Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 503 



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has some poor, worthless fruit, is a great loser, and is justly indig- 

 nant. Hence the tricks of the tree-peddlers ought to be condemned 

 in the strongest terms. Every nurseryman has a reputation at stake, 

 and he feels the importance of having his trees all named correctly. 

 , Sometimes the names are lost from various causes ; then they are sold 

 at low rates. Every nurseryman has what he calls " hospital stock." 

 People buy these and peddle them around, and the farmers buy 

 because they buy at lower prices than from a regular dealer. This, 

 of course, is penny wisdom. Nothing is needed so much4o be sup- 

 pressed as the trade carried on by these tree-peddlers. I meet them 

 everywhere, and they never lose an opportunity to sell a tree, no mat- 

 ter by what deception a trade is accomplished. 



Mr. F. 1). Curtis — No respectable breeder of stock would think of 

 sellino- inferior animals, if for no other reason than because the act 

 might hurt his reputation. Now, for the same reason the nurserymen 

 should not sell " hospital trees," and when they do, knowing that 

 they will be resold and the farmers cheated, they are the principal 

 parties to a base fraud, and should be held responsible, for if they 

 did not dispose of such trees they could not be resold. An honest 

 breeder of stock butchers his imperfect animals, and an honorable 

 tree grower should regraft or destroy his worthless trees. 



Mr. Henry Stewart — Our friend of The Republican, who has just 

 addressed us, is right. The peddlers are not the persons who are 

 chiefly to blame. Farmers are not men who are handy with the pen, 

 and have but little acquaintance with business forms, and if there 

 were no peddlers there would be fewer orchards. But the nursery- 

 men who are behind the peddlers, and who turn oft" this "hospital 

 stock," are the conspicuous offenders. The rubbish is put upon the 

 farmers in such a way that the nurserymen are hidden, and creep out 

 of the blame. If nurserymen destroy all this poor stock and send 

 out only good trees, the farmers would be benefited, and the peddlers, 

 who are useful in their way, would not be made scape-goats for their 

 sins. 



Dr. "Wolff — I disagree as to where the blame should rest. If I am 

 fool enough to buy trees or any other article of persons of whose 

 integrity I am not convinced, then the consequences should fall upon 

 me alone, and I would bear them, and not complain to the Farmers' 

 Club. 



Mr. Slipper — Our friend from the Hocky Mountains is right. 

 Farmers are credulous by nature or education. They come to New 

 York, for example, and think they can get Geneva watches for half 



