26 



The Florists^ Review 



January 26. 1922 



tuil flower stores have stated that they 

 were not satisfied with profits of less 

 than ten j)er cent in any year and aimed 

 at twelve and one-half or fifteen per 

 cent, calculating that an off year might 

 create a loss, which would c(iualize the 

 larger earnings, if they were obtained, 

 in more flush times. And there is a 

 decided diflPereiuu; l)etween tlio cajiital 

 investment of a grower and that of a 

 retail storekeeper. 



The calculations for the two years 

 show that the average price per flower 

 obtained in 1921 was 5.47 cents gross, 

 and 4.65 cents not; that is, when the 

 profits have been deducted. In 1920 

 the average price per flower was 7.34 

 cents gross and C.24 cents net. The av- 

 erage price ])er plant in 1921 was $1.34 

 gross and $1.14 net, or a i)rofit of 20 

 cents per plant. In 1920 the average 

 earnings per plant were $1.6135 gross 

 and $1.3715 net, or a i)rofit of 24.2 

 cents per plant. 



On the preceding page appears a tabli' 

 which shows the cost of production dur- 

 ing the two years, in two ways. The 

 first two columns compare the cost per 

 plant in the two years. The last two 

 columns show the percentage of tlie total 

 receipts whicli were applied on each of 

 the two items mentioned in the two 

 years under consideration. For example, 

 coal in 1920 cost 23.1 cents per plant; 

 in 1921 it cost 27 cents per plant, or 

 about one-sixth more than in 1920. In 

 1920 the coal bill was seventeen per cent 

 more of the total receipts for the year. 

 In 1921, when the exi)ense for fuel went 

 up and the receipts went down, the fuel 

 bill was 23.6 per cent of the gross re- 

 ceipts of the year. 



Most Important Expenses. 



It will be seen from the tabulation, 

 that the most inii)ortant items of ex- 

 pense are labor and fuel. The item of 

 commission represents tlie manager's 

 percentage of the receipts. The item of 

 salaries represents the remuneration of 

 members of the firm, and the item of 

 pay roll covers the hands in the green- 

 houses. These three items, it will be 

 noted, total between forty and fifty per 

 cent of the gross receipts. Last year 

 these three items combined with the coal 

 bill totaled 72.84 per cent of the entire 

 receipts for the year, or nearly three- 

 <juarters. 



There are a nuinl«>r of interesting 

 things which will be discerned by grow- 

 ers who scrutinize these figures closely 

 for comparison with their own. One 

 is the item of dejireciation, that oft- 

 discussed item, which in these figures 

 amounts to approximately five per cent 

 of the gross receipts — remember, re- 

 ceipts, not investment. It will be noted 

 that payment for advertising, which rep- 

 resents this grower's contribution to the 

 Allied Florists' Association of Illinois, 

 under the growers' assessment of one- 

 half of one per cent fif tlio tot.nl re- 

 ceipts, amounts to less than two-tiiirds 

 of a cent per plant, an insignificant item 

 among the rest. Indeed, there are only 

 two items so sm.'dl. insurance .nnd in- 

 secticides. 



No doubt, growers in reading these 

 figures will find many ])oints to comment 

 upon which liav(> not been gone into in 

 this brief consider.ntion. The figures 

 are given as representative, so far as 

 one greenhouse establishment is repre- 

 sentative; the matter of personal direc- 

 tion enters so largely into the success 

 of a business of this kind that figures 

 will vary with each individual case. 



Those growers who read these figures 

 will find items in their own books which 

 will furnish interesting comparisons, af- 

 fording, perhaps, more light upon green- 

 house earnings than has been presented 

 in these few notes. In case such grow- 

 ers wish to present their comments to 

 •the trade, the Editor will be pleased to 

 receive them, and will treat such com- 

 munications as strictly confidential un- 

 less it is otherwise stated. 



BIG DROP IN OLASS. 



Announcement was published January 

 20, by the American Window Glass Co., 

 of a reduction of twenty-three per cent 

 in the price of common window glass. 

 A cut of twenty per cent was made 

 in April, 1921. When the price of plate 

 glass was reduced eighteen per cent 

 December 1, it was anticipated that a 

 similar reduction would take place in 



Have You Figures? 



The figures on the pre- 

 ceding page, regarding 

 growing costs, were sup- 

 plied by a weU known 

 member of the trade so 

 that information on this 

 vital subject might be 

 more widespread and de- 

 tailed. They are presented 

 here without his name, 

 though he made no re- 

 quest that it be omitted, 

 so that other growers 

 would feel free to supply 

 similar data for purposes 

 of comparison, without 

 fear lest their identity be 

 revealed. Discussion of 

 these figures and any 

 others will be welcomed 

 by the Editor, and all com- 

 munications will be 



re- 



garded as confidential. 



the prices of window glass. The an- 

 nouncement published last week, how- 

 ever, makes the reduction two per cent 

 greater than that in plate glass. The 

 indictment of. labor leaders, manufac- 

 turers anil sales agents for an alleged 

 conspiracy to restrict production and 

 control ])riccs has been followed by a 

 show of greater activity in the window 

 glass trade, and the price cut seemed 

 inevitabl(\ 



VIOLET SEASON. 



At this time of the year the retail 

 tlorist who wishes to keep his name con- 

 stantly before the public may be at a 

 loss to know what to advertise. In this 

 event he might take a leaf from the 

 book of Penn the Florist, of Boston, 

 who has been featuring violets in his 

 newspaper advertising during the 

 month. Two large advertisements, for 

 instance, appeared in the Boston Post 



on successive days. One declared in 

 headlines, "Penn's Violet Cluster Is a 

 Floral Classic," The advertisement 

 went on to say, "For years the Penn 

 violets have been the standard of qual- 

 ity. When they leave our store on 

 their way to the recipient they carry a 

 distinction that is unrivaled by any 

 other floral gift. The choicest violets 

 in perfect condition, artistically ar- 

 ranged for the corsage, $3.00." 



Penn the Florist offers a bunch of 

 these violets in a protective container 

 at $3.25 to be sent by mail. 



FOR PERFECT SHIPMENTS. 



Results of Campaign. 



Shippers of the country made a score 

 of 99.10 per cent in the "perfect pack- 

 age campaign," according to a recapit- 

 ulation of the results of the movement 

 just announced by the joint campaign 

 committee of the American Railway As- 

 sociation and the American Railway 

 Express Co., which conducted the cam- 

 paign throughout the country, in No- 

 vember. 



Reports of the business handled and 

 the number of exceptions taken on pack- 

 ages, because of some error or defect in 

 packing, marking or registration, were 

 tabulated in Chicago by a corps of ac- 

 countants, and took a week to complete. 



During the "perfect package month," 

 as November was designated, the rail- 

 roads were credited with handling 

 9,339,745 freight shipments, to which 

 101,760 exceptions were filed by the 

 carriers. During the same period, the 

 express company handled 10,899,352 

 shipments, to which 81,070 exceptions 

 were taken. In other words, all of the 

 carriers handled 20,239,097 shipments, 

 freight and express, on which 182,830 

 exceptions were entered by carriers, 

 giving a national percentage of 99.10 

 per cent. 



Rules to Follow. 



To improve shipping and facilitate 

 deliveries, the following rules are rec- 

 ommended for those who send freight 

 and express shipments: 



MARKING. 



1. Show full nHme of consignee, destlnntion nnd 

 state. Do not abbroviate. 



2. Show count.v where there are two or .more 

 towns of the name nome in state. 



3. Show street address at all times. 



4. Show initials of destination road if certain 

 delivery is desired. 



5. Show "from" or "manufactured by" preced- 

 ing shipper's name and address. 



0. Erase or obliterate old marks if second- 

 hand package is used, avoiding use of such as 

 far as possible. 



7. Name and address of shipper and consignee 

 on inside of package will ins\ire delivery if out- 

 side marks are lost or destroyed. 



8. Use marking pot and brush for marking 

 packages having uneven surfaces. 



BIIXING. 



1. Arrange your shipping instructions so the 

 sliipping order will be on top. 



2. Write plainly. Use typewriter if possible. 



3. Do not use worn or poor carbon paper. See 

 that all copies are lined >ip properly. 



4. He sure shipping instructions agree with 

 marking on packages. 



5. Describe freight fully, accurately and be 

 sure to verify. 



0. Show actual gross weight on bills of lading 

 and shipping orders. 



DELIVERY TO CARRIER. 



1. Deliver your freiglit to railroad station early 

 in the day and have all express shipments ready 

 as early in the day as possible. 



2. Do not split your sliipment. hut deliver 

 complete to avoid delay. 



Creston, la. — The Creston Greenhouse 

 & Floral Co., of which Carl Gehrecke is 

 the proprietor, has bought Sawyer's 

 Flower Store. 



