[Big Fish]03月04日Argument14--By swolf54

swolf54UID: 2421931

TOPIC: ARGUMENT14 - The following appeared in a memo from the owner of Green Thumb Gardening Center, a small business serving a suburban town.
"There is evidence that consumers are becoming more and more interested in growing their own vegetables. A national survey conducted last month indicated that many consumers were dissatisfied with the quality of fresh vegetables available in supermarkets. And locally, the gardening magazine Great Gardens has sold out at the Village News stand three months in a row. Thus, we at Green Thumb Gardening Center can increase our profits by greatly expanding the variety of vegetable seeds we stock for gardeners this coming spring."
WORDS: 396          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2010-3-4 11:33:44
今天的写得有点水。。。诶

In this memo, the arguer draws a conclusion that Green Thumb Gardening Center can increase their profits by greatly expanding the variety of vegetables seeds they stock for gardeners this coming spring. To support his claim, he cited a national survey conducted last month and the sale condition of a magazine called Great Gardens. Unfortunately, however convincing as it appears, this argument fails to sustain arguer’s assertion due to several vital fallacies.
In the first place, the arguer unfairly assumes that the nationwide trend would be suitable for a specific location. It is entirely possible that though nationwide customers become dissatisfied with the quality of fresh vegetables available in supermarkets, but the local customers are satisfied with the local vegetable suppliers. Besides, that survey was conducted in the last month, which only represents the past situation. The arguer couldn't suppose the future condition would be as same as past without vivid evidence. Without demonstrating the market condition of local district in the future would be as what described in the memo, the arguer fails to support his opinion.
In the second place, the sale of Great Gardens is not necessarily due to people are more willing to grow vegetables by themselves. Perhaps a local school, which recently set up a class in vegetable growing, brought most of the Great Gardens in these three months. Since the article fails to account for this alternative explanation for the increase sale of magazine, the arguer cannot get the inference that local customers show great preference in growing vegetables by themselves.
At last, even if I accept that the arguer makes an unwarranted assumption that expanding the variety of vegetable seeds they stock for gardeners this coming spring will surely brings them profit. Without considering about the stocking and other relative cost, this conclusion is not convincible. Besides, expanding the variety of vegetable seeds may be not feasible for the company for the reason that, the company needs to transport the seeds from remote places, which will generate huge transition cost.
In conclusion, due to the several fallacies in the argument, the arguer fails to make a sound logic to support his assertion. To strengthen his opinion, he needs to provide more detail information about the local market. In addition, more information about cost and benefit in expanding variety of vegetable seeds is also recommended.