8 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



You will be very likely to get some common variety of which some nurseryman 

 had a surplus and offered very cheap to close out. This, I am sorry to say, is 

 the way more money is being paid for nursery stock at the present time than in 

 any other way. 



On the other hand, do not buy of the nurseryman that is offering to sell a 

 little under the price of most others. This is the way I was "sold." It was at 

 the time the Gregg raspberry and Sharpless strawberry were first being sent 

 out. I wished to procure plants of these and some other fruits. Of course they 

 were high, and I desired to get them as cheap as possible, and of all the numer- 

 ous price-lists I had, one offered nearly everything a little under the average, 

 and the " thee and thou " of this price-list "took me." I said, I guess he is a 

 good, honest Quaker, so I sent him my order. The main part of the stock 

 proved true to name (although the Snarpless proved to be Mt. Vernon), but they 

 were so badly packed and selected that much of it was entirely worthless, so I 

 would better have paid double price to a reliable grower and one that knew his 

 business. A nurseryman makes his money by hard work, the same as any other 

 tiller of the soil, and when a man offers to furnish stock for much less than the 

 average grower, you may suspect something is wrong. If you must give your 

 order to an agent represeiiting a reliable nursery, do not say to him, " Now, if 

 these trees are not all just so large and straight I will not take them." Buyers 

 often compel the agent to substitute by such orders, as many varieties will not 

 grow shapely. In regard to the many new, high-priced fruits. I would advise 

 buying sparingly. Of course it is always interesting to test new fruits, but it is 

 risky to invest large amounts in them, no matter how well recommended they 

 come, for my experience of more than twenty years teaches me that not one in 

 fifty will stand the test. 



Of the small fruits, I would advise buying as near home as possible, as they 

 are very liable to heat and destroy the vitality unless much care and experience 

 is exercised in packing. Of the large fruits, I should have no choice if equal 

 care in growing, handling, etc., had been observed. 



DISCUSSIOX. 



A. G. Gulley : I am not afraid of distance in getting trees, if necessary. If 

 well packed they may be sent any distance with safety. Young trees may 

 readily be sent by mail. 



J. W. Helme : Members of a society can buy to much better advantage by 

 clubbing their orders and getting their trees at one place. 



Mr. West and others described how they had been swindled by the agents. 



13. W. Steere : No man should sell trees who has not had experince in rais- 

 ing them. The nurserymen should employ only properly experienced and edu- 

 cated agents. 



Mr. Reynolds : The nurseryman cannot afford to educate his agents. Horti- 

 cultural societies are to educate the people at large so they will not be deceived 

 by ignorant or unprincipled agents. 



T. T. Lyon : Buy direct and skip the middlemen if possible. Still, it is well 

 to remember that many are now enjoying the fruit of trees who never would 

 have bought them had it not been for agents. 



H. E. Van Deman : There is a class of people who cannot be reached by hort- 

 icultural papers and societies, and can only be reached by agents. The main 

 objection to dealing with agents is that it costs more. 



