THE GEm^lSEE FARMER. 



vide shelter, but also for planting in avenues by 

 the side of a road, though its habit of throwing up 

 suckers all around it, from its numerous creeping 

 roots, is a serious objection. The young shoots 

 have a purplish tinge, and they are covered with a 

 white down. The leaves are deeply lobed and 

 indented, very dark above, and whitish and downy 

 beneath, and, when agitated by the wind, produce a 

 very pleasing eifect. 



The wood of this tree is useful for a variety of 

 minor purposes, particularly when lightness eithep 

 of weight or color is thought desirable. On the 

 prairies at the "West, this tree can not be too exten- 

 sively planted. 



FRUIT GKOWEES AND SOCIETIES. 



Editoiis Genesee Farmer: — It is pretty gen- 

 erally conceded, that societies which liave for their 

 object the gatliering of tacts, and the dissemina- 

 tion of the truths arrived at by the comparison of 

 facts thus obtained, are very beneficial, if conducted 

 with discretion, and with a single purpose to ac- 

 complish the objects of their formation, without 

 regard to what manner the truths arrived at may 

 affect the selfish interests of any or all of its mem- 

 bers; and they are able to accomplisli nuicli wliich 

 individual ett'ort can never do. We tliink the value 

 of associated effort, as coinpared with individual^ 

 is not undervalued in this day. On the contrary, 

 we believe that the reverse is true, and that indi- 

 vidual effort is not sufficiently appreciated. But 

 we still ffnd that, mingled with the conffdence which 

 the mass of the people liave in the power of these 

 societies to do good, there is a very prevalent dis- 

 trust of their motives, and a hesitation on the part 

 of many about casting in tlieir lot with them, and 

 contributing their information to the general fund, 

 lest they too be suspected of siiuster designs, and 

 become classed with those wlio have told what they 

 knew in all honesty, and were met with reserve and 

 concealment by those who had profited by their 

 experience but selfishly M'ithheltl their own. Added 

 to these, we have a class of men, who, being selfish 

 themselves, and conscious of no better motives, 

 have no faith in human disinterestedness, and accord- 

 ingly look at once for the foundation of every 

 society, in tlie selfish interests of some man or class 

 of men. Of course, these men never fail of finding 

 a sufficient selfish motive for all these societies, and 

 conclude that, if any good is done, it is accidental 

 or inevitable from the nature of the case. They 

 will join the society if they see that their interests 

 will be advanced, or that they can make use of the 

 society themselves to do so. Now, we have no 

 quarrel with the man who wishes to promote his 

 own interests by all fair and honorable means ; for 

 he is the keeper of his own welfare, in a sense that 

 no one else is; and we have no right to accuse him 

 of selfishness, if he advance his own welfare only 

 by those means which are certain to promote the 

 general good. 



Societies wliich have for their object those things 

 which promote the general welfare, should therefore 

 be sustained and encouraged, even though they may 

 and do promote the interests of a particular class 



of men most especially, and are made use of by 

 some of that class in a manner which is not strictly 

 justifiable; it is not Avise to saci'ifice the general 

 advancement, for fear some man will get more than 

 his due share of i)rosperity. AVe do not ignore the 

 fact that a great many men — perhaps the mass — are 

 thoroughly selfish; but a society is to be judged by 

 its avowed objects, and all good members sliould aim 

 to advance those objects or leave the field to those 

 who wUl. If the objects of the society are not 

 selfish, but good ; then let us not blame tlie society, 

 but those who pervert it. 



We are led to these remarks by the recent meet- 

 ing of the Fruit Growers' Society of Western New 

 York, held in Rochester, January Yth, 1858, — a 

 meeting characterised by some features which wo 

 think call for remonstrance and amendment, while 

 at the same time they do not give good cause for 

 severe censure or complaint towards any, much less 

 for discouragement or doubts as to the usefulness 

 of this fiourishing society. 



The object of this society, as set forth in the 

 constitution, is "the advancement of the Science of 

 Pomology, and the art of Fruit Culture generally." 



Judged by this clause, who will say that this is 

 not a commendable society; or what former, or 

 nurseryman, or gardener, or citizen, who owns a lot 

 of half an acre in any of our villages,-is there, who 

 would not be most liappy to give one dollar per 

 annum to be in possession of the accumulated infor- 

 mation of all the best practical fruit groAvers in 

 AVestern New York? the experience of 100 mem- 

 bers of this society, uiion any of the subjects com- 

 ing under their observation during one year, is the 

 experience of a century of individual life. IIow 

 vast, then, is the sum of experience, if the society 

 be largely extended, and one thousand careful observ- 

 ers and intelligent cultivators can be summoned at 

 the call of our President to come together and for 

 our mutual benefit offer each his tribute of annual 

 observation. Tlie progress of a year may thus 

 become the progress of an age, or a century ; and 

 the good done to the race, by the 'extension and 

 advancement of these objects, almost beyond com 

 putation. 



Theoretically, therefore, this society is admirably 

 calculated to do good; but, practically, we must 

 fall short of some of its benefits. The distrust, 

 wliich we have before spoken of, leads many to say, 

 "This is a nurseryman's society, and the grooving 

 of fruit trees is their business; of course, all that 

 makes demand for trees helps them ; they will be 

 sure to Jlnd such facts as they require to make a 

 good market for trees." In this way confidence is 

 destroyed. The fruit grower being persuaded that 

 his interest is not consulted by the nurserymen, 

 refuses to plant, and of course never reaps; leaves 

 the society to those whom he supposes to be opposed 

 to him, and the information he might liave commu- 

 nicated and received is lost. 



How strange it is that all men do not see that the. 

 welfare of all men is bound together, and that each 

 man's true interest is promoted by the advancement 

 of every other man's true interest. The welfare 

 of a nurseryman depends entirely upon his consult- 

 ing carefully the interests of his purchasers, the 

 fruit growers ; and failing to do this, he soon loses 

 the confidence and the custom of those upon whom 

 he depends for support. 



