
Dic =DuNG 
PUBLISHED BY 
WAYLAND DAHLIA GARDENS 
E. R. RYNO, PRop. 
WAYLAND, MICHIGAN 
SEASON OF 1948 
About Credit Rating 
During the time of the war we had 
very little concern regarding credit 
because almost everybody had money 
and almost anything would sell read- 
ily at high cash prices. During the past 
season, however, both economic and 
weather conditions have tended to 
change the picture particularly in the 
seed and nursery industry, affecting 
the credit situation to a considerable 
extent. Many large concerns report 
sales off as much as 30% this past 
spring and quite a number of our con- 
nections are reporting a noticeable 
slowing of collections. 
This credit factor we have ‘always 
considered one of the most vital fac- 
tors in any line of business. If this 
factor breaks down calamity is cer- 
tain to follow. As Stanley Morse 
once told us, the matter of credit is a 
very unusual proposition in the seed 
and nursery trade. If one of these men 
goes broke, as Stanley put it, “He is so 
damned badly broke that there is no 
salvaging anything.” Most of his cap- 
ital is invested in perishable stock and 
expensive catalogs both of which 
items must be cashed in on during the 
current season or they are practically 
a total loss. Largely because of this 
fact we have for many years based 
our credit ratings on Credit Perform- 
ance more than on Assets. Many other 
large concerns in other lines are fol- 
lowing the same plan and experience 
has proved to us that this plan is better 
and safer in nearly all cases. 
When we ship stock from our ware- 
house the shipment is followed by an 
invoice on which terms are listed as 
net 30 days or 2% discount for cash 
in 10 days: Those customers who dis- 
count all bills, as is customary with 
most of the larger concerns, are rated 
as High credit performance. Those 
customers who take their full 30 days 
are rated as Good credit performance. 
Customers. who do not pay promptly 
at the end of the 30 day terms limit are 
given until the 10th of the second 
month following date of invoice and 
if payment is made before that date 
they are still classed as Fair credit 
performance. After that date they are 
classed as Delinquent and rated as 
Poor credit performance. Such ac- 
counts are immediately placed in the 
ands of the Florists’ Credit Associa- 
tion for collection and in the future 
no orders from them will be filled ex- 
cept on a cash before shipment or 
C. O. D. basis. 
We are very glad to state that our 
records show only a small fraction of 
1% of poor accounts and it is by such 
careful handling of accounts by our 
credit department that we have been 
able to supply those customers who 
do pay their bills at minimum prices 
instead of having to figure in our over- 
head an extra charge to cover losses 
from bad accounts which would thus 
have to be paid by the good ones. 
That Wonderful Word FREE 
I have often thought of the vast 
influence of the word free on man’s 
mind. Used in the sense of a gift or 
an offering of something for nothing 
—as free liquor, free loot and free 
love—it has enabled the politician and 
demagogue to gain a following which 
made it possible for him to pursue 
wars of aggression and campalgns 
of destruction and pillage of empires. 
Used in the sense of social status as 
a free people with free religion, free 
speech and free enterprise it has en- 
abled the statesman and real pioneer 
and builder to establish such empires 
as the former crowd would seek to take 
over. 
Boxed Dahlias for 
Counter Trade 
During the war it has been impossi- 
ble for us to supply our Boxed Dahlia 
Collections for Counter Trade be- 
cause it was almost impossible to ob- 
tain packing material and labor re- 
quired for this particular item. 
This past season we had hundreds 
of letters asking us when this item 
would be resumed in our list. We are 
still unable to give a favorable reply 
to these letters because, even though 
both materials and labor conditions 
have eased somewhat, the cost of these 
items is still prohibitive for this parti- 
cular line of work. Boxes are now 
obtainable but only at a cost of about 
double what we paid for them before 
the war. The same fact applies to 
labor. We can get help now but not 
at prewar prices. As these two items 
enter very largely into the produc- 
tion of such goods it would be impos- 
sible for us to supply boxed dahlias 
at a price which would. make the line 
a profitable one for the dealer. To 
make it possible for our, many retail 
dealers to continue handling dahlias, 
however, we are offering our Wrapped 
Dahlias, the same as were used in our 
colored boxes, at very attractive prices 
and in very fine assortments. This 
gives the dealer the same high quality 
of merchandise without the added ex- 
pense of colored boxes and expensive 
shipping cartons. Further details re- 
garding this item may be found on 
page 6 of. this Bulletin. 
Delivery When? 
We begin dividing our clumps about 
November Ist and as our heaviest 
shipping begins early in January we 
like to have the roots cut during the 
months of November and December on 
hand when the heavy shipping begins. 
Some of our southern customers would 
like to have us start shipping late in 
November or early in December but 
we do not like to accept such shipping 
orders because it makes it necessary 
for us to use the divisions which are 
required to make prompt shipments 
after the first of the year. For the 
above reasons we ask that customers 
give us as much time as possible to get 
orders ready and unless absolutely 
necessary to have shipments made be- 
fore the first of the year we ask that 
earlier shipment is not requested. 
The Gift Tuber Plan 
For years we have strongly advo- 
cated the plan of offering a gift tuber 
with two or more unit collections. We 
like especially well the manner in 
which Harold Goldstein of Kunderd’s 
made use of this plan this year. Harold 
offered a tuber of Silvery Glamour 
free with each order for two collec- 
tions. The gift tuber was the only 
dahlia illustrated and no price was 
placed on this variety following the 
same idea as has been used so success- 
fully by every one of the Book-of-the- 
Month Clubs. And the results were 
far beyond even our own expectations 
when we recommended this list. 

Get Your 
Reservation 
Order 
In 
Early 
¥ 
i] 
