The Teton peak-chronicle., 1905-03-30
TREE AGENTS,

Inc ubiquitous tree agent ia ver~
much In evidence at this season of the
year. He doesn't wait for customers
" come to him, but goes into the
country and makes a house to housa
canvass. says correspondent. Bad
weather, bad roads, and bad dogs aro
not allowed to impede his nropress
ooio LOOKS indifference and even in.
SUITS DO not cause him to stop and
.urn pack. On answering all ob;ec.
tions, overcoming all obstacles and en-
ourins all hardships, he presses for
ward and continues to take orders for
trees, plants and all kinds of nursery
stock.
some look upon the tree agent as the
greatest impediment in the onward
march OF horticulture. BY charging
ex'rbitant prices, selling inferior
goods and inducing people to plant
worthless varieties, he has done much
INJURY to the cause and brings his
business into disrepute. On the other
nand ne had been an important factor
IN the development of the fruit indus
Try. How many people would buy
trees next spring If they had not pre-
viously given their order to a tree
agent? Very few. The number Of
trees planted would be remarkably
small IN a few years; fruit would be
alarmlngly scarce and high priced.
The tree agent is a horticultural
missionary, for he carries the gospel
OF lruit gro .ng into the home of the
cabbage ard pork eaters and per-
suaGes them 10 plant apples, peaches.
plu-ns strawberries and all the other
luscious and wholesome fruits. He
points TO the dead and dying orchard
and with moving eloquence induces
the owner to renew it by planting
young trees. Many a plum thicket.
strawbery bed and grape vine arbor
@owes its existence to the patient tree
agent. His work has filed the barrels
IN many cellar with rosy checked
apples and the jars with raspberry
Jam, grape butter and peach pre-
serves.
Beautiful flowers have bloomed on
many ioN'n that would never have
been gracec by their sweet presence
without the persistent efforts of this
humble apostle of horticulture.
Because - these things we should
look with tolerant eye upon the seller
OF nursery stock and bear with his
many imperfections. He has done
much good and some harm. He sells
many trees end plants that are worth
less as astonishingly high prices.
causing the planter to lose faith in
fruit growing. But did you ever stop
to think what tempting field for such
swindles is offered by the ignorance
OF the aver age farmer? He is con-
scious Of his lack of horticultural in.
formation aad he is naturally inclined
to pnt his tr~st In one who appears
SO well informed AID who backs up
his glowing aseertlonJ with tempting
fruit pictures and even preserved
specimens ri the fruit itself Barnum
said that people liked to be humbug-
ged, and the tree agent confidently be-
lieves 1t, for 1t is right in line with
his experiences. The remedy for all
the trouble and annoyance caused by
buying higT priced, worthless novel;
ties is simple enough. Buy only those
varieties that have been raised sue
cessfully in ones own locality.
common and just cause of COM
plant is the substitution of other va
rieties for those ordered Mistakes
sometimes occur, but in most cases
the agent is to blame only where he
is a broker or dealer, or knowingly
represents an unreliable firm. Agents
of this class often buy their trees at
wholesale. wherever they can buy the
cheapest and label them regardless of
varieties. The way to avoid being
cheated in this way is to buy only of
authorized agents of nurseries of
known reliability.
Doing away with agents would re-
suit in less trees and vines being
planted, Jilt ii would not prevent peo-
pie frcnl hring imposed upon by un-
scrunnlou, dealers. There is no easier
way to lnGle the public than
through he mails, by circular letters
and fraudulent advertisements, and
unprnciplea dealers in nursery stock
can use these y cans as well as any.
body
The tree agent is convenience to
the great mass of farmers who do not
live near a nursery and who dislike
the letter writing which is necessary
in doing business by mail. The tray
cling repre- entative of a nursery usu-
ally has a lot OF valuable horticultural
information which he is glad to retail
by our firesdes free of charge. IL
we will employ common business prin-
ciples in dealing with him there will
be little cause for complaint and many
reasons for cOngratulation.