296 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Mr. Dartt: I think the gentleman did not emphasize one 
point sufficiently, and that is the faculty of the foreign tree 
dealer in one direction, which is and should be one of his chief 
characteristics. He should be and always is a well educated, 
persistent liar. (Laughter). No local tree dealer can compete 
with him in any way, and he may possess all the other charac- 
teristics of polite language and a smooth tongue, but he must 
make up his mind to be one of the biggest liars on God’s 
earth. (Laughter). 
Mr. C. L. Smith: I rise to say that with an experience of 
over forty years with the so-called foreign tree dealers, I have 
found that the successful foreign tree dealer, the most success- 
ful tree dealer, does not necessarily need to bea liar. On the 
contrary, he is the man who collects the facts and truths as he 
finds them on the farms and through the localities where he 
works and then presents them to his prospective customers in 
such a manner as to claim their consideration by telling them 
the truth ; and a man can succeed many times by telling the 
truth where he would fail by telling a lie. They tell the truth 
and tell it in a tactful way, they tell it in an attractive way so 
it will draw attention. After I had written this paper I read it 
over to an attorney of this city,a friend of mine. In comment- 
ing upon it, he said: ‘‘That is all true, but there is one point 
you have left out, and that is this: The success of the foreign 
tree dealer, whether he works in person or through his cata- 
logue, depends on the fact that he presents some attraction in 
such a way as to fix the attention of people. So far as Iam 
concerned, I have been in the habit of sending away for plants 
and fiowers, things I know I could have bought in the city, but 
every year I get catalogues, and there are some nice pictures 
in them of things I want, and I get them because they have 
been presented in sucha way as to attract my attention.” Ido 
not think it is necessary to be a liar in order to be successful in 
the nursery business. 
Mrs. Kennedy: But all the same, they are the most invete- 
rate liars on the face of the earth. (Great laughter). 
Mr. C. L. Smith: I will plead guilty in one respect: When 
I began business my employer said, ‘‘Be very careful never to 
tell a lie unless it is necessary. If you do tell one, be sure you 
stick to it forever.” (Laughter and applause). 
