284 HUMBUGS. 



lying all other objections that may be made to this 

 system is the fault of the public, which alone has 

 the power to change it, but which never will. If 

 we could eliminate the dealer and employ agents 

 the system would be relieved of its worst objections. 



The nurseryman, either through himself or his 

 bona fide agent, is to be commended for going out 

 and rustling for his share of the business. 



The Salome Apple. This is still being sold at 

 two to three times its value on the representation 

 that it is protected by a patent, and that but one 

 nursery in the United States has the right to prop- 

 agate it. There is no patent on any tree; never 

 has been, and never will be as long as the people 

 retain their senses. 



Patent Process. For the apparent purpose of 

 deceiving, and for no other conceivable reason, a 

 large nursery keeps this prominently before the 

 people, thus inducing their salesmen and the public 

 to believe that no other nursery can propagate in 

 the way they claim to do it. It is only a trade 

 mark; and no one else has a right to use these 

 words as describing any mode of propagating; but 

 there is no patent on any manner of propagating 

 anything; never has been, and never can be. 



Fancy Prices. Strange as it may seem the local 

 nurseryman does not suffer in competing against 

 those who put prices down, but the reverse. 

 There is an impression that the higher the price, 

 the better the goods. The same goods are worth 

 so much money, and selling them at double the 



