58 PACKING, SHIPPING AND BUSINESS MATTERS 



Remedies have been widely suggested. It is often 

 ^hinted that the flowers are left to open too fully before 

 being cut. " The longer they stay on the plants the 

 shorter will be their life on the purchaser's table. '\ Flowers 

 \/'that are cut when two-thirds open keep better and give 

 greater satisfaction!) Old or pickled stock will be of no 

 value in a living room with its dry atmosphere at a tem- 

 perature of between 70 deg. and 80 deg. Careful grading 

 of stock helps to make it more attractive for sale, and it 

 is felt by many growers that more direct transactions 

 between themselves and the retailers should be the rule. 

 Better methods for caring for surpluses are urgently needed. 

 Jumping stock from 50c. and 75c. per dozen to $1 or $1.20 

 looks to the buyers like a skinning game, and is a practice 

 that many growers would like to see checked. 



Back in 1892, at the American Carnation Society's 

 annual meeting, C. W. Ward expressed himself in regard to 

 handling cut flower stock, and on general business methods, 

 in very decided terms as follows: 



( " The first business maxim should be honesty and fair 

 dealing; the second, to conduct our business so that it 

 should be successful and profitable. While there are no 

 set rules nor rigid lines upon which business can be con- 

 ducted, there are certain general principles which may be 

 universally applied. You should not undertake to do more 

 business than you can properly oversee and care for your- 

 self, nor should you sell your wares below cost of produc- 

 tion; neither should you make prices upon an article 

 without ascertaining what it costs to produce it. You 

 should never engage in an injudicious cutting of prices 

 below market values in the hope of increasing your business 

 or getting an undue advantage over your neighbor. The 

 most foolish thing a grower or dealer can do is to attempt 



