 placed before the public, but too fre- 

 quently the arrangement of the exhibi- 

 tion hall is governed almost entirely by 

 the convenience for the competitive fea- 

 ture, with the result that the general 

 effect of the exhibition is inharmonious 

 and unattractive. Flowers, like humans, 

 were created for the supreme purpose of 

 blending their individual beauty and 

 charms with others of their kinds, and 

 when they, or we, fail to so blend and 

 harmonize, the great purpose of creation 

 is defeated. 



We assume to be professors and teach- 

 ers of one of the most refining arts of 

 civilization, and we should allow nothing 

 but the best of which we are capable to 

 be placed before the public as examples 

 of our art. 



I think that this society would do well 

 to offer a prize of some kind each year 

 for the best plans and detailed specifica- 

 tions for the arrangement of exhibition 

 halls, the decorative feature to predom- 

 inate and determine the awards. 



While such plans would necessarily be 



purely theoretical, I am sure that they 

 would prove educational and ultimately 

 beneficial. That there is a general feel- 

 ing that ^radical improvement in the dec- - 

 orative effects of our exhibitions will be 

 appreciated is evidenced by the highly 

 complimentary notices, not only in this 

 country but also in Europe, paid to that 

 feature of the spring exhibition of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society held 

 in Boston last March and April. If our 

 society can exert a beneficial influence in 

 this direction, it will surely increase its 

 usefulness. 



A Roll of Honor for New Varieties. 



I would suggest that in the annual re- 

 port of this society there be incorporated 

 a roll of honor, containing the names of 

 those who have been conspicuously or 

 extraordinarily influential in advancing 

 the production, cultivation, or use of the 

 chrysanthemum, with a brief history of 

 their most successful and beneficial 

 achievements. I think the least that we, 

 as a society which aims to encourage the 

 production and use of the golden flower, 

 can do to honor those who have produced 

 varieties of superlative merit or have 

 otherwise benefited the chrysanthemum- 

 using world, is to keep their names be- 

 fore our members. Take the instance of 

 two varieties that have bedn supremely 

 serviceable, namely. Ivory and Col. D. 

 Appleton, which have brought thousands 

 of dollars to the florists of America, and 

 I doubt if ten per cent of those who 

 have benefited by them know the names 

 of the originators. 



Should the society ever attain sufficient 

 financial recourse to warrant doing so, I 

 would further suggest that a medal, or 

 some other form of 'inaferial recognition, 

 be awarded the originator of any variety 

 that has been generally serviceable, for 

 both exhibition and commercial purposes, 

 for a period of five years. 



New Members and Enthusiasm Needed. ' 



The most certain way by which the 

 society may increase its usefulness is by 

 increasing its membership, and I think 

 that special efforts should be made to 

 accomplish this end. I would suggest the 

 appointment of a standing committee 

 whose duties shall be the preparation and 

 distribution of literature setting forth 

 the reasons why those interested in the 

 chrysanthemum should become members, 

 and presenting and emphasizing the 

 benefits to be derived from such mem- 

 bership. This work should be carried 

 forward with special effort during the 

 period in which the chrysanthemum ex- 

 hibitions are being held each year. 



I think, also, that further effort should 

 be made toward securing the affiliation 

 of more of the local horticultural socie- 

 ties. 



I fully realize that, whatever lines of 

 work the society may undertake in order 

 to increase its usefulness, additional bur- 

 dens of time and money must be shoul- 

 dered by some, if not all, the members, 

 and the objection will undoubtedly be 

 raised that the men who are capable of 

 carrying on any additional work are al- 

 ready doing all that they can spare the 

 time for doing. There is, of course, some 

 ground for this objection, but this may 

 be overcome by the appointment of com- 

 mittees for special work, the changing of 

 the by-laws to permit the election or ap- 

 pointment of additional officers, and the 

 hearty cooperation of all the members. 

 All things are progressing, and as an 

 organization we must grow and progress, 

 and the greatest factor in our growth 

 must be the spirit of our members. If 



UtiA^Ac^tiif- 



