6 
INTRODUCTORY. 
■MN this day of the world it is said to be nearly 
impossible to sell anything except by per- 
* sonal solicitation. The wholesale grocer of 
the larger cities has commercial solicitors trav- 
eling from one customer to another. The tree- 
grower must send out his agents to solicit the 
trade, or his competitor will get it. It has be- 
come almost impossible to get any mail orders. 
Do the people get any better goods? Do they 
find the prices better? Is the peddler any more 
reliable than the nurseryman? Is there any ad- 
vantage gained by giving the orders to the first 
smooth tongued traveler, instead of mailing it 
to the nearest nurseryman noted for honest deal 
and honest goods? I employ no agents or 
traveling men, but am obliged to wholesale to 
those who sell direct to the planter. I would 
much prefer to receive the orders from the 
planter, and he would be the gainer every time. 
I know of parties within two miles of this nur- 
sery, who have bought bills of trees several times 
of irresponsible traveling treemen, and they 
probably will again. They pay three times the 
prices that live trees of the same varieties would 
cost at this nursery, and they have the vacant 
orchard rows to show for the ducats expended. 
They are the people who are so loud in de- 
nouncing Wisconsin as totally incapable of pro- 
ducing fruit, now and forever. This catalogue 
is not for that class of persons. It is for those who 
would like to raise fruit, and buy intending to do 
their part towards making their purchases a suc- 
cess; who take a live, progressive, instructive. 
