The Canadian Horticulturist. 233 



variety. The late H. E. Hooker, nurseryman at Rochester, N. Y., who had 

 ample opportunity to estimate the cost of the originator's experiments in obtain- 

 ing the variety, told me he thought he had not profited by its sale. 



" A favorite trick of unscrupulous parties in the trade is to substitute Queen 

 of Prairie rose for some new, rare variety under the name of the latter. The 

 former makes strong plants, which give satisfaction when delivered. The variety 

 being a 'product of nature, it is not desirable that anyone should have a 

 monopoly in its sale.' 



" The Early Rose potato is reported to have been disseminated without the 

 consent of the producer, and as a consequence he did not obtain compensation 

 for it. Being a mere ' product of nature,' there was no law by which he could 

 obtain redress. 



" The number of synonyms by which most of our popular fruits are known 

 in different sections of the country, as recorded in Downing's work on fruits, 

 shows that the right of a free-born American horticulturist to re-name an old, 

 well-known variety and perchance swindle the people by such means, has not 

 been neglected. Many seedsmen have made a practice of re-naming vegetable 

 seeds. ' Being a prod — ,' but methinks I hear some reader say, cease to iterate 

 that phrase, I pray. I suspect it would be more correct to say, the improved 

 new variety in most instances is the result of the skill and labor of man acting 

 jointly with nature. 



"The idea entertained by many persons that the American people have 

 always obtained such productions /r^^, is like that of the tramp who walks many 

 miles a day under the impression he is not working. A large part of the popu- 

 lation have paid amounts which aggregate millions for plants of celebrated new 

 varieties without obtaining them. Again, they have paid millions for worthless 

 novelties which perchance many did obtain. 



" How can these evils be remedied ? By a law making the trial of all new 

 varieties at the experiment station compulsory before allowing them to be intro- 

 duced, in order to determine if they are really new and have merit. Further, 

 the law should guarantee to the originator that in case plants or cuttings of the 

 variety are stolen from him or the experiment station and disseminated in that 

 way, the stock shall be confiscated wherever found. The principal inducement 

 for stealing new varieties, so frequently practised, would then no longer exist. 

 In addition, the originator should be given the exclusive right to disseminate 

 his production under the name. This would give him the opportunity to remu- 

 nerate himself, which is now lacking, and he in turn would protect the people 

 in its purchase in order to protect himself in its sale." — The National Nursery- 

 man. _^_ 



The Princess Louise apple in the nursery has endured the very severe 

 past winter without injury, and can therefore be classed as ironclad, in the moun- 

 tains of North eastern Vermont. I shall look with interest for its fruit. — T. H. 

 HosKiNS, M.D., Newport, Vt. 



