TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION. 
37 
the variety but merely something by which to handle it and by which you 
can get at a reasonable system of names. 
A practical question comes up in connection with any such proposition 
as this; and that is, What shall be done to make it effective? I have heard 
that question discussed a good deal in the last few months. It seems to 
me it would be very desirable for the American Pomological Society to agree 
upon a formulation of the fundamental principles of nomenclature— not upon 
new legislation, for I do not believe that, this or any other Society is big 
enough to enforce an arbitrary rule upon America. If such a system of 
rules can be agreed upon. I am sure it will be accepted very readily by the 
various horticultural societies and organizations throughout the country; and 
I believe that under the present circumstances we would come very rapidly 
to a fairly well settled plan of nomenclature in pomology. I believe that 
through this means we shall see, in the next few years, a wonderful advance 
in the nomenclature of our American fruits. It seems to me we have been 
getting further and further from that because new varieties come in 
in such profusion that we are losing sight of them all the time. To overcome 
that we need to have some classification of them. I think it more necessary 
now than ever before in order to arrive at an agreement in regard to these 
rules of nomenclature. (Applause.) 
President Watrous (when Prof. Waugh had concluded) called attention to 
a contribution on the subject which had been received by the Secretary. 
The Secretary stated that he had received a paper from Prof. T. V. Munson, 
of Denison, Tex., whom he had requested to discuss the subject from the 
standpoint of the man who has had experience in the naming of new fruits. 
The paper was then read as follows: 
THE REVISION AND CONTROL OF HORTICULTURAL NOMEN- 
CLATURE. 
BY PROF. T. V. MUNSON, DENISON, TEXAS. 
So long as there is no legally authorized standard of horticultural nomen- 
clature in this country, accessible to the general planters of vines, shrubs, 
trees, fruits, vegetables and flowers, nor laws against false descriptions, 
illustrations and representations of varieties for sale, so long will there be 
inconvenient, inappropriate, confused and deceiving nomenclature. 
So long as a large nursery, or any nursery can wilfully rename old varie- 
ties and sell them at extortionate prices, under trade-marked, new names, all 
over the country by agents claiming patent privileges of exclusive propaga- 
tion, sale, use of names, etc, as is the case with a number of Arkansas 
varieties of apples ten to forty or more years old (See Bulletin No. 49, of the 
Arkansas Experiment Station, Fayetteville, Ark.), and the people have no 
means provided by which to readily detect the fraud, nomenclature will 
remain confused, confusing and a means of deception and extortion, as in 
the “Jumbo,” “Columbian” and “Columbian Imperial” grape, one and ihe 
same variety, under three names, the latter trade-marked, and claimed as 
having exclusive rights to propagate and sell, and threatening prosecution, 
in case the claim (which is false) is violated. 
Outside of such designed change of names for deception in order to 
monopolize or sell old kinds at high prices, there are many local and ignorant 
