MARKETING. 145 



do this, however, it would be well to consider 

 more in detail some of the methods of disposing 

 of the flowers. The grower may sell his flowers 

 direct to the retailer, or he may dispose of them 

 through the commission merchant. Each plan 

 has its advantages and disadvantages and these 

 we shall now point out. No one questions the 

 fact that there are plenty of honest, straight- 

 forward business men in both lines. There are 

 frauds of course, but we meet them everywhere, 

 and as soon as one is found out he should be 

 dropped. The retailer pays for the flowers 

 outright and unless the grower is in position to 

 demand something better he will get just half 

 the retail price for his stock; that is, if violets 

 are selling at two dollars per bunch of fifty 

 flowers the grower will get one dollar, if they 

 are selling for one dollar he will get fifty cents. 

 This seems like a big margin of profit for the 

 retailer, but in reality the risks are so many that 

 it is about all he can afford to pay to the grower 

 who cannot count on what he can furnish in the 

 way of quantity or quality. On the other hand, 

 the grower who conducts his business in the 

 proper way can make up his schedule of prices at 

 the beginning of the season, and the retailer, 

 knowing his man and that he can depend upon 

 him, can afford to pay him more. In fact, the 

 prices in such cases should and will run from 

 twenty to twenty-five per cent higher than in 



