276 



HOKTICULTURE 



October 9, 1920 



HORTICULTURE 



EatsbUshed by William J. St«wart In 19(M 



Vol. XXXII 



October 9. 1920 



No. 15 



PUBLISHED WEEKI^Y BY 



HORTICULTRE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

 739 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 



EDWARD I. FARRINGTON, Editor. 



ADVERTISING BATES: 



Fer inch, 39 Inches to paee SI.26 



DUcoant on Contra«t8 tor consecutive insertions, as follows : 



One roonlh (4 times), 5 per cent.; three months (13 times), 10 

 p«r cent.; six months (26 times), 20 per cent.; one year (52 times), 

 SO per cent. 



Fare and halt pase space, not consecutive, rates on application, 



8CBSCEIPTION BATES: 



One Year, in advance, Jl.OO; To Foreign Countries, $2.00; To 

 Canada, S1.60. 



Bntered as second-class matter December 8, 1904, at the Post Office 

 at Boston, Mass., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1897. 



Variation in the quantities of vegetable seeds 

 Seed contained in packets is discussed in the Seed 

 packets World by A. J. B. Bouquet of the Oregon Agri- 

 cultural College. In a number of tests it was 

 found a great variation existed in the amount of seed con- 

 tained in packets and also the percentage of germination 

 showed considerable diversity. This condition has been 

 investigated before. Several years ago Canadian officials 

 tested packet seeds from many sources and found varia- 

 tions in quantities for the same varieties among the differ- 

 ent seedsmen and also a lack of uniformity in packets put 

 out by the individual seedsmen. A variation of several 

 hundred per cent was found in packets of one variety put 

 out by a single house. This seems to indicate that the 

 -cause of this variation is due to carelessness in packing 

 and not to premeditated desire to put out a product lack- 

 ing in uniformity. It is suggested by this writer that 

 packet standards be adopted by seedsmen. The suggestion 

 is a good one and has many advantages for both seed mer- 

 chants and consumers. 



When the F. T. D. Convention assembles at 

 The F. T. D. Indianapolis next week, it will bring to- 

 Convention gether a representative list of the most 



active, ambitious, enterprising and success- 

 ful men in the retail florist business. Moreover, it will be 

 a convention on a purely business basis, with but little 

 time for social amenities, and the program, which will re- 

 quire the closest attention. This program, by the way, 

 has been prepared in such a manner as to cover all the 

 activities of a florists' day, and no session can be missed 

 without loss. Especially valuable, undoubtedly, will be the 

 papers and discussions on credit and bookkeeping systems, 

 for this is an end of the business that a great many florists, 

 especially those who have built up their trade from a 

 small beginning often find themselves most at sea. A 

 ■workable, and yet simple and complete book keeping sys- 

 >tem is of the greatest value to a florist. 



Another feature of importance will be a discussion of 



local advertising, tor it is hei'e that many mistakes are 

 also made. Advertising has come to be an indispensable 

 feature in connection with the retailing of flowers, but if 

 the money expended in that way is not to be wasted, some- 

 tliing al)out the principles of advertising must be under- 

 stood and applied. Moreover, the local advertiser must 

 come to learn the difference between national advertising, 

 which affects the whole trade, and local advertising as it 

 has to do with the sale of his particular goods. 



We are glad that Mr. J. Fred Ammann is to talk to the 

 convention about the Xational Growers' Association and its 

 future policies. There is still considerable misunderstand- 

 ing about the purposes of this organization, especially in 

 the smaller places, and if the objects of the National Grow- 

 ers in forming an organization of their own is fully set 

 forth and questions which may come from the floor 

 answered, the result will be beneficial for all concerned. 

 There has been considerable speculation as to the exact re- 

 lation of the growers' organization with the F. T. D. and 

 the Si. a. F., and probably Mr. Ammann on this occasion 

 will be able to set everybody right in this respect. 



While the stress of circumstances, par- 

 Growers' ticularly the lack of labor and the high 

 opportunities price of coal, will make it necessai'y for 

 a number of the smaller florists to sus- 

 pend operations this winter, all the signs point to good 

 business in general, and a visit to most of the growers 

 shows their houses to be well stocked with plant material. 

 In fact, it has been several years since the growers were 

 so well prepared for the season's trade. Now comes the 

 question, "Will the demand continue heavy enough to take 

 care of all the stock offered?" 



The fluctuations in the florist business are always 

 marked, and it is quite possible that there will be difficulty 

 in some sections In taking care of all the flowers, especially 

 those of the more common kinds, unless active measures 

 are taken to stimulate the demand. This leads naturally 

 to the subject of advertising, for it is only by advertising 

 that the demand can be increased or at least sustained. 

 For that reason the necessity of keeping up not only the 

 National advertising campaign but local campaigns carried 

 on by individuals becomes most apparent. 



In one way, the industry is becoming stabilized to a 

 greater extent than ever before; in other words, it is being 

 put on a real business ^asis for the first time. This is a 

 move in the right direction of course, and will show great- 

 er improvement as the florists learn the value of co-opera- 

 tion. For a long time they have been inclined to secrecy, 

 and this has not been a good thing for the trade. 



One of the greatest opportunities of the newly organ- 

 ized Growers' Association comes in the matter of equalizing 

 the output in different districts. It should be possible to 

 check up fairly well the profits from roses, carnations and 

 other lines, and to make comparative reports; also it 

 should be possible to indicate the probability of a glut in 

 any one line and so help the growers to steer clear of such 

 a difficulty. By this means the florists will not overlap to 

 the extent which is common now, and when they find that 

 a surplus of roses for example is likely to occur, some of 

 them will turn to other flowers in order to keep the market 

 in a more even condition. This is a radical move of course, 

 but it will mean the difference between profit and loss for 

 a great many growers and prove an admirable thing for 

 the trade everywhere, particularly in the way of maintain- 

 ing prices throughout the season and one season after an- 

 other. 



