16 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January 



perfectly straight, to some people, is quite suffi- 

 cient cause to them to complain of being swin- 

 dled. 



Let us be just to the tree agent, so that he 

 may not be prevented by wrongful accusation 

 from earning his livelihood; and let us also en- 

 deavor, through the powerful mediums of the 

 press, that are directly connected with the busi- 

 ness, and of which your magazine is such an 

 able representative, to instruct the public what 

 is best for them to plant, in their section, and 

 also from whom they should purchase — viz., 

 responsible men, or their authorized representa- 

 tives only. 



To obtain reform we must first have reformers, 

 and the most needed reforms in the tree business 

 are the following : 



1. Education of the public, by means of the 

 press and pomological societies, as to the nature 

 of trees and plants ; their various habits, their 

 adaptability to different sections of country, and 

 to the important fact that they should purchase 

 only from responsible parties, or their author- 

 ized representatives, who can if necessary prove 

 their responsibility. 



2. Public and prompt exposure of all known 

 frauds in the business. 



3. Sufficient testing of new varieties before 

 selling them. 



4. Honest and careful discrimination in sell- 

 ing varieties best adapted to different localities. 



We live in a practical age, and men will 

 readily learn what it is to their advantage to 

 know. 



I ask you to publish this letter in the interest 

 of and in justice to a A'ast number of men whose 

 appellation of tree agent makes it, at present, 

 difficult for them to reap a just return for their 

 labor, and who I am sure will gratefully thank 

 you, for anj^ effort on your part to place their 

 position properly before the public. 



EDITORIAL NOTES, 



Stealing from Gardens.— It appears that in 

 England as well as in America, there are lawyers 

 and judges who do not know the law. In a recent 

 trial for stealing hot-house grapes, the prosecu- 

 ting attorney said : 



" It was a part of our law that a man could not 

 be charged with stealing growing grapes, and as 

 these had been cut from a vine, the prisoner 

 could not be charged on that account. But a 

 pair of scissors had been stolen from the same 



place and at the same time, and therefore he 

 would be tried on that charge." 



The judge regarded this as good law, and for 

 stealing a pair of grape scissors tne prisoner was 

 sentenced to three months' imprisonment. 



In spite of this " whipping the devil around the 

 stump," the English law stands as follows : 



" Sec. 24th and 25th, Vic, Chap. 96 : Whosoever 

 shall steal or destroy, or damage with intent to 

 steal, any plant, root, fruit, or vegetable produc- 

 tion growing in any garden, orchard, pleasure 

 ground, nursery ground, hot-house, green-house 

 or conservatory, shall on conviction thereof be- 

 fore a justice, either be committed to the com- 

 mon gaol or house of correction, there to be im- 

 prisoned and kept to hard labor for any term not 

 exceeding six calendar months, or else shall for- 

 feit and pay over and above the value of the ar- 

 ticles stolen or the amount of the injury done, 

 such sum of money, not exceeding twenty pounds, 

 as to the justice shall seem meet." 



Shippers and Growers. — Mr. M. T. Brewer of 

 San Francisco, in an address before the Califor- 

 nia Horticultural Society, contended that the 

 fruit grower should consider the interest of the 

 shipper his own interest. As it was, some fruit 

 growers did not deal fairly — mixing inferior fruit 

 with good fruit in the crates, or otherwise prac- 

 ticing deception, or " want of thought," by which 

 the shippers lost trade, and eventually the grow- 

 ers. Honesty is the best policy in all cases, but 

 especially when it is necessary to do business 

 through an agent. 



Painted Labels. — The writer was just in from 

 puzzling over some " tree labels," just after a rain 

 shower. These labels had been written less than 

 two weeks, and were almost illegible. On the ta- 

 ble were some samples of " machine painted la- 

 bels" from the Penfield Block Company, of Lock- 

 port, and they were there just in time to impress in 

 the most emphatic manner their immense value. 

 It will not be long before the tree seller who does 

 not use these labels will be regarded as a fossil of 

 tlae most indurated type. 



Bad News for Tobacco Raisers.— After a 

 careful investigation by disinterested scientific 

 men, the French Government has concluded 

 that the use of tobacco interferes with the men- 

 tal faculties, and general ability to study, and 

 has prohib'ted absolutely its use in all the Gov- 

 ernment schools. It is also said that no regular 

 smoker ever took the highest degree in Harvard, 

 and the authorities there are inclined to look 

 into it. 



Glout Morceau Pear. — The Garden quotes 

 Dictionarie de Pomologie, as authority for the state- 



