limits of a reasonable time are reached, a polite request for money, at first a "please remit" on the statement, and later perhaps a draft, seem in order. The florist continues to take his time about it, ignoring all requests and drafts, and in course of time exhausts the patience of the liberal house. A pointed letter follows, and the result is an estrangement in business relations, antagonism on both sides, and financial loss to the grower himself, who should have bought less in the first place, with more thought of the preservation of his credit.
I am not speaking of the man who deliberately plans to purchase stock that he has not any intention to pay for. Such men, fortunately, constitute only a small minority in the trade, and the sooner they are entirely eliminated, the better for the men carrying on a legitimate business. I shall not speak of these "dead-beats" at all. It is the florist who brings into his business grit and enthusiasm, who plans and conducts his enterprise upon honorable principles, that should give to the credit end of his business the careful consideration that he brings to bear upon other phases of it. It is remarkable how little this very important element in our business is thought of even by some of the most progressive men in the trade. The A. B. C. of business principles is in a good many cases either ignored or altogether misunderstood. Often an unknown florist will send in a good-sized order, with instructions to forward immediately, no mention about reference or terms of payment or his business standing being made. He simply takes it for granted that the house ought to know all about him. (I have in mind the man well worthy of credit.) Several years ago, a prominent florist in one of the New England States gave me an order for a few hundred Cyclamen plants. He was particular about their quality, and wanted to know my source of supply. I mentioned a Cyclamen specialist. To my complete surprise, he was at the point of canceling the order on the spot.
"Why," I asked in amazement, "what fault do you find with that man's stock? He is a specialist, and his Cyclamen, I am sure, will please you."
"I have nothing against his stock," was the reply. "But I do not like the man. Last year I sent him an order for five hundred plants and he asked me for money in advance. Any man getting money in advance from me will have to get up pretty early in the morning! My credit is good everywhere, and I don't have to pay in advance."
"Unquestionably so," I replied; "and had the man known you, he would have been glad to sell you his entire output without hesitation. Suppose," I continued, "some unknown florist from a distant point had sent you an order for plants, omitting to tell you about his business standing. Would you have sent them?"
"I certainly would," he replied.
"Then you are very lax in your credit methods, and laxity means loss in the end."
I explained the reasonableness on the part of any man who asked of an unknown correspondent either reference or cash in advance with an order.
"Besides," I concluded, "in this case you are giving the order to me, and not to the Cyclamen grower. And since you have nothing against me, and I in turn have nothing against your credit, why not let the order stand?"
The order stood.
Another instance, somewhat different in its nature from the foregoing, is worth mentioning. We will let the letter of the correspondent speak for itself:
"S. S. Skidelsky, Betz Building.
"I have gat yu lader i tank yu av ar so muc fort. i found ut yoo ask me for references. i dont have too gev no references too nobade. if i koodnt doo b ines wit out references i wudnt have noo b ines. I geve you de order on C. O. D. iv det dont doo yuo, you kan kep your Ferns and den i gone gev yoo? in men yoo good references.
