066 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



to what a guarantee really meant? Does not our law require it to be in 

 writing, in order to be valid? Did you ever see a nursery agent give a 

 guarantee in black upon white, to make trees bear at a certain age? You 

 may but to me it would be a great curiosity. But it seems as though the 

 multitudes are very anxious to fulfill that prophecy of P. T. Barnum. a 

 better way would be to patronize home trade. Go to your local nursery- 

 man and trust him with your order and plantings at a reasonable price. 

 He is just as ready to serve you as the stranger from a distance and in 

 case your trees die or fail for any fault of his, then you have some one to 

 go to with your lamentations. But where could you find Dick, Tom or 

 Harry who probably canvass a certain territory once in ten years or even 

 less. 



I have so far spoken chiefly of the deviltry of the nursery agent to- 

 gether with the genuineness of the nursery stock, so it now remains in 

 justice to the patron, to stretch forth his saintly side. Patrons of a nur- 

 sery may be classified, for want of better terms, into three classes, namely: 

 careful, careless and every-year buyers. The careful buyer know what he 

 wants, looks to what he gets, plants with a purpose and for the future, 

 and generally has success and is a satisfied customer. The careless man 

 buys cheap stock, wherever he can get it, plants without a purpose in view, 

 and roars when stock does not all grow. The every-3 r ear buyer is the 

 nurseryman's best customer. He buys a little every year — mostly novel- 

 ties. His chief aim is to get something new. He does not believe in "let- 

 ting well enough alone." Has no definite place where to plant, but gen- 

 erally finds room in the old orchard which grandfather laid out, or in the 

 lot where the sows and young pigs usually take their early spring sunning. 

 After he has planted the trees (so to speak at least) they are left and 

 forgotten until if by chance they may be spared to begin to bear. Of course 

 Our genial customer has trusted his memory with names and locations of 

 varieties and is sure to remember them all. Oh! but should he happen to " 

 forget, and get the exact location of the Ben Davis and the Grimes Golden 

 turned around in his mind. Ah! that rascal nurseryman who sold me 

 Ben Davis trees and they bear yellow apples! Upon further investigation 

 after having eaten of the genuine Grimes Golden he proceeds to sample 

 the real Ben Davis, but with an oath throws it to the hogs, crawls through 

 yonder fence, makes a bee line for the good neighbor's turnip patch, pulls 

 one of the largest, peels it and eats away. And he chews his juicy vege- 

 table, he turns his head towards the Ben Davis tree, with a look of de- 

 fiance, he smacking his lips, exclaims, "How delicious!" Such is the ca- 

 reer of the Ben Davis, the business apple, made to look well and sell well 

 but not to taste well. Why not plant something better? Plant the Jona- 

 than! Its fruit is delicious to the taste, fragrant to the smell and beauti- 

 ful to the sight while on the market after once better known it will sur- 

 pass all others in demand and price. It will bring money into your pocket 

 and health into your body, while it will make your children's lips rosy 

 as the cherry and their lids sparkle as the dew drops, and renew the all 

 too soon faded blushes on your wife's cheeks. 



