DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE 
9 
take orders for them. Such men buy up refuse stock from large nurseries 
for almost nothing, and fill their orders with it, claiming it to be good. They 
also warrant the stock but as they are unknown or irresponsible, their war- 
ranty is absolutely worthless. 
If people would buy only from agents who can show a certificate author- 
izing them to represent a responsible firm, there would be no danger of being 
cheated. 
There are five classes of worthless stock, and the “cheap” trees which 
flood some parts of the country will be found under one of these heads: 
SPURIOUS STOCK — This is a bare face swindle, and is the most con- 
temptible trick of all. An agent will take a man’s order for trees at a low 
price, and it being impossible to supply the best grade of stock at any price, 
he will put in the cheapest stuff he can find to fill his orders, without regard 
to varieties, labeling the trees to suit his orders. The innocent person seeing 
that the label reads all right, does not know that be is swindled until the trees 
come into bearing, years after, when he finds them utterly worthless. 
SMALL STOCK — It is a very general experience with so-called cheap 
stock that is very much under the standard size, being the second, or even 
third, grade, so that no reputable firm would send it out at any price. 
OVERGROWN STOCK — It is not small, stunted stock only that is unfit 
to plant, but the truth is that old, overgrown, refuse stock, that has stood 
too long in the nursery is even worse. It is a sad fact that very few nurseries 
have to burn up such refuse, overgrown stock as they ought to, because un- 
scrupulous agents buy such refuse at a nominal price and use it in filling 
their orders. 
ROUGH STOCK — In some nurseries the trees are not properly cared for 
and trimmed, and the result is that they make very rough and scraggy 
specimens, which cannot be sold as first-class stock. Such trees are sold 
very low to the unprincipled agent spoken of. 
UNHEALTHY STOCK — It is surprising what an amount of unhealthy 
stock, black-hearted, infested with fungus, San Jose scale, black knot, etc., 
is worked off on those foolish people who bite eagerly at the bate of “cheap 
prices.” Of course such stuff is a total loss every time. 
We Cannot Get Something for Nothing - 
Now' in conclusion, did you ever stop to consider that this is not a world 
where we can get something for nothing, and that where an article is offered 
at an extraordinary low price there must be some good reason for it? 
The very simple reason is that, as the article is of bad quality, it cannot 
be sold in competition with first-class goods, and is therefore worked off on 
the public at a low rate to catch the people who will bite at things cheap, 
without regards to quality. Such people never get ahead, because they waste 
their money on poor trash that give them no “value received” for their outlay. 
We do not pretend to compete w r ith “cheap” stock, as we will not send out 
inferior stock at any price. What we really do is to furnish the very finest 
grade of genuine stock at as low prices as other responsible firms furnish the 
same grade of stock. Our agents have regular certificates of agency, and all 
orders given to them will receive as careful attention as though sent, airect 
to us, and at the same prices. 
