324 Western Orchards. 



chard ; for it was soon discovered that certain varieties were very unsatis- 

 factory in the money-returns of their fruitage. Whether this arose from 

 an inherent defect of their organization, from the effect of late-spring frosts, 

 or from a superabundance of wood-growth, which for a long term of years 

 kept the tree unfruitful, all such varieties were tabooed by these men, and 

 in some instances to their own loss, as in the case last cited ; for these trees, 

 though a long time in coming into profit, are often exceedingly productive 

 at last, and every way satisfactory. Besides, there are well-known means 

 of accelerating the fruitage of these slow kinds, some of which have been 

 successfully and extensively practised. 



The next desideratum, and a quality that is imperatively demanded in a 

 new country, is early bearing. Our first orchardists, having no fruit of the 

 apple kind but the acerb native crab, were impatient for the results of 

 their planting. They could not think of waiting twelve or fifteen years for 

 the fruiting of the Northern Spy, Newtown Pippin, Rhode-Island Greening, 

 or the Yellow Bellflower, especially as they found on the mucky soil of the 

 prairies that many of their trees were killed outright or sadly crippled by 

 the winters before half that period had elapsed. Hence the preference 

 that was very early shown for the Baldwin, Red June, Keswick Codling, 

 Smith's Cider, Ben Davis, Fallawater, Gilpin, Buckingham, White Pippin, 

 and others that gave prompt returns, even though some of them were 

 deficient in hardiness. 



Excellence of quality, though highly appreciated by Western pomologists, 

 was, and continues to be, a recommendation of the least value, if unaccom- 

 panied by the other requisitions. To men whose experience had led them 

 to rejoice at the attainment of abundant fruit after frequent disappoint- 

 ments, the quality of the product was of secondary importance to its at- 

 tainment. To the great world of purchasers called the market, it is a 

 matter of very little consequence whether the fruit be good or very good, if 

 it only be smooth, good-looking, and plentiful ; and our Western orchard- 

 ists soon learned to cater to the taste of the market as they found it. I 

 am aware that my critical readers, especially those that are mere amateurs 

 in fruit-growing, will exclaim against this decision : but I also know, that, 

 in a business view of the operation, the orchardists are right ; and I believe, 

 that, outside of the circle of accomplished pomologists, the world, both East 



