636 



LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



had much to do with maintaining a uniformly good 

 attendance, as the attention of the florists was not dis- 

 tracted by dismembered attractions. The exhibition, 

 which was below the assembly hall, was closed during 

 convention hours, and this, also, focussed the attention 

 upon the general transactions. It was a feature of the 

 convention that the attendance upon general sessions 

 remained good, notwithstanding the many attractions 

 which Washington offers to the visitor. The contestants 

 for next year's convention were two, Milwaukee and St. 

 Louis, the latter place being the choice of the members 

 by a vote of i86 to 147. The officers for the ensuing year 

 are : \Vm. R. Smith. Washington, president ; Professor 

 William Trelease, St. Louis, vice president ; W. J. 

 Stewart, Boston, secretary; Myron A. Hunt, Terre 

 Haute, Indiana, treasurer. 



President Dean's address emphasized at some length the 

 importance of a technical education for the florist, and 

 urged the establishment of a florists' school, although no 

 definite plans for such an institution were presented. 

 John Saul, of Washington, in a paper on " Why Insects 

 Infest Plants," took the ground that only the weak or 

 unhealthy plants are liable to attack, and that the remedy 

 or preventive for insect nuisances, therefore, is the 

 maintainance of more vigorous plants. This notion was 

 strongly combatted by others, who held that while weak 

 plants may more readily succumb to insect injuries than 

 others, all plants are liable to attack. Paul Pierson, of 

 Scarborough, N. Y., read an essay upon the propagation 

 of roses, and a paper prepared by John Reck, of Bridge- 

 port, Conn., urged the growing of Holland bulbs in 

 America, both for the purpose of lessening the price of 

 them, and to prevent the sending of so much money out 

 the country. William Falconer made a review of new 

 plants, not so complete as his like paper last year. 



Other important papers on the programme were " Fun- 

 gous and Other Rose Troubles," by Professor Halsted ; 

 ' ' Hints on Hybridizing and the Improvement of Plants, " 

 by Richard Bragg; "Flowers for Holiday Demands," 

 by Henry Young ; ' ' Floriculture for Children as a Means 

 of Increasing and Diffusing a Knowledge and Love for 

 Flowers," by Robert Farquhar. A committee, consisting 

 of J. Horace McFarland, J. C. Vaughan and P. O'Mara, 

 was appointed to memorialize the Postmaster General 

 for a uniform pound rate of postage on catalogues— a 

 most important reform. 



The business auxiliary societies — Hail Association, Pro- 

 tective Association and Telegraph Delivery Associa- 

 tion — all showed healthy signs of growth and usefulness. 

 Measures were put on foot to organize an American rose 

 society, and it is probable that its life will begin under 

 most favorable circumstances. 



The Carnation Society selected Pittsburg as the next 

 place of meeting in February, and the amendment pro- 

 posed at the Buffalo meeting, to change the date of the 

 annual meeting from February to December, was lost. 

 The Chrysanthemun Society decided that names could 

 not be registered in advance of the production or exhibi- 

 tion of a new variety. 



Several excursions were made, the first one being to 

 John R. McLean's country place, within the Washington 

 city limits, and the last a trip down the Potomac on 

 Friday to historic Mount Vernon. Very many of the 

 florists also visited the beautiful Soldiers' Home, with its 

 delightful surroundings. All were well managed and 

 largely attended. 



Most of the florists also visited Strauss' great establish- 

 ment, on the Bladensburg road, Wednesday afternoon, 

 upon the invitation of the Herendeen Manufacturing 

 Company, of Geneva, N. Y. Strauss' establishment is 

 probably the largest in America, there being 160,000 

 square feet of ground covered with glass, most of which 

 is devoted to cut roses. Here a bountiful lunch was set 

 for the visitors. 



The National Gardener's Club, which had done so much 

 for the pleasure of the guests, presented each visitor 

 with a complete guide-book to the city, and in every way 

 looked after their comfort. 



The exhibition was the most successful ever held by 

 the society, and by far the best managed. The exhibits 

 were attractive and well managed, and included not only 

 the usual florists' requisites, but some good plants. Pitcher 

 & Manda showed a new iris, and some rare cypripediums. 

 Wm. K. Harris had especially well-formed plants of 

 Ficus elastica, one of his specialties. J. W. Elliott 

 exhibited superb tuberous begonias in flower, of the 

 Griffin strain, and a superior grade of young palms was 

 the specialty of several florists. The heater men were 

 out in force, as well as the greenhouse construction firms. 

 D. B. Long, of Buffalo, had on exhibition his volumes of 

 photographs for florists, of various designs, most of which 

 are artistic and pleasing. 



