78 



Seedling Fruit Trees.- 



-Disinterestedness. 



Vol. VIIL 



lake, a distance, as he travelled, of about 

 one hundred miles. 



Almon Rugg-les settled in Huron county, 

 on the shore of Lake Erie, in 1806, and ob- 

 tained the choicest of Mr. Neesley's collec- 

 tion, and several varieties from the Eastern 

 States. His apples M^ere larger some years 

 since, than any apples of the same kind, 

 whose weight had been ascertained and pub- 

 lished. 



Paul Fearing, at Marietta, Thomas Wor- 

 thington, at Chilicothe, N. Longworth, at 

 Cincinnati, Abraham Tappan, at Unionville, 

 and others, early in the settlement of those 

 sections of the country, turned their atten- 

 tion to the culture of apples of the choicest 

 kinds. 



Varieties thus obtained, and from other 

 sources, have been extensively propagated ; 

 and although seedlings are often delicious, 

 the best are those plucked from grafts and 

 buds. 



Mr. Knight's theory, "that all plants of 

 one species, however propagated from the 

 same stock, partake, in some degree, of the 

 same life &c." is worthy of serious consid- 

 eration and experiment. 



The result of my observations and com- 

 parisons, is, that the same kinds of apples 

 west of the mountains, are larger, sounder, 

 fairer, and better flavoured, than at the east : 

 that young trees, in a virgin soil produce 

 better fruit than old trees in a country long 

 cultivated, and that the soil and climate in 

 Ohio, are well adapted to the cultivation of 

 apples. lam inclined to think, particular sit- 

 uations, are best for the full development of 

 different kinds of this fruit. Chardon and 

 Jefferson, are at least 600 feet above the 

 Lake: and they produce the Rhode Island 

 Greening in greater perfection than I have 

 seen elsewhere. 



Poma's plan of propagating fruit at the 

 east from the west, by seedlings, should be 

 put in practice. Several gentlemen would 

 search for, and send grafts of the best seed- 

 lings if requested. Dr. Jared P. Kirtland, 

 near Cleaveland, and N. Longworth, Esq, at 

 Cincinnati, much skilled in Horticulture, 

 would be most valuable correspondents, for 

 extreme sections of the state ; and their ac- 

 quaintance in other parts, enables them to 

 designate other gentlemen, who would cheer- 

 fully render any services to that object. 



The north, east and south are indebted to 

 the west for the mercer potatoe, and no 

 doubt, they can be supplied from that quar- 

 ter, with delicious, new varieties of the 

 apple. 



We will pay this class of our foreign 

 debts as soon as demanded, without repudia- 

 tion. The practice of planting trees in dif- 



ferent parts of large fields, in this District, 

 Virginia and Maryland, must be abandoned, 

 to obtain sound and fair fruit. An orchard 

 should be fenced by itself, and large cattle 

 never be permitted to enter it. Sheep 

 should be excluded in the winter and spring. 



Swine improve an orchard, by turning up 

 the ground, — by consuming the defective 

 apples as they drop, before they are at ma- 

 turity ; thereby destroying the insects which 

 brought them to the ground, preventing their 

 annual increase, and finally exterminating 

 them. 



Messrs. Fields in the eastern part of New 

 York, were celebrated, in that section of 

 their state, and in Connecticut adjoining, for 

 raising the Newtown Pippin, and other ap- 

 ples, in greater perfection, than other persons 

 in tlieir vicinity, and their " lovg noses'^ 

 gave them both reputation and cash. 



And now my dear Sir, that the rich and 

 varied blessings, your long and useful labours 

 merit in the various fields you have culti- 

 vated, so greatly promotive of the happiness 

 of your fellow men, and the interests of your 

 country, may be yours, until your sun shall 

 finally set, will be the prayer of your devoted 

 friend, " when over the mountains, and far 

 away." 



Elisha Whittlesey. 



John S. Skinner, Esq. 



DisiNTEKESTEDNEss. — "In the last war in 

 Germany, a captain of cavalry was ordered 

 out on a foraging party, lie put himself at 

 the head of his troop, and marched to the 

 quarter assigned him. It was a solitary 

 valley, in which scarcely anything but woods 

 could be seen. In the midst of it stood a 

 little cottage. On perceiving it, he went 

 up and knocked at the door. Out came an 

 old Moravian brother, with a beard silvered 

 with age. 'Father,' says the otRcer, 'show 

 me a field where I may set my troopers 

 a-foraging.' ' Presently,' replied the bro- 

 ther. The good man n'alked before, and 

 conducted them out of the valley. After a 

 quarter of an hour's march, they found a 

 fine field of barley. ' There is the very 

 thing we want,' says the captain. ' Have 

 patience for a few minutes,' replies the 

 guide; ' you shall be satisfied.' They vi^ent 

 on, and, at the distance of about a quarter 

 of a mile further, they arrived at another 

 field of barley. The troop immediately dis- 

 mounted, cut down the grain, trussed it up, 

 and remounted. The officer, upon this, said 

 to his conductor, ' Father, you have given 

 yourself unnecessary trouble ; the first field 

 was much better than this.' 'Very true, 

 sir,' replied the good old man, ' but it teas 

 not mine.'' " 



