Address delivered hefore the Fruit Grower^ Society. 29t 



ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE FRUIT GROWERS SOCIETY, AT 

 ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



BY J. J. THOMAS. 



HE first annual assembling: of the Fruit Growers' Society 

 of Western New York— a Society occupying a field unex- 

 celled in its present products, and in its promise of future 

 _ results, suogests many considerations for our action ; and 



i^l^lsj^ I ^^^ with the hope of presenting some useful, if not new sugges- 

 if^^ih. I a I tions. I propose to offer a few remarks. 



In performing a journey, it is always interesting to as- 

 cend occasionally an cleyated point in our road, from 

 which we may survey our progress — and from the exten- 

 sive view aff'orded us, o])serve at a glance the nature of 

 the road we have passed— and what is still more interest- 

 ing perhaps, endeavor to ascertain what we shall he likely 

 to meet with in the course of our future journey. Equally 

 interesting is it, to trace the past course and progress of 

 th.^ delightful art. of which we have to-day met to pro- 

 mote advancement.— that of Pomology. And, of course, 

 any glimpses of its future history, which we may be able 

 to get tlirough the reflected light of the past, will be 

 caught with eagerness. 



A number of us will doubtless remember what was the 

 general condition of fruit culture more than thirty years ago. The great majori- 

 ty of our land-owners had planted fruit trees, it is true, at that comparatively 

 early period— the appetite for their delicious products, — which is scarcely less 

 universal than the appt tite for money. — showed itself conspicuously in the early 

 history of Western New York. But common orchards then, would hardly satisfy 

 modern adepts in fruit culture. Of the apjjles generally cultivated, there wereno 

 higher claims to excellence, than that they are "grafted fruit "—all kinds being 

 comprehended under the two distinctive names, natural and grafted. _ The few 

 scattered cheiTy ti-ees consisted of •' sour-cherries " and '• English cherries," with 

 sometimes a raVe mixture of "Maydukes " and •' Oxhearts." We had also two 

 sorts of plums. '• the Blue plum," with its several shades of variation, and all 

 green or yellow plums, however worthless, under the imposing and comprehensive 

 name of " Green Gage ;'- while in the more rustic districts, the only distinction 

 was " wild plums " and " tavie plums" — tame enough, indeed, some of them. 

 Very few had even heard of a nectarine or apricot. A cultivated strawberry bed 

 was a great rarity, and this delicious fruit was only sought wild in the fields and 

 woods, at ten times the labor of raising and gathering in gardens. There was one 

 valuable fruit then, iu which, I am sorry to say, but little improvement has been 

 made, except in its greatly increased size and quality by cultivation, and this is 

 the currant, which is perhaps the most easily raised, most hardy, and at its period 

 of maturity the most valuable of all fruits. . 



These remai'ks apply to ordinary instances and to general practice. There 

 were, here and there, most worthy exceptions of individuals, who in the face of 

 great difficulties,— difficulties which have now happily almost disappeared,— who 

 with untiring perseverance had colh'Cted many of the improved varieties, which 

 even now stand among our most admired and delicious sorts. Some of us rem«m- 

 ber when the Sweet Bough, Early Harvest, Fall Pippin, Spitzenburgk, Swaar, Rhode 

 Island. Greening. Seek-no-further, Ramho. Yellow Bell-flower, and a few others com- 

 prised the principal standard varieties of our best orchards. We had not then 

 added the Astrachan, Benoni, Sops of Wine, Early Joe, Gravenstein, Dyer, Belmont^ 



