892 



HORTICULTUEE 



June 14, 1913 



ARE WE GIVING EACH OTHER 

 THE SQUARE DEAL? 



(Extracts from a paper by S. S. Skldelsky, 



read before the Florists' Club, of 



Pbiladelphia, June 3, 1913.) 



After instancing the creditable rec- 

 ords of the various national and spe- 

 cial societies, the National Flower 

 Show and other evidences of steady 

 progress, Mr. Skidelsky said in part: 



"It may prove something of a jolt to 

 many of us, when we discover that, 

 much as we have progressed in our 

 business, much as we have modernized 

 our business methods with regard to 

 the flower-buying public, much as we 

 have improved things about our stores 

 and our greenhouses, we have made 

 but little, if any, progress, in so far as 

 we ourselves with relation to each 

 other are concerned. It is a fact be- 

 yond question, that often men, possess- 

 ing unbounded energy, perseverance 

 and business acumen — all the qualifica- 

 tions necessary to insure one's own 

 success — are at the ame time exceed- 

 ingly selfish and narrow minded. 



"Let us take a casual glance at the 

 business relations existing today be- 

 tween the average grower and the 

 average storekeeper retailing his prod- 

 uct. Are they working hand in hand 

 for their mutual benefit? Do we find 

 them in true brotherly accord, each 

 considering the interest of the other 

 and both striving to advance the gen- 

 eral good of all? Hardly. 



"In the majority of cases the grower 

 Is still looked upon by the retailer as 

 a source to be exploited, as a means 

 to a selfish end. And when the grower 

 finally rebels and his agent, the com- 

 mission man, is forced to enter into a 

 business transaction with the street 

 merchant, or fakir, in order to unload 

 his surplus — Oh, what a wail is raised! 



"It seems to be the unqualified opin- 

 ion of some retail men, that it is the 

 duty of the grower to protect the in- 

 terests of what they call 'the legiti- 

 mate trade,' regardless of all other 

 consideration. But then is it not up 

 to the retailer to devise means and 

 ways of moving stock when stock is 

 plentiful? We hear so much of pub- 

 licity these days. What does public- 

 ity mean, anyway? Is it an academic 

 question to be discussed and debated 

 upon in our club rooms or does it 

 mean advertising, pure and simple, in 

 the manner in which any other busi- 

 ness man advertises merchandise? 

 What holds true of bonnets and other 

 merchandise, holds equally true of cut 

 flowers and plants. There is nothing 

 gained by disregarding the law of sup- 

 ply and demand; nor is it possible to 

 create and maintain inflated values on 

 merchandise, the supply of which ex- 

 ceeds the demand, or at a time when 

 business conditions in general fully 

 warrant reductions in prices. The suc- 

 cessful business man, we all know, Is 

 he who creates the demand and keeps 

 things moving in and out of season 

 and not he who simply waits for bet- 

 ter times without bestirring himself to 

 hasten them. 



"There is, however, another side to 

 the story. The grower in his turn is 

 not at all slow to retaliate when his 

 opportunity presents itself. 



"The holiday seasons invariably offer 

 opportunities to hit back, to hit hard. 

 Need I mention about pickled stock or 

 flowers kept too long on the plants In 

 order to bring them in just in 'nick 

 of time' and thus make them yield 



DISPLAY OF SPRING FLOWERING BULBS 



At the Bayard Thayer Estate, 



We gave a somewhat extended de- 

 scription last year of the great spring 

 bulb display at this noted Massachu- 

 setts estate. The accompanying views 

 show the May-flowering tulips and daf- 



Gard. Wui. Anderson, South Lancaster, Mass. 



tures of the garden while they are 

 blooming, but are not distinguishable 

 in a photograph. Mr. Anderson makes 

 it a point to secure and try out all 

 the bulb novelties as soon as offered, 



At the Bayard Thayer Estate, Gard. Wm. Anderson, South Lancaster, Mass. 



fodils at their best. While large 

 blocks of one variety are used in the 

 mass beds, a great variety of rare 

 novelties and species are planted. 

 These are the most interesting fea- 



either here or abroad and the gardens 

 fo ably managed by him are a source 

 of much interest and instruction for 

 those who have opportunity to visit 

 them. 



better returns? How often do we hear 

 about ordinary Beacon carnations 

 bringing as high as $15.00 per 100 at 

 Christmas time? What sort of a mar- 

 gin can the retailer make on such 

 stock, especially when a lot happens 

 to go to the bad and when his cus- 

 tomer absolutely refuses to pay at the 



time of settlement? Nor need I add 

 that under such circumstances the re- 

 tail man in general and the small fel- 

 lows in particular, have not the ghost 

 of a chance to make their salt. 



"Thus we see that an atmosphere of 

 antagonism exists between two pro- 

 gressive bodies of men, to the detrl- 



