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1448 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Mabch 28, 1907. 



resemble blisters somewhat, and are usu- 

 sually one-eighth of an inch or more in 

 diameter. "We have made an examina- 

 tion of -these spots for years and have 

 always found them associated with bac- 

 teria. Sometimes these organisms are 

 more numerous than others, but we have 

 always found them in the cells and in 

 the margin of the spot. 



There are, of course, other causes for 

 the spotting of geraniums which have 

 been correctly alluded to by one of your 

 correspondents. 



We know of nothing that has been ac- 

 complished of a practical nature for the 

 prevention of this bacterial spotting of 

 geraniums. Our observations seem to 

 show that the trouble is more common to 

 geraniums exposed to the bright sun- 

 shine during the summer than those in 



the shade. 



Geouge E. Stone. 



MARKETING GROWERS' PRODUCT. 



[An essay by M. B. Faxon, of Columbus, O., 

 awarded third prize In the W. F. Kastlng con- 

 vention competition.] 



This is a vital question, and on its ra- 

 tional solution depends not only the busi- 

 nes success of the large wholesale grow- 

 ers, but also the very existence of the 

 little men, with their one, or at the 

 most, half a dozen greenhouses. In con- 

 sidering this matter we must have clearly 

 in our mind this fact, that whether a 

 man has one small greenhouse or 100 

 large ones, he is a wholesale grower if 

 fee sells his product to another man to 

 sell again; in other words, quantity has 

 nothing whatever to do with determining 

 the grade of trade a man is in — it is 

 what he does with his product that set- 

 tles the question. Growing a vast quan- 

 tity of stock no more makes a florist a 

 wholesale grower than a man limited to 

 the output of one small greenhouse is a 

 retail dealer. I have tried to give you 

 a clear definition of what I understand 

 the word "wholesale" to mean — other- 

 wise, I am afraid what is to follow 

 would have had a mixed meaning to you. 

 The tendency of the times is towards 

 large establishments, towards consolida- 

 tion of interests; but whether this is 

 practical, as applied to the subject under 

 discussion, I am very much in doubt; 

 in fact, I think it is not beyond a reason- 

 able limit. 



Quantity and Quality. 



There is one essential and vital point 

 of difference between an establishment 

 •where plants or flowers are produced, 

 and a manufacturing business of almost 



any kind, and it is this: The larger 

 the manufacturing plant, the better 

 should be the product; but as an estab- 

 lishment for growing flowers or raising 

 plants becomes larger and larger, as a 

 rule the product turned out suffers in 

 quality. I fully understand that there 

 are brilliant exceptions to all rules, but 

 that only goes to prove my statement, 

 which I think no practical florist or 

 plant grower will deny. 



On the other hand, we all are ac- 

 quainted with some little growers who 

 produce such superb stock that they have 

 established a name for their product 

 that insures its sale the moment it 

 appears in any market, and at the very 

 top price. The point I wish to empha- 

 size here is, that large establishments in 

 our line, if they are large enough, put a 

 limit to quality; while the little grower 

 still imparts to his plants and flowers 

 that individuality which reveals the guid- 

 ance of the master hand and gives to 

 his product the ' * hall mark ' ' of superb 

 quality. 



I wish forcibly here to maintain that 

 the little wholesale grower has, in these 

 years of greenhouse expansion, an op- 

 portunity for his quality product to find 

 a lucrative market as never before. This 

 question of amount of stock produced 

 and its quality has a most intimate con- 

 nection with finding a market for it. 



Territory Limited. 



Plants and flowers, owing to their 

 perishable nature, have a limit of terri- 

 tory in which they can be sold and give 

 satisfaction to the buyer. This may be 

 a 500-mile limit, or it may be much 

 greater; but, be it more or less, there 

 is a limit. We have by long custom 

 become so used to this limitation of sell- 

 ing territory that we imperceptibly do 

 our daily business without thinking 

 much, if anything, about it. Neverthe- 

 less, we have a serious handicap in this 

 respect that dealers in goods not perish- 

 able do not have to take into considera- 

 tion. 



Now, it being a fact that we have a 

 limited territory in which to secure cus- 

 tomers, it most certainly behooves us to 

 study well the needs and requirements 

 of our territory for trade, and cater ju- 

 diciously to our market. Remember al- 

 ways that ours is a business in which, 

 granting quality and price equal, the 

 retailer will, as a rule, purchase from 

 the nearest grower. It certainly ^ takes 

 business acumen and vigilance of the 



never-give-up kind to hold what should 

 be the legitimate customers of a grow- 

 er's territory. 



Value of Advertisinc;. 



As a business builder for large whole- 

 sale plant and flower growers, those of 

 us who are large enough to maintain a 

 selling headquarters and produce an al- 

 most unlimited amount of seasonable 

 stock for every day in the year, there is 

 nothing equal to systematic, persistent 

 advertising in the standard trade papers 

 devoted to our business. Advertising is 

 cumulative in its effects; any given 

 amount spent steadily increases your 

 business more and more with every year 

 that passes. But it must be supported 

 by honesty and fulfillment of promises. 



Now, in order to be justified in build- 

 ing a business by advertising, especially 

 in cut-flowers, a large establishment must 

 be behind the advertising, as otherwise 

 you will sooner or later be receiving 

 continuous daily orders that cannot be 

 filled. And here again is where this 

 business differs from almost all others: 

 You are limited to your own productions. 

 Once sold out, you cannot replace like 

 other lines of trade. 



G>mmi8s{on Florists. 



A grower who daily has large quan- 

 ties of cut flowers to find a market for, 

 and yet does not wish to maintain a 

 selling establishment of his own, cannot 

 do better than to entrust a wholesale 

 commission florist with the entire selling 

 of his stock. Now, if you expect good 

 returns from your flowers, you must give 

 your commission florist a chance to rep- 

 resent you properly and get you good 

 returns; and the only way to accomplish 

 this is to send all your stock every day 

 in the year to him. Then you will be 

 one of the instrumental elements that 

 go to make his business a success, and 

 if his business is to continue prosperous 

 he must for self-preservation return to 

 you a good price (the market price) for 

 your stock. 



"You cannot hi.>e your cake and eat 

 it too" — you cannot sell all you can 

 anywhere and to anybody who will pay 

 you a good price, and then send the 

 leavings and culls to your commission 

 man, expecting any return. You will 

 fare by him as well as you treat him, 

 and no better. Wholesale all your stock 

 through him, and he will make it his 

 business that you receive the fullest 

 measure of value for every flower you 

 grow. 



Table of Narcissi at the Boston Spring Show, March 22 to 24. 



