340 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



unite in giving our uiidiviJe 

 some such innovation. Tt t-: 

 cessful without the uniMi -,i 

 all, as there will tm main 

 contend with, but, evenlu.ill; 



plantri lliau we used to be. 

 t'i us tliinkiiif; of how our 

 -i-s arc coiiiiii'; fiut llnancial- 



Now, suppose that you are in a large 

 city, which also means a fashionable 

 one, the demand for tlic novelties will 

 be great, and custoimis will soon find 

 wlicre Ihcy are to lie ^'i.t and will go 



lil'li' ■■ ^"11 liill-t lia\.- tliclll, not of 



.-..iii-.^. .li-.-anliiiu ih.. >vl,at I will term 



Exhibit of Cypriss Construction by the John C. Moninger Co., and the Garland Iron Gutter 

 by Geo. M. Garland, at the Buffalo Coovention. 



IS IT PROFITABLE FOR THE GEN- 

 ERAL FLORIST TO GROW THE 

 LATEST INTRODUCTIONS 

 IN CARNATIONS. 



[Read Ijefore Canadian llorlicnltuial Asso- 

 ciation by E. Jlepsted, of Ottawa, at 

 London. August j, I'JOl.] 



The subject, "Is It Profitable to Buy 

 the Latest Introductions in Carnations?" 

 is quite a problem. At first thought one 

 is inclined to say no, but there are many 

 ways to look at it, that after a little 

 thought we may say yes. 



The great improvement made in the 

 individual flowers in the past few years 

 has been beyond the anticipation of the 

 most sanguine. But sometimes one al- 

 most thinks it has been at the expense of 

 the health and vigor of the plant. Do 

 not think that for one moment I would 

 rob the introducer of one atom of credit 

 that belongs to him fur liis patience, 

 perseve'rance and skill in hybridizing. 

 But it does seem tu me lliat in tlic 

 past few years the disea-e- ainl iiii-aii- 

 faetorycondition of plant- havi- in.i .-..-imI 

 at a rapid rate. lUit tin- may I., .liu- tu 

 the fast life the can., H i-ii l.,.- li.i.l tu live 

 in the last ten Via I ,i m i. - in the 



shape of food, t., ,. >■ ii.niij ..f medi- 

 cines; but let the .a..-. i..(^ \^lu^l it may, 

 we are given more li.i expect troubles 



break. I will now try and give my ideas 

 as to why it is profitable in most cases, 

 though in some may not be, to buy the 

 new introductions. 



In all florists' business, whether in 

 large or small cities, there are two 

 classes of buyers, those who want the 

 best, the newest, the most fashionable 

 and, perhaps I may add, the largest 

 flowers — in fact, anything that is a nov- 

 elty; and this same word "novelty" is 

 a great factor in the trade of the day, 

 and this class of buyers are willing to 

 pay a good price. Of the other class 

 there is always a large proportion of 

 customers who want a good, useful arti- 

 cle, and are willing to pay a fair price 

 for it, but do not aspire to have the 

 fancy long - stemmed article with the 

 fancy price. Now, each of those patrons 

 has to be cared for in proportion to 

 their importance. In diflferent cities, to 

 do this we must keep in touch with the 

 productions of the day and post our- 

 selves on the individual merits of the 

 same. This, at tlic ]iie-iiit day, is eas- 

 ily done. Cani.iii.n -.1, iii\ meetings and 

 .shows give u- tli.> "|i|...i i unity of seeing 

 for ourselves tli.- ii.is ll..Hers and gain- 

 in;i'. fium intercuurse with others, knowl- 

 imI^i' a- to the merits of the same and 

 enalile u^ to form a good idea as to 

 which varieties are profitable to our 

 class of trade. 



tilCM 



vat 



necessary to make them profitable. They 

 imist be handled right in the store; cus- 



tomers must 



.\hi 



ttieir name and 

 • t liat, they soon 

 ami realize from 

 I hat tlu^y have to 



maintain these 

 . \.i I. Ill in small 

 -M, ami that is 



iliey are full 

 iicwest varieties 



take time to mature and if you pick 

 them before they an ive at that state you 

 have only an everyday sized carnation 

 and can get only a medium price be- 

 sides, and are only throwing away money 

 in paying high prices for large flowered 

 X arieties. 'Tis better to refuse the sale 

 and keep up your reputation for the 

 liest. It will pay. 



Among small growers I would say, 

 eunfine yourself to a few of the novelties 

 ■-U tliat vou can buy in fairly- decent 

 i|uantities, for if you have not enough 

 plaiil- tu ;;ive you a fair picking of 

 ll.iw.i-. -.. tliai .1 goo<l showing can be 

 m.i'l. I', ill.- . ii-luincr, you cannot com- 

 m.iml tlie |.ii... ur establish a regular 

 -ale lor this jiarticular line, but if you 

 are in a small way, don't grow fancy 

 and to the exclusion of the old stand- 

 bys, for they are still good. For some 

 years our trade papers, by their corre- 

 spondents, have repeated the cry, "Scott 

 and Daybreak have had their day." I 

 am not referring to the Pan-American 

 Scott, for he will never be a "has been." 

 Well, these two carnations are still good 

 and fill a big gap and they have a qual- 

 ity which many of our new ones have 

 not — "fioriferousness" — a word that 

 means a gi-eat deal when it comes to 

 profit. 



My knowledge of carnation growing 

 has not been gained in very large estal> 

 lishments Avhere the newer ones are 

 grown ill lar^'-c quantities and where 

 their peenli.n it !.■- aie -tudied and every 

 chance given i..i tli.' I.. -t results; but I 

 have been wli.i, m..liiim quantities of 

 anythim; tliai ].i..iiii-.- liuod results has 

 lieiii I. -I.. I Willi .il.l. I ..lies. The general 

 re-iilt lia- l.e.ii that the lioom they have 

 been -eiit ..11 with, \i/., their free-flower- 

 ing qualities, have been a disappoint- 

 ment. Therefore, as we must have these 

 new ones, we must proceed to make them 

 profitable and that is by keeping up a 

 good price, never letting up if our cus- 

 tomers object. We must use the argu- 

 ment of long steins, larger flowers and 

 smaller numbers needed to fill the Ibill. 



^^'hen we think of the patience, study. 

 and sometimes financial loss that many 

 have given tu kee)i the carnation at the 

 tup uf tlie tl.iw.r- .if the present day 

 (often till- hi- 1... 11 .luiie without re- 

 gard tu |.r..lit i. it -.'eins rather harsh to 

 be standing here discussing the results 

 as to whether all this has been profit- 

 able. But I can assure you and them 

 that these new introductions have been 

 a profit to the buyer and all in the trade. 

 In growing new varieties there are some 

 unavoidable failures, some from a va- 

 riety not keeping up its good record, oth- 

 ers from some fault in the growing, but 



