406 State Horticultural Society. 



county, Kentucky, Keysburg by name. Downer's nursery was at a small 

 town west from Elkton, the county seat of Todd county, which lay west 

 of Logan county, Fairview by name, distant from Keysburg about fifteen 

 miles. At Keysburg lived a remarkable man in several ways, Robert 

 F. Reeves by name, a Cumberland Presbyterian preacher. He and his 

 wife taught a sort of high school and he had a small nursery. He knew 

 all about the best varieties of fruit, put his knowledge to use and grew 

 everything. I never saw up to that time such success. He was absorbed 

 in all lines of horticulture and about that time was made president of the 

 Kentucky State Horticultural Society. I was intimate with him and I saw 

 him constantly. He was always talking horticulture. Everybody knew 

 both him and Mr. Downer, at least by reputation. To my certain knowl- 

 edge the two gentlemen were intimate and fast friends. 



Well, in one of our talks I remember distinctly, he told me that Mr. 

 Downer told him that there was one tree he was propagating from and 

 sending out as Wild Goose, and it was far superior to any other in the 

 vicinity. But people were coming from everywhere and digging sprouts 

 anywhere in the grove and calling them Wild Goose. 



Now, is it any wonder there are two strains in Kansas. The wonder 

 is there are not ten, when the whole grove where it was found was dug", 

 scattered and called Wild Goose. Some years ago I tried to trap some 

 of the spurious ones by sending back to that country for sprouts. But 

 when they fruited they proved to be the same as what I had previously 

 got from the old Phoenix nursery, which fruit singly 'or in clusters. It 

 has never been my lot to have any of the spurious ones. But I know 

 from people's talk there are too many scattered over the country. The 

 reasonable remedy for its unsatisfactory behavior is careful propagation. 

 If there can be a reform in this, I believe in a few years all will be well, 

 when a good strain can be had I believe it will do best on its own roots. 

 It is being carried too far north of its own latitude and is not hardy on 

 it? own roots. It can renew itself by suckering, which it does very freely. 

 — T. W. Turner, Albany, Mo., in Western Fruit Grower. 



IOWA GROWERS' COMPLAINT OF FREIGHT DISCRHIIXA- 



TION. 



Southwestern Iowa fruit growers are up in arms because they believe 

 that the railroads of the West are discriminating seriously against them. 

 They insist that under existing conditions it is impossible for Iowa apple 

 growers to enter into competition with Eastern growers, who have in 

 every way the best of it. 



