THE MAN WHO SELLS THE NURSERY STOCK. 3I5 



to a stream which they had to cross, and the farmer being a little 

 longer in the legs than the tree agent, raised his legs to avoid 

 getting his feet wet'. He happened to touch the flanks of the bron- 

 cho, and down he went in the water. He called to the agent, who 

 had already crossed to the other side, and said, 



"What kind of game is he after now?" 



"Oh," the agent replied, "he sets for suckers just the same 

 as he does for game." (Great laughter.) 



"As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined." A good up-to- 

 date nurseryman seeing a crooked tree, either trims its branches 

 or cuts it out, and thus removes the unsightly. Carry this into 

 your business and see how it works. A salesman to sell nur- 

 sery stock and be successful, it is often said, must be crooked. 

 Gentlemen, I cannot agree with you on this point, for there is 

 no firm that is going to pay out good cash knowingly to a sales- 

 man who they know is not doing a straightforward business. 

 Where does the blame rest? Oftentimes with the employer. 

 You employ men to work, you furnish them the tools and in- 

 struct them how they must secure business, but how many of 

 you instruct your men that they should sell stock that will bene- 

 fit the planter, encourage him to extend his planting and thus 

 create a demand ? Many of us look only for today and keep pump- 

 ing into our salesmen hot air until they care not what is sold, if 

 they are only successful in getting the signature attached to an or- 

 der. Some are even so eager that this is no temptation. What we 

 should try and instil into our men is knowledge, have them visit 

 the nursery, give them lessons how to instruct patrons, get their con- 

 fidence in this way, rather than have them classed as "gold brick" 

 venders. Gentlemen, this class of trade is doing more to disrupt 

 our business than anything else, and a firm that will permit its 

 men to take orders in such a way is to be classed with them. 



True, the silver-tongued tree-man has done much good, he has 

 caused many an orchard to be planted by his stay over night — and 

 it is just this point I want to impress upon you : it is equally as 

 easy to sell varieties and furnish stock that will prove of value as 

 to sell stock that is of no value. Instil in your men the value of 

 knowledge, what is best suited and most profitable to plant. Do 

 not, because you have a surplus, urge them to sell what will be of no 

 value, but try and create a demand. An illustration: You are 

 aware that in our own state there is being sold each year thousands 

 of trees that are of no value, coming from other states, such as Il- 

 linois, Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, etc. They send men to canvass and 

 take orders for stock which is not hardy, they sell Baldwin apples. 



