4 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
ested in, but I assure you that all these 
bid you come and welcome you. 
Our birds in their songs welcome you. 
Our pine trees nod their welcome. 
The wings of the morning fan the 
branches of the palms bending low to 
whisper their welcome. 
Our streams and lakes shall catch up 
the glad refrain and bear it on to our great 
ocean until its roaring waves may greet 
and ever welcome you. 
May your stay in the City afford inci¬ 
dents that will grow into fond memories, 
such that you can say in one accord it 
was good to have been there, and with us 
you shall ever be welcome. 
RESPONSE 
Lloyd S. Tenny, Miami 
Mr. President, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and 
Gentlemen : 
The fruit growers of Florida are glad 
to accept your hospitality. They fear 
that you do not know, however, some of 
the promises that have been made to 
them. I am going to call your attention 
to a few of the things that we, as horti¬ 
culturists, are expecting to see. We are 
expecting to see them because for two 
years we have heard about them; they 
have been described in such glowing terms 
to us that I think it would be only fair 
that the Mayor of this City should know 
what has been told us. 
We have been told that this is one of 
the most beautiful and prosperous cities 
in the State. We have already seen a 
little of the outskirts of it and can begin 
to appreciate the possibilities of your city. 
We have been told that the Royal Palms, 
the Royal Poincianas and all other Royal 
things, grow in such profusion that when 
we got here we would think we were in 
the heart of the tropics. 
Well, fortunately for you, all of the 
rest of the state had an unfortunate affair 
early in February, but the weather man 
protected you in such a way that we can 
come here and see your subtropical foliage 
in its richness and beauty, and it looks 
good to us. 
We were told your streets were broad 
and long; that we could ride for a century 
if we wanted to and never come to the 
end of the beautiful streets and pave¬ 
ments. Well, we started out early in the 
day and have been over fine roads and are 
not at the end of them yet. 
We were told your daughters were the 
fairest of the fair, and we can believe that 
right now, because we have seen a sample. 
(Applause.) 
Your secretary of the Chamber of 
Commerce did not tell us, however, that 
there were any footlights in West Palm 
Beach. If he had, a few of us never 
would have voted to come here. (Laugh¬ 
ter.) He did not tell us, either, that at 
the first meal we were to have in West 
Palm Beach, we would be served with 
fruit from California. (Laughter.) I 
am not sure we would have come if he 
had told us that. There can be but one 
