82 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



November 29, 1906. 



fine our remarks to the case of those 

 growers whose conditions and surround- 

 ings do not justify this mode of pro- 

 cedure. 



To answer the question at issue ac- 

 cording to our views on the subject, a 

 further classification is necessary, and 

 to simplify the matter will divide them 

 thus: 



Class A. — Growers who are close to a 

 city, or cities. 



Class B.— Growers too far out and who 

 are only able to ship say twice a day. 



Class C. — Specialists. 



In those cities where a combination 

 of growers have formed a flower mar- 

 ket it will invariably be found the best 

 medium for the larger growers to dis- 

 pose of their goods, but we have always 

 thought that the smaller grower would 

 do far better by consigning to a repu- 

 table commission house; but, again, 

 there are cities where there is neither 

 market nor a commission house. To grow- 

 ers thus situated we would advise them 

 to get into line as soon as possible. 



The Commission House. 



Before going any further, a few words 

 of explanation as to recommending the 

 smaller growers to patronize the com- 

 mission house in preference to the mar- 

 ket. Many men are good growers, but 

 indifferent salesmen. The commission 

 man will do it more satisfactorily than 

 most men you could hire to do it for 

 you, with infinite less worry to yourself, 

 and invariably succeed in getting bet- 

 ter returns, if all items are faithfully 

 figured in. Several other reasons might 

 be given in favor of the commission 

 house, but simply stating the fact that in 

 my opinion that is the best method for 

 the smaller grower to follow is all that 

 is necessary here. 



Class B. 



Where growers are restricted as to 

 shipping accommodation, and many both 

 large and small are so situated, we would 

 again name the commission house as the 

 best medium for disposing of the stock. 



Blame for Misunderstandinsfs. 



Many growers in years past have con- 

 signed goods to commission men at times 

 when they had no other outlet, and be- 

 cause the returns were not satisfactory 

 have held a strong prejudice against 

 them on that account, but it must be 

 remembered that the methods now prac- 

 ticed by these gentlemen have advanced 

 the same as all other lines of horticul- 

 ture, until today their system is perfect- 

 ed to such an extent that it would seem 

 almost impossible to improve on it. In 

 fact, in most cases where misunderstand- 

 ings occur it is more often the fault 

 of the grower than the consignee. "We 

 allude to such instances as where the 

 grower at holiday times disposes of quan- 

 tities of his goods to retailers. Some 

 may think this mode of procedure all 

 right; but look at both sides of the 

 question. Any commission man, at all 

 up in his business, knows pretty nearly 

 the amount of stock to expect from his 

 growers, and figures the effect that in- 

 clement weather and other adverse con- 

 ditions will have on the development of 

 the stock, and makes his calculations 

 accordingly. Is it right, I ask, when 

 after expending considerable caah for 

 advertising, and otherwise obtaining or- 

 ders for goods he honestly expects to 

 handle, to be not only disappointed him- 

 self but have to disappoint others de- 



pending on him, possibly having the ef- 

 fect of losing their patronage and there- 

 by indirectly damaging the grower him- 

 self? Again, althougn it must be ad- 

 mitted the practice is not nowadays near- 

 ly so prevalent as a few years ago, think 

 of the pernicious habit of holding up 

 large quantities of stock and landing 

 it on the commission man too late for 

 him to handle to advantage, and quite 

 often in such condition as to be abso- 

 lutely worthless, and which no reputable 

 dealer would ship or retailer receive. I 

 crave pardon for inserting a quotation 

 from Kipling's "Mandelay," but the 

 lines always suggest themselves to me 

 when I run across a consignment in such 

 condition. 



Ship me somewhere's east of Suez, 

 Where the best Is like the worst. 



Where there ain't no Ten Commandments, 

 And a man can raise a thirst. 



Pack Well. 



Another vitally important detail is 

 packing the stock so that it receives the 

 least possible damage in transit. It 

 must always be borne in mind that quite 

 a percentage of these goods have to be 

 reshipped. Eight here we would offer a 



Enclosed is a five-dollar bill for 

 renewal of my subscription to 



m 





which please send for the next five 



years. 



Very truly yotjrs, 



CARL JURGENS. 

 Newport, R. I. 

 Nov. 19, 1906. 



suggestion, which we feel sure is bound 

 to be generally adopted in the near 

 future, viz: to have light receptacles 

 capable of holding, twenty-five, fifty and 

 100 of such flowers as could be han- 

 dled in that manner, such as violets, car- 

 nations, certain roses (of course it would 

 be impractical in the case of extra Beau- 

 ties, etc.), most bulb stock, and several 

 other subjects. This method of display- 

 ing the goods has been followed in Cov- 

 ent Garden, London, for years, and I 

 have often wondered why it had not been 

 adopted here. I feel sure, however, that 

 American ingenuity will contrive recep- 

 tacles' that will fill the bill. These re- 

 marks about shipping would be incom- 

 plete if I fail to mention two other im- 

 portant items, viz: cleanliness of all 

 paper, etc., used, and grading. "We are 

 all aware how liable one is, if he be a 

 few short of an even number of firsts, 

 to put in the required number of good sec- 

 onds ; but it should also be borne in mind 

 that the prospective buyer will almost 

 always spot those very ones, frequently 

 with the effect of declining the deal, or 

 else standing out for a reduction in 

 price. 



Specialists. 



The specialist is in a distinct class by 

 himself, not alone as regards the goods 

 he handles, but in the enviable position 

 he enjoys in regard to the disposal of 

 the same. Specialists as a rule are so 

 well known, not only in their neighbor- 

 hood, but further afield, that the ju- 

 dicious use of the advertising columns 

 of the trade papers in their case is all 

 that is necessary. These remarks only 

 apply to the * * bona fides, ' ' as many call 

 themselves in this class that have no 

 earthly reason for so doing. I once 

 heard a witty son of the Green Isle, in 

 answer to the question of, "What is a 

 specialist?" reply, "A man that thinko 

 he is one, blows his own trumpet, but 

 the rale thing, why, other people blow it 

 for him." 



The majority of the foregoing remarks 

 have dealt principally with the cut flower 

 trade. In regard to the plant business, 

 few cities are large enough to warrant 

 a plant market, and it seems to me that 

 the methods at present in vogue with 

 the gentlemen engaged in this line are 

 as practical as any that can be recom- 

 mended, but I cannot miss this opportun- 

 ity of paying tribute to the vast improve- 

 ment of the last few years in regard to 

 the methods of packing plants. When 

 one looks back a few years, and remem- 

 bers the condition in which one received 

 a shipment of plants, he cannot fail to 

 highly appreciate the great improvements 

 that have taien place. The only people 

 who have lost by these improvements are 

 the express companies. 



In conclusion I would state that in this 

 paper I did not start out with any idea of 

 evolving a new mode of procedure, but 

 have tried to offer a few suggestions 

 that might improve existing conditions, 

 which seem to answer their purpose sat- 

 isfactorily. 



UTILIZING A SASH HOUSE. 



Will you kindly inform me if I can 

 root carnation cutting in a small sash 

 house, adjoining a large greenhouse? 

 There is no heat in the sash house ex- 

 cepting what comes through from the 

 house adjoining, there being no partition 

 between the two. J. B. 



While the house you describe does not 

 give ideal conditions for propagating, 

 yet I would not say that you could not 

 root your carnation cuttings in it. You 

 will find that during extreme cold weath- 

 er you will have trouble in keeping frost 

 out, or at least you will have a very low 

 temperature. So that instead of rooting 

 your cuttings in six weeks, it may take 

 them eight to ten weeks, and not as high 

 a percentage will root. It will pay you 

 to run at least one pipe under the bench, 

 and run it near the outside wall, regard- 

 less of what you intend to grow in the 

 house. A. F. J. B. 



AlLentown, Pa. — A greenhouse 18x41 

 feet is being erected by the Lord & Burn- 

 ham Co., of New York, on the grounds 

 of E. M. Young. A ten-foot addition 

 to be used as a workshop will also be 

 erected. 



Hampton, Ia. — The Curtis Floral Co. 

 has completed a new range, 48x75, near 

 its old greenhouses, of the A. Dietch Co. 's 

 patent short-roof construction. This is 

 to be used exclusively for carnations and 

 roses. In addition a new fern room, 

 20x32, has been built during the last 

 year. The firm has nearly doubled its 

 output in this time. 



