STATE POMOLOGICAL .SOCIETY. g7 



Now, why does such a state of things exist? Does it not 

 indicate a great wrong somewhere, and is it not a detriment 

 to the pomological interests of our State, and a disgrace to 

 such persons as have formerly supplied us with trees, that 

 compulsory sales must be made at exorbitant prices in order 

 to make it a paying business ? that in default of effecting vol- 

 untary, bona fide contracts for the sale of trees, the unscru- 

 pulous agent is disposed to defraud his employer, and inflict a 

 dastardly blow at the relations between the buyer and seller, 

 which but for these contemptible tricks, these outrageous 

 frauds of which many of the tree selling fraternity have been 

 for years gulity, might have been amicable and satisfactory? 

 A day or two since we read of an agent for a well known 

 New York nursery firm being arrested and held to bail on a 

 complaint for forging orders for trees amounting to $3,000, 

 on which he was to receive 15 per cent, commission. This 

 is only one of many cases of daring forgery of orders for fruit 

 stock ; which acts are some of the most aggravating causes of 

 the present condition of the tree trade. I know of men who 

 are considered successful agents in obtaining of orders, who 

 have no scruples against using the most dishonest means to 

 make sales of stock. One agent, operating in a certain sec- 

 tion of the State, happened in the course of his canvass to 

 call on a couple of elderly ladies who were employed in 

 making husk mats. They wished to have some trees, but 

 had not much money, and declined to order any. This agent, 

 with the pertinacity for which he is distinguished, and the art- 

 fulness of a villian, seeing a chance to sell some trees, imme- 

 diately replied, saying he would take his pay in anything ; 

 he would take husk mats. And he succeeded in assuring 

 these women that he would deliver the trees himself at the 

 appointed time, and would take his pay in the products of 

 their hard handiwork. It is probable they are still at work 

 getting ready to pay for their trees in the spring. We know 

 what the result is likely to be, — a demand on these poor 

 women for the money in payment of their order, and a reve- 

 lation of the rascality of the agent to the man who hires him. 



