62 PACKING, SHIPPING AND BUSINESS MATTERS 



flowers and then blame him because he does not sell all at 

 high market quotations. Do not disappoint your cus- 

 tomers; convince them that they can rely upon you and 

 that you rely upon them. 



" Treat your commission man fairly. Do not censure 

 him unless you are sure he deserves it. Give him credit 

 for the good he does as well as for the bad you think he 

 does. By so doing you will gain his respect and goodwill 

 if he is honest, and you should deal only with such as are 

 honest. In selecting your commission man watch his 

 habits carefully. If he is economical and careful about 

 his living and business expenses you can feel reasonably 

 safe in dealing with him; but if he is reckless and extrava- 

 gant in his expenses, keeps fast company, gambles and 

 follows the betting fraternity, be very careful in your 

 dealings with him, as sooner or later these elements are 

 sure to ruin him, and you will eventually lose thereby." 



The manner of handling cut blooms, as adopted by 

 most of the larger growers is as follows:* 

 '^ The cutting of the flowers must be attended to with 

 considerable judgment as regards the weather. If the 

 weather is very cold the flower should be allowed to open a 

 little more than usual, as if cut too close in very cold 

 weather they soon go to sleep. Again, if there is a warm 

 wave, with lots of moisture in the atmosphere, the flowers 

 will be soft, and must be cut pretty close; also, during these 

 warm spells the flowers should be kept in a little cooler 

 temperature than usual to make the blooms as firm as 

 possible. After the flowers are cut and tied in bunches of 

 twenty-five each, they should be placed in water as soon as 

 possible. This is best accomplished by having pails of 



*_C. L. Washburn, before Amer. Carnation Soc. at Chicago. 1905. 



