84 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



grace by some means, till an awakening- is sadly needed to teach 

 us that there i>! a wide difference in the gastronomical tenet which 

 embraces the trinity of bacon, bread and potatoes — so tenaciously 

 adhered to by many — and the new dispensation that has dawned 

 upon us in the advent of the gospel of dietetics, that embraces the 

 horticultural dogma of a fruit diet as tending to the develop- 

 ment of the christian virtues, through the medium of a good diges- 

 tion. 



Those who have been among our farmers need not be told that 

 the leaven of this new dispensation has scarcely any visible effect, 

 for how few make any provision whatever for a supply of the small 

 fruits for family use, other than what is procured by their wives 

 and children from the scanty supply afforded by the fields and pas- 

 tures. It is evident if farmers would add a few extra rods of land 

 to their gardens, and set the same to strawberry, raspberry and 

 blackberr3' plants, and let their wives and children spend a moiety 

 of the time in cultivating them (which they would cheerfully do) 

 which is lost in roaming the fields and pastures in quest of wild 

 berries, they would be greatly the gainers, to say nothing of weary 

 steps and torn clothes. 



To the mechanic, who lives in the suburbs of the city and ac- 

 complishes his ten hours of labor at the bench, anvil, or in the 

 factory, if he owns a few rods of land the cultivation of the small 

 fruits gives him better returns for his labor, aside from their die- 

 tetic value when used in his family, than anything to which he can 

 appropriate his land. And to such the labor bestowed is a recre- 

 ation, a diversion of the mind from the cares incident to the toil 

 of the shop and factor3\ There cannot well be a greater pleasure 

 than that which may be enjoyed by the tiller of the soil, in this 

 miniature field of operation. And the enjoyment one takes in 

 watching from day to day the progress of this little world of veg- 

 etation under his care, is no small consideration. 



When it is considered how easily most of these fruits are raised ; 

 how great the certainty of the crop ; how well they are adapted 

 to the smallest garden, and above all, the great hardiness of most 

 of them, it is certainly surprising that they have not received 

 more attention. Unlike the large fruits, they do not require a 

 great amount of room to grow, nor a long time to arrive at a bear- 

 ing age. Another consideration is their hardiness. The trying 

 nature of our northern climate often injures hundreds of our fruit 

 trees. From this cause our apple and pear trees often fail to pro- 



