166 



THE AQUARIUM, APRIL, 1895. 



PROTECTION TO ORIGINATORS 

 OF NEW FLOWERS AND 

 FRUITS AND VEGE- 

 TABLES. 



There is another and imi^ortant work 

 for the department to do, at least for 

 the government to do, viz. : To protect 

 the originator of a new variety of fruit, 

 vegetable or flower, in order that he 

 may have the benefit of his study and 

 labor in producing it. 



A man can get a simple device paten- 

 ted, and for twenty years get a royalt}^ 

 on every one sold. The same is true 

 with books ; the writer gets his price 

 on every copy sold, just according to 

 his popularity. Why should not the 

 specialist in plants be protected in the 

 same way ? In many instances several 

 years' labor is expended in the develop- 

 ment of a variety, and the originator 

 will get for the same a bonus for the 

 stock. After that it is the common 

 property of all. Why should there not 

 be the same property rights in a rose 

 there is in a rat trap ? 



This matter is of more importance 

 than appears at first thinking. The 

 moment a specialist feels that his labors 

 will be awarded by the protection the 

 government gives him, the same as the 

 inventor has, his energies will be awak 

 ened, he will make extra efforts to pro- 

 duce something of value, because he 

 can make something from it. The re- 

 sult will be, we shall have more new and 

 valuable varieties than at present. 

 More than that, Peter's Prolific pea 

 cannot be sold as such without Peter's 

 consent, which will have much to do in 

 keeping sorts true to name and quality. 

 Every dealer can have his own " First 

 and Best," but he has no right to an- 

 other's " First and Best " without 

 paying for it. A trade-mark should 



protect seeds, bulbs, vegetables and 

 flowers, just as much as any other arti- 

 cle of merchandise, and that without 

 the necessity of putting a label on each 

 packet. Then when a man establishes 

 a reputation it will avail him something. 

 — Florists' Exchange, March 2, 1895. 



We fully agree with the Florists' 

 Eoccliange. Last summer we had an 

 experience that illustrates how disagree- 

 able and hurtful the present state of 

 affairs can be. To a customer abroad, 

 we had sold seeds of some of our new 

 hybrid aquarium plants. Being anx- 

 ious to learn of the result in a different 

 climate we addressed a letter of in- 

 quiry to that effect and received as 

 answer : that one variety had been an 

 entire failure, while the other turned 

 out to be a very common species, native 

 all over Northern Europe, etc. 



Last summer, while abroad, we sur- 

 prised the establishment in question 

 with a personal visit quite early in the 

 morning and recognized ''our children" 

 at first sight. They had come true to 

 name and were in excellent condition. 

 Asked to explain his letter, our friend (?) 

 excused himself with the phrase, that 

 he had lost the packages bearing the 

 names of the seeds and had forgotten 

 whence they came. He had given " our 

 product " different names and intro- 

 duced them as his own. 



It may here be added that, to pro- 

 duce one of the varieties, it required 

 eight years of close watching and care 

 to have the two parent plants in bloom 

 at the same time in order to fertilize 

 them successfully. 



Ornamented palm-pots have made 

 their appearance in the market. They 

 are deeper than the old style, made of 

 white clay, and the saucers are glazed 

 to prevent the moisture from soaking 

 through. 



