820 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



An old, •worldly-minded farmer, who seldom or 

 never attended chnrch, was asked by his minister 

 the reason for his habitual neglect. He replied 

 that he liad to remain at home to watch his fruit, 

 and hinted tliat he thought the preaching could not 

 have much influence, or the persons who stole his 

 fruit would find some better business. "As to 

 that," replied the minister, " these fruit-stealers are 

 so much like yourself, that I never get a chance of 

 preaching to them." 



Just so in this case. Fruit-thieves are not in the 

 habit of attending church or reading the Genesee 

 Farmer. For if they read it and heeded its direc- 

 tions, it would not only teach them better manners 

 and morals, but enable them to raise fruit enough 

 of their own, so that they would have no need to 

 resort to the shameful expedient of stealing from 

 their neighbors. 



The prospect, therefore, of reclaiming such per- 

 sons by writing for agricultural papers, is not very 

 flattering ; yet such writings may not be without 

 effect on the minds of the rising generation. ....^ 



I ENOW of no remedy for fruit stealing, unless 

 children are trained to shun it as they wonld the 

 stealing of any other property. For the old trans- 

 gressors there is no remedy, for it is almost impos- 

 sible to catch the offenders. Planting a few trees 

 by the roadside, for the especial use of the fruitless, 

 might induce them to spare the remainder, b. 



A FRIEND of mine once set out some choice peach 

 trees. They grew finely, and the first crop of fruit 

 was quite plentiful. But just as he anticipated 

 gathering them, they were taken without notice or 

 warning. He was "out of all patience" with some 

 one, lie knew not who, and taking his axe he cut 

 them all down. Thus his labor on his trees was of 

 no benefit to him. But was this the right way? 

 Let us see. 



In the neighborhood where we are living, there 

 are, or were, some boys who were notorious for 

 fruit stealing. "AYell," said husband, "we can 

 never think of having fruit, or trying tohave any, 

 for the neighbors suffer, and so shall we." How- 

 ever, we set out the currant bushes, the cherry and 

 plum trees, and they grew finely; but when the 

 currants began to ripen, they began to disappear. 

 One morning I arose very early, and went quietly 

 to the door, and there I caught a glimpse of heads 

 and shoulders. I stepped out as quietly as I could, 

 but the rogues began to run. Speaking as pleas- 

 antly as possible, I said, "Boys, you may have all 

 the fruit you want to eat, if you will only ask me 

 for it; so come back and eat all you want." They 

 came back, but did not stay long. I can tell you. 



Since then, they have always asked me, if they 

 wished for fruit, and I have often told them to go 

 and eat when I hardly knew how to spare it ; but 

 would ratlier take such a course than to have them 

 take it without liberty. I know of no better way 

 to prevent fruit stealing than this. To go to law, 

 beside the post, keeps a neighborhood in a constant 

 broil. This I think no sensible person can enjoy. 

 Parents should be very cautious about mentioning 

 whatthey call " boyish scrapes" to their children. 

 In this way they are often guilty of teaching them 

 mischief which they would hardly think of, and 

 they have soon learned most dangerous lessons. 

 Mes, a. J, Sibley.— ^?-tfiatZa, Mich.- 



HOETICULTUEAL NOTES FKOM OHIO. 



Messes. Editors: — Most of. the readers of tke 

 Farmer are aware that it has been a season •£ 

 scarcity in fruits throughout the West, and now 

 will be the time to select productive and hardy 

 varieties from those that are fruiting freely this 

 year. 



Among the most productive apples here this 

 season, are Early Harvest^ Early Sioeet, EamiAo-ri's 

 Fall., a seedling of Jersey Sweet., Gray Vandervere, 

 Yelloio Bcllejioioer, and Cornish Gillijioicer. The 

 Early Harvest shows no symptoms of decay, but 

 bears yearly good crops of fair fruit on trees graft- 

 ed at standard height. 



Of pea''s, Dunmore and Winter N'eUs have done 

 the best ; but Rostiezer., Hampton'' s Cluster., Hamp- 

 ton^s Virgalieu^ Bloodgood, Bartlett, and Eix, have 

 done well. The Dunmore is one of the most hardy 

 fruits, but it is often of inferior flavor. Eix has 

 fruited early, and is very good. 



Many of the fruits most valued at the East wiU 

 not pay here, from their shy bearing. It is not 

 very profitable to keep Esopus Spitzenlurg and 

 Northern Spy trees twenty or tvv'enty-five years for 

 a peck or two of fruit, though that fruit be of supe- 

 rior excellence. We want fruit that is of fair 

 appearance, yearly productive, and of as good qual- 

 ity as can be obtained with the foregoing requisites, 

 so that all may have fruit at cheap rates and at all 

 seasons. w. c. hampton. 



Mt. Victory, ITardin Co., Ohio, 1S5S, 



SHEEP VS. HOGS IN OKCHAEDS. 



"T. of Baldwinsville," must allow me one word 

 more, for this is about the first newspaper contro- 

 very I ever had any share in. In my first article, I 

 commended keeping hogs in orchards for the pur- 

 pose of picking up fallen fruit, destroying insects, 

 etc., so we need not argue that point. For pastur- 

 ing orchards, I advised the employment of sheep, 

 for reasons already fully explained. 



On the points of injury to trees and cultivation, 

 the facts of our experience vary — that is all. I 

 don't see as anything can change these facts. 



As to encouraging weeds, allow another word. 

 I never knew a hog pasture — especially if freely 

 rooted and cultivated by these animals — that was 

 not full of weeds. I have every reason to believe 

 that swine encourage their growth; and many 

 farmers join me in this belief. 



" T.'s " fourth point is rather misty, if it is in- 

 tended as a reply to anything I have said or sug- 

 gested. If it is desirable to keep orchards in grass. 

 I would consume that grass on the ground, by 

 sheep, hogs, and calves, but never at the expense 

 of the tree or fruit. To get the best growth of the 

 tree, I would cultivate and manure them, as I would 

 a corn crop, giving the ground entirely to the trees, 

 neither devoting it to grass or other crops. 



Here I take leave of the subject. Perhaps if 

 " T." had been a little less anxious for controversy, 

 he would never have began one by arguing points 

 entirely foreign to any I have stated, but would 

 have seen how nearly our views coincide. b. 



Apples which hang on the trees should be 

 knocked oft", as they are fruitful sources of rust and 

 other cryptogamic diseases. 



