C 89 ] 



On Apple Trees and Grafting, 

 Head November 9th, 1809. 



Stockport TFayiie County^ August 22rf, 1809, 



Respected Friend^ 



Thy acceptable favour of the 26th June last, came 

 duly to hand ; the various cares of a large harvest, and 

 this very uncommonly wet season, hath diverted my at« 

 tention from a more timely answer. 



My only object in corresponding on the subject at this 

 advanced period of a laborious life, is to endeavour to 

 afford some hints and observations to be improved upon 

 by others, for public benefit. 



American agriculture I consider as yet in the cradle % 

 and perhaps horticulture or the raising trees hath been 

 the branch most neglected, although deemed an honour^ 

 able study amongst the ancients \ we read that king So^ 

 lomon when in his greatest wisdom and glory, " spake 

 of trees from the cedars of Lebanon, to the hysop that 

 springetb out of the wall." 



Chronologists suppose Homer to have been much 

 older than Solomon, and in the most beautiful episode 

 of all his works, when Ulysses went to make himself 

 known to his father, Homer describes the venerable old 

 king Laertes, busily employed in cultivating his treesp 

 The fertile genius of Homer on this occasion, had a free 

 and full choice of all kinds of employment for the ^mimt 



VOL. II, M 



