PLANTING THE HOME GROUNDS 31 



demand, and sold the public what it wanted, and they prospered 

 thereby. Their sincerity as growers of plants of good quality was not 

 to be questioned. 



The installation of landscape service was an inevitable develop- 

 ment in the nursery business a natural consequence of the desire to 

 increase volume of sales. Those who built up such landscape service 

 on a sound and permanent basis succeeded because they realized the 

 necessity for sincerity not only in growing and selling stock but also in 

 adhering to the principles of good taste. Unfortunately there have been 

 many nurserymen who have followed the example set by the leaders 

 in this field of business expansion, but without realizing the need for 

 sincerity in design. There is an effort under way to standardize the 

 nursery business on a national scale, and it is to be hoped that in the 

 process this regrettable shortcoming will be corrected. 



Sincerity in planting further demands that plants be used that are 

 hardy in every respect. Whenever they must be protected or nurtured 

 for any reason, it should be clearly understood by all concerned. No 

 plants should be used in any composition whose future growth will 

 destroy that composition as originally conceived. If plants are delib- 

 erately used for temporary effect, this should be plainly specified. 



Care should be taken to avoid the use of plants known to be sure 

 hosts to insect or disease scourges, or else to provide for proper meas- 

 ures of prevention and control. 



In these practical requirements of sincerity, the nurseryman or 

 gardener who works daily among plants has the advantage over some 

 landscape designers who lack thorough knowledge of plant material, 

 so that it is about a "standoff" between the two. No one man can 

 actively engage in the nursery business of propagating, growing, trans- 

 planting, and selling good, honest stock, and render thorough, intelli- 

 gent and sincere service as a planting designer at the same time. But 

 he can practice the one craft and at the same time possess a deep and 

 abiding comprehension of the principles of the other- 

 Due to a peculiar conceit of human nature, an interesting feature 

 has developed in the field of sincerity in planting from a practical point 

 of view. This is the plant guarantee, which assures the buyer that 

 the plants he buys will live for a certain length of time, or be replaced 

 free of charge in case of failure. The duration of the guarantee gen- 

 erally does not exceed one year; replacement is usually made but once 

 for any one plant; and exception is made for failure due to improper 

 handling or planting, and lack of attention after planting. Also, acts 

 of God, insect or disease injury, or similar causes of failure beyond 

 control of the guarantor nullify his obligation. Many guarantors insist 



