<1847. 



Gfi:[<ESEE FARMER. 



195 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 



CONDUCTED BY P. BARRY. 



[ The Ejitjp of thijf Department h.-is been absent during most 

 of tie p»st montli, oa an excursion to some of the Western States 

 and Territories. He has forwarded us the following Notes by the 

 way, thiniinj; they might prore interesting in the absence of 

 otiier matter.— Pus.] 



Horticulture in the West. 



Thirtv years seem but a day in the history of 

 a Nation's existence, and in old countries brings 

 about so little change on the face of things as 

 scarcely attracts our notice ; but not so in Amer- 

 ica. Here, in the West, I find large, beaut 

 ful, ani populous towns and cities, with tasteful 

 dwellings, tine gardens, and all the accompani- 

 ments of civilization and refinement, on the vei-y 

 3pot where 30 years ago stood the forest. To 

 those who have not seen, the fact is almost be- 

 yond belief. A glance at the Western States is 

 what I have long desired. Their vastness. 

 rapid settlement, great lakes and rivers — cities 

 of almost magic growth — noble trees, and beau- 

 tiful wild flowers, that we had never met in their 

 "native haunts,"' have all been pictured in my 

 imagination as long back as I can remember 

 — and with as much anxiety have I longed to 

 see them, as did the ancients to enter " the prom- 

 ised land," that flowed with milk and honey. — 

 How many thousands of the overgrown popula- 

 tion of the old world, and how many of the hardy 

 sons of the older states of the new, have bid adieu 

 to their homes and friends and directed their 

 cowi-se thither, with such notions of the west as 

 [ have had, would be hard to tell. And never 

 did they come faster or thicker than at present. 

 Every boat that comes up the lakes bears a mul- 

 titude of emigrants, joyously journeying to their 

 " land of promise" — there to make for themselves 

 new homes, and to convert, by their industry, 

 these forests, valleys, and prairies into fields of 

 grain, orchards, and gardens, for the sustenance 

 of men. In other words, " to make the desert 

 blossom as a rose." All that's wanted here is in- 

 dustry, intelligently directed. 



It is unnecessary to say that, as far as I have 

 travelled, I have been delighted — for who could 

 fail, in such a country, and at such a season. 



But I have seen little. It is not a month but 

 six months, nay a year, that one would require 

 to see the West as I wish to see it. Passing 

 along in a stage or a rail-road, as I have done, 

 is but a mockery; just when we wish to pick a 

 flower, explore a forest of giant treest or exam- 

 ine some object of interest, we are carried along 

 with whirlwind speed ; and when we have no ob- 

 ject in stopping — nothing to interest us but a 

 dirty, dingy tavern and its lazy inmates, we 

 must wait for hours, and perliaps a day, for some 

 conveyance. I have often regretted the lack 

 of patience, but never move than in such cases. 

 I hope sometime to have a range in this west- 

 ern world, and in a mode that will aflwrd me aft 

 opportunity of stopping when and where I choose 

 — to pay my respects to anything of interest I 

 may meet. 



When 1 left home, on the 3d of July, our 

 cherry season was just opening with the earlier 

 sorts; when I arrived at Cleveland, on the 5th, 

 the earlier sorts were all gone, and but a few of 

 the later ones remaining. 



Cleveland is making great progress in Horti- 

 culture. She has a Society that holds weekly 

 exhibitions during the season of fruits and flow- 

 ers. They have a commodious Hall, erected by 

 the Society. In the garden of the President, 

 Geo. Ho ad ley, Esq., I saw a fine collection of 

 cherries — and while I was in his garden his man 

 sold the produce of a single tree for ilO. Nor 

 was it a large tree; planted some twelve years 

 ago, but owing to the severity of that climate on 

 the cherry, it is not larger than our seven year 

 planted trees. I had the pleasure of visiting Dr. 

 KiRTLAND, who is Well known for his devotion 

 to Horticulture, and natural science generally. 

 I saw and tasted some seedling cherries which 

 he has raised, and which promise to be of great 

 value. He has transferred the trees to F. R. 

 Elliot, Esq., who will propagate and dispose of 

 them. Mr. E. has, he informed me, sent a de- 

 scription of two of them, to the Horticulturist. — 

 In the garden of J. M. Woolsey, Esq., I also 

 saw several seedling cherries, but it was too late 

 in the season to judge whether they would be 

 worth adopting into our list of sorts. Of couree 

 a new variety must possess some decidedly su- 

 perior point to render it worthy of a name and 

 culture. 



Cleveland is delightfully situated, and will 

 undoubtedly beocome a large and beautiful city. 

 It has now a handsome public square, well 

 planted with thrifty beautiful elms. On two or 

 three of the finest streets there are rows of ele- 

 gant villa residences, with grounds comprising 

 from three to five acres each, laid out beautiful- 

 ly and planted and kept in the very best order. 

 We visited a number of these, and were delight- 

 ed with them, as well as with the taste, enthu- 

 siasm and skill of their proprietors. We doubt 

 whether another city in the Union, of the size, 



