American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-07
Spring Planting Of Trees.

THE season for planting trees of all
kinds will soon be here, and many a
farmer will be anxious to know of whom
to purchase, and just how many trees or
other plants are really needed While
we cannot give such positive advice as
some OF our contemporaries do, and say,
never buy nursery stock of travelling
agents, it is well, nevertheless, to be on
your guard, and not be swindled by men
who neither have a fixed abiding place
nor reputation worth preserving. We
believe in encouraging home trade, and
think it would be a safe plan to give
your order to some nurseryman with
whom you are acquainted, and let him
purchase the trees, if he has not the kinds
required in his own grounds. As rule,
the nurserymen give those in the trade a
larger discount than those outside of it :;
consequently the farmer will probably get
his trees just as cheap, besides encourag-
ing the nursery and helping many an
honest man to build up reputation and
extend his business. If every farmer
would do this simple act of neighborly
kindness, the occupation of swindling
itinerant tree-peddlers would soon be
gone. There are no towns or thickly-
settled localities anywhere from Maine to
California in which intelligent gardeners
and nurserymen cannot be found, and
these are the men into whose hands all
the plant trade of the surrounding country
| should be given.
The largest wholesale establishments
of Western as well as Eastern States
would much prefer to have their orders
come through nurseryman than from
| one who knows nothing about the bust
ness; but under existing conditions of
| trade they are obliged to send out agents
| of whose characters they know but little
beyond the fact that they are good sales
| men. For instance, suppose the citizens
of Denver, Col, and the farmers in the
| vicinity who will want trees and plants
| this spring go to the nurseryman and
| florist who is trying to build up trade
in that region tive know that there is one
| there, at least, and leave their orders
with him. OF course there is no objec-
| ton to consulting the catalogues of other
nurserymen, and any honest dealer will
assist his customers in doing that. What
| would be the result of such cooperation
Why, simply that the Denver nursery
| man, having large order to send to
some Eastern establishment, instead of a
| small one, could obtain a much greater
| discount in price, and his customers
would get their plants as cheap or
cheaper than If they purchased them di-
| r ct from the Eastern nurseryman,
| while the home nursery would
be greatly benefited at the same time.
| Another advantage in consulting person
| ally man in the business and one living
| near the place where the trees are to be
grown is, that he usually knows better
| what to select and where to purchase
| than a stranger. Every nurseryman and
| florist in the United States is known to
every other one, and they are constantly
exchanging catalogues as well as CORE
| spending by letter; consequently. each
knows what the others are doing, the
| quality of their stock, well their
| specially and prices. If there happens to
| be an Enthusiastically firm in the trade, the
trade soon learn the fact, although the
outside world may remain long time in
| ignorance of it.
We have frequently known of orders
sent long distance to be filled, when the
same plants, and of equal good quality,
could have been purchased near home for
less than half the price paid to some great
establishment. Should n different policy
be pursued we should hear less of farmers
being swindlcd by tree-peddlers, and men
with small establishments and capital
would be encouraged to extend their bust
ness, to the benefit of the surrounding
country.
Then, again, when giving an or6er to
your nurseryman, do not forget that a lit
tie ready cash may be very convenient, es-
pecially if the order has to be sent to a
larger establishment to be f1lled. Few
persons seem to understand the potency