THE 



JOURNAL OF RURAL ART AM) RURAL TASTE. 



Vol. III. 



SEPTEMBER, 1848. 



No. 3. 



One of the greatest stumbling blocks, 

 in the way of the orchardist and fruit 

 grower, in the United States, is the almost 

 endless catalogue of names of indifferent 

 fruits, now in general cultivation. 



Where there is one curious amateur, 

 who wishes to make a museum of his 

 grounds, to exhibit or to test every procu- 

 rable variety of fruit, there are thousands 

 who are anxious to plant only a few of the 

 best and most valuable sorts. Where can 

 they obtain information touching this se- 

 lection ? The nurseryman puts into their 

 hands his catalogue, in which there are 

 probably 200 kinds of pears recommended ; 

 mostly "delicious," "excellent," "first- 

 rate ;" very few, indeed, being marked 

 "second rate," "poor," or "worthless.'''' 

 Yet, almost every honest and experienced 

 fruit grower, who has tested 200 sorts of 

 pears, will tell you frankly that he finds it 

 difficult to name over 20 or 30 sorts really 

 worthy of cultivation ! 



Horticultural societies are instituted main- 

 ly to advance the taste for the intelligent 

 culture of fruits and flowers. Yet, we re- 

 gret to say, year after year, our leading 

 horticultural societies permit numberless 

 varieties of fruit to be exhibited at their 

 annual shows, which are known by their 

 Vol. III. 7 



fruit committees, to be quite unworthy of 

 cultivation. Indeed, the public generally, 

 which goes to admire and learn, have, at 

 these exhibitions, no means of judging of 

 the comparative value attached by the so- 

 ciety to an\' one of the varieties exhibited. 

 Not only is the public debarred, (for various 

 good reasons,) from making actual trial of 

 samples for themselves, but that part of the 

 society which does possess this kind of 

 knowledge, sits in secret session in its 

 committee room, and instead of affixing (as 

 we conceive they ought to do,) labels, No. 

 1, No. 2, No. 3, &c., to designate the esti- 

 mation in which the society holds all 

 known and tried sorts, they remain silent, 

 and allow the novice, captivated by exterior 

 charms, to embark in the pontiological lot- 

 tery, where blanks are ten times as nume- 

 rous as prizes ; instead of hanging out a 

 friendly light over the shoals and breakers, 

 which they know by heart, they quietly 

 allow the inexperienced navigator to strand 

 himself on the same bars ; and only when 

 he is high and dry, does some member cry 

 out — " Oh, if you had come to me, private- 

 ly, I could have told you that there are 

 only twenty pears really worth growing !" 



It is quite natural and proper, that nurse- 

 rymen should collect and propagate for sale 



