YOUR CORNER. 317 



which will enable me to reach nearly all of the plot by the natural 



slope of land. 



I hope to see this subject fully discussed in the "Horticulturist", 



as we must have water when needed, to make fruit raisino;^ a success. 



With best wishes for the "Horticulturist" I remain, yours truly, 



W. S. WiDMOYER. 

 Dresbach, Minnesota, August 15, 1894. 



A SWINDLE EXPOSED THE MODEL ORCHARD" 



SCHEME. 



August 22, 1894. 



Dear Sir: Knowing that your society always stands ready to 

 expose fraud wherever found, we take the liberty of calling- your 

 attention to a swindling scheme being worked by tree agents upon 

 farmers in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. It is not a new 

 one by any means, but the manner in which this gang carry on their 

 work is damaging, not only to their victims, but to the horticultural 

 interests of the state, and to those who have for 3^ears labored 

 honestly to put the Northwest to the front as a fruit growing section. 

 We refer to the " model orchard " scheme. 



These agents claim to represent some Princeton, Illinois, nursery, 

 but we are informed, as a matter of fact, the only relation between 

 them and that nursery is that they buy their stock of the above 

 company, and re-model varieties to suit themselves. They have 

 operated in the above named territory quite extensively for the past 

 two years, and the outcome of their swindling methods will result 

 in great damage to the fruit growing interests of this and adjoining 

 states. Not satisfied with the ordinary methods of pushing their 

 scheme, they pull down the work and reputation of nurserymen who 

 are doing their best to put into the hands of planters of the North- 

 west something that will give them value received for their time and 

 money, and what long experience has taught them to be worthy of 

 propagation. 



Their scheme is about as follows: They approach a farmer with 

 a proposition to furnish him with from $75.00 to .$80.00 worth of 

 nursery stock, or enough to set out a certain area, agreeing to plant 

 and care for the orchard for a certain number of years, giving the 

 farmer time in which to pay for it, with the exception of one-third of 

 the amount, which is to be in cash, the balance in negotiable paper, 

 payable in one and two years respectively. These notes are imme- 

 diately sold to an innocent purchaser, and the farmer will have to 

 pay them whether the contract is carried out or not. They have not 

 the least idea of fulfilling their part of the agreement and, being 

 totally irresponsible, cannot be compelled to do so. 



Should the farmer have an orchard on his place, he is informed 

 that he has been duped, and that the trees are perfectl}^ worthless, 

 as they are "root-grafted;" and to prove it the operator pulls up a 

 young tree, cuts it off at the union of the stock and scion, and shows 

 the farmer the scar in the tree, informing him that "the only thing 

 to do is to dig up this orchard and to use budded stock, as all grafted 

 trees are worthless and those who sell them are swindlers." It is 



