256 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



\_Au(juiit, 



perioiue, and no one has experience of a better 

 quality. We have also from the same publishers 

 ft hand-book of Recitations and Readings. 



First Annuai, Rkik^rt ok the Ohio Fish 

 Commissioners, from J. H. Klippart, Secretary, is 

 received. 



SCBAP^ AND QUERIES. 



Damages for Del.vy. — A. L. asks : — " When a 

 nurseryman ships plants by railroad or steam- 

 boat and they are delayed an unreasonable time, 

 80 as to spoil on the way, can the railroad or 

 steamboat come back on the shipper for freight ; 

 or are they as common carriers liable for damage 

 to the plants of the shipper ? " 



[Properly speaking, the goods belong to the 

 consignee, as soon as they are placed in the 

 hands of the company. But in perishable arti- 

 cles the consignee often says, " he did not order 

 goods," or questions the reasonableness of what 

 he regards as "delay," or neglects to come for 

 them till they are spoiled, and the railroad peo- 

 ple cannot realize their expenses by the sale of 

 spoiled goods. They often pay connecting roads 

 large sums of money as " back charges," all of 

 which they lose under these refusals. Under 

 these circumstances the leading roads refuse to 

 take perishable freight unless the rates are paid 

 in advance by the shipper, or the shipper guar- 

 antees that the freight shall be paid. It is often 

 a great annoyance to the shipper to have to come 

 under these rules, but we can see that while peo- 

 ple are made as they are, the railroad people 

 will naturally try to protect themselves. The 

 shipper must protect himself by being sure that 

 the person he sends to is a reasonable person, 

 before he undertakes to guarantee for him. 



But there will be times when there really is 

 "unreasonable" delay by the railroad people. 

 Most railroad people that we have had dealings 

 with, promptly settle when this is made clear, 

 but there are some like some people who act on 

 the principle that when there is a loss let some 

 one else bear it. There is no remedy then but a 

 lawsuit, and this as a general thing, besides 

 being expensive, is little more than a game of 

 " toss penny." The wisest thing in these mat- 

 ters is so to pack that things will not suflfer by a 

 little delay. If a shipment will probably take a 

 week, pack so that evea a month on the road 

 will not hurt them. The customer is generally 



expected to pay for packing, and as thi.s is usu- 

 ally expressed and understood, he has the right 

 to look for a good job. If men in business un- 

 derstand their business properly, and charge 

 enough for good packing, and the customer wil- 

 lingly pays it, these railroad disputes would sel- 

 dom occur. — Ed. G. M.] 



Amateur Marketing. — "A Cabbage," Balti- 

 more, Md., writes : — " I engaged in this place as 

 gardener, and it suited very well for a year, but 

 the master wishes me to sell the surplus fruita, 

 flowers and vegetables to help pay the garden 

 expenses, I do not think it is right for a gentle- 

 man to engage in this business, and wish you 

 would say so in the Gardener's Monthly. Doesn't 

 it hurt the trade?" 



[This is a question which the Gardener's 

 Monthly cannot decide. Every gentleman must 

 decide this for himself. Amateur gardeners, of 

 course, follow gardening for pleasure, and when 

 you engaged with him it was to administer to 

 this gardening pleasure, and it may not be quite 

 fiiir to you to be called on to undertake com- 

 mercial affairs without your entire consent. So 

 far we think you are right. Perhaps also the 

 "trade" may not feel kindly toward one who 

 sells as he does. He sells for fifty cents what 

 cost him a dollar to raise, simply because " he 

 has to keep a gardener anyhow," and he " may 

 as well get some of it back again," and yet when 

 the " trade " offers its dollar's worth, he is told it 

 can be "had for half that," and he has to sell at 

 a loss. But having admitted all this, we still 

 cannot see why a gentleman has not a perfect 

 right to do it. Suppose he finds it costly to keep 

 a carriage and pair of horses, why not hire it out 

 to carry pjissengers to and from the depot at odd 

 times ? He could afford to do it for half the price 

 of the regular " cabby," as profit is not in ques- 

 tion, so much as the " bringing of a little in." Or 

 if he choose to hire out his piano for public con- 

 certs at half the price of the music stores ; his 

 pictures at a small percentage, to help a show ; 

 or even get his cook to bake a few pies and cakes 

 at odd times, and dispose of them to the confec- 

 tionery stores for what they will bring, in order 

 to help pay the servants' wages. We know of no 

 reason at all beyond what every one can decide 

 for himself why he has not a right to do so. It 

 is a matter of taste. — Ed. G. M.] 



Grapes Under Glass.— G. E. S., Boston, Mass. 

 Chorlton's Grape-growers Guide will suit you. 



