IV. 
INTRODUCTION. 
leading Northern apple, the Baldwin, is worthless South, while the Lankford, in our 
opinion the very best Southern winter apple, will not succeed at all north of Pennsylvania. 
We are verv particular to have our agents oflor only those varieties tliat do the best 
in the section where they are selling. With the care wc have exercised in classifying 
for the different sections, a customer in New England or in Maryland can make his 
selection of varieties with the same assurance of getting those adapted to his particular 
latitude as one living in our own town. l 
Ours being almost an exclusively retail business, a 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 before the planting 
season, so as to give every customer ample time to prepare for receiving and planting 
the trees. The orders are 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 ex- 
hausted, 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 ovvn accord that there would be 
if they ordered through soliciting agents. Every one knows how easy it is to procrasti- 
nate, 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 profitable 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 oViX personal mpervision each customer's order is filled by itself, 
the trees tied in a snug bundle or bundles, and a tag, with the customer's name written 
upon it, attached to the same. From the tier it goes to the packers, who, having pre- 
viously 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 carefully covered with lake moss, 
that will retain moisture for weeks, then the whole are pressed tightly in and covered, 
when it is in condition to be transported hundreds 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 despatch in forwarding the same. At every place of 
transfer where there is the slightest possibility of delay, we have an agent to look to the 
forwarding. We aim as far as possible to have the salesman deliver his own sales, but 
when he has been canvassing the whole season he cannot possibly do justice to all, and 
we employ a large number of special agents to assist on the delivery. We notify the 
customer upon the arrival of the stock at the agreed upon place of delivery, and he comes 
there for it. 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 every delivering agent is authorized to make a proper 
allowance. 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 canvassing 
agent the following season. 
