23G STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



• 

 removal to the orchard the call for that variety has greatly diminished. Now, 

 ■what we wish to know is : AYhat sorts do best for a series of years? I am 

 inclined to think that tlie \'ery prevalent desire for many varieties, or to be 

 called an ''amateur fruit-irrower,'' has done much to disparage the efforts of 

 the honest propagator. The nurseryman gets an order for fifty trees, perhaps 

 two of a sort, but more likely thirty or forty varieties; he trots all over the 

 plantation with spade in hand to faithfully serve his customer, well-knowing 

 all the while that only four or five of these varieties will ever succeed, and 

 when they do come to bear, the orchardist blames the nurseryman for sending 

 him such a worthless lot, whereas, if the nurseryman had filled the order with 

 a few good, reliable sorts very likely the customer would have rejected the whole 

 bill because they were not such as ordered. Of what advantage is an exquisitely 

 flavored fruit, if one cannot get a well-developed specimen of tener than once 

 in ten years and probably never? It is astonishing how many homes, with 

 plenty of unoccupied land, except by noxious weeds, are entirely destitute of a 

 succession of fruits, and many more would be so if it were not for the impor- 

 tunity of the polite tree agent and the direct interest which the nurseryman 

 manifests in urging a supply. 



''Amateur fruit-growers" essentially belongs to a class of ^' pulJic lencfac- 

 fors'' who are willing to wear their life out in getting information foi the 

 benefit of the community at large, and contented with plenty of " hard work 

 and small pay" that they may '^ end up" with a kind of self-immolation at 

 the "shrine of Pomona." To the careful, observing ones who will give us 

 the results of their experience, mistakes as well as successes, nurserymen and 

 fruit-sfrowers are sfreatly indebted and ever shall be. 



The advantages which accrue to nurserymen in their intercourse with fruit- 

 growers from different localities enable them to give the new planter much 

 valuable and reliable information concerning the best and most profitable 

 varieties, and usually they can make a better selection for him than he can do 

 for himself. AVe cannot condemn too strongly the practice amo'ng some un- 

 principled "tree dealers" of mislabelling varieties to suit the demands of the 

 customer who otherwise would reject the order, and we trust the day is not 

 far distant when it will be a penal offense to knowingly mislabel a tree. 



Fruit-growers in general should plant chiefly of the well-known market 

 and tried varieties. They should touch new and high-priced sorts lightly. 

 "Better wait a little and see." Because Mr. Somebody has a new and won- 

 derful variety, even though it be well endorsed by popular and reliable men in 

 certain localities, it is no sure indication that it will do well everywhere. It is 

 indeed surprising how people will "grab" after novelties at high prices, and 

 men whom the good Lord has endowed with an average amount of common 

 sense will so often fail to exercise it in the purchase of nursery-stock, and this 

 too, is especially discouraging to the honest propagator. 



A few years ago, in the month of September I think, a stranger came up to 

 our place and inquired if we had the "Oiiio Ever-bearing Kaspbcrry?" I 

 said no ! but that we had the Catawissa, which often bore a second crop in 

 autumn, and had fruit on then. After seeing them, he paid me a dollar for 

 one dozen plants, but neglected to tell me what he was going to do with them. 

 A few days after, a gentleman who was fitting up a nice house in town was up 

 at our grounds and saw the Catawissa and inquired about them, the name, 

 price, etc. "Well," said he, "the other day I paid a red-headed man from 

 Ohio five dollars for twelve of those plants, and he called them the 'Ohio 



