358 State Horticultural Society, 



it when once started. As reported before, Pan-American seldom 

 makes runners, and must be propagated by division, which is a slow 

 process, and will cause the plants to be held at a comparatively 

 high price for some years to come. While our new ever-bearer, 

 named Autumn, must have some plants of Pan-American planted 

 with it for pollenizing, I am by these two varieties assured that ere 

 long it will be possible for every lover of this luscious fruit to en- 

 joy it at least twice in every season. Particularly pleased will be 

 those whom I have heard make the statement that so fond were 

 they of this fruit that, could they afford it, they would go south in 

 January and follow the strawberry season to the extreme north, so 

 as to be able to enjoy it as long as possible. — Colman's Rural World. 

 North Alton, 111., February 6, 1906. 



HORTICULTURAL HUMBUGS. 



(By Prof. W. L. Howard.) 



While farmers in general throughout the State are annoyed 

 and imposed upon by various fakes, it often seems that fruit grow- 

 ers are singled out as the special prey of several classes of swind- 

 lers. The fruit grower may not be engaged in the business very 

 extensively, indeed, fruit growing may be only a side-line to his 

 general farming, but it is through this part of his work that he is 

 imposed upon. 



The first imposter that I will mention is the irresponsible fruit 

 tree agent. As I go about the State from time to time, I find the 

 trail of these persons, with improperly named or worthless varie- 

 ties, together with disappointment and a general suspicion of all 

 reputable dealers, in the wake. These fakers not only do not sell 

 what they claim to in the way of well-known varieties of the dif- 

 ferent fruits, but they often make absurd and impossible claims for 

 what their plants will do. There was the "whole-root" fake, the 

 "budded-stock-better-than-the-grafted-stock" fake, the "borer- 

 proof-apple-tree" fake, and, lastly, the "seedless-apple" fake is 

 abroad in the land. It is not so much the direct loss that results 

 .from what the people pay these traveling agents, as it is the indi- 

 rect injury to the industry that results from their lack of confidence 

 in the nurseryman. If a man plants a few apple trees, for exam- 

 ple, and they are found to be not true to name and perhaps una- 

 dapted to his soil or locality, he becomes discouraged and may per- 



