STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 40 



his other farm operations and make a little money ; he does not care 

 to follow it long and so he gives the subject no thought, no investi- 

 gation ; he goes to little or no outlay in preparation of soil, in 

 drainage, in dressing, in protection, or in transplanting and prun- 

 ing. What, then, is the natural consequence of this idea followed 

 out in this manner? Just what might have been expected I Fail- 

 ure, and failure of the worst kind ; because, not only the owner 

 himself is disappointed, but the public is disappointed and defrauded, 

 and damage of this sort cannot be rectified in a da^' or a month ; it 

 often takes 3ears to recover from the evil effects of setting poor 

 trees, and life is too short to make many such mistakes. 'Tis true, 

 a small house well ordered, is better than a large one badly managed ; 

 a little farm well tilled, is more to be desired than a great one sadly 

 neglected, and so, too, a small nursery well cultivated and well 

 pruned, is better than a large one half starved and half neglected i 

 but the trouble is, it is the little ones that are generally lialf starved 

 and neglected and it is perfectly natural that it should be so. How 

 can the farmer, engrossed with the cares of his farm and busily 

 engaged the greater part of the season in planting, hoeing, haying 

 and harvesting, attend to the wants of the nursery properly? He 

 cannot. Tiie attention which he does give is usually a hap-hazard, 

 go-between one and the results are generally after the hap-hazard 

 style. Ordinarily speaking, then, it is impossible for the farmer to 

 enter into and conduct the nurserj' business in such a manner as to 

 attain and receive the best results. I am not speaking against the 

 farmer or orchardist raising his own trees, not at all ; he can do so 

 if he has the time and inclination, and I should also add, the deter- 

 mination, for it does require pluck and perseverance to raise a good 

 tree. 



Well, what then? Shall we give the whole thing up? Oh, no! 

 The case is just here — the majorit3' of farmers and fruit men prefer 

 to buj' their trees rather than to raise them. Again, as a rule, that 

 business is the most successful which is conducted on business prin- 

 ciples, and who so likely to do tiiis as those who have the means and 

 the opportunity, and where every department is thoroughh- under- 

 stood and equipped? The interest in the fruit business is increasing 

 every year and the demand for trees is increasing in like proportion. 

 I am, therefore, in favor of Maine raising her own trees, if it can 

 be done, and of spending our money in our own State, rather than 



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