American Carnation Society

NEW VARIETIES OF CARNATIONS ACCEPTED FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE AMERICAN CARNA1ION SOCIETY

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 25, 1971

D.W.F, WHITE #la Sport of Mamie. Color is white (to be exhibited in WHITE COLOR GROUP) size is

J!

inches. Habits and General Description: Many petaled, high crowned flower, smaller flowers but more compact and more uniform than White Pikes Peak. Originated, registered and disseminated qy Denver Wholesale Florists Company, Denver, Colorado under Growers Agreement with no restrictions at time of approval. MAJ BRITT: (Miniature) Seedling of Two Unnamed Seedlings. Color is Yellow with Purple picotee edges. (to be exhibited in YELLOW/CREAM-PURPLE EDGE GROUP) Size is 2 inches. Habits and General Description: Medium Tall growth-excellent production of long well formed sprays on strong stems. Originated, registered and disseminated 1971 by W,

w.

Thomson Company, West Hartford, Connecticut. Under Growers Agreement and restricted January 1, 1971 to January 1, 1988.

ORCHID ROYALETTE: (Miniature Sport of Royalette. Color is orchid (to be exhibited in ANY OTHER SOLID COLOR GROUP) size is 2 inches

to 2!- inches. Habits and General Description: Grows same as Royalette. Originated, registered and disseminated 1971 by W, W. ·Thomson

Company, West Hartford, Connecticut. Under Growers Agreement and restricted January 1, 1971 to January 1, 1988,

QUINN'S ORANGEs Sport of Yellow Sim. Color is Orange. (to be exhibited in ANY OTHER SOLID COLOR GROUP) Size is

4

inches to

5

inches. Habits and General Descriptions Long stem, good blue foilage, Originated, registered and disseminated by Vince Quinn's Greenhouses; Denver, Colorado. Under Growers Agreement and restricted April 1, 1971 to April 1, 1985.

SCARLET MINI QUEENa (Miniature) Sport of Mini Queen. Color is Salmon Red with White edges. (to be exhibited in ANY OTHER FLUSHED VARIETY GROUP) Size is 2 inches to 2t inches. Habits and General Descriptions Grows the same as Mini Queen, Originated, registered and disseminated 1971 by W, W, Thomson Company, West Hartford,

Connecticut. Under Growers Agreement and restricted January 1, 1971 to January 1* 1988.

TONY: (Miniature) Seedling of Two Unnamed Seedlings. Color is Yellow. (to be exhibited in YELLOW GROUP) Size is 2 inches. Habits and General Description: Medium tall-excellent production of long well formed sprays - strong stems. Originated, registered and

disseminated 1971 by

w. w.

Thomson Company, West Hartford, Connecticut. Under Growers Agreement and restricted January 1, 1971 to January 1, 1988.

PAGE 2

...

TRULY YOURS: Sport of La Reve. Color Medium Salmon Pink. (to be exhibited in MEDIUM SALMON PINK GROUP) Size is

3 3/4

inches to

4

inches. Habits and General Description: Pleasing medium salmon pink, smooth edged flower, excellent keeping qualities~ Originated, registered and disseminated 1971 by Harold P. Piers, Framingham, Massachusetts. Under Growers Agreement and restricted January 1, 1971 to January 1, 1986.

AMERICAN

CARNATION

SOCIETY

325 -27 CHERRY STREET PHILADELPHIA. PA. 19106 AREA CODE 215 WA 3·1640 ANDREW H. STRANG EXECUTIVE SECRETARY-TREASURER MAY NEWSLETTER 1971 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

John Scanlon, editor of the Florists' Review magazine, used the following remarks in the May 13th. issue of the Review as a pre-fix to Dr. Lou M. Berninger's article involving a subject pre-sented at the American Carnation Society convention in San Diego, California, February 24 - 27, 1971. Too bad, neither gentlemen attended our convention which dwelled exclusively with product marketing, they would have been greatly impressed as were those who attended our informative sessions.

Dr. L. M. Berninger, associate professor of floriculture in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin, speaks in the cause of marketing. Well he mit;ht~. creative,

constructive, productive, logical marketing being the stepchild of the industry that it is. This week at least and admittedly I'm trying to get facets of Dr. Berninger's marketing message across to that segment of the trade that regularly reads this magazine by spotting throughout the issue three of his marketing memos.

These pieces and flower marketing in all its forms are subjects for discussions. Probably no one has all the answers. If the trade never gets around to discussing marketing, the problem can become a cancer that eventually will kill the rest of the industry as it is now constituted.

Convention agendas can't get along without cocktail get-togethers, outings and parties. Time and again in checking through meeting programs I 've been unable to find the subject of product marketing scheduled. If this industry doesn't become more aware of the

importance of orderly marketing, its present practitioners are going to get up some noon after a convention cocktail wingding and find that the business has eloped with someone who will pay attention to proper marketingt.

On to Lou Berninger's comments:

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971 THE VIEW FROM AN IVORY TOWER

~2

THE MARCH 1971 ISSUE of the American Carnation Society Bulletin carried an article by Dr. William Wood, agricultural economist, University of California, Riverside, regarding the US carnation market. He offered 10 observations that could well apply to all crops. During this ern of rapid change, all segments of the

industry should understand a producer's position and how he might react tomorrow. Here are seven of tho 10 points offered by Dr. Wood:

(1) Marketing activities are a function of supply rather than demand; carnations are essentially produced and then marketed rather than produced to meet demand.

(2) Quality di£ferences between producing areas are not real but are used as bargaining devices by potential buyers.

(J) Periods of depressed prices result not from excess supply but from disorBanized suppliers.

(4)

Temporal price fluctuations are more disastrous to sellers than buyers.

(5) Producers with long-term supply contracts at standardized prices will be able to survive better than those selling on the open market.

(6) Carnation producer-sellers have found business sufficently profitable so as to be hesitant in seeking market innovations.

(7) High volume-low profit margin operators will survive better than lower volume-higher margin producers.

The rapid expansion proeram in California during the late 1960s testifies in part to the fact that growers have primarily focused attention on production and secondly on finding a home for their merchandise. Disastrous summer prices in recent years are a product of the general failure to plan effectively on the basis

of anticipated demand.

There is a strong feeling that expansion plans have frequently

been born at national meetings when Browers have had an opportunity to travel and view tho projects under way in competing areas.

There is a certain amount of pride in reporting one's growth plans.

Were it not for the influx of South American carnations, growers might continue to devote their resources toward: production of more and more carnations. It should become increasingly evident for this group of producers, as well as those involved with

other crops! that more time must be spent on improving quality and C A R N A T I 0 N S D 0 1 A S T 1 0 N G E R

MAY - NEWSIJETTER - 1971

THE VIEW FROM AN IVORY TOWER (Continued)

developing new markets. Production must now take a backseat to mnrketing.

The second point regnrding quality differences between producing areas is open to debate. Bill Wood undoubtedly clarified this point and unfortunately I was not present for the discussion. Quality differences do exist between competing areas during mnny months of the year. Low winter light, for example, adversely

nffects carnntions produced in the northeast and surrounding states. I would argue that buyers have played one area against the other partly because of quality and partly because of the ·lack of a uniform system of grades and standards. A "fancy" carnation in one area might in fnct have a "standard" label from nnother soctiQrt of the country. While it can be most confusing to tho

buyer, it is not unusual to find him using this as a prime weapon to force prices down,

Many growers appear to operate on the premise that they stand to gain when the buyer is confused or lacks adequate market informa-tion, I would contend thnt the grower, oftener than not,

receives the short end of the stick. Perhaps, it is time to

recognize that his opponents in the marketing system nre not always going to show all their cards.

Disorganized suppliers do contribute to periods of depressed prices. It has been common to offer retailers a box of "free" carnations if they purchase one box during summer glut periods, Most retailers will store the carnations for another week. Thus the seller finds himself facing a weak market the following week. You can't expand an inelastic market by offering price incentives, Spenking of storage, or should I say "conditioning," this practice may well account for many of the problems facing carnation pro-ducers. Instead of developing new markets or finding a home other than traditional retailers, some growers have conditioned their blooms in the hope that the market would be strengthened the follow-ing week.

Growers need to become organized to the extent that they can more effectively regulate the flow of carnations to the market, If they cannot, then it requires an intensive effort to develop new markets rapidly. Production controls, unfortunately, seem out of the question nt this point.

High volume producers operating with low margins should be capable of withstanding the dramatic fluctuations in prices and summer-depressed periods more effectively than those operators dependent

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971

THE VIEW FROM AN IVORY TOWER (Continued)

on high margins. The larger operators should know their costs and what average prices are required to return a fair profit on

investment. Then tho operator can and will aggressively seek standing orders. The era of rapidly fluctuating prices is ending;

the business is moving into one featuring more uniform prices throughout the year. South American imports undoubtedly will help strengthen this movement.

Why have producers been hesitant in seeking market innovations? Certainly, business in recent years has not been that profitable

for carnation growers in Colorado and, I suspect, California. I am inclined to think that two factors enter the picture.

(1) Growers have historically focused attention on production and

ignored the field of marketing. One can still examine a typical

grower's program and find the vast majority of presentations on

production topics. An even better example of this lopsidedness is the research projects under way in a given area. How often can

anyone find a marketing project?

(2) Growers have historically worshipped the opinions of members of other segments of the industry. The growers' view seems to be that it's always good at a cn.nference to have a wholesaler or retailer tell them they're doing a good job. How often can

growers really expect a wholesaler invited to address a group

of Florida flower growers, for example, tell them that they are

doing a lousy job?

On the positive side, there are many indications today that

grow-ers are entering a new era. It is not uncommon to hear growers

calling for more and more market information.

Perhaps the competition from South American producers will jolt many to take a new look at their problems. The danger, of course,

is that they will seek easy answers to complex questions. Cutting off all imports would not solve the basic problems

confronting carnation producers. Only whon growers become market

oriented will they find it truly possible to improve their economic position.

What can be expected from producers in the midl970s? Much more attention will be focused on the production of quality flowers, bunched uniformly and described in a standard language (uniform

grades). They will work together in expanding the total demand for carnations as well as other crops. New markets will be

explored and methods devised to eliminate storage except on rare occasions. The producer will take a backseat to no one in finding a home for his merchandise. L. M. Berninger

MAY - ,NEWSLETTER - 1971

CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (A.C.S. Convention-San Diego, California-Feb. 27, 1971

Presented by - Raymond F. Hasek - Extension Floriculturist Agric. Extension Service, Univ. of Calif. at Davis

Carnation growing in California has come a long way from the days in the early 1900's when immigrant Japanese and Italian growers carted their total production to market in oversized market baskets. Often the only means of transportation available to them was a long ride on an interurban car and/or a ferry boat as in the case of growers around San Franc is co Bay. A few of the more fortunate ··ones who were

located close to the market transported their flowers in horse drawn wagons. Carnations were grown in roughly two general areas of

California in those days. In the north they were grown primarily within the San Francisco Bay Basin. This included the. region which

is now metropolitan San Francisco and the area along the East Bay from Oakland south to San Leandro. A long time carnation grower in San Francisco is still growing carnations in the s·~me ground beds where his father grew "pinks" as far back as the 1880's.

Carnations were grown mostly in glasshouse structures in the early days. Cloth houses did not come into the picture until the 1930's. They served to help growers produce a better flower, but production was limited to the summer months when no rain fell. As soon as the rainy season started, the disease incidence in flowers became so great that outdoor production had to be discontinued.

Prior to World War II there was relatively little shipping of cut flowers out of the state, The limited amount which was done was confined to railway express or truck shipments. After World War II, a great change took place concurrently with the development of the four engine aircraft. In the late 1940's and early 1950's the capacity of the planes was still limited to a great extent by the power of their engines. A great expansion of air routes and air-craft size subsequently took place. As a result the range of air shipments was extended to all parts of the United States. This, then, made it possible for the growers in California to ship their cut flowers to practically any moderate size town in the eastern United States.

In the early 1950's there were still a lot of cloth house grown carnations being produced. These were soon supplanted when polyethylene became available to the floricultural trade.

Polyethylene was cheap and it extended the otherwise limited growing season to year round production, A great surge of greenhouse

construction followed, and this, of course, was followed in turn by a big bust in the carnation market during the mid-1950's. Heavy carnation production in the west hit head on with mid-west and eastern flowers at the marketplace and a depression of carnation

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971 CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (Continued)

PAGE 6

-prices took place. Table I shows carnations production in 1956 as compared to 1969 in California. The number of growers increased by 815.% during the thirteen year period, while flower pr0duction

increased n~arly feur fold. Table I.

CARNATION PRODUCTION

12~6 AND 1262

PLANTS IN BLOOMS $VALUE AT

NO. PRODUCTION SOLD WHOLESALE

STATE YEAR PRODUCERS ~lOOO'sl ~1000's) ~lOOO'sl

CALIFORNIA

_I9'3b

₁₅₇ 9,264 99,950 4,198

1969 285 29,865 .372,762 20,566

COLORADO 1956 114 5,875 53,811 4,735

1969 158 12,172 145,240 12~546

23 STATES 1969 1,861 60,773 693,206 47,696

U.S.D.A. STATISTICAL REPORTING SERVICE FIGURES.

It was not until the early 1950's that carnation production began

in the San Dieg~ area. In 1952 there were only 3 growers of carnations

in Sun Diego County. There are now approximately 70 growers

located here. People, smog and taxes started the decline of flower production in and around Los Angeles. To some extent the movement of growers was from this area to San Diego and Santa Barbara. Of the two, San Diego was, by far, the main choice of the growers.

Bay area·carnation production continued to expand through the 1960's, but here, too, people, smog and taxes brought the building rate to a

much reduced pace at the end of the decade. Expansion of new ranges

continued at the south end of the Bay in the area north and east of San Jose, and in the Santa Clara Valley to the south. This area had always been considered to be a little too warm for carnations and a little teo far from the market; however, it has been found that excellent carnations can be grown here. Transportation to

airports no longer presents a problem. Some expansion also took place along the Pacific coast, s~uth of San Francisco in the Half Moon

Bay area. · A few years later, several ranges were erect~d ut

Pescadero, approximately 20 miles farther to the south. It was not until the 1960's that the Watsonville-Salinas area came into its own as a flower producing region. During the rast 5 years it has been the most rapidly expanding production region in the state. It now approaches San Diego in the ameunt of area devoted to carnation production.

MAY - NE,WS,LETTER - 1971 -CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (Continued)

PAGE 7

-Table II shows relative sizes of the various major carnation

production areas in California. The dollar value of the industry in 1969 was approximately $20.5 million, 1\s you can see from an examination of Table III, this amount is slightly over 25% of the entire wholesale value of all cut flowers produced in the state. Compared to the rest of the United Stutes, the California growers produced 53.8% of the total number of carnations produced during

1969, This is shown in Table

:v.

Unfortunately, the dollars received for these flowers was far less than 25% of the national total.

Table II,

CALIFORNIA CARNATION PRODUCTION AREAS 1262-70 APPROXIMATE AREA Table LOCATION _{SQFT (1000's)} \ SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA _8,085 SALINA S-WATSONVILLE

_5,250

S\N DIEGO _5,663 OTHER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA _1,320 TOTAL FOR STATE _20,318 III.

CALIFORNIA ORNAMENTAL PRODUCTION FARMGi\TE Vc\LUE (MILLIONS $)

CATEGORIES _{1966 1967}

CUT FLOWERS AND CULTIVATED GREEN

POTTED PLANTS FLOWERING AND

59

.

5

62.5 FOLIAGE 16.6 16.5

BEDDING PLANTS 7.6 6,8

BULB PRODUCTION

5.7

2,7

FLOWER SEED PRODUCTION 2.8 1,6

PROPAGATIVE MATERIALS 3.3 6,1

ROSE PLANTS 4.5 6,0 HERBACEOUS PLANTS 2,4 1,6 ACRES 186 121 130 JO 467 1968 70.3 17.1 7.2 2,8 3.4 4,2 6.6 2.3 1969

79.5

17 .. 8

8.5

3.1 2,1 4.0 7.2 1.8 TOTAL l02.4

TO~

113.9 124,0

FIGURES COMPILED BY WILLIAM IRVINE, TOKUJI FURUTA AND RAY HASEK C A R N A T I 0 N S D 0 L A S T L 0 N G E R

MAY .- NE)1S,;LE.TJER lQ?l -CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (Continued) Table IV.

P!.GE 8

-CHANGES IN C1\RNATION SUPPLIES

AREA CALIFORNIA COLOR!iDO OHIO 23 ST.~\TES IMPORTS

%A VER!\GE ANNUAL CHANGE 1966-69

17.5

10 ..

6-J.l

10.1 ? %OF 23 STATE TOTAL 196Q

53.8

21.0 2.3 100.0 2.4 The o..ctual growing conditions for carno..tions varies somewho..t from loco..1_{~ion to location throughout the Sto..te. In the San Fro..ncisco}

Bay o..nd Salino..s-Wo..tsonville o..reo..s nights are cool even in the

sun~er o..nd winter temperatures are only slightly more severe, By Eastern stando..rds, California. winters o..re still quite mild. Most of the greenhouse construction which took plo..ce in the early 1960's in the Salino..s-Watsonville o..rea was polyethylene covered. but there were some glo..ss covered ranges erected o..s well. Fiberglass also

became available about tho..t time, ~cceptance of the new material

was relatively slow, but now most greenhouse coverings are of this type, Growers erecting new ranges are covering them with fiberglass initially rather than following the old procedure of gro..duo..ting

frQm polywethylene film covering to the fiberglass type after being

in business a few yeo..rs, In southern Co..lifornia, especially o..round Encinito..s, a good sho..re of construction is unheo..ted, polyethylene

covered greenhouses. Houses of very light weight construction and

more often than not have no ventilators, The roof is of an

unusual uneven span construction, The longer spo..n actually extends over the shorter side at the ridge for an extra three to four feet, Since the polyethylene covering on tho short span stops 18" to 24" from the ridge, a gap is left between the two spo..ns which allows for free air circulation. The long overlap of the longest span eYtends over the opening so as to prevent ro..in from entering during

the winter months, Heated polyethylene houses are also to be found in Encinitas, but under present market conditions there is some question o..s to the economic value of the use of heo..t in this area, Those members of the American Carnation Society, who attend

the convention in San Diego, will, be o..ble to see a great deal of the type of construction mentioned above,

The rate of construction throughout the entire state seems to have

subsided somewhat during the past year. No doubt the general

recession of our nationo..l economy has contributed greo..tly. A C A R N A T I 0 N S D 0 L A S T L 0 N G·E R

MAY - NEWSI.ETTER -.

1971

-CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS ·- (Continued)

second possible reason might be the fnct that during the past year carnation growers as a whole have suffered incomewise. The summer prices during

1970

were greatly depressed and sales were limited. Whether the present "second thoughts" on expansion will be influenced by the Federal Government's rosy prognostications for the year

1971

will remain to be see, Even though carnation prices were not good during the past year there probably will be an increase in the dollar volume reported for carnations in California during

1970

over that reported in

1969;

however, the income from the individual flowers will n~ doubt show a definite decrease during

1970,

There is one other possible deterent to rapid expansion of the c~rnation business in California and that is the spector of imported flowers, So far, these flowers have not been a major

market factor as was shown by Dr, Cecil Smith, of the University of Florid~, when he spoke to the California State Florist Convention

at Monterey (Table IV), He showed that the carnation production during the ~eriod

1966-69

increased on an annual average of

17.5

%

in California and

10.6%

in Colorado. When you consider that these two areas produce approximately

75%

of all carnations grown in the United States, the 2-1/2 to

J%

represented by imported flowers

doesn't seem to be significant, It would seem, from examination

of the data shown on Table IV, that the two heavy carnation

producing areas of Colorado and California are causing, to some

extent, their own problems in marketing at the present time. Rapid

expansion brings with it responsibility of selling those flowers

produced from the new areas at n profit. This is often easier said

than done.

About the only means the growers of California carnations have to combat the threat of imported flowers is to produce a much better

product themselves. Our present Federal Government has the

attitude that Latin American countries must be subsidized through the giving of favorable ratios of foreign exchange. This just

about eliminates any possibility for the institution of protective tariffs. There has been some grower-wholesale activity in this

directi~nJ but there doesn't appear to be concrete evidence that that progress has been made, Just producing a better quality of flowers by itself is not going to be the whole story. Thr~ugh the usen of lights, temperature manipulation, etc,, growers should be

able ~o control the production date of carnations to a moderate degree, At least these cultural practices will aid progressive growers in producing flowers during peak market periods. The

growers on the west coast will have to learn more about the

marketing of their flowers before real strides can be made in this

direction.

MAX - NEW,S1ETTER 1971 -CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (Continued)

PAGE 10

-Some GrOWers from the east have expressed interest in the ~ctivities of conclomerate~ in Californi~ floriculture. No doubt many

overtures h~ve been mndo, nt least to some of the larger growers in ·the state. ht this time no big take-over has been reported, It might be said that none of the l~rger concerns seems to have "bit". Ther~ has been n lot of conglomerate activities in other fields of production, such as lettuce ~d other field crops. As far as it has been possible to ascertain this has not been the case in cut flowerst especially carn~tions, It •.is possible that one of the reasons for the lack of penetration by the conglomerates into the floriculture business could be their lack of ability to "buy" good management. This is the essential ingredient in making money as growers well .know. Without it, the production of first class flo.ricul tural products, in this case cut carnations, is not too easily accomplished. There are probably a multitude of other

reasons for lack of penetration by conglomerates, but at this stage naming them would be indulging in n guessing game.

Smog has been known to effect production of cut flowers throughout California~ It has been one of the primary reasons for movement out of the Los Angeles basin by some of the growers and perh~ps

it will be~influential eventually in the movement of flower producers out of the San Francisco Bay Area, California has instituted some strict smog control laws, but still others are

needed. No doubt present laws will help to alleviate the situration as it now exists, but how long it will be before positive effects from their enforcement becomes evidenced is questionable. As has been suggested elsewhere, perhaps by the time the smog situation is licked flower growers will have moved their greenhouses elsewhere, to relatively smog-free areas within the state. They then could care less. This is a relatively foolish attitude, especially since it is known that smog tr~vels a good many miles if and when the wind currents are correct. There is just no place to hide. Carnation growers from outside the state of California might be interested to know that there is a movement underway tow!lrd

the institution of a Promotion and Research Advisory Board among the growers and handlers of cut flowers in California. This is strictly on the drawing boards and has not gotten off the ground at this point in time. The purpose of the promotion and research program will be exactly as stated - promotinn and research funding. There will be no requirement for grades, standards or crop

limitations considered in the institution of this net. · If the Promotion and Research Advisory Board should ever come into being it would give the California growers, not only of carnations, but of all cut flowers, a change to act as a closely knit unit. Perhaps then they will be able to make their numbers felt at the marketplace in 2. way they. cannot do at present. Tt.ere has been some work done

MAY - NEWSLETTER 1971 -CALIFORNIA CARNATIONS - (Continued)

PAGE 11

at Riverside in a strictly exploratory manner dealing with the development of symptoms of smog damage on cnrnntions. Due to luck of funds the project had to be discontinued, Apparently the problem of smog is not considered by California carnation growers to be

sBrious enough to persue this mutter further. If an net, such us the Promotion and Research Advisory Board were to be

instituted, then sufficient funds probably could be garnered to continue work such us this ~hich is of a vital nature to you ns

erowers, The final decision of whether or not this net will even come into.being is in the hands of the growers nnd only time alone will tell what their decision will be,

One other problem which the carnation growers in California may have to face in the not too distant future, is the problem of

unionization. As most of you know, there is a concerted effort to unionize the workers in lettuce fields nnd other field crops throughout California. Since the e;reenhouse, especially those in the Snlinns-Wntsonville urea, are located among many of the disputed lettuce fields you can realize that it will not be too long before union representatives are e;oing to come knocking on the greenhouse doors,

Tuxes nre n problem no mutter where a greenhouse owner locates t~ese days. ··california has no mono:Joly on this problem, since it is

nation-wide. To counteract high taxes there have been some growers who are interested in "green belting" which is merely an act of placing lund in an agricultural reserve, So fnr, the tux situation has not reached the point where growers feel that this is the only way to

e;

o.

Unfortunately, by the time the growers feel the excessive tux pinch it is quite probable that it will be too late to do

anything about it, By then laws will have been passed which will eliminn te "green belting'' in choice areas and growers will be stuck with n high tax bill each year.

This is approximately the situation ns it exists with the carnation

growers throughout the state of California, To a good many people it would seem that things might get worse before they get better.

Growers, being the type of people they nre, will continue to go on

us they have been doing for so long in the past since hope springs

eternal every time a good market period comes along,

C A R N A T I 0 N S D 0 L A S T L 0 N G E R CARNATION LIGHTING-by- Robert W. Langerno

Bob Langemo, GTE Sylvania, Denver,Colorado, distributed to the A,C,S, conventioneers at San Diego a wonderful nine page booklet on the

economics of fluorescent vs incandescent lighting.

The A,C,S. office has a few of these booklets which are available upon request,

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971

_-

PAGE 12

HOW TO PRODUCE 1 MILLION 16" QUALITY CARNATIONS PER WEEK FOR DIRECT CONSUMER SALES

By -

w.

D. Holley, Colorado State University

(77th Annual American Carnation Society Convention, San Diego, California, February 24-27, 1971)

Assumptions must be freely made in presenting this sort of projection.

I will present an ideal situation first, point out some of its limitations second, then proceed to some alternatives that could modify these projections.

The assumptions I make in an ideal situation are as follows:

1. That production is in the Northern Hemisphere between

JO

and 40

degrees latitude.

2. That a relatively disease and pest-free situation is provided.

J.

That Sim varieties of no special selection are used.

4. That the best known substrate preparation, watering, feeding, and environment is supplied.

I am basing this projection on 2-year culture. I have tried lesser periods but they are more complicated. No plants are grown with a

single pinch unless something happens to a previous planting. All

plants are started just prior to the occurrence of maximum solar

energy so the plants can develop at their maximum rate before flowering. In order to take fullest advantage of this energy,

complete second pinching of all original breaks is done. If market requirements should delay planting to early June in some producing

areas~ the pinch and a half would be substituted in order not to delay first production past November.

All planting should be done from May 15 to June 1 in soil. Plantings in inert substrates can be made 10 days later. Plantings May 20

in soil and pinched twice should start heavy production in most

areas November 1. Plantings as late as June 10 should be given a

pinch and a half in order to flower in November. Cuttings planted

May 15 to June

5

should be ready for second pinch in 45 to

50

days

and should flower 150 to 170 days from planting.

The second important restriction placed on this projection is high cutting. If flowers are cut low from the beginning to take

maximum stem length, the first return crop will be delayed and reduced. In order to attain continued high and steady production

from double pinched plants, all cutting should be done above breaks.

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971 _~13

HOW TO PRODUCE 1 MILLION 16" QUALITY CARNATIONS PER WEEK FOR DIRECT CONSUMER SALES - (Continued)

To prevent needless overloading of plants there are times of the year when two or more breaks should be removed on the flower stems. Laterals are produced most freely in the spring and least freely in late summer and midwinter. Some long stems can be taken during the second year of growth without materially affecting total yield, To supply some logistics as to what 1 million flowers per week

involves, a conservative estimate of two years' yield of 16-inch stems is

125

flowers per square foot

(55

the first year and 70 tho second). This is an average of 1.2 fls./ft 2/wk. This would

require from 29 to JJ acres of greenhouse depending upon the percent ground area in beds or benches.

There are serious limitations to this projection, No JO acres of carnations ever grow or flower as predicted. A simplified schedule such as this will always produce more flowers in good weather than in bad. There will be weeks in summer when the quota will be

overproduced even with only half the area in production. September is likely to be a short month on both numbers and quality. April and May will likely overshoot the yield needs.

Some other possibilities should be brought to your attention regarding production of carnations for consumer sales. The

foregoing projection is based on varieties not particularly adapted for the consumer market. They are varieties first for the grower and secondly for the retail florist, What grades and colors do consumers want? I suspect shorter stems with large flowers in many colors. We should find out what the consumer will actually

buy if not restricted to work grade red, pink and white.

Further, if we are really serious about consumer s~les, we should immediately develop the varieties needed, if these are different from those we presently grow~ Possibly we should grow many more undisbudded flowers. Possibly we should supply a package that contains everything from loose buds to nearly open flowers. Mutant forms in the Sim varieties branch more freely and the

branches develop faster. If 10-12 or even 16" stems can be sold, the yield of these mutants may be 50% greater than the normal variety. We have found this mutant in J Sim varieties so far but it will probably occur in the others, There is always the

possibility of breeding new varieties that are more highly produc-tive, Possibly a shorter plant with base branching characteristics is what we need.

..

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971

_-

PAGE 14

HOW TO PRODUCE 1 MILLION 16" QUALITY CARNATIONS PER WEEK. FOR DIRECT CONSUMER SALES - (Continued)

In conclusion, I would like to add that I feel opportunities are great in this area of consumer marketing, I do feel, however, that the product produced and presented to the consumer should be what she wants--not what is left over from a different marketing channel,

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CARNATION GROWERS ASSOCIA'J;'ION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS - 1971

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

-SECRETARY-TREASURER

PAST PRESIDENT

David Vanni

Vanni Nursery, Inc.

Mountain View, California, 94040 Richard Garibaldi

Seabreeze Nursery Co. Pescn.dero

Steven Siri

Siri Brothers Nursery, Inc, En.st Palo Alto

Tak Yonemoto Tn.ck's Greenhouses Santa Clara BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charles Barr Sunbay Farms Watsonville Ken Fujii

Fujii Company, Inc, Hayward

George Hatakeda Hatakeda Nursery Hayward

Ham Honda

Woodside Nurseries Co, Redwood City C A R N A T I 0 N S Ernest Uyeda T, Uyeda Farms San Jose Tad Kajiko Kajiko Nursery Morgan Hill Mas Oku

Mountain View Greenhouses Mountain View

Frank Shimamoto

Watsonville

Arne Thirup

Pn.jaro Valley Greenhouses

Watsonville

MAY - NEWSLETTER. - 1971 ~15

CARNATION BUD SHIPPING - GETTING MORE FLOWERS TO THE CONSUMER Presented at the A.c.s. Convention by - Kent Davis, Davis Brothers, Denver, Colorado

During the past several years, the carnation industry has taken

some important steps. All the way from the growing to the marketing. The major changes one could probably admit have been in the

growing or cultural end of the industry. At the same time, the market by its demands and performances have dictated to the

aggressive producers to improve the product they market. In the process, the expenses of these changes have cut into the profit margin of the average grower. The various expense, and conditions,

in various areas have more or less influenced the extent of these cultural advances.

The consumer whom we have completely depended on in the past, have

tradition~lly been responsible for the movement of our product into two main avenues of distribution. Untill recently, we were

concentrated in these avenues and more or less at the mercy of the buyer. Because of the distribution and the efforts of the handelers to provide the fastest, easiest, and cheapest product available, we have in essence become many specialists in the same field,

therefore the efforts and services become a major problem and expense to the consumer as he exsists in the only available distributive avenues.

It now becomes an important problem to create a better product, to handle it cheaper and reduce its cost into the market place.

The primary objective then becomes one of a Selling job, all the way from the producer to the consumer. Carnation bud development then can, and is offering some interesting possibilities, and is

probably the one major practice that can be a cost cutter from

producer to consumer.

In all tests from the University of California, Colorado State University, and the United States Department of Agriculture, it is a :tJroven fact that the shelf life of a bud cut at a stage of 3/4" to 1" of color showing will and do last longer than an open carnation.

Buds cut at a 1/2" and under did not last as long and showed less flower development than the 3/4" - 1" bud. In shipping the stress of temp. over 70°F, buds showed very little damage where as open carnations showed considerable damage. In reverse, the open carnations shipped at 550 F held better than buds shipped at the same temp.

MAY - NEWSLET,T~R - 1971 ~ 16 CARNATION BUD SHIPPING - GETTING MORE FJ..JOVfERS TO THE CUSTOMER

(Continued)

Storage was also noted to be a big plus in favor bf buds. All

storage up to three weeks showed the buds to go through storage

period with less damage and higher degree of keeping. Using storage both on the han·~ler end and consumer end, the area required for bud storage is much less than open blooms. Thus during peak periods all parties have the ability to level out what was a problem in

supply and delivery

Another important factor is the weight of buds verses open blooms.

Vfucn talking about weight, we have a tremendous savings for the

handler and consumer, we have a real selling point here, due to

increases in freight, more weight per cubic ft. shipped this way could be cheaper than freight costs prior to major increases, The actual bud itself is lighter than the open carnation, and less apt

to bruise and break, Petal burn is significantly reduced. The major costs incurred are the costs of labor and opening facilities. If the opening could be spread out over several handlers or retailers, this would reduce the cost significantly.

With all the advantages available it would far out weight these

couple of disadvantages, The one big advantage on final destination is the opening of the buds under controlled environment, thus

eliminating many variable that are now unknown to the retailer.

On the producing end of the chain we can easily note many advantages

that arc time savers. The grower can carry in a cutting saddle more

buds, thus cutting in half the number of trips to the grading room, less loss and damage occurs, the cutter can cut must faster. Graders and bunchers can hand them in a third of the time, plus

eliminating loss and damage. The bud is graded basically the same by using calyx size, stem strength and size. The big advantage here

is the removal of cut from the bench three to five days earlier than normal will affect the return, not only in time but possibly

quality.

Davis Brothers presently are shipping in the neighborhood of 40,000 buds a month. We can tint buds with the same success as open blooms. The major problem we have is filling the orders by grade, we have

instructed the Sales people to sell the buds only and got a preference in grade. We then fill as close as possible by grade and color.

Since we have had some response to shipping in the bud stage we

have been able to isolate one 25,000 ft. range and cut only buds.

By the end of the year we will be able to put some refinite figures together as applied to a grower, thus far it looks very favorable.

.

.

MAY - NEWSLETTER - 1971

-

PAGE 17 CARNATION BUD SHIPPING - GETTING MORE FLOVffiRS TO THE CUSTOMER

(Continued)

In conclusion, we as Qn industry can share in one of the few

endeavors that have been available in the last twenty yeQrs. The disadvantages, few as there Qre, will, and cQn be a problem, but a problem that is not impossible to solve. The advQntages on the other hand Qre many, and in all areas from producer through

handlers to retailer. There are enough advantages in all of these areas to justify the few disadvantages.

The actuQl and real problem is education. How much will it cost? How long will it take? These questions can not be Qnswered, these are some of the many unknowns. We as growers and handlers will have

to take on this educational program and slowly educate the whole industry as we come into contQct with them. Until this is done, the bQd concept will never become a factor in the industry; what a shame that we Qll can't benefit in an actual dollar savings.

C A R N A T I 0 N S ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

D 0 L A S T

WANTED - NEW VARIETIES of CARNATIONS,

L 0 N G E R

The American Academy of Florists will again sponsor the New

Varieties Show at the Society of American Florists convention in Minneapolis.

The annual AAF new varieties show, is scheduled to open Sunday afternoon, July 25th. we·urge all growers to send samples of any newly developed varieties, to Alexandria, Virginia so that the S.A.F. might enter them in competition.

Anyone who is interested, please contact Doug Gordon so that he

can arrange shipment of the flowers to a contral point in Minneapolis. Several A.c.s. members and the Secretary will be at the convention to see that your new varieties are properly displayed.

Mr.

Gordon Douglas

S.A.F. Assistant Executive Director 901 North Washington Street

Alexandria, Virginia 22314

..

MAY ₁ .NP:J.YSLETTER - • 1971

--

PAGE 18 AIR MAIL FLOWER PACKAGE

by Bruce Enigenburg, Manager of Royal Crown Flowers, Encinitas, Cal,. Talk Presented to A.C, S. Luncheon, Carlsbad, Cali:t:o.rnia ··

I would like to begin by reading some excerpts from letters we have received from satisfied customers:

", •• • the carnations you sent me from the Cannon's were received in first class condition--they are beautiful," CMH, Rochester, N.Y. ", • • • • the roses were 'like velvet' and the folks are delighted!" B.H,, Washington, D.C. "• • • • I was so happy with the carnations sent to me on Valentines Day, they lasted 22 days," Mrs. O,E.J., Wasilla, Alaska," I am so thankful for your prompt service and the Gessers said that apart from the flowers arriving tip-top condition they have never seen such beautiful carnations. In the past I have sent them to my home in England1 " P.c.s., Beverly Hills,

Ca.

These are just a few of the letters of accommedation from our files.

We at Royal Crown Flowers have been shipping individual orders of flowers direct from the grower to the recipient by Airmail-special delivery. Nearly 100% of our packages arrive anywhere in the u.s. in 20 to 40 hours and anywhere else in the world by 70 hour~ after leaving Encinitas.

This styrofoam shipping box and technique for mailing is the creation of Clayton Emsbach, a grower, and Dan Wells, both of Encinitas, Calif. This box, which has been described as

resembling a violin case is made of polystyrene and has a wall thickness of 9/16 inch for adequate insulation protecting the

flowers from heat or cold, The design of the box plus the plastic outer wrap makes it tough enough to go through the mails without additional over-wrap. We guarantee our product unconditionally for "fresh flowers delivered on time",

Royal Crown Flowers has been shipping Carnations in the polystyrene box for 1

t

years, the Sweetheart Roses & Chrysanthemums for 6

months now and we're just starting on Bird of Paradise, Cymbidium Orchids and Anthuriums.

We get our flower order from direct mail and mail-order selling as well as from retail outlets~ The orders and the personal message, come in by mail, phone or personal delivery, We type out a label, affix the postage to it and forward it to the grower who packs the type of flower and color indicated, The grower takes the packed

•

~y - NEV'WLETTER - 1971 AIR MAIL FLOWER PACKAGE - (Continued)

boxes to the Post Office and away they go!

PAGE 19

-So you see, we are really a growers organization in the business of "flowers by mail."

We have year round experience now with the Post Office, customers, flowers, weather, etc. and it is looking like a great, relatively new way to send flowers,

NEMATODE CONTROL ON CARNATIONS WITH CONTACT AND SYSTEMIC NEMATICIDES Presented at the A-C-S- convention - February 25, 1971

By - J, D. Rndewald and

s.

T. Besemer

There are several nematodes recognized as parasites and pathogens of carnations in California including root-knot, ring, pin and lesion, All of these general are potentially destructive. The most logical way of controlling these nematodes is by the

utilization of prcplant fumigants such as the 1,3-dichloropropanes and chloropicrin, Both of these materials alone and in combination have given excellent results in the past and are still considered to be our old standbys.

As is the case with any agricultural organization, we sometimes find that infestations crop up where an inadequate preplant fumigation

job was done or no preplant job was done at all. The question then arises: Do we have chemicals which will effectively protect a

carnation crop once it has become infected? To date we have no answers for a situation such as this and it is the purpose of our

trial at the Skyline Nursery to evaluate two new contact nematicides and two new systemic nematicides for the control of root-knot. The chemicals that we are using in this specific trial fall into two groups: one, the contact materials, which include Furadan and Nemacure,Both of these are nonvolatile and nonsystemic. The two other materials that we arc checking include 1410 and 1764, both of which have been shown to have systemic activity; that is, when these compounds are applied as foliar sprays to the plants, they are translocated downward in the plant to the root systems and

protect against further nematode attack, They do not kill nematodes efficiently and we feel that their activity is for the greatest part prophylactic in nature, Small screening trials under greenhouse conditions have looked extremely promising, especially for 1410, This trial at the Skyline Nursery is not well enough advanced to give a good evaluation of its performance to date in the field; however results at this time appear promising.

PAYROLL TAX Issue No. 35, NUMBER 686, MARCH 23, 1971

VOLUNTARY WITHHOLDING REGULATIONS ARE ADOPTED BY THE IRS

You will recall that the Tax Reform Act of 1969 authorized the Internal Revenue Service to prescribe rules whereby employers and employees could agree that tax be withheld on amounts received for services that do not constitute "wages" under the Internal Revenue Code. Regulations implementingthis voluntary withholding were published in the Federal Register on March 18, 1971. These final regulations authorize voluntary withholding on wages paid after January 1, 1971.

As a result of the new regs, agricultura~ household and certain other employees may choose voluntarily, if their employers agree, to have federal income tax withheld from their wages. Regular withholding rates and rules will apply. Thus, employees not subject to mandatory income tax withholding may be able to avoid having to pay estimated tax.

Generally, an em~loyee who desires to enter into a voluntary · withholding agreement makes his request by submitting a Form W-4 to this employer, However, a written request for withholding is necessary where the employer is already required to withhold from other wages that are not the subject of the agreement. A written request is also required if the employee wishes to specify that the agreement will terminate on a specified date. The

agreement become effective when the employer accepts it by

beginning to withhold. Either party may terminate the agreement by notifying the other in writing.

Income tux withheld on household workers will be submitted quarterly with Form 942 or 941, if applicable. No deposits of tax withheld from these workers will be required. Agricultural employers will report the tax withheld on the annual Form 943 along with social security taxes. Beginning April 1, 1971, agricultural employers will become subject to the same deposit rules that apply to other employers (PAYROLL TAX GUIDE 7008). Until then, social security taxes are to be deposited in accordance with the current rules (PAYROLL TAX GUIDE, 7235)

The new regulations on voluntary withholding agreements are further discussed at 30250.

COMMERCE CLEARING HOUSE, INC. PUBLISHERS OF TOPICAL LAW REPORTS

NEW YORK CHICAGO WASHINGTON

AMERICAN

_{J ,}

CARNATION

SOCIETY

325- 27 CHERRY STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19106 AREACODE215 WA 3-1640

JUNE - NEWSLETTER - 1971 ANDREW H. STRANG

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY-TREASURER DENVER, COLORADO

Artificial Media Enables Denver Carnation Grower Achieve Faster Growth The benefits of automation in many phases of greenhouse operation are widely shared by growers. Some, however, have advanced the art of controlled environment even further by not only controlling the climate but also the very foundation of their growing plants -- via artificial media or growing without soil.

A good example of such development is found in the newest greenhouses of Roger Weakland who has four greenhouse units scattered around

metropolitan Denver, Colorado, under the corporate entity of R. L. Weakland,, Inc. His newest unit is a 95,000 square foot arch house

located northwest of Denver on the mountainward side of Arvada, a Denver suburb. Every carnation in the new structure is grown in an eight inch gravel base, in benchless rows stretching the length of the house.

While artificial media are becoming more popular with growers in many ways, the concept of growing without soil is still relatively new, and not without its hazards. Mr. Weakland can give first-hand testimony of its potential hazards; he lost his entire first year production in artificial media. "It's a new concept in a way, but it's been tried off and on for years. Many Colorado growers have done some experimenting and some have switched to it in a big way as we have done here."

Artificial media, Mr. Weakland explains, are generally limited to three choices. One is gravel--which Weakland has used in his newest house -- and the others are scoria. a type of volcanic rock, and

Idealite a lightweight aggregate often used in concrete construction. Reasons for going to artificial media are multiple, Mr. Weakland

explains. "We can get faster growth, more stretch in the stem and better environmental control." "Plants growing in soil," he explains, "are more dependent on outside weather conditions. For example, if a series of cloudy days limits transpiration, the plants growing in soil may have to go two or three weeks without watering. "With artificial media, since drainage is constant and root areas aren't surrounded by moisture, "we water every single day, adding fresh water, fresh air and fertilizer to these plants."

While Mr. Weakland has been experimenting with artificial media since 1956 and now has about one third of his total growing capacity

(counting all four houses) converted to artificial media. he has learned a great deal about the soilless operation particularly in his Arvada unit which is now two years old.

JUNE - NEWSLETTER - 1971 CARNATION GROWING IN ISRAEL

PAGE 2

-Presehted by - Abraham H, Halevy; The Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel (A.c.s. Convention, San Diego, California)

Israel is a small country, The enclosed drawing illustrates the comparative size and latitude location of Israel to California. One can see that the northern part of Israel (The Galilee) is in about the same latitude as San Diego, most of the country is farther south. The size of Israel is about 1/20 of California. However, this small geographical area

is

marked by a great

diversity of topographic, climatic and edaphic characters almost as big as one can find in the entire state of California. Dr, G, E. Post, the American botanist, who at the end of the last

century wrote the first complete "flora" of this region says in his introduction: "This region is unequalled by any of the same size on the globe, not only for the thrilling and important events of human history of wnich it has been the theatre, but for its unique geological structure, its great diversity of surface and climate, and its remarkable fauna and flora."

The country ranges from the deepest valley in the world - The Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea of about 1300 ft. below sen

level to Mount Hermon rising above 9000 ft. More than half of the country's desert with percipitation less than

3

inches, However, in the more populated northern parts of the country the annual winter

rainfall varies from 6 to 30 inches. ·

These unique characters enable us to grow and produce both tropical and temperate crops, and also a great variety of flower crops.

However, since the local market is restricted due to the small population of 3 million, the development of the industry is mainly dependent on export, Export is· now exclusively oriented to Europe, due to lack of commercial relations with our neighbors, The

European taste and requirement dominate the nature of the cut flower industry. Our production for export is therefore limited to the crops and varieties that are accepted

in

Europe and to the time of the year when the local production in Europe cannot supply the demand. Our export season is from October to the first week of May, The main crops are roses, gladioli, carnations, anemones, gerberas and irises, in that order.

Our best customers for flowers are Germany and Switzerland as can be seen from Table 1. These and some other countries in central and northern Europe are also the major importers of flowers from Holland and other exporting countries, as demonstrated in Table 2, The United States was until now, only a minor factor in the

international flower trade (Table 2).

JUNE - NEWSLETTER - 1971 CARNATION GROWING IN ISRAEL - (Continued)

PAGE j

-In carnations as well as in roses and gladioli there is an

increase in demand in recent years for miniature flowers. In 1969-70 season aoout 2 million standard carnations, and about 7 million

miniatures were exported from Israel for the value of about

o.6

million dOllars. The present growing area of carnations in Israel

is about

50

acres.

Most o! the standard carnations are grown for the local market. The varieties are the same as those grown here in California. Rooted cuttings are usually planted in June and plants remain in production for one and a half years, until the end of the following winter.

Miniature carnations are grown mainly for export, the production is therefore ~imed almost exclusively for the winter. Cuttings are planted in May or June, pinched usually twice, so that

harvesting starts at the beginning of October. Produption period is limited to 7 months, until the end of April. In May plants are pulled out and the greenhouse soil is sterilized before replanting.

Our main miniature carnation varieties differ from those common in the USA. About 80% of the production is of the Royalette typea cerise, pink, and white. These are considered our best varieties, the production is good and they are relatively resistant to high temperatures and to diseases.

Other varieties grown are Peachy (sensitive to fusarium), Sam's Pride (sensitive to Pseudomonas Woodsii) and Cupid (sensitive to Alternaria). We have tried most of the varieties common in the USA like Elegance, Goldilocks, and Starfire but we found them not suitable to our conditions. They are either low on production during the winter or are sensitive to diseases and high temperatures.

We are constantly checking new varieties including a few, from a local breeder, two of them see~ promising. We are badly in need for a good red and yellow varieties.

The average production of the miniatures is 12 iJPor~able flowers per sq. ft. or about

7

per plant, during the ha a year winter export season. The best growers obtain up to 15 flow~rs per plant~

The carnation flower industry started with outdoor production

partially protected by plastic or saran. Today however, practically all the flower production is in greenhouses covered mainly with

polyethylene, PVC and ~iberglass. Most of the greenhouses are unheated. Carnation cuttings are also produced in Israel, mainly on contract with European companies. These are grown in open fields. Last year (1969-70) 12 million cuttings were exported, in addition to those sold to local growers.

.

. '

JUNE - NEWSLETTER - 1971

CARNATION GROWING IN ISRAEL (Continued)

PAGE 4

As stated above we count in production figures only exportable flowers. Quality and health control is very strictly enforced by the Flower Export Board, Flowers which do not pass the quality control in the central packaging houses or in the airport are returned to growers. Most of the Israeli growers are family operations of 10-40,000 Sq. Ft. However, almost all the growers belong to one marketing co-op. This enables them to become a major factor in the European flower market during the winter months, to share all the benefits of a modern, computerized big.marketing system, and eliminates the competition in intornational markets between various Israeli producers.

Table 1

VALUE OF FLOWERS EXPORTED FROM ISRAEL IN 1269/70

VALUE IN

COUNTRY THOUSAND $

%

OF TOTAL

W, GERMANY 2,800

₅₃

SWITZERLAND 1,100 20 SWEDEN 400 ₇ AUSTRIA J80 7 ITALY JOO 6 HOLLAND 150 J NORWAY 100 2 FRANCE 80 1 TOTAL 5,500 Table 2

TOTAL IMPORT OF FLOWERS IN 1268

COUNTRY MILLION COUNTRY MILLION _~

W. GERMANY 8).0 USA 1.9

SWITZERLAND 10.7 CANADA 2.;2

SWEDEN 8.8 Ns AMERICA ~TOTAL~ 4.2

FRANCE _5.1 UNITED KINGDOM

_5.3

AUSTRIA 2.9 NORWAY

_1.5

ITALY 1.7 BELGIUM 0.9 FINLAND 0.8

w.

EUROPE (TOTAL) 10),2 C A R N A T I 0 N S D 0 L A S T L 0 N G E R

NOl~vJcrt ~anltLV1

-JUNE - NEWSLETTER - 1971

NEW WAYS (THAT ARE WORKING) OF GETTING MORE ~~qWERS TO THE CONSUMER

ACS Convention Feb.

25,

1971 - "San Diego Street Corner Outlets"

Presented bya Bob Farris, General Partner

Kelley's Carnations Encinitas, California

San D~ego State College, one of the five major colleges in this area.

has a current enrolQffient of approximately 26,000 students. Some of

you football buffs are probably familiar with this college since it is the home of the nationally acclaimed San Diego State Aztecs. Football is only one of the activities in which many of these

students participate. Besides going to the beach and surfing, many

kids enjoy snow skiing, while others enjoy sailing1 all of which

are only minutes away from the classroom here in Southern

California. Other students have chosen to spend their leisure time

capitalizing on a business idea which was introduced .into San Diego

County about five years ago. 1he business -- FLOWER 'STANDS: Why

Flower Stands? Because there is a large return with a minimum

investment. ·

The basic requirements for a flower stand are simple: 1 .. 2.

J.

WHEN WHERE -HOW

Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday A busy intersection with a traffic light

An eye-catching array of bouquets that are priped right:

In Sn.n·'Diego County there are now approximately 40 to 45 flower

stands doing an annual sales volume of about $500,000,00, They are

doing most of this on Friday afternoons• Saturdays, and Sundays. It is incredible, isn't it, that so little selling time can produce

such a large volume of sales? Interestingly enough, 50% of the

total sales (about a quarter of a million dollars) is obtained from four weekends durir:tg the year -- Christmas, Valentine's Day,-Easter, and Mother's Day.

Where is it best to loc~te a flower stand? one of the first things

learned was that the hj_gher status more exclusive residential areas

were no good for this .. type o:f business. Retirement residential

areas were no better •. ·· In a retirement area1 the sales volume :from

one weekend to the next was completely unpredictable. One weekend

the sales would be terrific then the next one would be terrific. Over all, the average sales were too low to make a profit.

We :found the ideal residential areas :for this type o:f business to

be those that contained younger :families... These :families

statistically had two children or less and had an average income o:f

less than $10,000.00 per year. A high proportion o:f the residents

in this so-called "ideal" area were :found to be transitory.