The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-09-22
Relation OF EDrseymdn TO Fruit
Grower and Varieties TO Profits.

Nurserymen have 70 depend upon
the fruit growers for their sales of
stock. In fact, their whole business
depends entirely upon the recognition
given them by the growers. As the
planters patronage is sought, it seems
that ordinary tact and business intel
ligence would prompt the nursery
man and dealer to exercise little
more caution IN keeping each variety
properly and correctly named. This
done, he is in position TO nil an or
der with stock that will produce fruit
true 10 name. But does he? We be
lieve that in a great ma jority of cases
the words honor" and honesty
have lost much of their true meaning
when connected with filing an order
for nursery stock. The average nur-
seryman and especially the average
dealer eases his conscience by recall
ing that little clause in very fine print
snuglY tackled in some corner or mar
gin of their order sheet, but not well
calculated TO be at all conspicuous,
giving them the right 10 substitute
with whatever variety they may.
Even when they have the variety or
dered. but are short on that variety,
substitution is often resorted TO in
order to work of some variety on
which they are long. Another little
clause appears, releasing the dealer
from damage beyond the original
cost of the trees in case they prove
untrue 10 name. When the trees have
been grown 20 bearing, and the grow
er discovers that they are of some
variety which he would not have &C
cepted as a gift, or often worse find
lot of unstable clings, he begins TO
figure the damage, and promptly goes
to the dealer and makes his demand.
The dealer fishes out the original or
der, points out that little liability
limit clause and then deliberately pro-
ceeds to insult the grower by offering
to replace tree for tree al the next de-
livery with no guarantee that they
will prove any better or truer 70 name
than the lot in question. If this pro-
position is rejected with high degree
of indignation, tender of the orig
inal purchase price may be made.
The balance of the great damage
which you have sustained by reason
of varieties proving untrue TO name
you may take ont in whistling or some
other convenient way while the same
fraud is being again perpetrated.
As a remedy organize, join your
local horticultural society, draw up
your own order blanks, which would
be fair to both parties, but demanding
a guarantee. deal only with response
bic nurserymen. mass your orders and
get retailers rates, thus saving
commissions; also the greatest saving
of all, the opportunity at this stage
to mix varieties by substitution. The
orchard. in this section at least, which
has proved true 70 name is very rare
thing.
The profits Of an orchard are not
measured by the number and age OF
its trees. but by its varieties and the
quality of its fruits.
We recently remarked 70 an old
dealer and nurseryman that The fruit
grower should demand a written guar
antee that trees shall prove true 10
name. He retorted, 1T will be sever
al wears before you will be able TO get
any trees. " If this condition be true,
and we must admit that there is too
much truth in it, it only behooves rs
to let no more time pass without unit
ed action 70 correct this bad state of
affairs and cultivate a closer relation
between the responsible nurseryman
and the fruit grower which can only
be done through organization.
There are too many aliases, espe-
cially among peaches. Varieties
should be so well and correctly I'M
derstood that when a name Is given
it would convey TO all alike a certain
type Of peach or other fruit with GER
tain characters as 10 size, color,
shape, quality of flavor and texture,
time of ripening, etc. To do this we
must learn the correct name and not
depend upon the name we bought it
for.
1t has been truly said, 1T is better
not TO know so much than 70 know so
many things that are not true"