282 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
habits,” and further because we like to be obliging, we 
have undertaken to comply with the request to tell you 
about the ethics of the nursery business, although a 
friend in giving us some suggestions closed his letter 
with these words, “Yours with much sympathy”. 
In talking about ethics with a lawyer friend, on a 
three-day collection trip, he said that when we got the 
nursery business all straightened up that he would give 
us a try at the lawyers. A lumberman said he thought 
all the crooks and crazy fools were in the lumber bus¬ 
iness; we all know that there are quack doctors, jack- 
leg preachers, and even the fairest flower that God ever 
made (womanhood) has its “bad eggs.” 
Webster’s Dictionary, among other things, says that 
ethics, broadly speaking, is the “Science of the ideal 
human character; moral principals, quality or practice.” 
Some folks say that ethics is another word for service; 
that the sale is only the beginning of the transaction, 
that the seller should follow the thing through and see 
that the buyer gets the very best possible results. When 
you get ready to trade off the “John Henry”, after a good 
season, you look around for a car that gives the best and 
longest guarantee of continuous service. Some think 
that the exchange of trees for a check does not close the 
transaction; some States tell us that we must put up a 
bond to guarantee the right service, or we can’t do bus¬ 
iness within their bounds. It seems that the public ex¬ 
pects the nurseryman to be pretty nearly perfect in his 
service; there is no come-back to the surgeon that makes 
a mis-cut and the operation is followed by a first-class 
funeral. One nurseryman for thirteen years has been 
giving three peonies for every one that he sells that does 
not come true to name. One fellow says that his roses 
must not only live, but bloom. Most of us feel that if we 
pay back the money for trees that do not prove true to 
name, that we have done all that the business will afford. 
Tbe new Georgia law puts the liability—in case intent 
to defraud is shown—as three times the original cost as 
the maximum, allowing five per cent, error without ob¬ 
ligation. This law recognizes the fact that there should 
be some safeguard to the nurseryman, and requires the 
planter to file a plot of his ground within ninety days 
after planting if the law is to become operative in his 
case. So far as we know, this is the first time anything 
has been done to protect the nurseryman from the or- 
chardist who might be careless or who would deliber¬ 
ately attempt to get money from the nurseryman unjust¬ 
ly. This law refutes the idea of some that the customer 
is always right. Just what the nurseryman should vol¬ 
untarily do is a question that each must decide for him¬ 
self. 
Some folks would have us believe that ethics is prac¬ 
ticed according to one’s education and degree of civiliza¬ 
tion ; that the standard of one’s honesty depends on how 
well he is civilized and educated. Perhaps this is true? 
In the old copy books we found it said that “Honesty is 
the best policy.” A friend suggests that honesty is the 
only policy that gets one anywhere; that ethics goes 
even further than merely being legally honest Honestv, 
however, is not a “policy.” hut a fundamental principal. 
Recently there has come into existence a club that has 
as its motto “He profits most who serves best.” which 
seems to be a rather selfish way of looking at it; we like 
the idea, “Service Above Self” by the same club much 
better, though we are not pretending to say that we live 
strictly up to that, ideal. Let’s consider for a moment just 
what we are trying to get at, for this is no sermon, viz: 
The best way for a nurseryman to act toward his fellow- 
man in order that he may get the greatest good to him¬ 
self ; that may not be your idea, but, frankly, it is ours, 
for we are in the business to get meat and bread and a 
few other things for the wife and babies, and every 
other fellow, we dare say, is in it for the same purpose. 
So we would remind you that “By their fruits ye shall 
know them” and that “Every tree that bringeth not forth 
good fruit is hewn down,” that you may build your bus¬ 
iness on the solid rock of fair dealings and common hon¬ 
esty, remembering the words of the greatest Teacher— 
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men 
should do to you, do ye even so to them.” 
Well, what has that to do with replacements? Quite a 
lot if you are in the retail business. John Smith buys a 
few dozen fruit trees, plants them in his backyard, and 
lets the children’s pony or the cow feed on them, and he 
wants more trees “because they were not in good condi¬ 
tion when received.” He honestly thinks so because the 
boys did not tell him the cow got loose and ate the trees. 
Have a talk with Mr. Smith; if he will not be reasonable, 
let him have some more to replace at half price, or even 
resupply without cost to him. Not because it is right, 
but because he demands it, if you want to hold his 
friendship. In order for the nurseryman to be able to 
do that, Smith has to pay enough for the trees in the first 
place to cover a certain percentage of replacements, just 
like the rose man mentioned earlier has to charge 
enough on the first sale to cover the replacement costs. 
Not so with the wholesale nurseryman, selling to the 
trade. The same conditions do not exist. The retail 
nurseryman does not want to pay anything for service, 
because he knows he won’t get it; he prefers to take all 
the responsibility; he only wants that wholesale man to 
send him just such plants as he himself would like to 
plant in his own orchard or lawn, same to be passed on 
to the retail buyer. 
In this John Smith retail order there are three Yellow 
Swan peach trees, and the nursery is entirely out, but 
has a good supply of Arp. Unhesitatingly we would sav 
that John Smith would prefer to get the Arp and finish 
his planting rather than have to try to find the Swans 
elsewhere. It must be remembered that this substituting 
must be done by a man who knows what he is doing and 
does it honestly. Of course this would not apply to a 
commercial orchard, or in case the order reads “No sub¬ 
stitute.” Some of the leading retail nurserymen print 
on their order sheets that this right is reserved, and we 
have never heard of any complaint in consequence. Of 
course if there should be complaint, the full retail price 
should be refunded without hesitation. This same prac¬ 
tice might or might not be acceptable between the whole¬ 
saler and the retailer; circumstances would have to gov¬ 
ern cases. However, if we were out of a certain sort 
and ordered from a wholesale concern, we would want to 
be advised before anv substituting was done; might be 
able to do just as well ourselves. If we wanted Rhea 
Reid Roses and could not get them, but could get Etoil de 
France, what difference would it make to any one? 
