CENTERS OF THE INDUSTRY 31 



ber. All goods are sold under that number and it is 

 credited with the amount of the sale^. Each week a re- 

 port of the goods sold is made to the grower. Once a 

 month a check is made payable to the grower for all sales, 

 less the commission and express charges. Unless special 

 arrangements are otherwise made, the growers pay for 

 transportation. The commission man bears a heavy ex- 

 pense in providing clerks, rent, heat, light and cold storage. 

 As he must stand all losses on accounts, it is considered 

 that the actual profit on commissions is from two to five 

 per cent. Some wholesale dealers assert that if it were 

 not for the fact that they handled other material than 

 cut-flowers, they could not do a profitable commis- 

 sion business. 



In connection with the wholesale business in Chicago, 

 the firm of E. C. Amling Company states : " Mr. E. C. 

 Amling started business in this city about nineteen years 

 ago by selling cut-flowers to the trade on fifteen per cent 

 commission. During this period the business has in- 

 creased so that our sales are nearly one-half million dollars 

 a year. The firm was incorporated four years ago. We 

 handle only cut-flowers and they are sold at the highest 

 price obtainable according to supply and demand. We 

 send our shippers, of which we have about sixty-five, a 

 check each week for the total sales less commission and 

 express charges. With this check we send a report sheet. 

 We have no contract with our growers. Our only in- 

 ducement is the highest price to be had on our market 

 for the season, which is sure to be a profitable one for 

 the grower provided his stock is up to the standard or 

 better. Goods shipped to our customers are at their own 

 risk after the express company has signed for same. We 

 cover the territory from Pittsburgh west to Omaha and 



