94 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



The fruitful warmth of the climate obviates indeed 

 very many difficulties which we have to contend with 

 in securing garden-growths and makes careless gar- 

 deners. So long as people are content merely with the 

 customary products of northern Europe, these may be 

 had at small pains ; but with this management the ad- 

 vantages are lost which would be afforded by a better, 

 that is to say, many of the products natural to a warmer 

 climate might be had with a little care. Most of the 

 vegetables and flowers of northern Europe -have been 

 introduced. Many of these do well and have even been 

 improved, but others grow worse under careless man- 

 agement. American gardening has nothing of the 

 characteristic to show, beyond several varieties and 

 dubieties of pumpkins, squashes, and gourds, the cul- 

 tivation of which was usual among the Indians. Sev- 

 eral of our vegetables were first introduced by the Ger- 

 man troops, e. g. kohlrabi, broccoli, and the black 

 raddish. But certain of our good fruits are lacking, 

 (or at least are very seldom seen and then not the best 

 sorts), such as, plums, apricots, walnuts, good pears, 

 the domestic chestnut, gooseberries, and others, and 

 for no other reason but neglect to make the proper 

 efforts, with patience and attention for the American 

 cares little for what does not grow of itself, and is 

 satisfied with the great yields of his cherry, apple, and 

 peach trees, without giving a thought to possible and 

 often necessary betterments. They know little or noth- 

 ing of grafting and inoculations, or use such practices 

 very seldom. Much, without sufficient ground, is 

 charged to the disadvantages of the climate, and people 

 have let themselves be too easily frightened away from 

 gardening, when the trouble was that nothing of the 



