Many thanks for the food for thought, and they certainly add ‘grist to the mill.’ However, going down the seed/tree route, there is no evidence that a guarantee was ever supplied. In so far as my research showed. In the late 19th century, it was not common for seed suppliers to offer formal guarantees on their products. Agriculture at the time was still heavily dependent on natural variables like weather, soil quality, and farming techniques, which made it difficult for seed suppliers to guarantee outcomes.
The situation seems the same with tree stock in so far as nurseries might emphasize that their trees were “hardy,” “well-rooted,” or “true to type,” suggesting that they had confidence in their stock. However, given the many variables affecting tree survival, a formal guarantee, as implied by the label, was risky and not widely practiced.
Many thanks for your comments, though. I’m back on the drawing board.
