FARMERS' REGISTER 



695 



REPORT ON ARBORICUIjTURE. 



From the C;iinUii;i Planter. 



Your comniitlee would respectfully submit that 

 few objects excite the surprise of foreigners ol'iii- 

 lelligeiice more than the total neglect ol' fruit in 

 tlie soutliern portion of the United States. This 

 is neither complimentary to our good sense, indus- 

 try, or fine taste. 



In all European countries congenial to the cul- 

 ture of fruit, great atleniion has been bestowed on 

 this branch ol rural usefulness — not only by those 

 who have abundant means for the perleciion ol' 

 the dilferent varieties cultivated, both by the aid 

 of science, and abilities, which would require so- 

 licitous care to be bestowed on these mute friends 

 of the human family, but even the liumble cot- 

 tager, who subsists on the daily pittance which his 

 labor yields to him, takes an honest and laudable 

 pride in his small though well cultivated garden, 

 who-e bowers are composed of trees, the branches 

 of which bend to man, their benefactor, and 

 gratefully yield to him the choicest and most de- 

 licious fruits of his clime, which administer abun- 

 dantly to the frugal wants of his homestead and 

 family — affording delicacies that cheer his toils, 

 and which in winter contribute to his enjoyments, 

 and arouse his expectations, by reminding him that 

 other seasons will soon roll round, when the drea- 

 ry looking earth will again be robed in fiowers, 

 and bear again the beautiful gifts of God's bless- 

 ings to his dependent children. 



What credit is this reflection to the citizens of 

 South Carolina, who have such abundant means, 

 so much leisure, and such a congenial climate, all 

 of which have been ill applied, if applied ar all, or 

 at least have settled into the apathy of indifference, 

 on a subject, which, if properly considered, would 

 not only be beneficial, but which would eventually 

 become a source of the most elevated satisfaction. 



In South Carolina, on some plantations, scarce 

 a fruit tree is to be seen — and even if a lew stinted 

 subjects are occasionally observed in their general 

 impoverished and wretched condition, seeming 

 6lrugn;ling to raise their puny heads above the 

 mother earth which aflbrds no congenial food for 

 their numerous and greedy organs, we are con- 

 vinced that they can afford no profit, and Irom 

 their sickly appearance we derive no pleasure. 

 This very li^atu re, in what are here termed orchards, 

 has caused many persons to conclude that fruit 

 will not thrive in our happy clime : yet, it gives 

 your committee great pleasure to be able to re- 

 port, that fallacy in this, as well as in other mat- 

 ters, may be exposed and subdued, and that with 

 proper culture many choice varieties ot' the princi- 

 pal and most substantial fruits which exist, viz: 

 the apple, pear, cherry, peach, nectarine, plum, 

 apricot and quince, may be cultivated with com- 

 plete and brilliant success. 



It is not alone for the mere gratificaiion of the 

 animal appetite that we recommend their culture 

 — they administer to the wants of the mind as well 

 as to those of the body. We are endowed with 

 other senses than that of taste— faculties which 

 contribute to the exalted enjoyments of life. He 

 who reads a page of pure morality from the trees 

 loaded first with flowers, and admires in these 

 flowers as they are scattered by the breezes of 

 heaven, to be succeeded by the richer gifts of 

 fruit, grateful to the eyes of the children of the 



VoL.VTII.— 88 



earth, the wonderful handiwork of the Creator of 

 the universe, possesses a source of satisfied hap- 

 piness, which must ever be unknown to the mere 

 worldling. Thus our daily walks may lead to a 

 consideration of his goodness — also, ol the created 

 wonders of his vegetable kingdom, urging upon us 

 the conviction that to assist nature and bring forth 

 perfectibility in her operations by the means and 

 intelligences with which he has endowed us, must 

 ever be the most laudable and least reprehensible 

 pursuit which can occupy the attention, and en- 

 gage the energies of mankind. 



To descend somewhat into detail, each person 

 who wishes an orchard with trees of the "Zi/e- 

 looklng^' kind, should procure, as a commence- 

 ment, a lew varieties of the most choice fruit, 

 which can be done at an expense and trouble, 

 trifling, when the return which they will yield ia 

 considered. In a few years they will begin to re- 

 ward him for the care he may bestow on them, 

 and this return will increase in proportion to the 

 application and free bestowal of that care. Hav- 

 ing in this manner obtained a start, their numbers 

 can be muliiplied by varions processes, which we 

 shall describe under their respective heads — and 

 in connexion with this operation the rising fami- 

 ly may be instructed in these various manifesta- 

 tions, which may be of as much importance to 

 I hern at a fijlure period, as any other branch of 

 knowledge may be should their wants require it. 



Additions and exchanges may be made with 

 ease, that ere a man, who has never bestowed at- 

 tention on an orchard, could imagine an assort- 

 ment completed, he would be startled to find 

 that the energetic orchardist had already under 

 his care, trees which had drawn their natal nou- 

 rishment from every fi-uit-yielding country of the 

 world. From a limited acquaintance with fruits, 

 both native and foreign, during a few past years, 

 your committee ventures to assert that to more 

 than nine-tenths of our citizens are the most choice 

 varieties of fruit unknown even by name, and but 

 iew of the best fruits have been cultivated any 

 where in our state. 



The chairman of your committee has procured, 

 and has arrowing with promising success, nearly 

 every celebrated variety of fi-uit both foreign and 

 native — many from England, France, Germany, 

 and Holland, which are there held in high repute 

 — but the experiment has yet to be made, whe- 

 ther they will suit our climate, yet from present 

 appearances he is sanguine of complete success, 

 and when they fi'uit this society shall be inforoied 

 of the result of the experiment. 



Such foreign fruits as have already proved them- 

 selves to be adapted to our climate, and those na- 

 tive varieties which are worthy of propagation and 

 culture, will be given in a list under their respec- 

 tive heads. 



Wiihin the last twenty years great attention has 

 been bestowed on this department of horticulture 

 throughout Europe, during which time many 

 new and valuable varieties of fruit have been pro- 

 duced by the aid of science and skill, and thus 

 variety after variety has been acquired — in some 

 a preponderance of size having been obtained, 

 whilst in others flavor has been transferred from 

 some choice kind, and by these means the requi- 

 sites of fine flavored and large sized fruit has been 

 the desired effect. 



To Prof Van Mons, of Belgium, are we indebt- 



