§6 PROFITS 



A range of six houses, 30 ft. x 100 ft., will house 20,000 

 plants in benches, allowing ^^ sq. ft. per plant, and two men 

 will take care of this number successfully. On a cost basis 

 of 23c. per plant to cover all costs — labor, fuel, interest on 

 investment, value of plant, freight charges, etc. — the grand 

 total of cost is S4600, and at a minimum average of receipts 

 of 30C. per sq. ft. of glass, we get the sum of S6345 to offset 

 this, the difference to the good being Si 745. The pro- 

 prietor who does not recoup himself to this extent had 

 better try some other business, or hand over the manage- 

 ment to someone more capable than himself. 



A successful and careful grower for the Boston market 

 says he finds that if he can cut fifteen blooms per plant, 

 planted 9 in. x 8 in., or 10 in. x 8 in., from October i to May 

 31, he is satisfied, and returns from these in that market 

 are about Si 200 per 2000 ft. of bench space; that is, 6oc. 

 per ft., gross sales. As the New York market is lower than 

 the Boston market the gross income in the case of a New 

 York grower would probably average about 50c. per sq. ft. 

 of bench space, which would afford a reasonable income. 



These figures may appear sufficiently satisfactory, 

 and on the face of them they are, but when one considers 

 the risks a grower runs of losses by storms, diseases in his 

 plants, bad markets owing to climatic changes at a critical 

 period, and when we consider how prices have declined in 

 recent times owing to over production and competition, 

 a man must think long and carefully before entering the 

 ranks of commercial Carnation growers in these days. He 

 should have good business ability and be otherwise well 

 fortified. Then he mav succeed. 



