SPECIAL AND IMPORT PRICES FOR FALL OF 1910 
3 
Complaints 
We have received ten complaints from customers that we furnished bulbs last fall. 
As this is less than one for each thousand orders filled we suppose we shouldn’t worry 
about it, but we do, for the reason that with one exception none of these complaints 
were justified. One lady writes, in December, that her Dutch Hyacinths won’t bloom and 
are a failure. Of course Dutch Hyacinths won’t bloom in December, and we distinctly say 
so in our catalogue and in the printed cultural directions that are sent out with each 
shipment of bulbs. Another lady says that Hyacinths brought into bloom in March 
were quite unsatisfactory. Referring to her order, we found she had ordered one hundred 
ot the cheapest mixed Hyacinths for outdoor planting, and we are emphatic as can be 
in our catalogue that these arc not fit for pot-culture. We try to make it perfectly clear 
what bulbs are suitable for forcing and when they can be forced, but in spite of this 
some people try to do all sorts of impossible things and then blame their failures on the 
quality of the bulbs furnished. 
1 he complaint that hurts worst of all is that our claim that we make a considerable 
saving in cost for our customers is not true; and a few have written to say that they 
could buy bulbs from other dealers at about the same price as ours, and then quoted the 
names of two or three dealers who are notorious for buying the cheapest grade of bulbs 
in Holland. We have never claimed that we could sell bulbs of superlative quality for 
less than any dealer could sell any quality. What we do claim is that we sell the highest 
grade of bulbs for less than they can be obtained elsewhere. When we say bulbs of the 
highest grade we do not include bulbs in mixtures. The highest grade bulbs are never 
sold in mixtures. The comparison of catalogue prices is no test; but the comparison of 
bulbs and results are the real tests, and the tests we arc anxious to have people make. A 
great many people must make these tests—it is the only explanation of our greatly 
increasing bulb-business and of the same people buying our bulbs year after year. 
We try to be very explicit in our terms published on opposite page. Notice that 
the only guarantee we give is quality and trueness of names. We don’t guarantee results,— 
and just consider for a moment what such a guarantee means. It means the guaranteeing 
of all kinds of gardening, all kinds of climates, all kinds of soils and all kinds of weather. 
But the great majority of our customers do get results and our business grows apace. 
Our order-fillers are not quite infallible and make mistakes occasionally. We are only 
too happy to rectify these when notified. 
Keep a Copy of Your Order 
It is a very good plan to copy your order into this catalogue and then carefully 
save the catalogue. Lots of people forget what they order and many write to ask why 
their orders have not been delivered long before the bulbs have arrived from Europe or 
Japan. Our catalogues give the approximate time of delivery of all bulbs. Reference to 
catalogue would often save unnecessary correspondence and unnecessary correspondence 
is very trying during our delivery season, when our forces are working day and night. Remember that the nurseryman has to 
make delivery for his entire year’s business in about four months, and that is no easy task. 
Bulb Tests 
We make annual tests of the bulbs we import both outdoors and in the greenhouse. We also test the bulbs of other import¬ 
ers; and when we say that our bulbs are very superior we know exactly what we are talking about. The grading of bulbs in 
Holland is not sufficiently understood in this country. Dutch growers offer named Hyacinths in four sizes, and their second size 
is usually sold for first size in this country. Our first-sized Hyacinths are the largest and best obtainable, and our customers 
carry olf the first prizes at the exhibitions with them. The same is true of Narcissi. Our Emperor and Empress Narcissi bulbs 
are more than twice the size of those usually sold, and produce a splendid crop of immense, perfect blooms. 
