1867.] Character of Nurserymen. 121 



_ _____ 1, 



shown by tlie vender. Had these unfortunates been generous enough 

 to pay two dollars per annum, for The Cincinnatus, or the same for 

 the Horticulturist, published at Philadelphia, no doubt the calamities 

 above spoken of would have been avoided. They would, in either 

 case, have been forewarned of the approach of these impostors, and 

 acted accordingly. But no, they don't believe in 'book farming,' 

 and so they go it blind as their grand-daddies did before them ; and 

 so thousands have gone, are now going, and will go, to the last syl- 

 lable of recorded time. Experience must be bought at a dear rate, 

 or they wont have it at all. One might pity their suiferings, were 

 it not for their perverse stubbornness. For this, however, they are 

 placed without the pale of compassion. 



In the Spring of 1852, one of these audacious individuals referred 

 to in the foregoing, made his advent in Cincinnati; issued small 

 circulars, or bills, about the size of a man's hand, informing the 

 public what a magnificent strawberry he had produced from a seed- 

 ling ; also, telling in what part of the market space he might be 

 found each morning, where a glass jar of the precious fruit, in 

 handsome preservation, hermetically sealed up, might be seen ; and 

 plants producing the same, for sale at one dollar per dozen. Boys 

 were employed to distribute these bulletins in nearly every store and 

 house in the city. Strange to say, suckers were so plenty that they 

 fairly swarmed around the verdant gentleman. (!) Thousands went 

 into the strawberry culture, that never grew a strawberry before ; 

 and perhaps had never heard of such a thing as Hovey's seedling, 

 McAvoy's superior, or Longworth's prolific. Indeed, some of our 

 brightest Horticulturists were drawn into the net of this vagrant, 

 and done for, to the tune of three or four dollars each. 



It was amusing to notice with what tenderness and care the rare 

 and valuable plants were nurtured by the latter fraternity. The 

 Horticultural Society was to be amazingly surprised at some future 

 day, when these gorgeous berries should make their appearance 

 upon their luxurious fruit tables. But 'alas poor Yorick,' how un- 

 certain are the things of time ! We all wake up to disappointment 

 sooner or later, and so it was with our horticultural dupes, in this 

 instance. After the lapse of two years, we felt determined to asser- 

 tain the result of some friend's experience in the matter. So, meet- 

 ing Mr. PoLLiwoG one day, about the middle of June, inquired 

 with a good deal of solicitude as to those fancy strawberries which 

 he had gone into with such glowing prospects. The only answer 



