358 



CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUIT TREES. 



rectness if the suspected trees, or those 

 which are to be compared, arc of the same 

 age, and stand closely together upon the 

 same soil. 



It may be objected that such descriptions 

 in our horticultural works would be com- 

 paratively useless to the great majority of 

 orchardists and fruit growers, because their 

 opportunities for observation have been so 

 limited in tliis respect, that they could not 

 apply them with any degree of certainty, 

 and hence it might only tend to confuse and 

 embarrass. To this I would answer, that 

 providing it benefitted nurserymen only, it 

 would well repay the trouble of procuring 

 and publishing such descriptions, as, if the 

 nurseries wherever the young trees are ob- 

 tained were correct, the bearing trees would 

 of course be, other things being equal. 

 But I deny that it would not benefit many 

 orchardists as well as nurserymen. I have 

 had several of your nice careful farmers 

 notice and inquire the cause of the differ- 

 ence in the appearance of rows of apple 

 trees in my nursery, which difference was 

 caused solely by their containing diflierent 

 varieties. It might indeed occasion some- 

 times a pretty close inspection of nurseries, 

 and the trees whicfi are sent out from them, 

 and in this respect might prove annoying to 

 some of our nurserymen, if they knew that 

 their wretched mistakes could be thus de- 

 tected ; but for one, I should be perfectly 

 willing to have my nursery so inspected, and 

 should rejoice that people were in posses- 

 sion of means by which they could tell 

 whether my establishment was worthy of 

 their confidence or not, without waiting 

 years for their trees to fruit. It is a well 

 known fact that there is no occupation 

 where more dishonest}-, whether wilful or 

 unintentional, can be (I do not say, is) prac- 

 ticed with impunity yb?- a time than in that 

 of raising and selling fruit trees; and there- 



fore it becomes all who would make the 

 calling, and those who engage in it, honor- 

 rable and worthy of confidence, to improve 

 every means within their reach for the ac- 

 complishment of this desirable object. It 

 is not to be sure a matter of life and death, 

 nor one which is of such vital interest to 

 the multitude. I would not by any means 

 exaggerate the importance of the calling ; 

 but it is most certainly one which, if fol- 

 lowed aright, keeps in the most constant 

 exercise, some of our best faculties, and in 

 which they may shine as clearly, though 

 not as brilliantly, as in the most responsible 

 •station. If on the contrary it be followed 

 incorrectly, it often occasions much disap- 

 pointment and vexation, and sometimes se- 

 rious pecuniary loss. Hence every proper 

 restraint which can be used to prevent this, 

 should be applied. Surely the dissemination 

 of the knowledge I speak of could in no wise 

 annoy a correct, upright nurseryman, because 

 the more general and perfect the dissemi- 

 nation, the more obvious would be the ex- 

 cellencies of his establishment. In regard 

 to those who were not correct or upright, 

 all would of course be pleased if they were 

 thus obliged to reform, or quit the field en- 

 tirely. 



Again it may be objected, that if nursery- 

 men acquired such a knowledge of the trees, 

 they would be less careful in propagating, 

 thinking that if mistakes were made they 

 could afterwards detect them. It seems to 

 me, however, that the exact reverse of this 

 would be true; at least I should have much 

 more confidence in one who had been so 

 careful and particular, as to acquaint him- 

 self thoroughly with his trees, and really 

 had the ability to discover a mistake that 

 might have been made. Besides if he had 

 taken the pains necessary to acquire this 

 abilit}^ I should most certainly expect he 

 would take the pains to use it. He would 



