TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 77 



his success by accident. Almost invariably he is a shrewd, clear-headed 

 man, who would succeed in other business just as well, because his success 

 is the result of well-matured plans, perfectly carried out in all their details. 

 For instance, if he finds that he has a good soil and market for Bartlett 

 pears, he does not let some agent convince him, by the aid of beautiful 

 plates, that he needs a dozen kinds, or that he wants something else. On 

 the contrary, he learns, if possible, where he can get the best Bartlett trees 

 from a reliable nursery, is willing to pay what they are worth, knowing 

 very well that when he commences to beat down on prices he is getting 

 upon dangerous ground; and generally he will get better stock for the 

 same money than his close-fisted but ignorant neighbor, who prides him- 

 self on his ability to drive close bargains, as the nurseryman will recog- 

 nize in him a good customer, and will be careful to satisfy him. This 

 stock will prove good; his crops will be excellent, and his prices " way up." 

 Some of his neighbors will call him a lucky man, as the easiest manner of 

 explaining the difference between his success and theirs. 



I have said many harsh things, made some unpleasant comparisons, and 

 still it is not half told — but enough to call your attention to these things, 

 and each one of us must study out the remedy in his own manner. You 

 may think that I believe all nurserymen need watching, and that all agents 

 and dealers are rascals. But not so. I do know several dealers and agents 

 who are honest and reliable gentlemen, who are doing good work; but it 

 takes years of acquaintance to determine this. Nurserymen average as 

 honest as men in any other trade, many of the leading ones being thor- 

 oughly reliable and valuing their reputation above all things; but some have 

 introduced methods, as stated, that work to our injury, and we must pro- 

 tect ourselves by studying the details of our business more closely, learn- 

 ing what we want and how to get it; to do our own business instead of 

 letting the job to the highest bidder; in short, to fit ourselves for the 

 business before we go into it, or else go in moderately until we know by 

 experience what we want, for one of the first things we have to do is to lay 

 the foundation in the purchase of nursery stock, and a mistake made here 

 may be a source of regret as long as we live, while correct plans properly 

 carried out will lead to prosperity and happiness. 



Mr. Morrill was followed by Mr. A. Wyckopf of the Albaugh Nursery 



Co. of Dayton, Ohio, with this brief paper: 



The general plan of disposing of nursery stock is through dealers who 

 buy their stock of nurserymen at wholesale, usually carry the catalogues 

 of nurserymen of whom they buy, make their own selections of varieties 

 and grade of trees, label the same to suit themselves, and in fact, outside 

 of growing the stock, the nurseryman is " not in it. " Hence, stock often 

 proves to be inferior, cheap grade, poorly packed, and, worst of all, 

 varieties largely or wholly* untrue to name. 



The remedy is for nurserymen to employ salesmen direct; to have a 

 constant oversight of the selling; to know constantly, by the sales being 

 reported weekly, with the varieties, how the the sales of varieties are going,. 

 and knowing thereby, exactly, if he can furnish the varieties sold. 



Also, the purchaser should have from the nurseryman (not from the 

 salesman), a legal guaranty of the correctness of the varieties named. 

 Even after the salesman has quit business, changed employers, or gone to 

 that world where all good tree-men go, with this last method the planter 

 has absolute protection, but with all other plans, none at all. 



