102 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Business Announcements 
Furnished by Correspondents for which The National Nurseryman Publishing 
Company accept no responsibility.] 
In 1901 ; B. E. St. John and myself established the Fairmont 
Nursery Co., at Fairmont, Minn. In May, 1905, B. E. St. 
John, Victor St. John, and Nina St. John, without my know¬ 
ledge or consent, incorporated in the firm name. The last two 
named never having been connected with the old firm in any 
way. Proceedings are now pending to enjoin the use of the 
partnership name by the new corporation, to protect the trade 
and myself. I wish to state that the rating in Dun & Brad- 
streets reports of either the Fairmont Nursery Co., or the St. 
John & McKisson were based almost wholly on property owned 
by me, outside of the partnership, and do not pertain in any 
way whatever to the new corporation. I am in no way 
responsible for their contracts, and anyone doing business 
with them should investigate for themselves. 
McKisson’s Fairmont Nurseries, 
G. D. McKisson, Prop. 
LOOK OUT FOR THE SPRAGUE MERCANTILE AGENCY, 
CHICAGO. 
BY OREGON NURSERY COMPANY. 
The Oregon Nursery Company request us to give publicity to the 
following correspondence. We are pleased to protect the nursery 
interests in every legitimate way possible, and publish the essential 
portions of the letters. 
Oregon Nursery Company, Salem. 
We wish to make inquiry of you as to your experience with the 
Sprague Mercantile Agency of Chicago. One of their representatives 
has just called on us with a letter from you folks,—or probably it is a fac¬ 
simile, showing that they have done some splendid work for your firm. 
Can you recommend them as being O. K. and would you advise a nur¬ 
seryman turning his bad notes and accounts to them? 
Thanking you in advance, and with our best wishes for your business 
we beg to remain, 
Arlington, Neb. Marshall Bros. 
ANSWER. 
We can probably best answer your inquiry by giving you a short his¬ 
tory of our dealings with these people. 
A little over a year ago, one of their traveling men came into our office 
with what purported to be letters and credentials from leading men of 
the United States, recommending them (Sprague Mercantile Agency), 
as collectors of bad debts. We entered into a contract with them, and 
placed in their hands several thousand dollars worth of notes and 
accounts for collection. They explained to us at the time the contract 
was entered into, that they w T ould not handle any of the money, but 
that it would all be sent directly to us, and upon receipt of this money 
we were to pay them a commission of 10%, in addition to the retainer 
fee paid them at the time the contract was entered into. Some few col¬ 
lections came in to us from time to time, upon which we paid them 10% 
each month; once or twice, when the collections during the month did 
not seem scarcely large enough to warrant our making out a check, we 
let it go over, but in a few days we received a letter from them, stating 
that unless their commission for collecting was paid they would draw on 
us at sight, and each time we, of course, forwarded them their com¬ 
mission. 
Things ran along in this way until June of this year, when the writer 
noticed that a large account that had been placed in their hands was 
still uncollected. As this account had been placed with them in error, 
and was from a party we felt sure would pay his account promptly, we 
took means to find out whether any payments upon the account were 
made or not, and immediately discovered that the entire account had 
been paid almost as soon as he had been notified by the Sprague Mer¬ 
cantile Agency. This, of course made us suspicious and led to an in¬ 
vestigation. We have discovered that they had collected some five or 
six hundred dollars worth of notes and accounts, of which they have 
given us.no return, nor have they ever notified us that they had collected 
this money. In fact, every dollar of the money forwarded to them 
direct, was unreported, while on every settlement made to us, they 
wanted their full commission and received it. 
This letter will fully explain to you the kind of people they are. 
Our case is now in the hands of attorneys. We never gave them a 
letter of recommendation, and will say that we consider them very un¬ 
reliable people, and would advise you to have nothing whatever to do 
with them. We are going to take the liberty of sending your letter, 
together with a copy of our answer, to the National Nurseryman, for 
the protection of fellow nurserymen. 
Doings of Societies. 
NEW YORK STATE FRUIT GROWER’S ASSOCIATION. 
The New York State Fruit Grower’s Association met at Penn Yan, 
N. Y., August 16 and 17. The first day was occupied with addresses by 
the members of the State Experiment Station, and the second was de¬ 
voted to an excursion down Lake Keuka, for the purpose of inspecting 
the vineyards along its shore. The meeting was well i ttended, and 
interest well sustained. Much complaint was made by grape growers 
about the prevalence of black rot. The disease this year is more in¬ 
jurious than it has been for many seasons. 
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS AND ORNAMENTAL 
HORTICULTURISTS. 
[Written especially for the National Nurseryman by Secretary 
Stewart.] 
The annual convention of this lively organization was held at Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., on August 15, 16, 17 and 18, with an attendance estimated 
at nearly one thousand persons including many wives and daughters of 
the members. Nearly every State in the Union was represented, as 
well as the various sections of Canada. The usual extensive trade ex¬ 
hibition was held in conjunction with the meetings, and was to many, 
the most interesting and instructive feature of the convention, com¬ 
prising as it did, everything in the way of modern advancement in the 
line of greenhouse construction and equipment, florists’ and gardeners’ 
requisites and fancy goods, plants new and old, bulbs and seedsmen’s 
supplies. This occupied three large halls. 
As usual, when this Society meets the entertainment feature was very 
prominent, the people of Washington leaving nothing undone to make 
the visitors feel at home, and filling every available moment with free¬ 
handed hospitality. A mammoth barbecue on an illuminated lawn was 
an accompaniment of the president’s reception on the first evening. 
Bowling and shooting tournaments were provided for the sportively in¬ 
clined, and were indulged in during the hours when the Society was not 
in session. There were drives and lunches for the ladies, and on the 
fourth day an exhibition drill on the White House lot by the U. S. 
Engineer Corps, after which some five hundred of the visitors took trains 
for Baltimore where they were the guests of the Baltimore Gardeners’ 
Club, and enjoyed a ride through the parks and “burnt district,” and a 
sail down the bay. 
The business sessions of the convention were full of life and interest. 
The opening meeting was devoted to addresses of welcome by President 
Gude, of the Florist’s Club, of Washington, Hon. H. B. F. McFarland, 
Commissioner of the District, and Hon. Willet M. Hayes, Assistant 
Secretary of Agriculture. The address of President J. C. Vaughan, 
annual reports by secretary W. J. Stewart, treasurer H. B. Beatty, and 
various other officials were also received. The address’of the president ad¬ 
vocated increased activity individually and as an organization in the ad¬ 
vancement of horticulture in all its departments, noting particularly the 
growing public interest in out-door decorative planting and the beautify¬ 
ing of the home grounds. He urged the claims of public exhibitions as up- 
lifters and educators, recommended concerted action on various lines of 
mutual interest by the Societies devoted severally to the seed, nursery 
and floral industries, favored the establishment of a national council of 
horticulture, approved of the organization of local clubs and societies, 
and their affiliation with the national body, especially urging this course 
with respect to the private gardeners and commended the agitation in 
favor of better postal facilities, and State aid through experiment 
stations. The secretary’s and treasurer’s reports showed the organ¬ 
ization to be in a most prosperous condition. 
Among the features of the business meetings that followed were illus¬ 
trated lectures by Prof. B. T. Galloway, on the work of the Bureau of 
Plant Industry, by Miss Susan B. Sipe, on horticultural education for 
school children, and by Oglesby Paul, on the ideal home for the man 
with a modest income. Many topics of general or specific trade interest 
were discussed also. Among the important matters on which affirm¬ 
ative action was taken were a proposed mammoth horticultural ex¬ 
hibition at Boston next spring, and the preparation of a text book for use 
in the teaching of horticulture in the public schools. The prize contest 
for essayists on the subject of the Ideal Employer brought out twenty 
three entries. 
