112 HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 



change might be made in this respect with great profit to all concerned, the 

 legitimate sellers and buyers of fruit trees. And I would suggest tliis, the 

 planting of such trees only as Ave know will grow an edible fruit in any and 

 all the settled parts of the State. It is in A^iu to try the indiscriminate 

 purchasing and planting of trees now everyw^here observable in this North- 

 west by any less radical means. Tree peddlers and agents, and eastern 

 horticultural and agricultural journals are doing more damage to our horti- 

 cultural interests than can easily be believed, except by those acquainted with 

 the case. 



Our climate has to bear a great deal of blame for the mischief to our or- 

 chards, gardens and vineyards, which in reality is solely attributable to the 

 misdirections of outside writers, and the cupidity and dishonesty of outside 

 nurserymen, for if the nurserymen did not send out these borers and bark- 

 lice gentlemen, it would certainly be impossible for them to invade us. 



Our own people, I mean the masses who want to grow fruit for their own 

 use, do not to a sufficient extent, subscribe for and read our own agricultural 

 and horticultural journals. If they would, there might be a fewer dupes of 

 these foreign tree hucksters, who generally sell what they have to sell regard- 

 less of name or nature. 



And let me here say a word about our journals. I think the time fully at 

 hand when they should speak out in unmistakeable language, and brand with 

 infamy any one, be he agent or principal, who attempts to palm ott' any tree, 

 shrub or flower, that he knows will bring to the purchaser nothing but disap- 

 pointment and chagrin. 



You, gentlemen of the State Horticultural Society, are looked upon af^a 

 noble band of men, and deservedly so. ^fen who are trying to give the peo- 

 ple of this young and growing State, an apple juicy and mellow. Yon will 

 do it. You are now in the bud and bloom, and many of you, long before you 

 are borne from work to reward, Avill pluck the ripened fruit. I am very 

 desirous that you who have borne the heat and burden of the day should reap 

 the reward of your labor, and my belief is, that if jou will make a united 

 effort, our own people may be supplied with trees by our own nurserymen, 

 and these will be the best weapons that can be used against these unscrupulous 

 bark-lice gentlemen that periodically infest our State. You say I am too 

 severe I I say, I mean to be severe. And while I acknoAvledge that there 

 are many noble and honest horticulturists that visit our State — many of their 

 faces are familiar to us all — yet I cannot, but in a measure, hold them respon- 

 sible for a portion of the imposition our honest and unsuspecting people are 

 subjected to, for if they did their duty, they would see that their own State 

 Societies frowned down the exportation of trees into any State, the adapta- 

 bility of which might be questionable. 



Let us educate the people. Let us give them fruit. If a crab, let it be so 

 understood. You can guarantee that it will live. Then, if the Duchess, 

 Fameuse, Red Astrachan, Wealthy, Bates, Woodward, Perkins, or anybody 

 else's seedling has, or does prove worthy of culture, you can recommend to. 

 your customers to buy these, and if you have not deceived them before, they 



