MICHIGAN STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 433 



TEST GARDENS. 



[The following letter, received from Mr. Parmelee in reply to au 

 inquiry regarding liis view of a test garden, was overlooked in my 

 former report. — Secretary.] 



Old Mission, Mich., Oct. 17, 1870. 



Dear Sir : — Your letter of lOtli inst. arriyed when I was 

 absent. I take first opportunity to reply. Was interested 

 in its contents, and feel that the end sought to be gained is 

 very desirable, — to protect people from wasting time and money 

 on kinds of no value. It should help to exalt our State into 

 the position which she can and should hold, — that of the first 

 in the production of the most important fruits. 



If all our efibrts can be put forth to raise only the best, it 

 will be a great point gained ; and success in an enterprise, such 

 as you speak of, would have a great influence in that direction ; 

 but people must be convinced it is not in the interest of any 

 speculation. 



A fruit-grower is not of necessity a nurseryman, and should 

 not be. The tendency of that interest is to the cultivation of 

 sorts that have habits suited to the easy production of hand- 

 some nursery stock. And a nurseryman's interests tend to 

 make his recommendations of varieties to differ, sometimes, 

 from the real interest of fruit-growers. It need not be so, for 

 when people understand that it costs more to grow a tree of 

 slow, crooked, or otherwise faulty habits, they will be willing 

 to pay for it, if the value of the fruit makes it desirable. The 

 influence of the State Society should be to harmonize those 

 interests. 



When a nurseryman has a new variety, which he thinks of 

 value, he wishes to make something out of it, and will not like 



