We sell stock over a very large extent of territory and fully realize that some 
kinds that are eminently popular in one section are worthless in others. To illus- 
trate: The leading Northern apple, the Baldwin, is worthless South, while many of 
our very best Southern winter apples will not succeed at all north of the Blue Ridge. 
We are very particular to have our agents offer those varieties that do the best in 
the section where they are selling. With the care we have exercised m classifying for 
the different sections, a customer in New England or in Maryliuid can make his selec- 
tion of varieties with the same assurance of getting those adapted to his particular 
latitude as one living in our own town. 
Our,s being almost an exclusively retail business, brief description of our manner 
of soliciting and filling orders may be of interest to our patrons. Experience has 
taught us that the most satisfactory way for both our customers and ourselves is to 
have our agents call upon the people and obtain their orders by personal solicitation. 
For this purpose we aim to employ honorable men who will do justice to both our 
patrons and ourselves. We have our agents Call early, usually some months belbre the 
planting sc-isou, so as to give every customer ample time to prepare for receiving and 
planting the stock. The orders arc sent to us weekly. We at once look them over, 
making an aggregate of the varieties sold, so we can see if any particular sort is likely 
to be exhausted, and if it is, we stop or reduce the sale of the same ; consequently, 
substituting is something we never have to do. Our experience is that not one- 
twentieth of the trees are planted when people are left to order of their own accord 
that there would be if they ordered through soliciting agents. Every one knows how 
easy it is to procrastinate, and that the majority of men will neglect to send their 
orders direct to the nursery. Many a man who to-day is reaping a pleasant and profit- 
able harvest from his orchard can thank an agent for it. 
When the proper time for digging arrives, April in the spring, October and 
November in the fall, we have all the stock going to a particular section dug from 
the nursery and brought to the packing ground, where each variety is trenched in 
by Itself, properly labeled. There under our personal mpen-inon each customer's order 
IS filled by itself, the trees tied in a snug bundle or bundles, and a tag, with the cus- 
tomer's name written upon it, attached to the same. From the tier it goes to the packers 
who, having previously provided themselves with a box, well lined with .straw and of 
capacity sufficient to contain from 250 to 300 trees, place it therein with other bundles 
going to the same town. As the trees go into the box the roots are sprinkled and care- 
fully covered with damp moss, which will retain its moisture for weeks ; then the 
whole is pressed tightly in and covered, when it is in condition to be transported hun- 
dreds of miles with perfect safety. We ship everything in our own name, and having 
large quantities of freight for the same points, we are able to obtain safety and dispat*:h 
in forwarding the same. At every place of transfer where there is the slightest possi- 
bility of delay, we have an agent to look to the forwarding. 
As far as practicable, we deliver the stock at the purchaser's house, thus virtually 
placing our nursery at every customer's door. As a rule, we employ reliable local 
agents to attend to the delivery of the stock and the collection of the bills, as it is not 
possible for our salesmen to deliver all the stock that they sell. 
We agree not only that the stock shall be of first-class quality, but that it shall be 
delivered in good condition (thereby assuming all risks of transportation our- 
selves), and if a tree is injured the delivering agent is authorized to make a proper 
replacement. If any injury or mistake is discovered after the stock has been delivered 
or paid for, we wish to be notified of it, or have the matter presented to our canvassin" 
agent the following season. " 
