18 



THE GENESEE FAKMElt 



Jan. 22, 1831. 



HORTICULTURE. 



The following communication, in the New 

 England Farmer, from the President of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, will be 

 read with pleasure by the Horticulturist, the 

 Moralist, and the Christian. On the one hand, 

 lie exhibits the odiousness of vice : on the 

 other, recommends a pleasing, profitable anti- 

 dote. To such men we must look for the 

 protection of our liberties, both moral and po 

 lineal. 



From the New Kugland Farmer. 

 Mb. Fesse.vden — Although commendable 

 efforts have been made, in several parts of the 

 I'ottntry, to introduce and multiply most of the 

 choice varieties of fruits, and our cities aie 

 now tolerably well supplied, from t he garden* 

 and orchards in their immediate vicinities, still, 

 there is a lamentable negligence, of this im- 

 portant culture, throughout the union. With- 

 out going beyond the bounds of our own Com- 

 monwealth, how rare is it to find any fruit, 

 other than the most indifferent wilding apples, 

 save in a f«w gardens, or estates in some of 

 the most flourishing villages. Strawberries, 

 raspberries, cherries, apricots, plumb., peach- 

 es, pears, and grafted apples are so little culti- 

 vated, that a largo portion of the inhabitants 

 never even taste them, during the successive 

 seasons of their maturity; and every owner 

 of an acre of land, could annually enjoy them 

 all, with but trifling labour and "expense A 

 few rods of ground, appropriated to a nursery, 

 would afford stocks for all the kinds of fruit 

 trees, which flourish in this climate. Scions 

 or buds, of the best varieties, are easily ob- 

 tained; and in a few years, each house, howev- 

 hninble. may be embowered in the sbade of 

 many of the most excellent mds of fruit trees, 

 affording not only an abunoant supply to the 

 family during summer and autumn, but during 

 winter, and until strawberries and cherries an- 

 nounce thi commencement if a new pomonal 

 year. 



A few hours, in the morning and evening, 

 could be devoted to a fruit garden, which, 

 without interfering with the other duties of the 

 farmer.or mechanic, wouid insure the comforts 

 and pleasures of its products to the whole fa- 

 mily. 



There is a too general impress on, that 

 much skill and great labor are indispensable, 

 to manage fruit trees successfully , but the 

 same intelligence and attention, which insure 

 a harvest of corn and gt/iin, are ihe only requi- 

 sites. Those who have made t lie experiment 

 will vouch for the iruih of tins assertion ; and 

 there are but few farmers, who are willing to 

 acknowledge, thai their neighbors are more 

 able than themselves, or can use t'ue implements 

 of their profession with better judgment, a- 

 droitni ss, an I success : slill they must per- 

 ceive, that there ire individuals, in their vicin- 

 ity, of neither greater capacity nor means, who 

 exhibit rigorous trees and beauliful fruit. — 

 Why, then, with equid talent and resources, 

 ire not such meritorious experiments imita- 

 ted? 



There is one objection, which is very gener- 

 ally urged for not establishing a fruit garden, — 

 the depredations winch are committed upon 

 them. To prevent this, it is only necessary to 

 make them universal, and thus leaving none t<> 

 intrude — for all being either in possession of 

 the luxuries which they afford, or enabled ;o 

 purchase them aj: a moderate price, the tempt 

 ation to plunder is removed. Who, but the 

 most abandoned, robs a corn or potatoe field? 

 Equally s,, C ure would i « the fruit trees, if 

 they were rendered as common. 



But is to this too common vice, are wc not all, 

 in some degreo, accountable for its existence? 

 Is it treated with sufficient serio»sness? Is 

 not the pilfering of fruit thought much too 

 lightly of in the community? And 

 children induced to view it. as a very slight, 

 ami even an exeusable offenee, — something to 



be laughed at, rather than to be denounced; 

 and all this from the indifference with which 

 parents are apt to regard such transgressions. 

 In point of criminality, where is the difference 

 between stealing fruit, or the fence which en- 

 closes it, — an apple, or a plough. — cherries, 

 or silver spoons, — melons, or anv other arti- 

 cle belonging to the proprietor' If the law 

 has not made it theft, it is an offence punisha- 

 ble by a heavy fine. Morality is as much out- 

 raged, by taking a peach, as the spade at the 

 door; and to treat such acts in children, as 

 unworthy of reproof, is a derelection of duty, 

 winch neither virtue cr religion can tolerate: 

 for the doingjwrpng in the slightest manner, is 

 most often the commencement of a career of 

 depravity, which brings disgrace and ruin up- 

 on the deluded or heedless offender. 



A man's ground should bo considered as 

 sacred as his house; and every article on his 

 estate, as secure against robbery, as if it were 

 [protected by locks and bars. The very fact 

 that most of the property of the farmer is ex- 

 posed, and without any other protection than 

 the morals of the people, makes it still more 

 imperious, that such an exalted sense of honor 

 and hones:}' should be inculcated, as to give 

 not only security to the products of rural in- 

 dustry, but a confidence beyond the sanctity of 

 the laws. Of what value are morals, which 

 aro limiled by the statute hook, and consist in 

 doing whatever does not subject the individu- 

 al to the penalties of the criminal code? But 

 placing this subject in tho most favorable light, 

 for those who have been in the habit, of either 

 deeming it of such little moment as not to me- 

 rit grave consideration, or as a foible incident 

 to youth, and not very objectionable at any 

 agti, still they are bound to change their con- 

 duct ; — this, politeness and common decency of 

 manners require. If they believe there is no 

 great harm in taking, there is much of rudeness 

 in no! having the civility to first ask permission. 

 If what is desired, is of small value, it will 

 most commonly be cheerfully granted, and the 

 donor is happy to have it in his power, to do an 

 act of kindness, and the receiver if no! grate- 

 ful, he at least has the satisfaction of reiiec 

 ing, that he has acted like an honest man, and 

 a christian, and tha' he has observed the coii'r 

 tesies of life. Should, however, the owner 

 refuse the boon, there is still consolation : ei- 

 toer it was of greater value than had been pre- 

 sumed, and thus an injury has been prevented; 

 or he was not of a generous disposition ; and 

 then comes the ejaculation, — thank God, tt ere 

 are but few such men I let the odium be upon 

 him ; our hands are unstained. 



On the continent of Europe, there are but 

 few fences in the country ; the grounds are 

 unprotected even on tfie highway, and all hough 

 burdened by grape vines and trees loaded with 

 delicious fruit, no one thinks of taking the 

 smallest quantity, without the approbation of 

 the proprietor. Lady Morgan observes, in 

 her travels. ■■ that properly of this "descrip- 

 tion is held sacred, in proponion as it lies ex- 

 posed. Having alighted fromlour carriage, to 

 spare the spring, in a rough road, that wound 

 tbrough a wilderness of fruit trees, 1 asked a 

 boy who was lying reading under one of these, 

 whether I might take an apple: he replied 

 coolly,' they are not mine.' But you sometimes 

 help yourself, I dire say. He raised his head, 

 and looking at me, with an expression of bu 

 morous sarcasm, he replied, " You mean thai 

 I steal; do you not, madam? No, madam, it 

 is belter to asli for one, tlum to turn thuf for an 

 apple.'' 



If horticultural socieies were established in 

 each county, for no other purpose than to col- 

 lect soeds, buds, scions and plants, for distri- 

 bution, much could be effected in a few years 

 towards covering our naked fields with fruit 

 trees. A very small fund would be sufficient 

 for this purpose, and when the members had 

 obtained the best varieties, boiv rauidly would 

 they be dissniiiiii ned nmong Ihe inhabitants of 

 every town. Bosldi the benefits which 



would be derived from an abundance of ex- 

 cellent fruit, regetable gardens would natu- 

 rally claim more attention, and a taste for 

 flowers, and ornamental trees and shrubs, 

 would soon be induced, and at last universally 

 prevail. 



With the picturesque topographical features 

 which Massachusetts presents, nothing is wan- 

 ting to render its scenery as interesting, and 

 its villages as beautiful, as those of any other 

 country. In England, scarcely a cottage ex- 

 ists that is not surrounded by fruit trees, shrubs 

 and flowers while the neat esculent compart- 

 ment, — often containing less than a rood of 

 land, supplies much of the food for the indus- 

 trious inmates of the modest dwelling. In 

 Holland and Germany, it is the general atten 

 tion which all ranks in society bestow upon 

 the grounds about their habitations, which 

 gives such a pleasing aspect to those coun- 

 tries. 



Whv then should not such examples he om- 

 nia' ed in the Cniied States, where the indus- 

 trious are so independent in their rights, and 

 domes ic circumstances ; wbere there are infi- 

 nitely greater means, within the command of 

 the cultivators of thesril; where each is the 

 lord of the domain in which he resides, and 

 garners up his undivided harvest, free and ex*- 

 empt from all exactions. 



Besides the pleasure, comfort, and econo- 

 mical advantages, which arc derivable fron 

 well managed fruit anil vegetable gardens, their 

 sanative influence is of inestimable value — 

 not only as respects the fortunate fam 

 which directly participate in the various pro- 

 ducts they afford, but the whole community. — 

 That fruit is not merely healthy, but is even an 

 antidote and cure for many diseases, there is 

 not the, least doubt. We have the opinion of 

 the ablest physicians, in support of this posi- 

 tion ; but as very erroneous impressions are 

 still prevalent on this subject.it is believed that 

 the following extract will be read with interest: 

 — at least by al! loves of fruit. 



Accept assurances of my groat respect. 



H. A. S. DEARBORN. 

 Brioly Place, Dec 20, 1830. 



The extract alluded to, is necessarily omit- 

 ted. 



CRIMINAL SUITs AGAI.NST ArtlMALS. 



By the following ari.cle copied from a 

 French papei into the U. S. Gazette, it seems 

 tbat animals, which people in modern times 

 have generally deemed dumb and brute, were 

 once 'ield amenable to Ihe laws which are 

 designed to regulate t.'ie conduct of man in so- 

 ciety, and are addressed to ralional and intel- 

 ligent beings. If this narrative is true, let 

 no man hereafter deny " the march of mind ;" 

 and if such nonsense was ever pracfiscJ in 

 grave Courts of Justice, believed by the /fnni- 

 erf Judges an! sanctioned by the great mass 

 of people, we no longer w.onder at Ihe sway 

 which pncsfs and impostors, in times past, 

 maintained over Ihe public tniod. To burn a 

 sow for injuring a child, and a man because 

 lie happened to believe a little more or a little 

 less than Ihe prevailing creed of the limes, are 

 •alike cieditahle to Ihe age, and prove (hat 

 mankind in those days were both fools and 

 villains. The article makes mention of several 

 suits prosecuted against May hugs, snails, and 

 rats, and concludes with tho following interes- 

 ting and unique legal information: 



" I" 1266, a bjog" was burnt alive at Nonle- - . 

 nayaiix Rosea, b) order of (be ofiiceis of jus- 

 tice, for having devoured an infant. In 13f!6, 

 asentenceof (be judge of Falaise condemned 



