March 9, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



287 



The Mail Order Trade 



EXISTING CONDITIONS AND DEFECTS. 



When Abraham Lincoln expressed the opinion that 

 "vou can fool some of the people all the time, and all 

 of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all 

 the people all the time/' it seems to have been an ad- 

 monition to the mail order florist, who in many in- 

 fctauces, however, has not placed much credence m this 

 trite but homely piece of advice. There has never been 

 a time in our up-building when we have had such a 

 period of prosperity as we are having today, and while 

 1 do not want to be classed among the pessimists yet 

 il seems to me tliat a warning note of impending dan- 

 ger should be sounded lest in our desire for quick re- 

 turns we forget the future. I am speaking exclusively 

 of the mail order plant trade. The matter looks to me 

 like this. Through the expenditure of vast sums of 

 money the mail order man lias gradually won the con- 

 fidence of a skeptical public. Years of strenuous ef- 

 fort, and not unfrequently actual privation has been 

 the cost of making the mail order trade what it is to- 

 day. Great establishmonis have come into being and 

 fortunes have been amassed. Millions of American 

 homes have become fairer because of the mail order 

 man. Pluck and perseverance have been the passports 

 to better days. He is a benefactor of mankind — in 

 short he is the advance agent of Nature in her happiest 

 mood. He has, as a rule, kept faith with the public, 

 and as a result he represents today the highest lype of 

 Ihe mail order business man, and, let me add, his 

 prosperity has not been won without ihe hardest kind 

 of a fight. 



Lured on with the mistaken idea of quick riches there 

 have sprung into existence hundreds of beginners in our 

 business, whose chief asset is hopefulness. In some 

 cases by dint of perseverance they have made rapid 

 strides and deservingly so. But the class I wish to call 

 especial attention to irrespective of the extent or age of 

 their business is the one who offers the public certain 

 specific varieties, through their advertising and litera- 

 ture, secures payment in advance for the same and then 

 sends any old thing as a substitute, not having the 

 varieties advertised and not intending to have them. 

 AVhat is the result from the buyer's standpoint? The 

 plants are set out and hope runs high. Tenderly 

 watched and cared for until the first buds appear, and 

 then intense expectancy. The descriptions are read and 

 re-read with visions of large, double flowers, long stems, 

 and the joy of living is materially increased. The first 

 flower appears — or should appear in all its radiance. 

 But, alas ! with it comes the blasting of fond hopes. The 

 dazzling beauty let us say of Killarney is found reflected 

 in Pink Daily ! Sorrow and anger struggle for su- 

 premacy — anger wdns and the mail order man, honest 

 or dishonest, is forever banished from the good graces of 

 that buyer. Thus the money expended to secure that 

 customer (and it rarely costs less than seventy-five cents 

 to secure a new customer) is thrown to the winds and 



he becomes a living menace to our business forevermore. 

 1 do not think I am exaggerating the consequences of 

 pubstitution in drawing these conclusions. But what 

 of the seller? 



Having secured the order — and more important, the 

 monev— he feels that two-thirds of the transaction is 

 finished. 'J'he plants are shipped, and as far as he is 

 concerned the incident is closed. But it isn't. He not 

 only loses tl.at customer, and indirectly many more, he 

 not only does the legitimate mail order trade an irre- 

 parable injury but he takes money under false pre- 

 tenses and is amenable to the United States postal laws. 

 These are not imaginary details. I have taken consid- 

 erable pains to look into the abuse and feel somewhat 

 competent to speak on the matter. 



THE REMEDY 



I Jiave always felt tlie necessity of the National 

 Society giving more attention to the mail order trade as 

 one of the most important auxiliary branches within its 

 scope of usefulness. With the grower for the local mar- 

 ket we have much in common, for if we succeed in inter- 

 esting the masses we must of necessity prove helpful to 

 the grower of cut flowers and miscellaneous plants which 

 the amateur grower without glass is unable to produce 

 and must perforce patronize the professional grower. 

 This demand is more imminent once the interest in our 

 products is aroused, to which end the mail order man is 

 at all times bending his energies. Why not then solicit the 

 aid of the S. \. F. in keeping this branch of the indus- 

 try up to the highest standard of excellency. Let there 

 be appointed at each annual meeting an impartial com- 

 mittee to investigate, l.y securing samples, the numerous 

 plant offers made through the press and catalogues, the 

 authenticity and reliability of the claims made, particu- 

 larly as to whether or not the plants sent out are true 

 to the labels they have and such other data that will 

 tend to promote the best interests of the plant trade, and 

 such information be presented at the annual meetings 

 of the Society either publicly or to the executive com- 

 mittee. In this no lionest man need fear the result. 

 The means will be at hand to eradicate deception and 

 such abuses which keep our business from that develop- 

 ment we naturally expect and ought to have from the 

 money and efforts continually expended. Possibly it 

 may be said the end does not justify the means and the 

 method is too radical. But, as I said before, an honest 

 man need have no fear of investigation, and unless I am 

 very much mistaken unity of action in this matter will 

 bring the mail order trade up to a liigher standard of 

 money making possibilities and increase the etficiency 

 and power for good of the S. A. F. 



