RURAL LIFE IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY 



the rest were native fruit— two so good we have per- 

 petuated them by grafting." 



"Peaches, good, bad and indifferent, grew abundantly 

 from the stones planted in the fence corners of the gar- 

 den or orchard, till the yellows came about fifty years 

 ago and swept them all away." 



"One hundred years ago the culture of small fruits 

 for market was unknown, but they crept into city and 

 village gardens. Sixty years ago President Day, of 

 blessed memory, could be seen from the Yale dormi- 

 tories hoeing his own strawberry bed. Professional 

 men were good gardeners and the best farmers. The 

 introduction of new and choice fruits was due to them." 



The doctor, the minister and the lawyer always had 

 their farm to eke out the meager incomes of their pro- 

 fessions. As they were about the only members of a 

 community who indulged in the luxury of books and 

 papers, they alone were in a position to know what new 

 fruits and vegetables were being introduced from other 

 countries, and they were ever ready to test out interest- 

 ing introductions. 



Nearly all of our improved fruits are of old-world 

 origin. The wild apple was brought to this country by 

 the first settlers, and our improved varieties had their 

 origin in what are known as chance seedlings. It is a 

 well known fact that apples, peaches, cherries and some 

 other fruits will, when grown from seed, occasionally 



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