56 PROFITS 



A range of six houses, 30 ft. x 100 ft., will house 20,000 

 plants in benches, allowing ^ sq. ft. per plant, and two men 

 will take care of this number successfully. On a cost basis 

 of 23c. per plant to cover all costs — labor, fuel, interest on 

 investment, value of plant, freight charges, etc. — the grand 

 total of cost is $4600, and at a minimum average of receipts 

 of 30c. per sq. ft. of glass, we get the sum of I6345 to offset 

 this, the difference to the good being $1745. The pro- 

 prietor who does not recoup himself to this extent had 

 better try some other business, or hand over the manage- 

 ment to someone more capabie than himself. 



A successfui and careful grower for the Boston market 

 says he finds that if he can cut fifteen blooms per plant, 

 pfanted 9 in. x 8 in., or 10 in. x 8 in., from October i to May 

 31, he is satisfied, and returns from these in that market 

 are about 3pi2oo per 2000 ft. of bench space; that is, 6oc. 

 per ft., gross sales. As the New York market is iower than 

 the Boston market the gross income in the case of a New 

 York grower would probably average about 50c. per sq. ft. 

 of bench space, which would afford a reasonable income. 



These figures may appear sufficiently satisfactory, 

 and on the face of them they are, but when one considers 

 the risks a grower runs of losses by storms, diseases in his 

 piants, bad markets owing to ciimatic changes at a critical 

 period, and when we consider how prices have dechned in 

 recent times owing to over production and competition, 

 a man must think long and carefully before entering the 

 ranks of commerciaf Carnation growers in these days. He 

 should have good business ability and be otherwise weii 

 fortified. Then he may succeed. 



