STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 279 



probably where the most of the "humbugging" comes in. I think 

 if farmers would all come out and join the State Horticultural Society, 

 help form local societies, and post themselves with regard to the set- 

 ting and caring for nursery stock, and thus inform themselves so that 

 they would know what they were getting and what they want, the 

 same as they would do if they were buying a horse, they would not 

 have so much occasion to talk about being humbugged by nurserymen. 

 It is well enough to talk about agents, but it is usually wind expended 

 without any beneficial results; you can talk and spout but you never 

 drive the agents out of the country. It is better to put in time talk- 

 ing to farmers, Now, here is our friend Cutler that wasn't hum- 

 bugged because he knew what he was doing, what he wanted, and was 

 in a position where he could guard himself against humbugs. If there 

 is any complaint anywhere I think the farmers had better go to work 

 and post themselves so that no humbugging game can be practiced 

 upon them. 



Col. Stevens. I would suggest that the question be changed to read 

 "Does anyone know whether the farmers have humbugged the nursery- 

 men?" [Laughter.] 



Mr. Pearce. A good many years ago [ learned this maxim, "Ex- 

 perience teaches in a very dear school, but fools will learn in no 

 other." Now, I am with Mr. Underwood in this matter. If men 

 living in this day and age when the opportunities for informing them- 

 selves are so many, allow themselves to be humbugged, I say it is all 

 right that they should be humbugged. 



Mr. Barrett. Mr. President, I know that we are infested with 

 agents in our locality, irresponsible men that are doing damage to the 

 cause in which we are engaged. They injure the good reputation that 

 we may have acquired. I don't suppose anything can be done, but 

 some resolution might be passed that would have some moral influence. 

 The organization of horticultural societies has done much to protect 

 the people. 



Mr. Puller. There are certain classes of agents and a certain class 

 of nurserymen, as well, that propose to impose upon the people; the 

 agents of these firms go out for that purpose, and are a class of liars 

 from the beginning to the end. They operate in one part of the 

 country until they fill a large number of their worthless orders and 

 away they go to some other part of the country. Those who buy their 

 worthless stufi" say, "I knew he was a humbug, but we couldn't get 

 rid of him." They didn't have spunk enough to set the dog on him. 



