Bulletin Advertising from Another Standpoint 
October lo, 1919. 
My Dear Mrs. Brewster: 
I am glad to give you in brief my reasons why I heartily approve 
of the proposal to eliminate advertisements of the seed and nursery 
trade from the Bulletin. 
I am inclined to beheve that in large measure the members of the 
various clubs are not greatly influenced by these advertisements. I 
find, as a rule, that Garden Club members are so well informed as to 
sources of supply, that they know everything about the firms who 
rank high enough to be admitted to the pages of the Bulletin. 
From all my own advertising in the Bulletin I can trace but one 
inquiry. This does not mean that I regard the Bulletin as anything 
but a splendid advertising medium, but it benefits only the kind of 
advertising that your members do not want to know about. Several 
times I have been asked to introduce to your advertising- manager a 
firm I did not wish to introduce. 
It does not seem to me the proper poKcy to commerciaHze such a 
splendid publication as the Bulletin is. When advertising copy has 
been accepted, it is, of course, the duty of the publication in which the 
advertisement appears, to use every legitimate means to the end that 
the advertiser shall profit by his expenditure. I beheve that the 
Bulletin should be in a position where it can not be expected to do 
this. 
I beheve that the Garden Clubs should not be exploited 
by the trade, as, in any case, I fear the approval of the 
Bulletin is unwisely used. It would be so natural a thing, 
for instance, to show to customers, not members of a garden 
club, the advertisement of my bulbs, with the idea of professing 
a standard which in this case I am compelled to five up to only 
by my own business conscience. 
A printed fist of reputable firms, with their specialties described 
in detail, the hst to be distributed to the members, seems preferable 
to me as a means of disseminating information about rehable sources 
of supply. Such a hst should be revised at frequent intervals, and 
always kept up to date. 
You are at hberty to edit this as you please. If I thought it wise 
to mention particular instances I could make you appreciate my ob- 
jections to better advantage, but you will understand that in a letter 
to be pubhshed I can not do so. 
Very truly yours, 
Chester Jay Hunt. 
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