266 



Fruit Propagation Farms. 



Vol. II 



good practical agriculturist ; then when he 

 sets up for himself, lie will labor under no em- 

 barrassments arising from a lack of know- 

 ledge in his calling. Every one ought to be 

 deeply and thoroughly impressed with the 

 vast importance of understanding fully his 

 duties, and discharging his obligations with 

 fidelity and punctuality. 



The wearing apparel of a farmer should not 

 only be prepared by his industrious wife and 

 daughters (and every farmer should be so blest) 

 but it ought to be the production of his own 

 farm, instead of going to cities and towns to 

 purchase imported broad cloths on credit, by 

 which, at the end of the year, his store bill 

 will balance tliat of his farm. Too many 

 farmers and mechanics, deeming the em- 

 ployment in which they themselves have 

 prospered, too humble for their sons, have di- 

 rected them to the fancied dignity of the 

 learned or mercantile professions. Extrava- 

 gance, of course, kept pace with this errone- 

 ous principle — agriculture, the main business 

 of our country and the source of its wealth, 

 was neglected — to this was added, the suc- 

 cessive failure of crops — provisions doubled 

 in price — the importation of foreign grain 

 C07nmenced ; and when pay day came, as it 

 always assuredly does, thousands,who thought 

 they stood firm were reduced to bankruptcy, 

 either by their own indiscretion, or the fail- 

 ure of those for whom they had vouched. 



Our forefathers with industry and economy 

 succeeded in obtaining a decent and comforta- 

 ble living for themselves and families; but 

 our expenses, have on an average, within the 

 last thirty years been quadrupled. No ne- 

 cessity existed for this — nothing can justify 

 it. To correct the evil we must wed ;he 

 hands to labor, — the head to knowledge — we 

 must practice economy and industry. Those 

 who have forsaken rural labors, and been 

 disappointed in their Utopian dreams of 

 riches and happiness, should return to their 

 legitimate calling — they will be kindly re- 

 ceived, and amply remunerated for all the la- 

 bor they may bestow upon the soil, which never 

 refuses to yield a rich return to the fostering 

 hand of industry. We live too high — we 

 dress too fine, and we have the fashion of 

 cooking, eating, and dressing from at least 

 four different European nations to follow. — 

 Let every farmer's daughter then, be fully 

 instructed in all that pertains to intelligence, 

 industry, domestic economy, in all things ne- 

 cessary to render her a frugal industrious 

 house-ivife — a comfort to her husband and an 

 ornament to society. Our nation is as one 

 family, — whatever benefits one class or one 

 district, indirectly benefits the whole; so that 

 what injures one class of people, or one region 

 of our country, indirectly inflicts an injury 

 upon all. A reformation in the habits of the 



people is necessary to a system of industry 

 frugality, and prosperity. 



N. P. 



Lancaster Co., 3d Mo., 1833. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Fruit Propagation Farms. 



I would suggest for the consideration of 

 farmers and others, whether the subject 

 stated below is not of sufficient importance 

 to lay before the State Legislature for their 

 action, that if approved, it might receive the 

 fostering care of the government — and as 

 the subject is one in which party can scarcely 

 find a place, both bank and no bank men might 

 unite — nor do I see that the warmest friend 

 to the cause of temperance need be alarmed 

 thereat, as there would be no necessity for 

 making more cider, wine and whiskey, be- 

 cause we had good apples, pears, peaches, 

 plums, cherries, &c. than whilst we have 

 those of an inferior quality ; nor do I suppose 

 that there would be as much, for our interest 

 tells us that we can get a better market for 

 our fruits of an extra quality, in their natural 

 state, than in any other way. 



The plan I would suggest would be for 

 the State to procure a tract of land on each 

 side of the mountains, or in other words, one 

 in the eastern, the other in the western sec- 

 tion of the State, of two hundred acres each, 

 and appoint, in such way as the Legislatbre 

 may judge best, suitable persons to have charge 

 thereof, and be called Fruit Propagation 

 Farms, the expense to be borne by the State ; 

 as it would be several years before there 

 could be much benefit derived from the fruit. 

 The land not planted might defray a part of 

 the expense — but my views do not e.xtend to 

 a present money making concern, or else I 

 would by all means recommend a private 

 company. In the purchase, care should be 

 taken both as to soil and situation. It should 

 be properly prepared previous to planting — I 

 would neither lime nor manure much, as I 

 am of the opinion that either of them has an 

 injurious tendency on fruit trees, the ground 

 being of a good quality and not reduced by 

 cropping, is the best, I apprehend, for the 

 health of our fruit trees, which, like the hu- 

 man family, enjoy the best health when liv- 

 ing in a state of natural simplicity. A por- 

 tion of the ground being properly prepared 

 should be planted with the seeds of apples, 

 peaches, plums, pears, cherries, &c. Every 

 year, and at early periods, set out the plants 

 in situations where they might remain, if 

 found worthy — but inasmuch as there would 

 not be found one perhaps in fifty that would 

 be worth preserving, their distance apart need 

 not be great — in this way I would propose 

 proceeding to plant out several hundreds 



