128 



The Rorists^ Review 



May 19, 1921 



remarks to that part of the problem 

 which relates to the fixing of a standard, 

 or, to j)\it it in otlier words, fair price 

 whicli sliould be (•liarj,'cd the retailer and 

 to which \ari()UH projicr and standard 

 disciimils are to be a])pli('d when dealing 

 witii the trade, with landscape architects 

 or with any others who might legitimate- 

 ly be alliiwed a discount from the lixed 

 or standard price. 



My own jiractice lias been that of fix- 

 ing a standard jirice wKich is the pub- 

 lished ]irice, with twenty-five ]>er cent 

 discount to'tlie trade and ten per cent 

 discount to landscape architects and 

 jiublic institutions. A fair (piestion 

 arises if this allows a sullicient margin 

 to the trad(\ ]iart iciilarly where ])acking 

 charges are ailded, while with retail 

 s:iles jiackiiig is free. Must ninserynii'ii 

 maintain that the trade discount sliould 

 range from thirty-three and one-third to 

 tifty )ier cent on what we are here call- 

 ing the standard jirice, 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 

 lUO jier cent margin; that ia, he expected 

 to sell either wholesale or retail at lOO 

 per cent advance on the ccist of the stock 

 to him. 



Making Trade Discounts. 



Now, should the standard ]irice be ;i 

 whidrsale price on which perceiitngi"-^ 

 should be added to arrive at fair land- 

 scape architects' and retail jiriccs, as- 

 suming that the landscape architect 

 should get a better price than the retail 

 custonu'r, or should tlu' retail jiricc be 

 the standard price and any other jirice 

 arii\'ed at by discounts? My own be- 

 lief is that the latter is the best imttliod, 

 as it will tend to make the average 

 standard price higher. Also, if in fact 

 the wholcs.'ile discount runs from tliirty- 

 Ihne and one-third to fifty ])er cent be- 

 low such standard j)rice it tends to keep 

 from the general jiublic eye the trade 

 prices, as they would not appear in pub- 

 lished form. On the other hand, fixing 

 the trade price as the standard juice 

 enables the nurseryman or dealer who 

 jiuicliases to soar to any retail heights 

 that his retail customer may be j)er- 

 suaderl to pay, and to many this will 

 make .'1 distinct ajtjjeal. In any event 

 those who are legitimately in the trade 

 should agree as to which is really the 

 most jirojier method of arriving at the 

 standard jirice. 



II. C. 1j. has hit the nurseryman as it 

 has everyone else, but the high cost of 

 jiroduction and distribution is not the 

 only factor for us to consider. The 

 nursery business, both as to field and 

 ollice jir.'ictice and methods, always has 

 been in a chaotic and unstaiulardized 

 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 liis credit. 

 Some can grow well and others can sell 

 well. Ponie use good judgment, in se- 

 lecting the kinds of stock to plant, while 

 others fix on a few items of which they 

 make a sj>ecialt.y and on which the real 

 income of the business dejiends. A 

 combination of good business qualities is 

 rare. No nurseryman, to my knowledge, 

 jirojH'rly figures in o\erhenil exjiense. 



Nurserymen Not Business Men. 

 The greatest loss, I believe, arises 

 from the fact hinted at above, that in 

 most nurseries a few good items keep 



CANNAS 



3-iiich pot plants ready for Immediate shipment. 

 King Humbert, $6.00 per ItIO; Rosea Gigantea, $6.50 per 100; City of Portland, $15.00 per 

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

 Gumpper, J. D. Eisele, Jean Tissot, Louisiana, Maros, Mme. Crozy, President Myers, 

 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; S-inch, $18.00 per doz.; 6-inch, $30.00 per doz. 



FERNS 



Cyrtompm Rocbfordianum, Holly Ferns— 



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



4-inch ...V^ 3.00 per doz.; 25.00 per 100 



SPRING STOCK 



Miscellaneous Bedding Stock to Grow on for Spring. 

 Ageratum, Dusty Miller, Alternantheras, Alyssum, Hardy English Ivy, Lantanas, 

 Lobelias, Salvia, Parlor Ivy, Swainsona, Tradescantia, Vinca, Single Fringed PstunUs, 

 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 

 ofTeriiig 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 2yi 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 doz.; $6.00 per 100. 3-incb, $1.50 per doz.; $10.00 per 100. 



R. Vincent, Jr., & Sons Co. 



White Marsh, Maryland 



Mention The Berlew when you write. 



NURSERY STOCK FOR FLORISTS 



WHOLESALE ONLY 



JACKSON & PERKINS CO. 



Newark, New York 



