October 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



135 



er, oue variety of apples from another ; and 

 when they send to the grucery for a barrel, 

 they dnu't know a Pennoek from a Pippin, 

 a Demine from a Jojjallian, Ladies-Finger 

 from a Grindstone, a Sugar-loaf from a 

 Smoke-house. 



Hear one of our authors in a Botanical 

 Text Book, giving us the law of science : 

 "The downward direction of the root is 

 accounted for by the delicicy of its libers, 

 which cause them to shun tlie liglit and air, 

 and also by the elfecls of gravitation which 

 they have not tlie Pu'ce to resist." Mrs. 

 Lincoln's Botiiny, 18.57, page 28. 

 • And yet if we spell the word cider with 

 an 8, we sliould be denounced as ignorant, 

 wlien the reader would readily underst-and 

 that we meant the juice of the apple. 

 Thanks to the God of creation. He has giv- 

 en us the fundamental laws, and they are 

 unalterable. Hence, if we find that our lit- 

 erary and scientific authors — authors of 

 words — have passed to us any of their laws 

 conflicting with the great coastitution gov- 

 ering all, we to-day, assume our right to 

 repeal and disoljey. 



They tell us that tlio spougioles — the 

 young, tender and very small rootlets— are 

 tlie feeders and providers of plant food for 

 the support and growth of the tree. Allow 

 me to deny this law for the very young ten- 

 der and growing rootlet, is tlie recipient of 

 plant food and nourisliment of the parent 

 tree, rather than the contributor. The 

 whole root is quite spongy and porous, ab- 

 sorbing moisture wherever the moist earth 

 comes in contact with its hark. 



Hence in transplanting a tree, we deprive 

 it of all its fibery rootlets (errtmeously called 

 spongioles. Mr. McAfee, the Illinois Botanist 

 says) but preserving a sufficient quantity 

 of larger roots, the tree lives and goes on 

 with its growth, simultaneously making 

 leaves and new roots. 



The seed is placed in the ground ; it ab 

 sorbs moisture through the pores of its bark ; 

 it hasuospongiole, but commences growing, 

 and where the seed lies is the axis of the tree, 

 sending its roots downward, and its top up- 

 ward. Centrifugal force sends the top up — 

 does it? This seed is a new generation, 

 formed in the womb of the flower; its life 

 and character then and there starting amidst 

 the fragrant and sweet air, the bright and 

 coloring.sunbeams, the solid substances of the 

 earth, its die is cast, it comes forth a new 

 variety, a living being. Can we not assist na- 

 ture in coloring new varieties of fruit, and 

 giving them desirable flavor? This tree is 

 destined by the laws of nature, to live on 

 through ages untold, with the care and care- 

 ful educated assistance of man, by grafting 

 and careing for its health, its age is renewed 

 ai;d its growth prolonged. 



To contemplate and study the life and 

 growth of a tree, is greater than the study of 

 words, and arranging them into sentences. 

 Where is the accumulated knowledge of the 

 world, that which has been gathered for 

 ages, that is able at this day U> teach us these 

 tilings? Truly this is an age of progress, 

 when men from the plow, the hoe, tlie pru 

 ning-hook, and the basket, dare arraign the 

 teachers of the world for not having taught 

 us the useful things of every day life, teach- 

 ing us for years to study words — mere non- 

 sense of the tongue. 



Do not misunderstand me. To b° proper- 

 ly educated in words is a refiner of charac- 

 ter. " Words fitly spoken are like apples of 

 gold." Our eduaitiou has been wrongly 

 balanced, I was only trying to right the 

 ship. 



But we are pleased to see that very many 

 of our literary coUiges are providing a 

 professorship of Agricultural and otlier na- 

 tural sciences. And of course there will be 

 farther improvement in this direction to 



meet the public demand, so fast as they are 

 reminded of the necessity. 



As to the business of this meeting it would 

 be well for us to first re.solve whether we will 

 sustain this Horticultural Society. If not, 

 we may as well shake hands and go home ; 

 but if "we are to sustain it for the good of the 

 cause and the country, then let us not half 

 do it, but have our annual Meeting, and have 

 a good one— a social, good time, — renew old 

 acquaintances and form new ones, — in the 

 interim, while at hcnnc, gather many new 

 and valualile facts and experiences, and 

 bring them together, making a very large 

 and valuable collection. 



For the Western Pomologist. 



Model Crops of Fruit. 



Who that attentively reads the journals, 

 periodicals and newspapers of the day, can 

 have failed to notice the numerous, almost 

 incredible stories of immense crops and'pro- 

 duction of fruits, etc., of one variety or an- 

 other; as having been produced by some 

 amateur, or extensive, experienced cultiva- 

 tor. 



And always in connection are 'words of 



inducement for others to start in the same 

 enterprise ; usually embracing some rose- 

 tinted account of the ease and certainty with 

 which such a crop, or such variety of fruit 

 is produced. Such stories once started, usu- 

 ally go the rounds of newspaperdom, and as 

 a general thing do not lose anything of their 

 attractiveness by passing through numerous 

 hands, — type setters, proof readers, etc. The 

 credulous and uninitiated swallow the whole, 

 and so universal is the love of gain implanted 

 in the human breast, that a great number be- 

 come impatient to imitate. 



That there are instances of such extraor- 

 dinary success there can be no doubt, for 

 the witnesses and testimony is altogether too 

 strong to be refuted ; but by their publica- 

 tion only oue side of the question is exhibit- 

 ed, and that, the bright side ; were the other 

 side, which seldom or never is made public, 

 published alongside, less harm would be 

 done, or rather less excitement would be cre- 

 ated or disappointment met with. Instead 

 of this w'e are all too impatient to publish 

 good news and success instead of relating 

 our, or our neighbors non-success or failures ; 

 whereas, did we but as faithfully relate these, 

 giving culture and probable, or theoretical 

 causes, much more important lessons might 

 be learned, and the honored art of Horticul- 

 ture be advanced while its science would be 



greallj"- aided. 

 Mankind are so constituted that the honor 



of excelling all others in gain, seems to be 

 almost universal. These gains may be in one 

 form or another — in growing fruit, it is in 

 obtaining the largest crops and selling for 

 the mo.st money, and thus realizing the great- 

 est profit ; certainl_v a very honorable desire 

 or (competition ; but few, compared with the 

 whole, are there who are willing to work for 

 the mere sake of advancing their art ; yet 

 we find some who are more so than others 

 and these are they who most freely tell us of 

 their want of success in any given line. 



Wliere we find reports of extraordinary sue 

 cess, with any oue given variety of fruit, for 

 one season, there are extraordinary circum- 

 stances attending its production, and such 

 success is seldom constant or reliable ; sea- 

 sons vary, insect and other enemies are in- 

 constant — one year destroying the greater 

 part of the crop, while at others doing but 

 very little or no injury. But setting aside 

 these variations there are other and greater 

 reasons operating to show us wliy there is 

 so great difTerence in the successes of indi- 

 viduals occupying similar soils, in the same 

 climate and locality. 



Seldom do we find twoiieighbors, living 

 and improving laud side by side, that will 

 succeed equally well with the same, or simi- 

 lar crops ; much less so where they reside 

 in widely different localities ; the reason is, 

 they do not have the same tastes or adapt- 

 edness, for it is an established fact that suc- 

 cess in any given undertaking depends, all 

 other things being equal, upon peculiar 

 adai)tedness of the workman, a love for his 

 pursuits. A man may succeed in producing 

 model crops of fruit and yet be unsuccessful 

 for the want of some little essential in dispo- 

 sing of, or marketing them ; for often-times 

 as much depends upon marketing properly 

 as upon producing, in order to meet success. 

 Two neighbors will produce equally good 

 fruit — say a crop of strawberries ; one will 

 market his so as to realize 15 cents per quart 

 above expenses, while the other will only 

 realize 5 or 6 cents per quart. Now why 

 this Idifference on equally good fruit ? In 

 the first place A. selects his commission mer- 

 chant in advance, arranges as to commission, 

 etc., and when his fruit is ripe it is carefully 

 picked and as carefully assorted, put in neat, 

 clean boxes and crates, correctly marked, 

 and as carefully shipped— no facing or other 

 like deception is resorted to, but all is above 

 board ; he notifies his consignee regularly, 

 and his fruit arrives at its destination 

 as advised. B., on the contrary, is less par- 

 ticular in assorting his fruit and in forward- 

 ing in neat boxes, crates, etc., and his fruit 

 goes forward less regularly, and when receiv- 

 ed it is less attractive and the merchant can 

 only sell it as a 3d, or 4th quality of fruit- 

 Other cases might be illustrated, but enough 

 are here introduced to show the thoughtful 

 why all may not succeed alike in fruit cul- 

 ture. I shall be sorry if anything here 

 brought forward or inferred .shall deter any 

 one from entering upou the culture of fruit ; 

 but that in so doing they may do it more un- 

 dcrstandiugly, not to be disappointed if they 

 do not succeed in obtaining model crops. 



Hartford Co., Conn .. W. H. W. 



Noted Fruit Region. — It is said that in 

 the immediate vacinityof St. Joseph MiehiJ 

 gan, there are 409.048 fruit trees, covering 

 3,710 acres. In the year 18G9 the fruit trade 

 brought to the fruit growers of that region 

 the liandsome sum of fG84,000 for what was 

 shipped away by vessels, and $20,000 for that 

 taken away by wagons. 



