.150 
Tim N A ^J70Ni\ L NX TI im. IX Y AIA N 
leriors of tlie plants and the fen-owlli were judiciously 
controlled by the ])ruiung knife, we should have very 
much inoi-e heauliful results. 
'I'lu' aeeoiiipanyiii"’ illustration shows a fine piece of 
Sarj>:(*nti Wha'ping lleinloek or to give it its full ])otanical 
naiiK'. Tsn(/(( (‘(Oifftlemis SfirijenH jKindula, that has hccn, 
forinnal(dy, ov('rlook('d l)y the man with the shears. 
X'Ik^ h(*atity of this ])l;inl sp(‘aks for itself, and would l)e 
a ph'asing addition to almost any lawn. 
It is not an uncommon rcMuark for the nurseryman’s 
cnstoiiH'r to say “Xdn'y do not like evergreens because 
lln'y remind tlnmi of ceim'tej'if'S.” It is safe to assume 
that such ])eople have seen few evergreens luit those that 
have; Ixam made; nudanclioly looking by destroying their 
natural l)eauty. 
It would giv(; great impetus to the popularity of this 
class of j)lants if stnall propeily owners could he induced 
to try and grow one choice singles specimen evergreen 
well instead of using them as temporary decorative 
j)laids. 
THE PUBLICITY COMMITTEE’S BOOKLET 
The Educational Booklet, published by the J. Horace 
McFarland Company, Ilarrishiirg, Penna., at the instiga¬ 
tion of the Publicity Committee of the National Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen, is an effective entering wedge for 
the Market Development Movement. 
It was to he expected that something good would come 
from the pen of Prof. L. 11. Bailey on any possible sub¬ 
ject relating to Horticulture. It is not only good, hut 
Prof. Bailey has accomplished tin; diflicult feat of meas¬ 
uring the lay mind and has so i)resented the subject that 
it will he understood, interest and eidhuse. Those 
nurserymen who have tried so hard to interest 
people in having their grounds fixed up will recognize 
its educational value. 
The editor and publishers are to he eongratiilaled. It 
is deserving of investigation of every retail nurseryman 
to distribute among his i)rospeetive customers. 
Reminiscences of a Nursery Salesman 
T aken as a whole, I never found that price had 
much to do with selling plants as the customer 
seldom has the means or knowledge of comparing 
them, in fact, the average person buying plants is quite 
ignorant of their value. They may know the price 
usually asked for a Bose hush, or fruit tree, but when it 
comes to the more unusual plants 50 cents is as likely to 
sound high as live dollars. 
Many a time I have been told I was too high priced be¬ 
fore having quoted and at such time I knew" the statement 
to mean they feai'cd I was too high. At such times it is 
well to (piote some well known plant such as Privet 
Hedge, Bose hushes or peach trees, something they are 
more likely to have purchased hefore, and then suggest 
some choice plants, telling them all about them and why 
they are more expensive. 
Occasionally one runs across a w ell posted man or wm- 
man w ho has studied nurserymen’s catalogues as relig¬ 
iously as they ought to have studied their Bibles. It is 
always a pleasure to meet them because they are inter- 
est(Ml, and it is only necessary to win their confidence to 
make them sfaunch friends, even if they are not big 
buyers. Perhaps the one fault is they are liable to w^aste 
much time, hut it is a tactless man who cannot make a 
chat worth while hy getting information as to location of 
otluM- prospective buyers for such people are invariably 
ac(}uainted with other plant enthusiasts. 
The main thing necessary in handling such people is a 
thorough knowdedge of plants of all kinds, and a sym¬ 
pathetic interest in their fads. 
I recall a lady of this ty])e who had a very pretty little 
himgalow and a large intt'rest in her grounds, limited 
iiu'aMs ami a vagiu; idea, she w anted her grounds to look 
j)erleclly ualural. Her oi)inion of nui-sei-ymcn was not 
one which was conducive to egotism to the listening 
salesman, the principal objection w^as the nurseryman 
always wanted to sell formal plants and she “just haled 
those stereotyped things.” 
The charge against the nurserymen is necessarily true 
as he is in the business to sell the goods he raises, and 
the average salesman does not care to waste time on such 
prospects. Thinking it w^as a hopeless prospect, I de¬ 
cided to have a little quiet fun, even if I did w^aste tinie 
and come away w ithout an order. 
Instead of urging her to buy, I encouraged her to talk 
of her own impractical ideas and suggested she go to the 
woods and collect plants, and not to use the showy things 
usually grow n in a nursery. She confided in me that was 
just wdiat she had done hut had not been very fortunate 
in getting the Dogwood, Witch Hazel, Red Bud, Spice 
Bush and such plants to grow, and it was really expen¬ 
sive to hire a man and team. That clump over there had 
cost her lf?28.00 in labor, and look at it, not two plants 
w orth keeping. “Mrs. Doe I can ship you for about 
IjilO.OO the same kind ol plants that will grow^ because 
they have been transplanted, so you wmuld have saved 
$18.00 and look at that aw ful mess you have there. I 
presume you w^anted to get a bank of Wild Roses, l)ut 
you never will because the Gat Briars and Couch Grass 
possession and will keep it.” “What wmukt you 
do. ‘ Well, I should have all that cleaned out, root and 
branch, and make the ground as clean as if I wmre going 
to grow a crop of potatoes, then send to the nursery for 
about fifty plants of Uosa Carolina, liicida, setigera, and 
a tew^ Sweet Briars, at a cost of say aliout $12.50, plant 
them, avoiding setting them in rows, cut them dow n, kecj) 
the ground clean of w-eeds for one summer, and then let 
them go. You wall have a hank of wdld roses all right.” 
1 do believe you know what you are talking about.” 
Sure 1 do I have been studying and practicing that kind 
