FOREIGN TREE DEALERS. 295 
all worthless, Only last year I found one who was selling budded 
apple trees for only one dollareach. Hewas doing a thriving busi- 
ness in the neighborhood of a local nursery, where thrifty, well 
grown trees of varieties approved and recommended by the Minne- 
sota Horticultural Society were for sale at nominal prices. Thelocal 
nurseryman, however, was unable to educate his neighbors up to the 
point of interest and confidence that would induce them to buy his 
trees. The foreign tree dealer, with his better methods, did accom- 
plish this and sold hundreds of trees. His budded tree nursery 
was, however,a myth existing only in hisimagination. When it 
came to filling orders he purchased a fine lot of hardy, thrifty, well 
grown trees from a well known local grower less than 100 miles 
away. Thetrees were carefully handled, and I believe are all grow- 
ing well, 
Our climate, the newness of the country, the character and habits 
of the people, make horticultural education a necessity. The cheap- 
est and most reliable means of education is that afforded by the 
Minnesota Horticultural Society and the pioneer horticulturists of 
the state. The most expensive educator, the unreliable educator, 
but at the same time the best patronized, the most persistent and 
extensive educator is the foreign tree dealer. 
He is successful because the people desire novelties and sensa- 
tions; they are greedy for new things. They are easily bamboozled, 
in fact, rather seem to enjoyit. No other method of selling trees 
has yet been found so successful as personal canvassing from house 
to house. No other means of education on the subjects of fruit 
raising and tree planting has as yet been discovered equal to 
thirty minutes personal contact with a well qualified tree dealer. 
New names, novelties and high prices are necessary to cover the 
cost of this expensive method of selling trees. So long as the peo- 
ple are able and willing to pay for this kind of education, they will 
find instructors ready and willing to take their money. 
The local tree grower who expects to harvest dollars must enter 
the field with the foreign tree dealer and compete with him along 
his own lines, show as fine pictures, have as high sounding names, 
tellas large stories, charge as high prices—but furnish better stock. 
Experience demonstrates the fact that the average man or woman 
who needs education in small fruit culture, prefers to pay one to 
two dollars per doz. for Golden Wonder strawberries rather than 
one dollar per hundred for Crescent, Warfield, Wilson or Downing. 
A canvasser making a house to house canvass who should beauti- 
fully describe the good qualities and beauty of Linden Americana, 
offering them only one to a customer at $2 each, would do a thriv- 
ing business, where he would find few customers for basswoods at 
25 cents each. 
The foreign tree dealer is a great educator; he comes high, butthe 
people want him, and as long as they are willing to pay the price 
they will gethim, In those things thatare good and useful we niay 
imitate him. Wecannot suppress him so long as he finds profit in 
the business. A tree dealer, like a prophet, needs to go away from 
home for either honor or wealth. 
