18 



E. W. TOWNSEND & SON, SQUARE DEAL NURSERY 



Our Free Service Department and Other Things 

 Of Interest to Our Customers. 



FREE— OUR SERVICE DEPT. 



We do not consider the deal closed when we accept 

 your money and ship your order of plants. We are 

 here to guide you in giving advice and in helping you 

 in every way possible in growing and marketing the 

 crop. More than one-half of the time of the writer is 

 spent in correspondence with his customers in advising 

 them in the different problems in growing their crops 

 and in making selections. 



In this booklet, we are trying to give all the advice 

 possible as to selecting varieties, manuring, plowing, 

 setting plants and caring for them from start to finish 

 — in order to avoid so much unnecessary correspondence 

 as possible, during the coming very busy season. But 

 any advice not given here will be cheerfully given for 

 the asking. 



We have discontinued the growing of other small 

 fruit plants. 



The growing demand for our strawberry plants pre- 

 vents us from growing other nursery stock until labor 

 conditions change. We believe this to be to the inter- 

 est of our customers at this time. Strawberry plants 

 and other nursery stock can not usually be shipped in 

 the same package and it therefore can be ordered from 

 another nursery without any more expense to the pur- 

 chaser. 

 WE COULD GROW JUST STRAWBERRY PLANTS— 



Just such plants as are grown and advertised by the 

 average plant man. But would we grow ourselves ? 



We think not. We have seen the coming and the go- 

 ing of a great many plant growers since we started in 

 the business. 



WE WOULD NOT BE CONTENT TO GROW JUST 

 STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 



Our one aim is to grow only the very best' plants that 

 it is possible to grow. And to make every Townsend 

 customer a leader in his section as a successful straw- 

 berry grower. 



For this reason it is to the interest of every berry 

 grower large or small to select Townsend as his or her 

 Nurseryman to supply the plants for this year's crop. 

 Mistakes and failures are fatal at this time, we must 

 not take a chance and buy something called plants just 

 because they happen to be a little cheaper or a little 

 nearer home. Our packing is perfect. No matter 

 where situated plants should reach you in time, at the 

 proper season — our prices are as cheap as the best 

 plants can be grown and delivered to you. 



Once a Townsend Customers — always a Townsend 

 Customer — WHY? 



The first thought with us when we get a new cus- 

 tomer is to try to please him better than he was ever 

 pleased before. We begin by serving him with better 

 plants than he was ever accustomed to. We give him 

 prompter service than he is used to. We never allow a 



customer to make a mistake in getting the wrons va- 

 rieties if we can help it. We are never too hvisy to sit 

 down and write our customer a letter advisins him 

 about his order. We try to give every customer a little 

 more than he expects, (note what some of them say 

 when writing us). We do not treat a customer in the 

 above manner just when he is new, but "we try to g^ve 

 him better service every time he comes back. 

 WHEN THE ORDER IS RECEIVED. 



When an order is received, first it is handed to our 

 Manager. He reads the order and letter over (if ac- 

 companied by letter), fifty per cent, of the orders sent 

 to us is left to the Manager's own way to fill, as he- 

 thinks best. Twenty-five per cent, or the orders state* 

 if varieties ordered not suited for my section, please 

 substitute something better. The Manager at once 

 takes his pencil and crosses out any variety not suited; 

 or if left enirely to him to make selections, makes out 

 the order with our very best varieties for the particular 

 section, adding a few more plants than the customer 

 expected or paid for. The order goes at once to the 

 Packing House, where it is booked ror shipment on a 

 certain day. The foreman there instructs the book- 

 keeper to add a few extras. Next the packer gets the 

 order in hand to fill. He gives instructions for digging 

 the order and preparing same for shipnaent. When 

 plants are counted (after giving two or three plants 

 over in every bundle) the packer finds he has a few 

 bundles over, he places them in the package also, as he 

 says no use to leave them over we will inake him 

 feel good when the box is opened. So it goes; every 

 one who has a crack at the order tries to do a little 

 more than he is required to do in order to make ttie 

 customer happy. 



We have no, favorites. Every customer is extended 

 the same treatment whether the order is a dollar order 

 or a five hundred dollar order. In short we could not 

 ask any one of our customers to give us more for our 

 money than we give them, if our positions were re- 

 versed. 

 IS EVERY CUSTOMER PLEASED? 



We answer no ! No angel from heaven could please 

 everybody. About two kickers in every thousand, (but. 

 isn't that fine?). Some few expect plants to be shipped 

 before we get the order. Honestly, we have received 

 letters and orders like this : Dated April 1st, mailed: 

 five hundred miles away, giving shipping instructions to 

 be shipped April 2nd. We get the order April 3rd or 

 4th ; on April 6th we get a letter saying we sent you 

 an order about a week ago to ship at once. Please send 

 plants at once or return our money. What do vre do 7' 

 Fill the order just as it comes in turn — no other way to 

 do. A postal is always mailed when an order is receiv- 

 ed and booked unless the order is going to be shipped 

 Parcel , Post same day, then no postal is required, ^ Usu- 

 ally the kickers turn out our very best customers in the 

 end, as they get just as good treatment as we can give 

 the rest. 



OUR RESPONSIBILITY. 



As to our responsibility, we refer you to our bankers — the Salisbury National Bank 

 of our city., all Express Go's., Postmaster of Salisbury, Md., Dunn's or Bradstreet*s 

 Commercial Agencies. Have your banker look us up for you, will only take a minute 

 of his time, and he will be pleased to do this for you. 



If you have never done business with us we will thank you to make the inquiry. 

 You will then have confidence in us, which is the foundation of all business relations. 

 Placing an order for plants and seed is like placing your all with a man, so far as crop 

 prospects are concerned. It is true that the plants nor the seed can do it all no matter 

 how perfect, but good plants are the foundation for a good crop, and always remember 

 that there are none too good. 



SPECIAL NOTICE TO OUR OLD FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS, 



We are not advertising through the Farm Press but \ ery little this season. We are^ depend- 

 ing upon our old friends whom we have been serving for many years to do our advertising for 

 us, and to give them the benefit of our lowest prices possible. Kindly send us a list of names 

 of the Folks in your vicinity who might be interested in strawberries that we may mail them 

 our literature. We are revising our mailing list and hope receive these names as soon as you^ 

 receive this Catalog. For this service we will add One Dollars worth of plants to your order. - 

 PLEASE DO THIS, AND SEND YOUR OWN ORDER EARLY. 



