THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
'43 
in nursery stock, for much of the fraud on the govern¬ 
ment, and consequent injury to home nursery interests, 
attending the present system will be eliminated. At 
present there is much fictitious valuation of imported 
stock at the custom house. 
If the proposed tariff goes into effect by March ist a 
large amount of nursery stock will come into this coun¬ 
try without duty, but if the passage of the bill is delayed 
until April ist, or even until March 15th, not any will 
come in duty free ; for importations for the season will 
have ceased by the latter date. 
No work in special departments connected with the 
U. S. Department of Agriculture has been of greater 
importance than that of Professor D. W. Coquillett and 
Albert Koebele, of the division of entomology, who 
have devoted their entire attention during the last few 
years to the preservation of the vast fruit interests of 
California and the Pacific coast from the ravages of in¬ 
sects and disease. Both of these gentlemen have been 
withdrawn from that field by the Department at Wash¬ 
ington on account of differences between the division 
and the California State Board of Horticulture. It is 
to be hoped that the field will not be left long unoccu¬ 
pied. Special investigations of this kind by the Depart¬ 
ment at Washington are of great importance. The 
work of the Department’s representative in Western 
New York recently was of practical value. 
The argument of Professor Van Deman for a revision 
of the names of fruits in nurserymen’s catalogues is 
bearing fruit. Leonard Coates, proprietor of the Napa 
Valley Nurseries, California, has issued a handsome 
catalogue in which the names of fruits have been revised 
with the aid of Professor Van Deman, so that they con¬ 
form to the nomenclature of the American Pomological 
Society. Among apples the Hubbardston Nonesuch is 
simply Hubbardston ; Marshall’s Red is Marshall ; 
Smith’s Cider is Smith and Esopus Spitzenberg is 
Esopus. It is to be hoped this plan will be adopted 
generally by nurserymen. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
All who have not subscribed for The National 
Nurseryman should do so at once. It is the only trade 
paper issued for nurserymen and it should receive the 
hearty support of all. That there was urgent need for 
such a publication was declared upon all sides and since 
its appearance it has been pronounced just what was 
wanted. The hearty support of all nurserymen, both 
growers and dealers, will make it a success. It is one 
of the handsomest journals issued in any trade. Can 
you afford to be without it ? It receives the support of 
the leading growers and dealers of the country. The 
subscription price is very low. 
JUDGING OF GRAPES AT FAIRS. 
To the Editor of The National Nurseryman: 
State, county, local and other agricultural fairs are 
over again for this year. I have attended a good many 
of these exhibitions all over the country, especially in 
grape-growing sections, and must confess that the 
honor of being a judge is not a very desirable one. Dis¬ 
putes have arisen within the past five years by exhib- 
iting girdled grapes for competition. The decisions of 
the judges must be final and should not be changed 
under any circumstances. There are obstacles to be' 
overcome. It is therefore the mission and destiny of 
the judges to overcome them by giving their own, com¬ 
petent, sound rulings and decisions. The judges are 
always carefully selected by the societies ; none but the 
best experts and competent gentlemen are trusted 
with this post of honor. 
It is well to exhibit girdled grapes, showing the skill 
of the grower and displaying to the visitors their beau¬ 
ties brought on by artificial means, but they should 
never he allowed to be entered for competition with the 
general class. These grapes are deceivers to the pub¬ 
lic, inducing the lovers of this most delicious of our 
fruits to buy and plant vines of these kinds, hut only 
finding out afterwards, that after years of patient wait¬ 
ing, they are disappointed in the results of what they 
expected to get. The skill of the grower, however, 
should be rewarded, either by adding a class for girdled 
grapes, or by recommending a special premium to be 
given to the exhibitor. 
A case of this kind came to my observation at the 
fair of the Western New York Agricultural Society. 
Among the exhibits of grapes were some very fine speci¬ 
mens, as the large and fine crop of this year should war¬ 
rant. For several years a grower of grapes from a 
neighboring town has shown some very fine girdled 
varieties, which were unusually large and real beauties 
to look upon. From year to year he entered them for 
competition, but was barred out by the expert and con¬ 
scientious judges. The fine display of his grapes this year 
was, as usual, refused premiums under the general entry 
by the judges, who were well known nurserymen and 
authorities on grapes, after a long and careful consulta¬ 
tion ; recommending, however, the exhibitor for a spe¬ 
cial prize for the fine lay-out. This ended the work of 
the judges, but not with their decision. A complaint 
was entered by the exhibitor before the society which 
after a short deliberation reversed the decision of the 
judges, giving this exhibitor first premium, while his 
opponent who showed the naturally grown fruit in per¬ 
fect form and quality, had to be contented with a second 
award. Is this fair and square dealing } If the decision 
of the judges is not final, what is the use of having up¬ 
right and competent judges, when the society makes 
