The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-05-01
Eooh out fO, ShayDers.

Since Spring has opened the generation OF
sharpers has again started on the tramp. Nota-
bly, among those at this season are the tree ped
dlers. All Agricultural Societies. and parlicu-
larly the New York Farmers Club, warn farmers
and horticulturalists against the danger, amount
ing 10 almost certainty, of being swindled by
these travelling agents, representing nursery men
perhaps five hundred miles away, whom the farm
ers know nothing about.
sneaking, foxy agent, with smooth tongue
and nasal twang, will mouse round among the
farmers and represent the trees and vines of the
firm he sells for as superior to all others, and
wheedle the plain, honest farmer out OF an order
for stnff he can know nothing about, the whole
party being utter strangers to him while the
same order could be filled at half the price near
home where he knows the parties to be honest
| he deals with.
As specimen of the sharp practice these fell
| lows resort to in driving their trade, we copy
from the printed form of a Rochester IN. Y firm,
| who have a foxy agent going among our farmers
the present Spring soliciting orders. After specl-
flying the class of trees to be delivered, SIZE &c,
| the following clause is snaked in Ia small con-
densed type, "In case you cannot furnish all the
specified varieties you can substitute others con-
sidered by vou equally desirable" Any one whose
attention is called to this sharp clause can see at
glance that fox grape vines or wild crab-appie
trees may, by the nursery men, be considered
! desirable" stock to send out TO fill orders con-
tanning this sharp clause. Across the face of the
blank contracts is printed, ''Ths order not sub
| ject to countermand."
| When this order is completed and all OF its
cunning parts are put together, it binds the un-
suspectiug victim TO take in lieu of the articles he
has ordered, any tning else they choose TO send
| and deprives him of the common right which
| every dealer holds sacred, Of untermanding the
| order This is fair specimen of the sharp prac-
| tce of these rascals who tramp over the country
among the farmers Fall and Spring, fleeing them
| out of their hard earnings.
| Waving the almost certainty of being swindled
in the articles ordered through these irresponsible
and strange agents, fruit trees, especially apple
| trees, accimated in the northern sections OF the
country, produce altogether different fruit when
| transferred to our latitude The Winter apple OF
| New York is poor Fall specimen in Mary land,
| and so throughout the list The fruit that will
succeed and be profitable here must be propaga-
| ted from trees cultivated and acclimated in this
| latitude. Those who intend planting orchards
or fruit of any kind, should for two leading
| reasons, patronze the nurseries OF this State or
its immediate vicinity. First, they will have the
advantage of dealing direct and with responsible
men, and will be furnished with the varieties
they select and at much less cost, than by
swindling agents representing, or pretending to
represent foreign firms. Secondly, the trees and
vines will have no less important advantage over
foreign stock in being adapted to our climate.
Take the advice of every Agricultural Society
and writer on this subject, and give these
swindling agents. who have the faces OF sneak
thieves, wide birth when they approach you
with fancy drawings and chromos of fabulou;
fruit with highsounding names. Their object i:
to pick your pockets by safe mode They will
be far away when the fine trees and vines beal
sour grapes and apples and pears which the pig.
will not thank you for
| We know a case in point which happened
years ago, which illustrates the cunning devices
of the class Of scamps we have been warning the
farmers against. A fellow came round in the
Fall representing some New York concern, ant
he had with him crates of the most delicious
grapes of various kinds, and samples of some o
the largest and finest pears and other fruits tha
could be found anywhere; BY artful representa-
tons and display of tempting fruits, he man
aged TO take large lot of orders, at fabulous
prices for this superior fruit In the course o
three or four years after when the fancy vine
and trees began to bear, the con6dng farmer
discovered how egregiously they had been swim
died, and this high-priced nursery stock was dug
up and throwr into the nearest gutter. 1t wa
discovered afterward that the foxy agent ha(
purchased his fine grapes and pears in the Phila
delphia market, and had them packed in saw
dust and shipped to his canvassing ground, wher
he used them as bait to hook the unsuspectins
farmers and other victims - Cecil Wing.