y? " . v ■■>."!•»■■ 



104 



The Florists' Rcvkw 



JoNB 8. 1922 



the mark. Where there is a mail-order 

 and local seed business combined in a 

 good territory some profit may be made 

 from the local, or over-the-counter, end 

 of the business. 



Character and sense of responsibility 

 to the seed buyer go together. Without 

 right character there will be no proper 

 sense of responsibility and without the 

 proper sense of responsibility will come 

 carelessness as to seed stocks obtained 

 and passed on to the planter. Too many 

 of us forget that we are dealing in the 

 forces of nature instead of pounds or 

 bushels of a commodity. While the seed 

 business, mail-order or other form, is 

 merchandising, the right sort of seed 

 business is far more than merchandis- 

 ing. It must be a profession as well, 

 if full measure of success is to be at- 

 tained. 



It is perfectly natural and human na- 

 ture to want to buy as low as possible. 

 It is also apparent to even the most 

 casual thinker that first-class seeds can- 

 not be produced as cheaply as an infe- 

 rior grade can be produced. The seed 

 business builder who purchases or 

 grows his stock in trade on low cost or 

 price basis is undermining the founda- 

 tion of his own structure, insuring its 

 fall. The planter cannot tell. The 

 seedsman, so far as humanly possible, 

 must know what he is passing on and 

 what he passes on must be of the best 

 if he is to gain and retain the confi- 

 dence of the planter. 



Only men of character will have this 

 essential sense of responsibility toward 

 their planter customers. No seed busi- 

 ness ever has been built and main- 

 tained for .any length of time without 

 character, in which this sense of re- 

 sponsibility is an essential part. 



Individuality Required. 



Individuality of the mail-order seed 

 business making its appeal to the public 

 through the catalogue is distinctis' an 

 essential. Each of us as a human being 

 is more or less distinctive in appear- 

 ance and manner. If we attempt to 

 make a sale to a customer face to face, 

 we act in our perfectly natural, personal 

 manner. In going to the prospective 

 customer via the catalogue route we 

 should, so far as possible, be just as 

 natural as if we were face to face. 



We are not making an appeal for 

 freak catalogues or for overdoing tlie 

 personality stuff. This extreme person- 

 ality game is dangerous. Not one man 

 in a million can get away with it suc- 

 cessfully while he lives and as a rule 

 he has no successor. A business built 

 strictly on a strong personality can only 

 last as long as the jiersonality lasts. 



Yet the catalogues representing the 

 different mail-order houses must each 

 have distinct house individuality. No 

 two seed catalogues should be alike ex- 

 cept in general features. Any attempt 

 to copy or imitate the printed repre- 

 sentative of a successful mail-order 

 house already established is folly of the 

 rankest kind. Imitators or copyists 

 rarely, if ever, succeed. The business 

 world pays no tribute to the imitator. 

 It does pay tribute to those who, hav- 

 ing the necessary business virtues inci- 

 dent to all kinds of business, add to 

 them originality or distinctiveness. 



This point is especially important. 

 It is almost inevitable that the new- 

 comer in the field feels impelled to fol- 

 low the lead of someone else that he 

 has looked up to. This must be 

 guarded against. Take the catalogues 



CINERARIA 



* One of the most useful and orna- 

 mental plants that can be grown for 

 Conservatory Decoration. 



Fottler's Exhibition Mixtore 



unsurpassed for size and assort- 

 ment of gorgeous colors. 



i« trade packet $0.60 



1 trade packet 1.00 



Also Primnla and Cyclamen 



Fittler, Fifke, Riwmb Ci. 



12 and 13 Paneull Hall Souarc, 

 BOSTON, MASS. 



Bulbs — HOLLAND — Bulbs 



R. A. Van Der Schoot 



Whohaah Butb Crowmr 



Hillegom, Holland 



The R. A. Van Der Schoot reputation for quality 

 is not due to accident. 



^^ « « Address all correspondence care of ^^ « « 



OUlbS •'• ^' HAMPTON. JR, CO. OUIDS 



17 Battery Place 



NEW YORK 



Kelway's Celebrated 

 Flower Seeds 



Strains which have received over 300 Premier Awards and Gold Medals at laadlos 

 Exhibitions in all parts of the world. Highest Award Panama Exhibition 



WRITE TODAY FOR PRICES 



KELWAY & SON, 



Wholesale 

 S«ed Growers, 



Langport, Engfland 



«N. B. A." 



The above is the trade-mark of the 

 Narcissi BiOtgnwers* Asswiadra %\ Carfieiraaie, Var, Fraicc 



Do not fall to specify N. B. A. brand when ordering 



Paper White Narcissus 



of your American dealer next season. You will avoid disappointment 

 and be sure to receive stock giving best results. Wholesale only. 



FOR FORCING OR 



OLAUIvf Lrl OUTSIDE PLANTING 



UNITED BULB CO., Mt. Qemens, Mich. 



LEADING GROWERS OF GLADIOLI 



When you think of GLADIOLI 



think of P. VOS & SON 



WE HAVE THEM-HEALTHY AND TRUE. TRY US. 



Thm Homm of 

 Fine Gladioli 



P. VOS & SON 

 P. O. Box 555, GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. 



GLADIOLI 



Please send for my auotat.ions on large or 

 small Quantities of all the leading varieties. 



JELLE RODS 



GLADIOLUS SPECIALIST 



Dept A. 



CONCORD, MASS. 



Gladiolus Bulbs 



Quality Stock Moderate Price* 



Glad to quote on your reauirements 



ALFRED OESTERLING, GUdioInt Grower 



Star Route, BUTLER, PA. 



