160 



REFORM IN POMOLOGY. 



with those that are. The consequence of 

 this state of things is, that the beginner 

 purchases his trees at random. He may be 

 fortunate in getting a few prizes, and gain 

 experience by the loss of years, in finding 

 out that great mistakes have been made 

 somewhere. If there be one thing more 

 than another vexatious and annoying, it is 

 to discover, at the expiration of ten or twelve 

 years, that we have been, during all that pe- 

 riod, carefully nursing a lot of worthless 

 fruit trees. 



It is, undoubtedly, the " legitimate busi- 

 ness" of nurserymen to procure and "and 

 propagate for sale every variety of fruit," 

 said to possess " superior qualities." It is 

 full as much their business to test these 

 presumed claims to the favor of their pat- 

 rons, and not to sell either foreign or do- 

 mestic "trash," with a recommendation 

 wholly or partially untrue. Can it be pos- 

 sible that fhere are 500 pears, all so good 

 as to leave no chance for making great 

 mistakes in selecting twenty out of them ? 

 If the purchaser has the requisite experi- 

 ence, the thing is easily done ; but, if he 

 has Twt a knowledge of the good and bad, 

 and is to take for all truth the representa- 

 tions of catalogues, he runs the risk of 

 losing both his time and his money. Ho- 

 nesty and interest are not twin sisters ; 

 they too frequently come into direct con- 

 flict ; and when they do, the former is sure 

 to " go to the wall." Does not the nurse- 

 ryman know that there are not more than 

 30 or 40 varieties of the pear " really wor- 

 thy cultivationV Why, then, does he put 

 in his catalogue and offer for sale more 

 than 400 sorts besides, to each one of which 

 is attached some recommendatorj'^ phrase, 

 or word, as " excellent," " fine," " splen- 

 did," &c.? We are told that he does it 

 because the reputation of his nursery is es- 

 timated by the size of his catalogue ; the 



people being very apt to believe that he 

 who figures largely in this way, is or mu9£ 

 be quite an "eminent horticulturist." Va- 

 rieties are retained, known to be valueless, 

 because purchasers order them, and rivals 

 keep them for sale. Here are reasons, to 

 be sure, but what are they worth ? 



It must be obvious, from what we have 

 said, that there is ample room for, and 

 great need of, a thorough reform in pomolo- 

 gy. About the fact itself there can be no 

 difference of opinion ; but when we come 

 to the question of the mode of doing it, dif- 

 ficulties instantly present themselves, and 

 the opposing interests of the rivalry of 

 trade will be prolific in starting obstacles 

 to any plan whatever. From the two lead- 

 ing horticultural societies, those of Penn- 

 sylvania and Massachusetts, the public had 

 a right to expect everything in the way of 

 regulating these matters, upon the question 

 of merit alone, regardless of all else. They 

 were " instituted mainly" for this very pur- 

 pose, and should never have deviated from 

 the path of right, in warning the inexperi- 

 enced of the "shoals and breakers," upon 

 which they are in danger of stranding. 

 They have permitted hundreds of novices 

 to be completel}*taken in, regularly shaved 

 " secundem artem^'' by remaining silent, 

 when they should have spoken, trumpet- 

 tongued, with the voice of experience, and 

 put forth a " friendly light" to guide the 

 unwary and the ignorant. Why have they 

 not done so? Why allowed '■^numberless 

 varieties of fruit to be exhibited at their 

 annual shows, known to be quite unworthy 

 of cultivationV^ It cannot be denied, with 

 truth, that these things are so ; and being 

 so, of what benefit is it to the societies, or to 

 any body, that scores of " worthless'''' fruit 

 are honored with a place upon their tables ? 

 We would understand the matter if we 

 can. 



