STATE HORTICTJLTURAL SOCIETY. 215 



SELLING XURSERY STOCK. 



Considerable discussioa was had at our last annual meeting con- 

 cerning fraudulent practices of itinerant tree agents and commission 

 men. As a result thereof a committee of five was chosen, as you re- 

 member, to recommend some proper action to be taken in the matter, 

 and they reported in favor of the passage of a law for the better pro- 

 tection of the public against frauds and willful misrepresentations in 

 the sale of foreign nursery stock. 



The Society adopted this report, and a bill was drafted which, with 

 some amendments, became a law. Of course the passage of the bill 

 was bitterly opposed by some — " No rogue e'er felt the halter drav^r 

 with good opinion of the law." The " unconstitutionality " of the 

 measure was strongly urged; but, after some delay, the senate passed 

 the bill without a single dissenting vote, and later it passed through 

 the house. 



While there is some diversity of views among nurserymen and hor- 

 ticulturists in general upon this subject, a majority seem in favor of 

 giving the law a trial. The subject is a most important one, in some 

 respects at least, and is deserving of most careful thought and due 

 consideration. 



H. E. Van Deman, chief of the division of pomology, Washington, 

 D. C, under date of Feb. 12, 1887, writes: "Your action regarding 

 the protection of your people against tree swindlers is entirely in ac- 

 cord with my mind. I noticed a rather suppressed report (as I sup- 

 posed) of the discussion in the papers. It would be an effectual cure 

 of many of these ills if a state law can be passed which makes it a 

 penal offense to misrepresent the stock sold, and impose a license on 

 the agents. Shall be glad to get a copy of the pending bill." 



President J. M. Smith, of the Wisconsin Horticultural Society, who 

 attended our annual meeting one year ago, was quite pronounced in 

 his expression of opinion on this subject. In his address before the 

 Wisconsin society in February last he says: ** Last month, while at- 

 tending the convention of the Minnesota State Society, the question 

 of the fraudulent sales of fruit trees, plants, shrubs and ornamental 

 plants came up, and was pretty thoroughly discussed." After refer- 

 ring briefly to the action taken, he thus concludes: " It does seem to 

 me that some effort should be made to protect our citizens from this 

 class of downright swindlers, for to me they seem to be that and 

 nothing else." 



Upon the other hand, some indignation was evinced by certain nur- 



