128 



The Florists^ Review 



May 19, 1921 



remarks to that part of the problem 

 which relates to the fixing of a standard, 

 or, to put it in other words, fair price 

 which should be charged the retailer and 

 to which various proper and standard 

 discounts are to be applied when dealing 

 with the trade, with landscape architects 

 or with any others who might legitimate- 

 ly be allowed a discount from the fixed 

 or standard price. 



My own practice has been that of fix- 

 ing a standard price wEich is the pub- 

 lished price, with twenty-five per cent 

 discount to the trade and ten per cent 

 discount to landscape architects and 

 public institutions. A fair question 

 arises if this allows a sufficient margin 

 to the trade, particularly where packing 

 charges are added, while with retail 

 sales packing is free. Most nurserymen 

 maintain that the trade discount should 

 range from thirty-three and one-third to 

 fifty per cent on what we are here call- 

 ing the standard price, or price granted 

 to the ordinary retail buyer; while only 

 a few days ago I received a letter from 

 a nurseryman stating that he expected a 

 100 per cent margin; that is, he expected 

 to sell either wholesale or retail at 100 

 per cent advance on the cost of the stock 

 to him. 



Making Trade Discounts. 



Now, should the standard price be a 

 wholesale price on which percentages 

 should be added to arrive at fair land- 

 scape architects' and retail prices, as- 

 suming that the landscape architect 

 should get a better price than the retail 

 customer, or should the retail price be 

 the standard price and any other price 

 arrived at by discounts? My own be- 

 lief is that the latter is the best method, 

 as it will tend to make the average 

 standard price higher. Also, if in fact 

 the wholesale discount runs from thirty- 

 three and one-third to fifty per cent be- 

 low such standard price it tends to keep 

 from the general public eye the trade 

 prices, as they would not appear in pub- 

 lished form. On the other hand, fixing 

 the trade price as the standard price 

 enables the nurseryman or dealer who 

 purchases to soar to any retail heights 

 that his retail customer may be per- 

 suaded to pay, and to many this will 

 make "a distinct appeal. In any event 

 those who are legitimately in the trade 

 should agree as to Which is really the 

 most proper method of arriving at the 

 standard price. 



H. C. L. has hit the nurseryman as it 

 has everyone else, but the high cost of 

 production and distribution is not the 

 only factor for us to consider. The 

 nursery business, both as to field and 

 oflSce practice and methods, always has 

 been in a chaotic and unstandardized 

 state and nurserymen are credited even 

 among themselves as being poor busi- 

 ness men as a class. The millionaire 

 nurseryman is a dodo bird — if, in fact, 

 he ever existed — though I am not sure 

 that this is not highly to his credit. 

 Some can grow well and others can sell 

 well. Some use good judgment in se- 

 lecting the kinds of stock to plant, while 

 others fix on a few items of which they 

 make a specialty and on which the real 

 income of the business depends. A 

 combination of good business qualities is 

 rare. No nurseryman, to my knowledge, 

 properly figures in overhead expense. 



Nurserymen Not Business Men. 



The greatest loss, I believe, arises 

 from the fact hinted at above, that in 

 most nurseries a few good items keej* 



CANNAS 



3-inch pot plants ready for immediate shipment. 

 Kinc Humbert, $6.00 per lOO; Rosea Gigantea, $6.50 per 100; City of Portland, $15.00 per 

 100; Preaident, $15.00 per 100; Alphonse Bouvier, Florence Vaughan, Gladiator, Gustav 

 Gumpper, J. D. Eisele, Jean Tissot. Louisiana, Maros. Mm*. Croxy, President Myars, 

 Queen Charlotte, Richard Wallace, Rubin, Souv. d'A. Crosy, Uncle Sam, Venus, Wyo- 

 ming. $5.00 per 100, $40.00 per 1000. 



PALMS 



Kentia Belmoreana 

 4 inch, $6.00 per doz.; $50.00 per 100; 5-inch, $18.00 per doz.; 6-inch, $30.00 per dos. 



FERNS 



Cyrtomium Rochfordianum, Holly Ferns— 



3-inch $1.50 per doz.; $ 8.00 per 100 



4-inch 3.00 per doz.; 25.00 per 100 



SPRING STOCK 



Miscellaneous Bedding Stock to Grow on for Spring. 

 Ageratum, Dusty Miller, Altemantheras, Alyssum, Hardy English Ivy,. Lantanas, 

 LoboUas, Salvia. Parlor Ivy, Swainsona, Tradescantia, Vinca, SlngU Fringad Patualaa, 

 Coleus, Fuchsias. 

 2-inch $2.75 per 100; 3-inch, $3.75 per 100 



AGERATUM, Fraserii 



We feel confident in offering Ageratum "Fraserii" to our customers that we are 

 oiTering what will be one of the most valuable acquisitions to the bedding plant line in 

 recent years, that is a blue, a decided blue, that would be continually in bloom. In 

 our trial grounds last summer "Fraserii" attracted more attention than any other 

 bedding plant. It only grew about eight to ten inches high and was covered the entire 

 season with what can easily be classed as_ immense trusses of flowers, as many of them 

 were over 2^ inches across, while the individual flower would be Ji of an inch in diame- 

 ter. The plant spread about 12 to 15 inches across. It can easily be used with Alternan- 

 theras as a border plant. 



Being an early bloomer and dwarf, compact grower, it makes an excellent pot plant. 



2- inch. $1.00 per dot.; $6.00 per 100. 3-inch, $1.50 per doz.; $10.00 per 100. 



R. Vincent, Jr., & Sons Co. 



White Marsh, Maryland 



Ifentlon Hm Barlow when yon write. 



NURSERY STOCK FOR FLORISTS 



WHOLESALE ONLY 



JACKSON & PERKINS CO. 



Newark, New York 



Mention The Review when yoa write. 



