64 
June, 1918 
Ofye Slower (Brower 
Ot)e Slower (Brower 
| PUBLISHED MONTHLY ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH BY | 
MADISON COOPER, CALCIUM, N.Y. 
FOR BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL FLOWER GROWERS 
I Subscription Price : OUR MOTTO: Canadian and Foreign | 
i $1 00 per year. Special favors to none, ami a Subscription Price 1 
1 3 years for $2.00. square deal to all. $1.25 per year. | 
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. 
Copyriyh t 1918 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. 
Entered as second-class matter March 31, 1914, at post office at 
Calcium, N.Y., under act of March 3, 1879. 
Vol. V June, 1918 No. 6 
“ 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. 
Advertising and Trade Usages. 
Now, I will try to explain my point in relation to a trade 
discount. This is first a matter of courtesy. John Doe ad- 
vertises Americas at $15.00; 1 have none. My friend and 
customer sees the ad. and hands me an order. I write J. D. 
and explain that I want 1000 America and must sell at his 
advertised price. Will he kindly allow me a discount to 
cover expenses ? He allows me, say 20%, and I am likely to 
send him other orders. Your theory is right so far as it 
relates to one order, an equal price to all, but the trade dis- 
count is based on the probabilities of the whole year. A 
retail customer buys usually but one lot in a season. A 
dealer may order in the aggregate 10,000 or 100,000 and 
consequently be fairly entitled to a quantity discount on 
any part of that quantity. This is trade custom in all lines 
of business and it seems to be a necessity and in most cases 
it is logical and right. Of course there are exceptions, the 
"penny-ante” wholesaler and the 50,000 retail customer are 
the two extremes. 
Now, in regard to the use of the phrase "for the trade 
only” in The Flower Grower. I don’t say it is unfair but 
it is foolish advertising. The advertiser ignores three- 
quarters of the readers, pays for space to tell them they are 
shut out ! An advertisement should appeal to all classes. 
Consumers are pleased to see a quantity price which looks 
like a wholesale price, while the dealers and growers know, 
if they are business wise, that they can get a 20 or 25% off 
the published rate. 
I think we have been advertising too small — " 1 bulb 
5c.”— don’t get anywhere ! Is it unbusiness-like to advertise 
1000 at a fair rate ? Or on the other hand, is it business to 
advertise 100 retail as low as the average 1000 wholesale 
list ? That is what some are doing. 
But that is none of your affair, you are justified in letting 
the man who pays for the space use it his own way so long 
as it is honest, and the fittest will survive. I suppose the 
fact is that some growers have no business training and 
when they try to sell their own product they sometimes 
make a mess of it. Some growers are advising against 
offering for sale any small stock. The theory is, sell only 
large bulbs, sell more of them at a better price. I don’t see 
it that way. The florist sells seeds, plants and flowers. 
Why should I not sell any quantity and any size that a cus- 
tomer wants? My grocer might say- ”1 will refuse to sell 
flour and so increase my sales of bread !” 
Millions of families ought to be buying our bulbs ; let them 
buy in any quantity and any size they fancy, and so develop 
in America a love for flowers and flower gardens which at 
present is sadly neglected. May The Flower Grower live 
long and prosper. 
S. E. Spencer. 
Note by the Editor— 
Having had some correspondence with Mr. Spencer oh the above 
subject, he wrote us a letter which contained the ideas set forth 
above and it seems that it will be a benefit to the trade to make 
plain just what is fair and right in connection with this matter. 
We agree with Mr. Spencer that many growers have been ad- 
vertising too small. There is no good in advertising a low priced 
variety at 5c. per bulb. What satisfaction will a purchaser get out 
of one bulb of any particular variety ? Better not sell anything less 
than half a dozen except of the rare and expensive varieties. 
The man who buys in wholesale quantities is entitled to whole- 
sale prices, but not necessarily to a trade discount as Mr. Spencer 
explains. This whole subject is a matter which is of the utmost 
importance to the trade as well as to the consumer and we hope 
others will have something to say on this subject. 
The Red Cross has benefited largely by the efforts of 
flower growers, and will, we trust, benefit still more largely 
from the suggestions which are contained in recent issues 
of The Flower Grower. We learn that A. E. Kunderd, the 
well known Gladiolus hybridizer of Goshen, Ind., donated 
a quantity of Gladiolus corms to the Red Cross organization 
of his home town from the sale of which over $100 was 
realized. Incidentally we might also state that last year 
Mr. Kunderd presented the school children of Goshen (some 
1500 of them) with four bulbs each of his choice Gladioli. 
This gave great pleasure and satisfaction to the children 
and resulted in quite a boom for the Gladiolus in Goshen. 
Details of methods by which the Red Cross can be bene- 
fited by the sale of cut flowers may be worked out along 
the lines already suggested in The Flower Grower or new 
ideas can be developed. Those who have worked out other 
plans than already mentioned will confer a favor by writing 
us about it. 
Mr. J. C. Vaughan, of Vaughan’s Seed Store, Chicago, 
on reading the article by Dr. Castle in the May issue sug- 
gests that instead of slat bottom crates, that crates with 
galvanized wire screen should be used for storage of Gladi- 
olus corms from the field to prevent the bulblets from fall- 
ing through and mixing with other varieties that might be 
stored in crates below. The editor is using crates about 18 
inches by 3 feet and 4 inches deep with £ in. mesh gal- 
vanized wire screen for bottoms. They seem to be giving 
satisfaction for the purpose. 
It has practically been decided that the next annual 
flower show of the American Gladiolus Society will be held 
in Buffalo. This location is so central and well located that 
we look for a big show. Buffalo is easily reached by Eastern 
growers and as well by the Ohio growers, and those in the 
Middle West can make Buffalo without serious delay or in- 
convenience. Write Secretary Beal for a copy of the prize 
schedule. 
