302 Address delivered before the Fruit Growers's Societi/. 



the petals by a camel's hair brush to effect a cross fertilization — perhaps it will 

 be sufficient to plant the two sorts so that their branches may intermix with each 

 other. — Ai"e there not some among us who will immediately make preparations 

 for raising the seed, by planting a collection of trees for crossing, and setting 

 them two and two into the same hole ? 



Before closing tliese remarks, in which the progress of fruit culture has been 

 traced up to the present time, and a general glance taken of the needs of the 

 art, it may not be improper to attempt to look forward on the road we are yet to 

 travel, and inquii'c, " What shall we find as to the condition of fruit raising in our 

 onward progress? ^Yill nurseries still increase in number and magnitude? Will 

 the number of trees set out still be greater each successive year ? — Will the mar- 

 kets become overstocked ? Will our great labors and outlays, after all, avail us 

 nothing, in consequence of the future decline in prices, just as we get our trees 

 into fair bearing condition ? Or, will adverse seasons, diseases, and depredators 

 become so formidable that we shall never attain what we so much long for, and 

 which present success promises?" 



These are all most interesting inquiries, and we desire to search for all the light 

 we can find, as the proper answers have so intimate a bearing on our present 

 labors. 



There is one thing very certain, that so long as all have an appet te for deli- 

 cious fruit, — and this appetite appears to have been universal in all ages, — so^long 

 as this continues, trees will be planted, cultivated, and cropped. When our or- 

 chards become so extensive, well selected and general, that all mankind may par- 

 take of this wholesome and delicious luxury throughout the entire year, then we 

 shall have enough, so far as human beings are concerned. Then we shall only 

 have to fill up the natural decay as orchards successively become old. We are 

 now very far from reaching this point. Very few have more than a plentiful sup- 

 ply onlj' in autumn. It sometimes happens that a surplus exists of perishable 

 fruit; if it chances to be of second rate quality. What we need most, in our pro- 

 vision for the future, is such a selection as will give a varied and excellent sup- 

 ply through winter and spring. Long keepers may be sent safely half the cir- 

 cumference of the globe — they will not only supply all seasons, but all countries 

 and all climes. We need not fear to plant too many of these ; for a large supply 

 will create large facilities for their distant conveyance, and open large markets 

 for their sale. Need we, then, fear that the country is becoming too full of or- 

 chards? K we suppose that twenty million trees are annually set out in the 

 Union from all our nurseries, which would require some six or seven thousand 

 acres for raising the young trees, this is not one tree annually to each inhabitant, 

 and a very small provision Mien we take all the casualties into view to Mhich 

 they and their crops are liable, the amount needed for foreign markets, whether 

 in a green state, or dried iu the best manner, and the immense quantities that 

 might be profitably consumed in feeding various domestic animals, for which they 

 are not only cheaper then roots, but better, cleaner, and more easily gathered for 

 winter storage. 



I have taken a little pains to estimate the time required for all our present nui'- 

 series in the whole Union, to fui-nish a ten acre orchard to every farm of a hun- 

 dred acres, iu all the States east of and contiguous to the Mississippi river. Oa 

 the supposition that all the ground occupied by nurseries in densely planted /r«i^ 

 trees, amounts to ten thousand acres, their entire and continued products would 

 be required for three hundred years to fill out all these ten acre oi'chards. But 

 many estimate that only one-fifth of all trees set out ever reach a successful bear- 

 ing condition — in which case fifteen hundred years would be needed by oui* pre- 

 sent nurseries to plant one-tenth of our entire territory -with orchards. Our large 

 nurserymen here, at Syracuse, and at other places^ whose niu'series range various- 

 ly ft'om one to thi-ee hundi'ed acres, must bestir themselves, extend their grounds, 

 and plant more trees, or it will bo a long time yet before our country becomes 

 the orchard of the world. 



Will diseases, enemies, and adverse seasons so increase, that good crops will be- 

 come difficult and rare, as some are led to fear ? I do not entertain any apprehen- 



