80 ANNUAL REPORT 



they are leaving these thin concerns and seeking nurseries further 

 West. Men who want or are compelled to do an honest business, and 

 submit to your law. "\ wish to know the meaning and intent of the 

 law. Are you obliged, in case you want to buy a currant or straw- 

 berry plant outside of your State, to take out the $2,000 bonds? If 

 so, it will seriously interfere with the local trade, and throw it into 

 the hands of the large firms at such prices as they may see fit to ask, 

 shutting out competition from cjther States." 



Another letter from one of the foremost horticulturists of Wiscon- 

 sin, or the Northwest, either, writes: "I do wish I was lawyer 

 enough to tell you about that law against tree peddlers, but I am no 

 lawyer. You must have had it long enough to tell how it works with 

 you — whether its prohibitions prohibit or not ? The proof of the pud- 

 ding is in the eating. Does it so far work well? Does it protect the 

 people? You and I would prefer a more educational preventive course 

 — but alas! alas! this is **a free country!" Evil free; good enslaved. 

 * * * Hope you will give full reports of its working as far as tested 

 in this winter meeting." 



Chas. Gibb writes under date of January 3d : "I have read in your 

 Minnesota State Horticultural Society Report your recent law regard- 

 ing tree peddlers. The law is a hard one, but I must say I like it, though 

 you may find it well to amend it in some way. In former years our trou- 

 ble was the.salesof thecull trees at Rochester, N.Y., which were bought 

 by agents and sold in the remote parts of the Province. They were 

 often labeled according to orders, and gave people the impression that 

 they could not grow apple trees. As a protection against this, we, 

 together with those of Ontario, asked the government to put on 

 more duty. The duty adopted was apple trees, 29; pear and cherry, 

 49; and plum 54 each. You ask if your new law is likely to work any 

 injury to the provinces. If Ohio, New York and Michigan trees are 

 doing harm, surely Ontario trees are also likely to do so. You must 

 look to the interests of your State, and you have given us some ideas 

 which it might be well for us to consider and. act upon. I am glad the 

 Dakota Horticultural Society had a good meeting. Sorry I cannot be 

 with you on the seventeenth." 



The Provinces have no grounds for complaint. While the duty on 

 trees, as shown by Mr. Gibb, amounts to almost a total prohibition 

 on their part, we allow them to ship us plants, trees, shrubs, and vines 

 of all kinds, except medicinal seeds not especially enumerated or pro- 

 vided in the act last passed. Roots, seed cane and seeds imported by 

 the Department of Agriculture or the U. S. Botanical Garden, fruit 



