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Z3t)£ Slower (Brower 
I PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY ! 
MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
; 1111111111111111111111111111 Z 
i Subscription Price : OVR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign 1 
i $1.00 per year. Special favors to none, and a Subscription Price i 
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Growers are invited to contribute articles or notes over their own 
signatures, but the Editor reserves the right to reject anything which 
in his judgment is not conducive to the general welfare of the business. 
Copyright 1919 by Madison Cooper 
The contents of THE FLOWER GROWER, formerly "The Modern Gladiolus 
Grower" are covered by general copyright. Permission is given to editors to use not 
more than one-third of any article providing proper credit is given at the beginning or 
end of such quotation, as follows: “ From THE FLOWER GROWER, Calcium, N. Y." 
Special permission necessary for reprinting illustrations, long extracts or articles entire. 
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Vol. VI October, 1919 No. 10 
“ He who sows the ground, with care and diligence acquires a 
greater stock of religious merit than he could gain by the 
repetition of ten thousand prayers.’’— Zoroaster. 
Determining Fair Prices for Gladioli. 
In the July number of The Flower Grower, “P. M. T.” 
starts a timely and interesting discussion of the subject 
of prices and asks several questions in regard to the proper 
method of making up a price list. 
He thinks that difference in quality will not account for 
the big difference in catalog quotations. I think it will, but 
it does not follow that all low priced stock is poor and all 
high priced bulbs of extra quality. The low price may be 
a fair price and the other an exhorbitant price, or vice versa, 
it all depends on size and quality. 
For several years large quantities of Holland bulbs have 
been sold often at very low prices, but were they really any 
cheaper than home grown bulbs at double the price ? My 
experience has been that not over 50% or 60% of the large 
sizes grow, and about half of these bloom the first year. 
Red Emperor at $5.00 per dozen are too high, he thinks. 
Very well, buy of the other fellow at $2.50, and if they 
prove to be imported bulbs he will soon realize that in this 
instance the low price is an exhorbitant price for imported 
Red Emperor sold last season at $50 per 1000, showing a 
profit to the retailer at $2.50 per dozen of four hundred per 
cent. 
The wholesale price is in my opinion the true basis for 
estimating retail prices on all standard varieties and there 
is no good reason why a grower who has a large stock of 
one variety should sacrifice a part of his profit by selling at 
bargain prices. 
The advice given our friend is correct. If a grower has 
a big surplus of bulbs which he cannot reasonably expect 
to sell at retail he should find a wholesale market and avoid 
quoting prices on standard varieties below the average 
fixed by reliable growers. 
It would be very poor business to attempt to sell them 
in small quantities at wholesale rates because it would be 
very expensive as compared with the other method. The 
time required to answer letters, make a record of orders 
received, select the bulbs, pack and ship by mail or express, 
is a big item and to this must be added the cost of postage, 
paper, twine, boxes, etc. These “overhead” or sundry ex- 
penses are often overlooked by novices and sometimes by 
October, 1919 
more experienced business men, but they must be carefully 
estimated before a retail price yielding a fair profit can be 
fixed. This overhead is often 15% to 25%, which simply 
means that when it is 20% and a sale is made at an advance 
of 25% on the cost there is no profit on the transaction. 
When we attempt to find the fair wholesale price 
on which to base the retail or catalog price we discover 
at once that there is just as much difference in prices in 
one line of trade as in the other and for the same reasons, 
namely, the quality of the goods and the business ability of 
the owner. Let me suggest a method which I have found 
convenient and practical : 
First make a list of the commercial varieties to be listed 
and rule off on the sheet five or six columns for prices. As 
the wholesale lists are received select four which are issued 
by reliable growers with whom you can do business and 
feel perfectly sure of honest and intelligent treatment. 
Write the firm name at the top of the first column and fill 
in prices quoted on any varieties which occur in both lists, 
repeating with the other selected lists. We now have 
opposite each variety one to four prices showing the rate 
at which these growers are willing to sell their stock, and 
it is an easy matter with these quotations as a guide to 
decide on a fair wholesale price for each variety and en- 
ter it in the last column. . 
Next make a complete list of varieties with three columns 
for prices per dozen, 100, 1000. These are to be the prices 
quoted to all except such dealers and growers as are en- 
titled to a discount. 
Add to the net wholesale prices as we have fixed them 
for commercial sorts the discount to be allowed on the re- 
tail price. If it is 20% add one-fourth, if 25% add one-third. 
Prices on new varieties limited in quantity must naturally 
correspond with the prices fixed by the growers who con- 
trol the stock. 
With the price per thousand fixed, excepting possibly a 
few small lots on which that rate is not necessary, it is easy 
to complete the list. 
The price per hundred is usually about 10% more than 
the thousand rate, and the dozen price one-seventh the 
hundred rate with slight variations to make even change. 
There will remain perhaps a few varieties which it is 
advisable to reduce or entirely close out, and on these bar- 
gain prices may be quoted or special offers and discounts 
made. 
Clean, home-grown bulbs of all commercial varieties, 
properly graded and true to name, should have a fixed value, 
and the use of systematic methods in making price lists 
will help greatly to standardize our product. 
S. E. Spencer. 
An Advertising “Efficiency” Suggestion. 
Those who are growing Gladioli commercially on a 
comparatively small scale can save considerable in the way 
of printers’ bills by using a full page in The Flower 
Grower, listing their varieties with prices and then having 
us furnish them with reprints of this page which can, of 
course, be done at a small cost as compared with having 
type set entirely new for a circular or catalogue. Get our 
rates on this. 
This suggestion might prove as useful to some of the 
larger growers who issue complete catalogues and price 
lists, for any special announcements or the advertising of 
special varieties, etc. It makes no difference what line of 
flower stocks is being grown, the same general principles 
would apply. 
Slower (Brower 
