GREEN’S NURSERY COMPANY, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
The Story of My Nursery Business 
I Move Back to a Farm 
I AM a farmer and a fruit grower—always have been—was bom and brought up on a farm. Fruit 
growing has always been my hobby and pleasure, but, like a great many other young men who live in 
the country, I did not appreciate the advantages that country life offers, and moved to the city. 
In 18 7 7 I left my bank in Rochester and went twelve miles outside the city to a farm on which I intended 
to raise fruit. The first year on this farm I planted and budded about a thousand seedlings (trees from 
seed). The trees grew well and I planted acres into orchards. 
I had a few surplus trees. These I sold to my neighbors. My neighbors’ trees grew well. They then 
came to me and said: “We like your trees. They are fine trees and we paid only twenty-five cents each 
for them. Agents charge us one dollar or more. Will you have more next season?” 
The Idea that Brought Results 
This question set me to thinking. Then the idea came to me: Grow the best trees possible. Get 
them into the hands of the people by selling direct on a cash with order basis. Cut out the agent or sales¬ 
man. Use a catalog. 
Birth of Mail Order Nursery 
I began right then to work out this idea. The success of this plan you well know. Many other nur¬ 
series which sold nursery stock by agents, now sell with agents and catalog also. But I have never had an 
agent in my business and never will. I believe that the saving which my catalog business brings should go 
into your pocket. 
Business Grows; Moves to Rochester 
In the year 1890 my business had grown to such an extent that I found it advisable to move my main 
office to Rochester, N. Y. I located near Highland Park in Rochester, and built a large main office and 
packing house. My business grew and I found it necessary to buy more land. I now have five nursery 
farms, in Clifton, Coldwater and Riga, all within fourteen miles of Rochester. I also built many new build¬ 
ings and an office at Clifton. 
I was the first nurseryman to sell largely trees direct by catalog only. I have done business so many 
years by this direct method that my organization knows every phase of the mail order nursery business. 
You may have great confidence in my organization to get good trees to you in perfect condition. 
Men with Me for Years 
Many of my men who have been in my organization for years have sons who have worked in my nur¬ 
series ten to fifteen years. These young men have learned the nursery business from childhood and are 
experts in their special departments. 
How I Gained the Confidence of the People 
To establish a business of this kind it was necessary to gain the absolute confidence of the general 
public. This could be done only by satisfying every customer or giving “fair play and half the road,” and 
sometimes more than “half the road.” 
But this rule has always been strictly adhered to, as it is this more than anything else that made it 
possible for me to establish “the largest mail order nursery in the world.” 
Asbolute responsibility and honesty, highest quality trees, most reasonable prices, trees true to name, 
satisfaction to customers, are the corner-stones of my business. 
CHAS. A. GREEN. 
