1871 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



hobbies. They have in various ways declared that 

 the men who advocate the introduction of hardy 

 ("iron-elad") fruits into tlie Northwest, do so because 

 they have "axes to grind." Perhaps so. But let us 

 see who have the largest axes and wliieh are liable 

 to cut deepest into the i)0cliets of tlie people of the 

 Northwest. 



This same " Rural," while at Dixon last wintiT, 

 accepted and ate with apparent susto, Winter Sibe- 

 rian apples, as did also President Samuel Edwards 

 and a score of other gentlemen, who all attested to 

 their agreeable, edible qualities. Mr. Dunlap's (Ru- 

 ral's) only objection then was, (as politely given to 

 the writer,) that although "they might be quite 

 necessary at the North — but — we — (at Champaign) 

 in our section — we arc not interested (?) because \ve 

 can grow larger apples." [We particularly admire 

 the breadth and benevolence of Rural's horticultural 

 vision]. And yet in a lengthy article soon after- 

 wards, he declared that the "imijroved crabs were 

 of little or no value" — that he had "neyer yet seen an 

 edible crab(!) — that nurserymen who grow large 

 stocks of crab apple trees did so "not always for 

 fraud," but on account of a supposed demand in 

 the Northwest," but which would never be realized, 

 as "wherever Rivers and Railroads permeate,the b.'t- 

 ter fruits of other sections will follow to compete 

 with these crabs." Is it not easy to see the animus 

 of men who write thus for the organs of rnilroud 

 and sectional monopolies ? 



Dr. Hull also declared at Dixon that the Miner 

 Plum, and in eflect the whole tribe of Ohickasaw 

 and Wild Plums, were "not worth a single mo- 

 ment's notice." He has said .substantially the same 

 of all the Morello Cherries and other hardy north- 

 ern fruits, substituting therefor the application of 

 his pet system of root-pruning to varieties that will 

 never be valuable in that region, — a practice as 

 puerile as it will prove pernicious in our dry, deep- 

 freezing soils and depleting winds. 



In all these positions there is an ill-eoueealed ad- 

 mission that the "irou-clad.s"must be fought because 

 they are feared. And why are they feared? Is it 

 because these conscientious guardians of Northwest- 

 ern (?) interests wish to prevent the efteminate 

 Northmen from being humbugged by the nursery- 

 men who grow crab apples to supply "a supposed 

 demand?" (Very complimentary, indeed, to both 

 nurserymen and Northerners.) But why not leave 

 that to the natural course of trade and production ? 

 Rivers and Railroads have permeated to tlie region 

 of Minnesota ; but the jieople have not been cured 

 of their desire to grow fruit for home consumption. 

 Our best fruits "grown further south," and for 

 which. Dr. Hull says, the Northwest is "the natural 

 market," are constantly being shipped to St. Paul. 

 Yet they have failed to "compete" in price, in that 

 market, with that worthless "crab," the Transcend- 



ent, which can be grown there in large quantities. 

 Does this look like endin; the "suppo.sed demand?" 

 On the contrary, is it not evident that these narrow- 

 minded men fear that if the improved Siberians 

 (which cover the whole season of good winter-keep- 

 ing fruits) prove as successful as the Transcendent 

 has done in its season, that together and with other 

 h:irdy fruits, they will supply the wants of the 

 Northwest to such an extent that the grand monop- 

 olies of Railroads, Rivers, ami fruit sections South, 

 will cease to aftbrd them paying employment in 

 puffing them ? And the products of their own or- 

 chards, got at such great cost by "bugging," may 

 perhaps want a market. 



It is a disagreeable duty to attribute selfish mo- 

 tives to men in high positions, and were we 

 not warned by history and every day experience 

 that "public functionaries" need watching, we 

 might incline to spare these strictures. As 

 a nurseryman, engaged in growing improved 

 Siberian apjiles for all sections, (for we ex- 

 pect to see their merits yet recognized, even in 

 " Rural,s" district) we are impelled to make these 

 disclosures in our own defence. We admit no 

 "fraud" in originating and growing "crab apples 

 for the North," but, on the contrary, consider the 

 euc(mragement and approval of such men as Wilder 

 and Awarder, of Elliott, Saunders and Thomas, as a 

 direct and sufficient verdict in favor of the "great 

 national importance of improving the Siberian spe- 

 cies," and a most complete and' crushing veto of the 

 charges preferred by the hogtis pomologists whom 

 we have had occasion thus to expose. These charg- 

 es arc made against all Northern and Western 

 nurserymen, who arc thus arraigned for either 

 "fraud," or, ignorance of the demands of their re- 

 spective markets. We defer to their judgment as to 

 the facts we have stated and the manner we have 

 handled the subject. And especially do we ask the 

 fruit-growers and sturdy settlers of the Northwest- 

 ern States to form their own opinion of the se- 

 quences we have drawn as to who intends them the 

 most good, those who otfcr you new fruits for trial 

 according to the recognized rules which govern 

 honorable pomf)logis1s, or those who advise you to 

 depend upon Rivers, Railroads and distant States for 

 a supph- of one of the greatest nece.s.sities of J'our 

 civilization and comfort. 



We repeat it, that while fruit-growing for profit 

 may be a praiseworthy pursuit, there are other and 

 higher objects to be gained by the practice of horti- 

 culture, viz : The adornment of home and the eleva- 

 tion of the masses by that a'Sthetic culture which 

 the i)lautiug and. care of fruit trees alone can give to 

 a rural population. The Northwest has made great 

 sacrifices in the attempt to grow fruit, but no sacri- 

 fice can be so disastrous as that of settling down 

 into the apathy advised by the official horticulturists 

 of Illinois. And we say again with emphasis, that 

 the men who would liy false reasoning disparage 

 tlie capacities of a region for development in this 

 direction arc only worthy to be classed as horticul- 



