186 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



CHEAP LUXUEIES, 



There are not a few persons in every circle, and 

 within tlie range of every one's observation, who 

 esteem an article according to its cost, and not ac- 

 cording to its intrinsic excellence and value. To 

 such minds, a rare and expensive article of dress or 

 of curiosity, possesses a value which to other per- 

 sons seems quite disproportionate and out of all rea- 

 son : they cannot see the use of spending so much 

 upon that which seems no better than the common 

 articles, except that it is rare or costly. Many of 

 those articles commonly called luxuries fall Avithin 

 this class, and are esteemed simply because they are 

 not common ; but there also various luxuries, prop- 

 erly so called, which have an intrinsic excellence, 

 as well as a value arising from scarcity, and the dif- 

 ficulty of production, which always has and alwaj's 

 will recommend them to public notice and favor. 



Among this latter class of luxuries are many of 

 the products of the fruit, the flower and the vege- 

 table garden. How to produce these luxuries 

 cheaply, and how to place them in the hands of the 

 people, is the study of the pomologist, the nursery- 

 man, and the gardener. In a few words, we shall 

 try to help on the cause, and endeavor to show that 

 it is quite practicable to have some cheap luxuries. 



To a refined and cultivated taste, there is no 

 pleasure more unalloyed and simple than that which 

 arises from the sight of beautiful flowers, trees and 

 fruits; their changing forms and colors, as growth, 

 development and decay accompany the changing 

 seasons, give a continually new and fresh sense of 

 pleasure to the beliolder. The heart from which 

 envrj is banished, receives daily new and rich meas- 

 ures of delight, in the sight of all the lovely and 

 beautiful flowers and fruits which a kind Provi- 

 dence, assisting the labors of the cultivator, has 

 spread around us, and thus enjoys the luxuries of 

 everj' man's garden, without the toil of the owner 

 — a rich inheritance known to some, but not to the 

 selfish and sensual. These may be said to be the 

 cheapest luxuries, but they are, we fear, the most 

 rare. 



An abundant supply of ripe and fresh fruits is 

 doubtless one of the greatest luxuries which can be 

 enjoyed, and one which in these days is usually 

 considered very expensive, and especially so if the 

 small and delicious fruits and berries are added to 

 the fist and uj-ei with daily freedom. Fo luxury 

 is more cheerfully paid for, than perishable fruit of 

 the best (luality, by those who can aftbrd it ; and 

 few persons can be found Mdio would not buyjif the 

 prices are made moderate and the supply constant 

 and in good condition. Secure these conditions, 

 and the demand soon becomes great and steady. 



Among the small fruits, the Strawberry has long 

 held the first rank as a delicious and valuable mar- 

 ket fruit — profitable to the grower, and eagerly 

 sought after by the consumer, at high prices; but 

 it is found on largely increasing the supply, that time 

 is necessary to enlarge the market, and if a sudden 

 and large increase of supply is thrown upon the 

 market, a part is lost, or sold at prices which do 

 not pay the grower. But let a steadily increasing 

 amount of fine berries be sent into the market, and 

 kept constantly on hand, and the demand steadily 

 increases to meet the supply, by a law of trade Avell 

 known and understood. Let this course be con- 

 stantly pursued, and Ave may have in Rochester a 

 market for StraAvberries limited only by the dis- 

 tance to Avhich they can be safely transported, and 

 a supply for everybody, which will bring them 

 Avithin Avhat may properly be called "cheap luxu- 

 ries." 



The same course will produce the same results 

 Avith other perishable fruits, berries, &c. Only let 

 there be a continually increased amount planted, 

 and proper attention paid to the selection and 

 propagation of the best and most valuable market 

 varieties of all these perishable as well as durable 

 fruits, and our great natural advantages will enable 

 us to do a profitable trade and sell at reasonable 

 prices. 



Choice and delicious vegetables, melons, &c., Avill 

 also follow the same laAVS, and be consumed in 

 greatly increased amounts as soon as a regular sup- 

 ]ily has established the regular demand which Avill 

 iblloAv. 



There is another sense in Avhich we wish to speak 

 of cheapening luxuries like these, and that is by 

 improA^ed methods of cultivation and by introdu- 

 cing better A-arieties; but cannot enter upon the 

 subject here. 



There is no good reason why the luxuries of the 

 fruit garden should not be brought to the tables of 

 even tlie very poor. In this city and county, there 

 is scarcely an al)le-bodied laboring man or mechanic 

 Avho has not more or less land in his possession, 

 either owned by himself or rented for a year. The 

 man Avho occupies a lot of a quarter of an acre in 

 the city, usually plants a large share of it with po- 

 tatoes, corn, and cabbage — all of Avhich he can buy 

 in the markets, of as good quality and in as good 

 condition as he has them from his own lot, for a 

 very small sum ; indeed, he does not expect to raise 

 more than a partial supply ; but this same land, if 

 well stocked Avith currants, gooseberries, raspber- 

 ries and straAvberries, Avould furnish him ten times 

 the value in fruits, delicious, Avholesome and sea- 

 sonable, that he can gather from it in corn and po- 

 tatoes. In fact, a skillful man — such as any one 

 may become by devoting his spare hours to the 

 subject — Avill sell from one-fourth of an acre, after 

 supplying his family, more than enough to buy him 

 a year's supply of potatoes and corn. From one- 

 eighth of an acre, we have sold $100 Avorth of 

 StraAvberries, at ten cents per quart. What man 

 ever raises more than one-tenth of this value in 

 potatoes or corn ? This was a very large crop, but 

 the laboring man who Avill attend carefully to it 

 can far exceed this amount and value. 



There is still another and a larger class of persons 

 to Avhom the luxuries of the fruit garden are almost 

 unknoAvn : we mean the farmers. Even the read- 



