THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
83 
applications for catalogues at a cost of about $1.50 each 
and have received one order of $8.33 for about $30 worth 
of advertising. 
We have been utterly unable to get any satisfaction 
whatever out of any of the above lines of effort to secure 
trade. Now please do not understand me to lightly 
estimate the value of well-kept grounds in the nursery 
business. If you do business you want stock, good stock, 
healthy stock, thrifty stock ; it can be obtained from well 
kept grounds: proper care and cultivation are of the 
utmost importance, but don’t depend on them as an ad¬ 
vertisement to draw trade, for they will not draw. Cata¬ 
logues have their place and in their place are very use¬ 
ful, but do not depend on them ; newspaper advertising 
may have its place but I don’t think I have found it 
yet; other forms of advertising are no doubt of value, but 
I have only limited experience with them and so will not 
discuss them here. 
We now come to the last means for promoting the 
retail nursery trade we shall discuss, viz : The use of 
traveling salesmen. There are numerous and serious ob¬ 
jections to them to promote business; I have heard some 
of them will lie, and some are accused of various misde¬ 
meanors, and I know some of them will rob their em¬ 
ployers, but the facts are they sell trees and most of them 
are pretty good fellows. There seem to be three plans 
for employing salesmen. First—by the payment of 
salary and expenses. I have tried this plan to some ex¬ 
tent but with very little satisfaction ; very few seem to 
retain their interest in the business for a considerable 
time when on a salary, expenses get heavy and sales get 
light. I have however one man who has been with me 
on a salary about five years and he continues to do well, 
but he is the only one. Second—by payment of commis¬ 
sion, and many of the salesmen on commission do very 
well. With this class of men there is a constant reminder 
that if they do not work they do not receive any pay, and 
this I have found at all times and for all men a better 
plan than to pay a salary. Third—the deal plan. Per¬ 
haps the best plan for a good man is to send him out as a 
dealer. This plan of work seems to afford better promise 
for good returns than others ; if good work is done, men 
on this plan seem to feel more interest in their work and 
they will secure a larger amount of sales, so there seems 
to be encouragement to increase effort along this line. 
My experience has been such I have about concluded if 
I want a man’s order I must send somebody after it. 
I did think I would say a word about stock, but as you 
are all supposed to furnish good stock, well packed, and 
get it to customers on time, and pack with such care that 
no inferior plants are sent out and no shortages ever found, 
this may perhaps not be necessary. 
And now a word about customers, my experience as a 
whole has been quite satisfactory. There are men, and 
we sometimes find them, who seem to take delight in 
trying to show how mean a man can be when he tries, but 
these are exceptions: many are poor calculators and are 
blessed with more expectation than cash and of course 
that brings disappointment and loss to the nurseryman, 
yet I have made deliveries where crops were short and 
money scarce and had very good returns. Sometimes I 
have had complaints which I believed were dictated by a 
spirit of pure meanness, but most customers have been 
satisfied and pleased when the obligations made with 
them have been fairly met. And so I would say, if you 
want a man s order send a live man after it and you will 
probably get it, and then fill it honorably ; and if you 
want his order next year send again, and so you may con¬ 
tinue year by year and you will have a regular and suc¬ 
cessful trade. 
THE EXHIBITS. 
The committee on exhibits made the following report : 
“The Coloritype Company, New York City, made an 
interesting exhibit of photographs, showing natural colors 
of objects by photography alone. This process will be 
very useful to nurserymen in the introduction of new fruits 
and plants. 
“ H. J. McFarland Co., Harrisburg, Pa., exhibited speci¬ 
mens of catalogue work. It was a meritorious exhibit. 
“ Benjamin Chase, Derry, N, H., had an unusually fine 
display of tree and plant labels in great variety and of 
very superior quality and finish, plain, printed, wired, etc. 
“ Steelier Lithographing Co., Rochester, N. Y. Exten¬ 
sive and excellent display of plates and plate-books for 
nursery salesmen. 
“ Credlebaugh & Nysewander, New Carlisle, O. Exhibit 
of plant and tree labels. 
“ David Hill, Dundee, Ill. Exhibit of well-grown and 
well-packed specimens, illustrating seventeen distinct 
species and varieties of evergreens. 
“ N. H. Albaugh Co., Fort Valley, Ga. Well matured 
specimens of Alexander and Schumaker peaches ; also 
specimens Burbank plum, Kieffer pear, etc. 
“ George D. Ferrell, Humboldt, Tenn. Exhibit of Sneed 
peaches in good eating condition. 
“ W. F. Heikes, Huntsville, Ala. Fine display of 
Japanese plums, including Abundance, Burbank, Ogon, 
Chobot, also St. John and other peaches.” 
A display of strawberries was made by S. Buffington, 
Miami Valley Fruit Farm, Kessler, O. 
NECROLOGY. 
The committee on necrology presented the following 
report: 
“ Resolved, That this association hereby expresses its 
appreciation of the high character and services, and our 
great loss in the death of our fellow members, S. W. 
Hoover, president of the Hoover & Gaines Co., Dayton, 
O.; J. E. llgenfritz, head of the firm of J. E. Ilgenfritz & 
Co., Monroe, Mich, and George W. Peffer, nurseryman 
and originator of new fruits, Pewaukee, Wis. S. W. 
Hoover died at his home at Dayton, O., March 10, 1895, 
aged 57 years. J. E. Ilgenfritz died at his home at 
Monroe, Mich., April g, 1895, aged 70 years. George P. 
Peffer died at his home at Pewaukee, Wis., January, 1895, 
aged 82 years. 
