Horticulture in Mississippi. 427 



a tree since 1832, have had something to do with fruits since 

 I was a mere boy : the first tree I ever saw budded was in 

 1822 or '23, and the first tree I ever succeeded in raising was 

 from a cutting of an apple tree in 1818; since which time, I 

 have propagated sundry shrubs and trees by all the various 

 methods in common use. 



In 1844, I thought I had made a " grande" discovery, by 

 budding without taking out the wood, cutting a thin scalp of 

 bark with very little of the wood ; but not long after making 

 my method known, a friend gave me a great secret how to 

 bud, and, unfortunate for both of us. Downing told everybody 

 of it, as being practised north. It was new to me, and learnt 

 somewhat accidentally, which teaches me for the fortieth time, 

 not to make known any discovery I make — as smarter folks 

 than I am have lived and died. But for all this, there are many 

 old and expert budders who will not try the American mode. 



It seems to be a mooted point among horticulturists wheth- 

 er fruit trees should be cultivated or not, and the great difii- 

 culty is to decide. On many subjects, there would be no dif- 

 ficulty, but as this, like many others, has warm advocates 

 for the negative and affirmative, in proportion as the individ- 

 ual has strong passions, — that is, one who is very positive, or 

 forms an opinion frequently to be in opposition will almost 

 certainly warp his experience to coincide with his opinion, 

 then, were we to examine any orchard, and listen to the ex- 

 perience of each, we would be about as wise as when we 

 started forth. 



As an evidence, a neighbor of mine, who is certainly a 

 clever man, and an excellent planter, asserted very broadly, 

 that the reason my fruit rotted so very badly this season was, 

 I cultivated my orchard. I denied the inference, because I 

 have always cultivated my trees, and they never rotted so 

 much before, though it " might be that culture caused too rapid 

 growth" ; but, upon being asked how his trees were attended 

 to, his reply, " I plough the ground thoroughly in the spring, 

 and thus leave it. I never cut the roots after putting forth 

 leaf" I then told him that my land was ploughed as his was, 

 and that I kept clean with hoes and implements that did little 

 more than merely clean the surface : this staggered him. But 

 again, in conversation with a gentleman of much practical 



