NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. 195 



NO]\IENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE AND 



CATALOGUE. 



J. S. HARRIS. 



Mr. President and members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: 



There is no subject that comes within the scope of the work of this 

 society of more importance than that of nomenclature and catalogue, 

 and no committee whose duties are more arduous than those to whom 

 these subjects have been assigned. We have on former occasions spoken 

 of the importance of having a correct nomenclature for the fruits grown 

 in this state, and it seems to us one of the first duties of thi^ society is to 

 establish correct names for all of the many varieties of fruit which come 

 before us for discussion, examination, adoption or rejection. With- 

 out a correct nomenclature, uniform in every particular, with that in 

 use in other states and other societies, we cannot possibly guard our plant- 

 ers from being continuously imposed upon or misled. The reputation of 

 fine and worthy varieties is liable to be seriously damaged, their success- 

 ful introduction and culture retarded, and the business of the propagator 

 and planter result in confusion and loss. So little knowledge of the 

 merits of fruits by their names have a large per cent, of the purchasers 

 and planters of trees, that a sharp agent has a great advantage over them; 

 and it is one of the first duties of this society to disseminate knowledge 

 that shall prove a protection against either fraud or mistakes. (As a 

 rule we believe the agents of legitimate nurseries are honest well-mean- 

 ing men, but frequently woefully ignorant or deficient in their knowledge 

 of varieties; and, unfortunately, we occasionally hear of some most 

 villianous association, who do not grow a tree and have no use for an 

 honest agent.) 



We have found through our attendance at fruit exhibitions and visits 

 among fruit growers that there exists very great confusion in the names 

 of varieties, even among those who ought to be reasonably well posted, 

 and with the newer Russian varieties it is almost chaotic. The evil is 

 with us, it is too late to prevent it, but we should as fast as possible 

 take steps to correct it, or disasters will continue to follow. In no place 

 is this condition of things more annoying than in competitors' exhibits, 

 where to save money and encourage honest competition every variety for 

 which prizes are offered should be correctly described, that the judges may 

 be able to make just awards. At some county fairs scarcely one-half of 

 the varieties are correctly named, and it is not unusual to see the same 

 variety shown under several names by the individuals exhibiting them; 

 and as a result the educational influence of the exhibition is lost to both 

 exhibitor and visitor. At one fair last season we saw the Wealthy apple 

 shown as Duchess, Walbridge and unknown; the Utter as Wealthy, Wal- 

 bridge and Plumb Cider; the Plumb Cider as Ben Davis and Walbridge: 



