New fruits, that excel all others in all important points, are now so frequently offered that it seems to me a matter of great importance to the horticultural world that all claimants should, by the force of public opinion, be compelled to introduce themselves in a manner sufficiently formal and guarded, to prevent the imposition of worthless fruits as old varieties under new names, upon the public. We cannot, of course, always know that a variety will succeed generally, because we find it doing wonders in some one locality; but when a considerable number of our leading fruit growers are invited to visit the new-comer and decide upon its merits, or where notice is duly given to the public generally, and all invited freely to come and see it in fruit, we are not likely to get an old variety under a new name, to say the least, and we are pretty sure to find one that is valuable in some points and in some places. I am glad to be able to say that such methods are being more and more generally adopted.

On the other hand, when we see the introducer of new (?) fruits following in the wake of the sporting fraternity and practically offering to bet, as stakes, their bantlings against some other one for large sums of money, with no previous formal introduction or acquaintance, I do not generally feel much confidence. Doubtless these offers are intended to convey the idea that the introducer has unlimited faith in the variety so pushed forward, but is this the legitimate inference to be drawn? I think not. In my opinion it is much more likely that it is done to gain notoriety, or as a "game of bluff," with the expectation that enough "gulls " will be found to pay all expenses and a handsome profit before the time for the actual test arrives.