112 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



be apt to produce fruits of a marked character. Fourth, to 

 graft these selected seedlhigs upon strong, healthy stocks, or 

 into the upper branches of vigorous bearing trees, and wait for 

 them to show fruit. If the specimens from any particular graft 

 failed to give any indications of excellence, that graft was at 

 once removed to give place for another candidate. He must 

 acknowledge that his experiments thus far had resulted much 

 more in favor of pleasure than of profit, the number of failures 

 in his seedlings greatly preponderating over his successes. Yet 

 he had never for a moment been tempted to yield to this dis- 

 couragement. On the contrary, he had constantly felt his ardor 

 in the pursuit increasing instead of diminishing. The produc- 

 tion of a few choice varieties of the plum, apple and pear, par- 

 ticularly of the latter, had not only served to keep him from 

 despairing, but furnished ample stimulus for perseverance. The 

 pursuit of this branch of horticulture, viewed in some of its 

 aspects, might not inaptly be compared with that of the angler ; 

 who finding ordinarily but little to animate him, yet gets occor 

 sionally " a glorious nibble " that serves to keep his circulation 

 from flagging, and once in a great while bags a magnificent 

 specimen, that quite electrifies his blood, and sends him pacing 

 along up the stream with new enthusiasm, quite forgetful of his 

 past ill-fortunes, and dreaming of new successes. 



Consider that to constitute a fruit of the finest quality and of 

 the highest value, (taking the tree as well as the fruit into the es- 

 timate,) not only the form, size, color, texture, flavor and keep- 

 ing qualities of the fruit itself must all be right ; but the vigor, 

 hardiness and productiveness of the tree assured also, and we 

 need no longer be surprised that in the drawing of a single prize 

 so many a blank is turned up. Not least among the sources of 

 pleasure to be found in the growing of new seedling fruits, was 

 that curious and unaccountable sporting of varieties with which 

 nature was constantly surprising and amusing us. He had, in the 

 course of his experiments, produced but a single fruit (a Green 

 Gage plum,) which he could regard as a perfect reproduction. 

 He had raised a Seckel pear, and Pound Sweet apple, which, to 

 an uneducated eye or palate, might appear identical with the 

 originals ; but a connoisseur would readily detect certain shades 

 of difference in the form, texture and flavor of either of them. 

 On the other hand, the great majority of his seedlings would as 



