534 STATE rOMO LOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Greenings and lioxbury Hussets, or thrifty Ked Canadas and Peck's Pleasants. 

 Tlic people too often expect S2)lendid trees, no matter what kinds they order, 

 and ill order to pleasa them at lirst sight the agents err in the direction 

 of deceit. 



Mr. Mnnson, Grand llapids. — Tlie temptation comes to the agents because 

 of the ignorance of the people. Wlien ])cople learn to know that some kinds 

 of trees cannot be grown straiglit and beautiful like others, they will not expect 

 the dealer to furni.<]i nice trees regardless of varieties ordered. As regards the 

 want of responsibility on the part of agents, I should have the agent show his 

 credentials before ])urchasing. 



Prof. Tracy. — Two things it is Avell to consider before purchasing: 



1st. What trees to buy; 



2d. To buy only of responsible nursery inon. 



I manage tliis last point by giving the agent my order on condition that I 

 shall send it directly to the nursery he represents. In this way one gets rid of 

 imposters pretty easily. 



S. L. Fuller. — What to buy, where to buy, and when to Ijuy, are questions 

 the people are every day receiving information upon through the efforts of this 

 Society. It is a work of education that this organization was founded to carry 

 on, and I am glad to hear this discussion. I have done a good deal of begging 

 for this Society, and have always offered the inducement that for every dollar 

 expended value received would be given in valuable information. I have occa- 

 sionally found a hard case, and have learned from experience to tackle the 

 elderly men. The young fellows know too much. I remember one instance : 

 a young man was perfectly independent of our deliberations; I asked him to 

 join our Society, and said to him, ''You will have a farm some day and will 

 set out an orchard; you will then vrant to know what fruit trees to Iniy. The 

 volume I give you for your membership will give you the exact information you 

 ■will want." ''Yes," said he, "but that thing is iixed ; I am going to marry a 

 widow that has got a farm!" "Well," said I, "how about the kinds of 

 apples you are going to plant?" "I think I Avill take all Seek-no-f urthcrs ! " 

 said he, as he turned upon his heel. So, you see, this educating the masses is 

 rather up-hill work ; but I am not discouraged. 



Mr. Scott, Grand Kapids. — I am satisfied some nurserymen need educating 

 in honesty as well as tree-dealers. I'can from experience endorse all that has 

 been said about the swindling propensities; but for the beneiit of the nursery- 

 men present I wish to say that the worst piece of cheating that was ever accom- 

 plished, to which I was the worsted party, had a nurseryman at the other end. 

 I was not going to trust a dealer, nor would I even send to the nursery, but 

 went myself and selected vines for a good sized grapery. They were labeled 

 Concord and JJelaware, but proved in time to be all Catawba. I dug them all 

 up, but as if to throw ray folly into my face, the miserable things have sprouted 

 from the roots and I have Catawba vines for sale, and he who gets them will 

 find them correctly labeled. So, gentlemen, my experience — and I am an old 

 man — has been that agents will cheat you, but nurserymen will make the clean- 

 est job of it after all. 



Adjourned until morning. 



