12 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



-even to turn some boxes up with no berries at all or only some in the bottom. 

 Mr. Morrill said he had often bought peaches in Chicago and always found 

 more or lees deception. West Michigan fruit has the worst reputation of 

 -any on South Water street. This is grievous but it is true. 



FAULTS OF NURSERY STOCK. 



Mr. A. Hamilton of Ganges read the following paper on "Reasons why 

 nursery stock does not always prove true to name." 



I am asked to give you the reasons why nursery trees do not always prove 

 true to name. I might do so with a very short paper, by simply saying that 

 it is because nursery trees are not always correctly named ; but I desire to 

 say just a little more. 



As a rule, no nurseryman, honest or dishonest, intending to continue in 

 the business, will sell to the grower trees that he knows are not true to 

 name. As a matter of business he could better afford to make you a present of 

 ten trees correctly labeled than sell you even a single tree that would not 

 prove true to name ; and yet you know there are hundreds, yes, thousands 

 of trees coming into bearing each year that are not what they were named, 

 and the question now to be answered is, how does this occur? 



It sometimes occurs through the mistakes or carelessness of honest nursery- 

 men who, by mistake, are shown and cut their original buds or grafts from 

 the wrong tree, or depend upon some one else to furnish them. It fre- 

 quently occurs through dishonest nurserymen selling to dealers, who may be 

 ever so honest, trees that he is not sure of, and on that account does not sell 

 to the growers himself. But it most frequently occurs through our giving 

 our orders for varieties that are scarce, to the gentlemanly appearing and cap- 

 tivating tree peddler, who always seems to have a great abundance of just 

 what we need, and cannot find elsewhere. 



I could refer you to hundreds of growers in western Allegan county, who, 

 each year, after the popular varieties are exhausted at the nurseries, give 

 their orders and pay big prices to these fellows, expecting to get kinds that 

 the nurseries cannot supply ; and instead, when their trees come into bearing, 

 only get experience. 



Following this, Mr. G. H. LaFleur told how easily honest nurserymen may 

 make mistakes. Employes may mix the buds, when at work with 

 peaches, -and sometimes this does occur; label stakes may be knocked down 

 and the men put them up wrong. But such are not the worst errors. Seed- 

 ling buds may get among the better sorts, by misinformation from growers, 

 or by other means. There are dishonest nurserymen, of course, but tree- 

 growers are, as a class, as honest as other men. If your home nurseryman 

 is honest and trying to do as he should, patronize him ; but require him to 

 make good his mistakes, so as to keep him careful. 



Wm. Corner, of Ganges: Nurserymen are often out of desired sorts. Can 

 not western iMichigan grow enough trees for home use? I would prefer to 

 wait two years rather than buy of the tree pe<ldler. 



II. Dale A'lams, of Galesburg: Up to the time of digging, there is no pos- 

 sible excuse for error, unless as to some new kind the nurseryman is unfamil- 

 iar with. 



A. Hamilton, of Ganges: It is impossible to distinguish between Early and 

 Late Crawford in the nursery row. I was once deceived by scions obtained 



