Critique on the October number, 81 



Tree CuLTUKE ; Nuinn. — A healthful, blooming, hale old tieo is the 

 writer of that article; and one cannot fail to see, from the fruit of his 

 bearing which graces your intellectual board, that his heart is sound and 

 unimpaired, and that the generous sap of true good feeling circulates 

 from root to twig of his hearty, upright frame. Beginning at the founda- 

 tion, interest — conceded to be the initial step toward convincing the 

 sceptical — Prof. North conclusively proves the investment of capital 

 in the culture of trees to be productive of profits far surer, better and 

 more in accordance with God's nature-inducted lessons than all the 

 trick-gotten, hard-wrung and hazardous gains of either trades or pro- 

 fessions. He next treats, at length, upon the eft'ect of tree culture upon 

 the growing susceptibilities of children, and the masterly tone of his 

 remarks proves him to be a close and deep observer of human character. 

 I'll answer for it, the tear was called to many an eye that read his picture 

 of a " Home," at the recollection of some gnarled old oak or stately 

 elm, whel-e, erst, the seup hung listless in the noonday heat, and 'mong 

 whose boughs the jay or wren whiled the hours with song, or the robin 

 briskly chirped his joyous note, as though delighted at his close proximity 

 to the clear blue vault of heaven. The Professor's animadversions on 

 ignorant tree planters are correct, and unfortunately too well deserved, 

 by the quacks who, by barbarous curtailment or merciless compres- 

 sion, yearly murder hundreds of healthful, promising saplings. May 

 we long have the benefit of your experience and leisure, Mr. North ! 

 and now that you are in the autumn of your life, may the leaves 

 you shed often be wafted hitherward, to be, with others, bound in ever- 

 greer ! 



The Strawbeurv has a warm friend in Mr. Pardee, whose article is 

 eminently comprehensive and to the purpose. The profusion of their 

 delicious " first offerings of the field," which last spring sent to market, 

 and the low prices they brought, would certainly seem to verity Mr. P.'s 

 statement, that they can be raised for fifty cents per bushel, while at the 

 same time there is no question that amateur strawberry raising (if it may 

 be so called) is infinitely more expensive and unsatisfactory. Mr. P. is 

 right: this high feeding to excess will have vent in rank luxuriance of 

 leaf and vine; but the over stimulation must have its consequent 

 reaction, and barrenness of fruit is the inevitable sequence. In latter 

 years I have invariably separated the pistillates and staminates by plant- 

 ing sparsely in beds from twenty to thirty feet apart, and the result in 

 almost every case has proven satisfactory. 



