28 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



of trees to be found scattered through the country were raised 

 by men who knew nothing of the business, and who cared noth- 

 ing about it beyond the planting of the seed and the selling of a 

 few trees at from one to two dollars apiece. It is not at all to 

 be wondered at that there are to-day thousands of worthless, 

 scrubby, diseased trees, which have been thrown on to the 

 market for just what they will bring, the owner considering 

 whatever he receives for them is just so much found. Experts 

 in the tree business cannot be deceived into buying this kind of 

 stock; but, as a general thing, it is not this class of persons who 

 buy trees. The average tree purchaser visits a nursery, gains 

 all the information possible, finds out what he wants (from the 

 nurseryman's standpoint), and then, if satisfied, leaves an order, 

 with the injunction, ' Now, as I know but little about this tree 

 business, I shall leave it entirely with you to give me good trees, 

 and just such stock as you think I need;' and the man is for- 

 tunate if he is dealing with a nurseryman who will fill the bill 

 conscientiously. 



"The present low price of trees is driving all but legitimate 

 nurserymen out of the business, and it will be a good thing for 

 the country when this shall have been done. It is the poorest 

 kind of economy for a man to pay ten cents for a scrubby tree 

 when he can get a good healthy one for half a dollar." 



