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tt O F.TIC U LTU Rli: 



December 8, 190& 



DISPOSING OF THE PRODUCT OF 



THE PLANT AND FLOWER 



GROWER. 



Second Prize Essay. By Charles Ingram. 

 The methods of disposing to the 

 retailer hy growers have passed 

 through almost as many stages of evo- 

 lution within the last twenty years, 

 as have the construction of green- 

 houses, varieties grown, size of struc- 

 tures, etc. The methods that were 

 fully competent to take care of the 

 market end of the growers' cares up to 

 a very short time ago would now prove 

 totally inadequate to handle the ever- 

 increasing supply, "and the end is not 



yet." 



To my way of thinking there is no 

 one method at present in vogue that 

 ■would apply equally to all growers, for 

 the simple reason that all growers are 

 not equally favorably situated as re- 

 gards location of plant To be more 

 explicit, the grower that is in close 

 proximity to a large centre of distri- 

 bution can handle a "rush order" with 

 greater facility than one at some dis- 

 tance from said centre, where ship- 

 ping facilities may be limited to a cer- 

 tain number of expresses a day. Where 

 the former can bring into use any- 

 thing from a horse and wagon to an 

 auto, the latter is handicapped by dis- 

 tance, etc., although undoubtedly he is 

 better off as regards taxation and sev- 

 eral other important items. There are 

 other vast differences between grow- 

 ers that will be referred to later on. 



The very largest growers, who pro- 

 duce stock enough to enable them to 

 run a shipping department of their 

 own, on practically the same lines as 

 a wholesale commission house, have, 

 it would seem, almost reached the cli- 

 max of perfection; but to many grow- 

 ers this method of disposing of their 

 goods would be totally unpractical, so 

 we may safely eliminate the former 

 from the subject and confine our re- 

 marks to the case of those growers 

 whose conditions and surroundings do 

 not justify this mode of procedure. 



To answer the question at issue ac- 

 cording to our views on the subject, a 

 further classification is necessary and 

 to simplify the matter will divide them 

 thus: 



Class A. — Growers who are close to 

 a city or cities. 



Class B.— Growers too "far out" and 

 who are only able to ship say twice 

 a day. 



Class C— Specialists. 



CLASS A. 

 In those cities where a combination 

 of growers have formed a flower mar- 

 ket, it will invariably be found the 

 best medium for the larger growers to 

 dispose of their goods, but we have 

 always thought that the smaller grow- 

 er would do far better by consigning 

 to a reputable commission house, but 

 again there are cities where there are 

 neither market nor commission house; 

 to growers thus situated we would ad- 



vise them to get into line as soon as 

 possible. Before going any further a 

 few words of explanation as to recom- 

 mending the smaller growers to patro- 

 nize the commission house, in prefer- 

 ence to the market. Many men are 

 good growers, but indifferent sales- 

 men; the commission man will do it 

 more satisfactorily than most men you 

 could hire to do it for you, with in- 

 finitely less worry to yourself, and in- 

 variably succeed in getting better re- 

 turns, if all items are faithfully fig- 

 ured in. Several other reasons might 

 be given in favor of the commission 

 house but simply stating the fact that 

 in our opinion that is the best method 

 for the smaller growers to follow, is 

 all that is necessary here. 

 CLASS B. 

 Where growers are restricted as to 

 shipping accommodation, and many 

 both large and small are so situated, 

 we would again name the commission 

 house as the best medium for dispos- 

 ing of their stock. Many growers in 

 years past have consigned goods to 

 commission men at times when they 

 had no other outlet, and because the 

 returns were not satisfactory have held 

 a strong prejudice against them on 

 that account, but it must he remem- 

 bered that the methods now practiced 

 by these gentlemen have advanced the 

 same as all other lines of horticulture, 

 until today their system is perfected 

 to such an extent that it would seem 

 almost impossible to improve on it. 

 In fact, in most cases where "misun- 

 derstandings" occur it is more often 

 the fault of the grower than the con- 

 signee. We allude to such instances 

 as where the grower at holiday times 

 disposes of quantities of his goods to 

 retailers: some may think this mode 

 of procedure all right, but look at both 

 sides of the question. Any commis- 

 sion man. at all up in his business, 

 knows pretty nearly the amount of 

 stock to expect from his growers, and 

 figures the effect that inclement 

 weather and other adverse conditions 

 will have on the development of the 

 stock, and makes his calculations ac- 

 cordingly; is it right, we ask, when 

 after expending considerable cash for 

 advertising, and otherwise obtaining 

 orders for goods he honestly expects 

 to handle, to be not only disappointed 

 himself but have to disappoint others 

 depending on him, possibly having the 

 effect of losing their patronage and 

 thereby indirectly damaging the grow- 

 er himself? Again, although it must 

 be admitted the practice is not now- 

 adays nearly as prevalent as a few 

 years ago. think of the pernicious 

 habit of "holding up" large quantities 

 01 stock and landing it on the com- 

 mission man too late for him to handle 

 to advantage, and quite often in such 

 condition as to be absolutely worth- 

 less, and which no reputable dealer 

 would ship, or retailer receive. We 

 crave pardon for inserting a quotation 

 from Kipling's "Mandelay," but the 

 lines always suggest themselves to us 

 when we run across a consignment in 

 such condition. 

 "Ship me somewhere's east of Suez, 



Where the best is like the worst. 

 Where there ain't no 'Ten Command- 

 ments," 

 And a man can raise a thirst." 

 Another vitally important detail is 



packing the stock so that it receives 

 tiie least possible damage in transit. 

 It must always be borne in mind that 

 quite a percentage of these goods have 

 to be reshipped. Right here we would 

 offer a suggestion, which we feel sure 

 is bound to be generally adopted in 

 the near future, viz.: to have light re- 

 ceptacles capable of holding twenty- 

 five, fifty and one hundred of such 

 flowers that could be handled in that 

 manner, such as violets, carnations, 

 certain 'roses (of course it would be 

 unpractical in the case of extra Beau- 

 ties, etc.), most bulb stock and sev- 

 eral other subjects. This method of 

 displaying "the goods" has been fol- 

 lowed' in Covent Garden, London, for 

 years, and we have often wondered 

 why it had not been adopted here. We 

 feel sure, however, that American in- 

 genuity will contrive receptacles that 

 will fill the bill. These remarks about 

 "shipping" would be incomplete if we 

 fail to mention two other important 

 items, viz.: cleanliness of all paper, 

 etc., used, and grading. We are all 

 aware how liable one is, if he be a 

 few short of an even number of 

 "firsts," to put in the required number 

 of good "seconds," but it should also 

 be borne in mind that the prospective 

 buyer will almost always "spot" those 

 very ones, frequently with the effect of 

 declining the deal, or else standing out 

 for a reduction in price. 



CLASS C. 

 The specialist is in a distinct class 

 by himself, not alone as regards the 

 "goods" he handles, but in the envia- 

 ble position he enjoys, in regard to the 

 disposal of the same. Specialists asa 

 rule are so well known, not only in 

 their neighborhood but further afield, 

 that the judicial use of the advertis- 

 ing columns of the horticultural 

 papers, in their case, is all that is 

 necessary; the?e remarks only apply 

 to the "bona fides," as many call them- 

 selves in this class that have no earth- 

 ly reason for so doing. I once heard a 

 witty son of the Green Isle, in answer 

 to the question of, "What is .a special- 

 ist?" reply, "A man that thinks he is 

 one, blows his own trumpet, but the 

 'raal thing,' why, other people blow 

 it for him." 



The majority of the foregoing re- 

 marks have dealt principally with the 

 cut-flower trade. In regard to the 

 plant business, very few cities are 

 large enough to warrant a plant mar- 

 ket, and it seems to us that the meth- 

 ods' at present in vogue with the gen- 

 tlemen engaged in this line are as 

 practical as any that can be recom- 

 mended, but we cannot miss this op- 

 portunity of paying tribute to the vast 

 improvement of the last few years in 

 regard to the methods of packing 

 plants; when one looks hack a few 

 years, and remembers the condition in 

 which one received a shipment of 

 plants, they cannot fail to highly ap- 

 preciate the great improvements that 

 have taken place. The only people 

 who have lost by these improvements 

 are the express companies. 



In conclusion, we would state that 

 in this paper we did not start out with 

 any idea of evolving a new mode of 

 procedure, but have tried to offer a few 

 suggestions that might improve exist- 

 ing conditions, which seem to answer 

 I heir purpose satisfactorily. 



