The Canadian Horticulturist. 231 



SWINDLING BY SUBSTITUTING VARIETIES. 



M^^t^S, 



J' 



ACOB MOORE, of Attica, formerly of Brighton, N. Y., the well- 

 known originator of the Brighton grape, some time ago gave his 

 vipws on the methods which have been adopted to secure 

 the dissemination of the '•' products of nature." In view of 

 the experimental work now being undertaken in Ontario, it 

 seems wise to quote his paper in full : 



" It has occurred to me to recount some of the notorious 

 swindles in horticulture caused by the lack of exclusive rights 

 to new productions. After the Isabella grape had been gen- 

 erally disseminated, it was named Payne's Early, and sold as a new variety earlier 

 than Isabella. Being 'a product of nature,' there being no law against so doing, 

 why should not the grower put money in his pocket by such means ? Eureka 

 was another name given to it at Attica, N. Y. That the Isabella has been fre- 

 quently introduced under new names is shown by the fact that horticultural 

 authorities mention as many as sixteen synonyms. Catawba has also been 

 re-named many times for the purpose of introducing it as a new variety. After 

 the advent of the Concord, the Maine grape and Chapman's Seedling were 

 heralded in the State of Maine as seedlings earlier and better. Thousands of 

 vines were sold at high prices by this means, but in the course of a few years 

 they were generally recognized as old Concord. Being ' a product of nature ' 

 and the dissemination thereof free, there being no law to prevent re-naming it, 

 why should not the propagators put money in their pockets in that way ? When 

 the Worden grape was introduced, certain well-known horticulturists proclaimed 

 it to be Concord. Doubtless previous deceptions had put them on the alert for 

 frauds. They were mistaken this time, however, as the Worden, although of the 

 same color and a seedling of the Concord, proved to be a distinct variety, earlier 

 and larger. The announcement, however, that it was identical had the effect to 

 lessen the demand for the vines and thus injured the originator, who is reported 

 to have received no compensation for it. When it was proved to be distinct and 

 valuable much of the demand for it was supplied, as at first by substituting Con- 

 cord, labeled Worden. Being *a product of nature,' and the dissemination 

 thereof free, the nurserymen had a right to publish the name and description in 

 their catalogues, whether they had a stock of the plants or not. As a conse- 

 quence, agents and dealers took orders for them. The nurserymen had plenty 

 of the Concord, and as the two varieties are much alike, • what harm to substi- 

 tute that, labeled Worden?' This was accordingly done by unscrupulous nur- 

 serymen and dealers to an extent that only the judgment day will reveal. The 

 same game was played with the Brighton on an equally extensive scale. This 



