I once had a real job. Mr Putman at a Doylestown company hired me when I had just gotten married many years ago, I think it's about 28 or 29 years back, and while there I must say I learned from him one of the most important lessons in life. Try always to say yes, you can always say no, but you can't always say yes.

Why We Say Yes

As you might know, I love to barter. Not because it is profitable, but because it is fun and money is really worthless, it goes down in value every day. One day a customer of mine who was about the same age as me, fiftyish, came up to me and offered me a deal. He wanted about ten 6 foot white pine trees and needed us to plant them. He wanted me to hire his father to work off the cost of the trees and the planting for his labor. He really wanted a job to keep his father busy. Without hesitation, thinking of Mr. Putman, I blurted out, "Yes". I had that uncomfortable feeling you get when you suspect that you just succeeded in opening Pandora's Box. His father slowly, and I mean slowly, got out of a car and over a period of 2 minutes set up his walker. He was about 85 years old and had just recovered from breaking his back after climbing up a tree and falling. He could not stand up long and announced that he needed to sit down a lot. Along with the walker, he had a cane and when he talked he kept pointing with the cane and using it as an extension of his hand to help him communicate. He was a little hard of hearing so we had to speak slowing and clearly to him. He had a heavy Hungarian accent. I thought, well, at least he ain't blind, Mr Putman I hope you're proud of me saying Yes!!!

I asked the old man, Mr. Horvath, what kind of work he used to do. To my surprise he said he had a Ph.D. in horticulture and had been the head of the Horticulture Department at a University in Illinois. I knew immediately that here was a real source of knowledge. Boy, was this something we could use around here. I had an immediate idea on how to use Dr. Horvath. I said to him, "How about teaching my boys a hands on course in plant propagation this summer?" My son Jamie was just 16, and Mike and our neighbor Paul (who has been with us since he was in kindergarten) were 13 and could really benefit from lessons from someone other than me. Besides, Dr. Horvath has far greater and deeper knowledge than I will ever hope to have. So that was the beginning of one of my best trades. The boys set up a school on the farm. They converted a greenhouse into a classroom. Only there were no blackboards. Instead they put in plant propagation tables. Dr Horvath supervised the boys from his chair and told them what he needed in the way of tables and benches. He had them obtain vermiculite, perlite, sand, peat moss and other media for growing plants. His ideas were simple and he proceed to show the boys how to make rooted cuttings. Dr. Horvath had them test growing rooted cuttings in various blends of media using different types of plants. This way, each day, the boys could see how media affected plant growth using the scientific method of comparing one media vs. another in a side by side study. Each day during the summer, for 6 hours a day the boys were at school with Dr. Horvath. When the boys would go to lunch, Dr. Horvath would go with them. A trip to McDonalds can be a lesson in horticulture. As they would slowly go in Dr. Horvath would tell them about the nursery stock at McDonalds. Of course it was not all education, Dr. Horvath knew how to keep up their interest. They would take time to go fishing at our pond and while there Dr. Horvath would tell them about propagation of aquatic plants and wetland plants while fishing. Can you imagine, going fishing is actually a way to teach the kids about plants? I will always remember the crew cab pickup truck going down our farm lane with 3 shotguns and a cane sticking out the windows and Doc Horvath telling them about rabbit and rodent controls in a nursery. By the end of the summer my boys would do anything for Dr. Horvath. He was like a grandfather to them. The course was a success, not just because the boys learned about plants, but because they learned to love learning. They knew that colleges would have more Dr. Horvaths. Wow, thank you Mr. Putman, I am glad I said ...Yes.

Sometimes people take me up on my offers to trade trees and shrubs for their products. One such person is Ralph. Ralph has a farm in Ohio and raises a variety of farm animals and draft horses. He asked if I would be interested in trading trees and plants for his pigs, a Boarder Collie puppy, or his sheep. Not baaaad I thought. Never really trusting myself with sheep, I opted for the puppy and some piglets. Here is what Ralph said after our trade.....

Bill and Marjorie,

Thank you for a great time, the landscape stuff, some great conversation and for having faith in 2 people that you've never met. Your boys are real gentlemen and good guys to be around. You must be proud. Your operation is top shelf. Thank you for taking me up on my proposal and our barter deal, you were more than fair.

We wish you continued success in all your endeavors.. you are honest gutsy people... I like that! Thank you for letting us get to know you. Stay in touch. Thanks again for everything,

Ralph & Connie

Ps Check out my "Reflections" at the following website Click Here

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As you can see I identify what I want to trade for and ask for items that fit into our operations. I like to include a testimonial as it gives a link that can be verified as to the realness of my trading. I also have a newsletter that I post to my email letter so each month I can tell people what I just traded for. Here is part of my most recent email newsletter:

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During this month of January we are offering a 10% discount on our gift cards and coupons. We help make your gift bigger. Don't forget that we will also trade for your surplus inventory, building materials, sports equipment, plumbing and ag equipment. We need all kinds of materials on our farms and ranches. You can't insult me with your offers, so go ahead...call us.....This is how we just got our dog Sweep...a Boarder Collie.....2 pigs....boxes of old tools......a John Deer riding tractor......a bunch of used but in new condition windows and doors....a couple of buckets of nuts, bolts, and nails (some bent but that's ok) and a even a hind quarter of a fresh road kill deer!!

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I started this story for you quite a few months ago and it has sat about 80% finished for quite awhile. Well, now it's done: I can honestly say that I am the Son of Monty Hall. During World War II, my father volunteered to serve in the "AAF," the Army Air Force as it was called before a separate distinct Air Force service branch was created). He was told his eyes failed the color-blindness test. So he volunteered for another "airborne" duty, and got to at least ride in planes, for a while anyway, by joining the paratroopers. Interestingly, so-called color-blindness is very common. About 1 out of 12 men, that's about 8%, all over the world, are color-blind. For women it's much more rare, only about 1 out of 250 are affected. Color-blindness really only involves two colors, it sounds like a much more serious problem than it is. Proteronopia and deuteronopia are the two general forms, they both involve "misreading" the colors red or green. Proteronopes see all different reds as the same dull gray, or dull tan. Alternatively, reds and greens appear the same to deuteronopes. Now you know why all traffic lights in the U. S. were quickly standardized with red on top and green on the bottom. Additionally, did you ever notice the bluish tinge used when older traffic signal lights are replaced. That's to help "color blind" drivers... Well, dad never knew about any of this until he joined the Army. Because of his background in electronics he was assigned to be his regiment's "OSS liaison" when the paratroopers were dropped behind the enemy's front lines. The Office of Strategic Services, the clandestine spy guys of WWII, required the use of false identities. Beyond giving him a mere "call sign" or "handle," the OSS officer established the persona of "Montgomery Hall." Maybe the officer was a fan of the rising actor at that time Montgomery Clift. Maybe "Monty of Alemain," the British General Bernard Montgomery, was the source. So friends, I can honestly say, "My dad was Monty Hall wa-a-a-ay before "Let's Make a Deal." (And "Truth or Consequences," which I mentioned in the historical description of Doylestown, and which gave its name to the town where we now have two large ranches, The Elephant Butte Lake Ranch, and the Flying X. Ranch) ******************************************************************** Now you know what and why I want to barter and trade. Its in my blood. I am the Son of Monty Hall.

About the Author

Bill grows trees and plants on his farm in Doylestown Pa. Sign up for his newsletter at http://www.seedlingsrus.com/123456signup.html or visit his web site at http://www.seedlingsrus.com