114 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



here and north in 1877 and 1878, but their ravages were mostly 

 confined to forest trees ; the linden or basswood suffered most. I 

 hear the tops are all dead, supposed to be from this cause. Since 

 those years our bees have gathered little or nothing from this most 

 prolific source of our best honey. But fruit trees have suffered 

 none as far as I can learn. Some of my fruit tree3 were covered 

 late in the season with these worms in a dormant state, but I never 

 saw any marks of depredations. The last two years they have 

 nearly or quite disappeared. These worms are very unlike the 

 same variety in the New England states. They are smaller, 

 darker colored, and feed entirely on the young foliage of the ap- 

 ple, and denude every tree in an orchard of every vestige of a leaf 

 by the first or tenth of June. 



Another subject I must mention before closing this report, one 

 which I think needs legislation as much as the adulteration of 

 food, and by which this district has suffered great loss, and that 

 is the work of a herd of unprincipled, irresponsible vagabonds, 

 who come here from other states with exaggerated cuts of showy 

 fruit and bottles containing magnified specimens by which to en- 

 trap and mislead the unwary and inexperienced would-be-fruit- 

 grower. Were a full account of their tricks and swindling opera- 

 tions in this section given, it would weary your patience and seem 

 almost beyond belief. A few sample cases will suffice : A man 

 in Nepeuskin, Green Lake county, bought $800 worth of their 

 stock, and after bestowing a great deal of care on it, in planting 

 and cultivation, what remains to day is not worth ten dollars. A 

 resident of Waushara county, who is well acquainted with the ex- 

 tent of their operations, estimates the amount of their swindles in 

 the middle and western part of that poor county at $8,000. Its 

 results are worse to the public than stealing so much money, for 

 in addition to the loss, it disheartens the purchaser, and others 

 who witness the result, so that they will not make any further at- 

 tempts to raise fruit. At a recent meeting in Green Bay this sub- 

 ject was discussed, and an instance was related where a wealthy 

 man had spent a large amount of money in the preparation of his 

 land for an orchard, and had stocked it with these high priced and 

 wonderful fine varieties of fruit, only to find after years of wait- 



