Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-16
FRUIT TREE AGENTS.

FnUil lnEE H0ENl -
wish It were possible for all men 70 be
honest with one another in the daily
transactions OF life. Some men seem TO
be actuated with a desire 70 succeed BY
taking advantage OF the ignorance OF the
''0ther fellow" A deliberate attempt at
Misrepresentation. II II succeeds. is moth
ing more nor less than the rankest kind OF
fraud. and the perpetrator OF a fraud
should not only receive the condemnation
OF the public. but should also feel the
strong arm OF our criminal laws. The
position which am often forced TO take
IN so strongly condemning the methods
employed By some lines OF business with
which the farmers have to deal Is not only
unpleasant, but is occasion for regret The
agricultural editor Of great farm paper
has no easy road 20 travel when he under
takes to honestly fulfil the position he
should occupy with the subscribers. II is
the plain duty OF the editor not only TO
discuss the best methods at his command
for the development OF the field and farm.
but II IS his duty also 70 give information
on all subjects IN which farmers are in
terested- ! have been many times severely
condemned for exposing the methods Of
certain lines OF business with which we
have 70 deal. and for using strenuous ef-
forts 70 arouse the farmers 10 action in
order that equal and exact justice may be
meted out 70 both sides.
There are agents representing many
kinds OF business, whose dealings are al
most entirely with the farmers or their
wives. and chief among these are the fruit
tree agents. Some Of these men are hon
est and VIII not for the small commission
they receive on sales misrepresent the
character or value OF the goods they
handle But others are not so particular,
&ud 50 many frauds have been perpetrat-
ed on farmers who purchased fruit trees
from such agents that have in articles
published IN the past. advised our readers
never 70 buy fruit trees OF any kind ex-
cept directly from a responsible nursery.
Ny own experience IN years gone by
fully bears me out in the position taken
Whenever my orchards need replenIshIng
the trees are purchased direct, and the
travelling agents who often stop at my
house are courteOusly notified that moth
ing Is needed Men who sell on commits
sion are more particularly interested in
the commission and sale They realize
that several years must elapse before the
young trees sold viii bear fruit and that
with the passage OF time the purchaser
VIII not only forget the name Of the agent
but the name OF the nursery. and as the
bin was a small one no effort win be made
% appeal 70 the courts for damages.
Some EStraVagant Claims.
Recently a case came under my per
sonal notice. the result OF which has oc-
casi0ned this particular article About
thirty days ago I was approached at my
home IN this. CASPER county by an agent
who represented the Cherries Nursery
Company. % Cherries. Ala, and who
desired 10 sell me a bin OF fruit trees
Among the many numerous extravaganza
claims which he rapidly repeated in the
advocacy OF the superiority OF hts trees
and the fruit they bore over all competi-
tors were the following: That the peach
and apple trees sold by his nursery and
which he proposed 10 deliver TO All pur-
chasers. were guaranteed against dis
ease and insect enemies OF all kinds
especially the San Jose scale. When
asked by what secret process he had
secured a peach tree that was immune
against the San Jose scale. and an ap-
pie against insect OF fungi diseases his
reply was that the peach trees from
his nursery were budded on the stocks
OF the imported Mirabalan plum and
apples budded on the imported French
crab stock That the virtue OF immun-
fly lay IN the sourness Of the sap Sc
GREETED BY these imported stocks which
carried death and destruction to the
scale and other insect diseases
did not believe the statement and
Informed the agent that I would refer
the matter 70 our state entomologfst. II
his statements were true. I knew he had
struck a bonanza, and IL would no longer
be necessary for him 10 travel TO sell
the stock from his nursery II his state
ments were not true felt that the public
should be placed on notice as he was
doing a regular land ONCE" business
throush my section OF the state. I I'm
rnediately addressed a letter TO Mr.. ".
n. Scott. our state entomologist. cover
ing the claims presented BY the said
agent. and asked his views regarding
the matter. / received from him the fol-
lowing letter. which is published for the
information Il contains.
ATLANTA. Ca. June 5th. 1900.
Hon Harvie Jordan. Monticello. Ca.
Dear Sir;-Your favor OF the ard inst.
relative 10 the extravaganza claims made
by certain nursery agents for their trees
il received. In reply I have TO say that
the use Of French crabs and Myrabalan
pluus as stocks for the propa cation OF
apples and peaches does not give i'm
nunity against the san Jose scale and
other insects and diseases. The nursery
man who makes such claims either does
not know hts business or is wilfully COM
hitting a fraud.
you say they guarantee their trees
AGAINST future attacks OF insects and
diseases: but what IS such a guarantee
WORTH Does the purchaser OF such stock
ever stop 10 consider the worth OF worth
lessuess OF a tree agents guaranteed Sew
eral wears since some Of our best nurse
r,men made the experiment OF propa-
eating the peach on plum stock. The
plan appeared 10 work well. and in good
faith a considerable quantity OF peach
trees or plum roots were sold and plant
ed. For q while they did well. but about
the fourth year IL was found that the
growth OF the peach bulged over the
plum stock cutting or the flow OF the
SAP. This OF course resulted in the death
Of the tree. and Il Is now a well estab-
ushed fact that the peach viii not do on
plum roots. such fraudulent business