1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



225 



(isallanious. 



Aiuonc the Orcbards. 



Witliin thu last moiitli, in company with Mr. James 

 Smith anil Rev. J. A. Na.sh, we have spent some 

 time in visiting some of the principal orchards 

 within a radius of ten miles fnmi tliis city. And 

 to them are we indebted for interesting reminicen- 

 ces of the early days — the trials and progress ol 

 frnit growing in Central Iowa, and in Polk County 

 in particular. What a revolution has come over 

 this scope of territory within the memory, and un- 

 der the eye of these two old and honored residents 

 of Des Moines ! Twenty-two years ago there were 

 within this named area, but one small orchard of a 

 few seedling apple tnes, and one of like dimen- 

 sions of grafted fruit. Of the former, not a tree 

 now stands to commemorate it, and of the latter, 

 but one or two. 



In place of the broad expanse of prairie and wood- 

 land of that day, with its stillness unbroken by 

 aught save the whoop of the primitive lord of the 

 soil, or the yelp of the wolf, the hum of civiliza- 

 tion now fills the ear, and we walk over beautiful 

 farms and amid Pomona's richest gifts. We see on 

 all sides fruit trees bowing down in humble submis- 

 sion to their precious burdens, and from which may 

 be gathered the representatives of almost every va- 

 riety of the apple worthy of note, grown within 

 the length and breadth of this vast country ! ! 



As we walked through the orchards with their 

 branches resting upon the groond under their im- 

 mense burdens of the choicest apples we have ever 

 looked upon, we were more deeply impressed than 

 ever before with the fact of the beneficial results of 

 one man's labor in a new country. Twenty-three 

 years ago, when Central Iowa was mostly in its 

 primitive state, hundreds of miles from railroad, 

 Mr. Smith found his waj' to this place from old 

 " Kaintuck," and stuck his stake on the very spot 

 where he now resides, and commenced a nursery. 

 He believed " that what everybody said ?«ts not 

 true." " You cannot raise fruit in Iowa," was on 

 every tongue. He went patiently to work and 

 started his nursery. Introduced a large number of 

 the best known varieties of the apple, tested their 

 adaptation to our soil and climate, rejected the un- 

 reliable, and tried new ones. He sold the best of 

 trees to farmers at a very low price, visited the 

 young orchard growers, encouraged them to hope, 

 tiiught them how to care for their trees — and in a 

 most practical manner, by cultivating and rearing 

 upon his own grounds one of the finest young or- 

 chards ever seen in any State, demonstrated the 

 fact that both fruit trees and fruit could be raised 

 in Central Iowa. 



The jealous interest that Mr. Smith has ever felt 

 in keeping up a correct nomenclature of the apple 

 is worthy of special remark. In later years, when 

 other nurserymen can e into the country, the same 

 anxious care that their stock mi^'ht be true to name 

 manifested itself Always ready to give a helping 

 hand or information when and wherever needed, re- 

 joicing to see a land, made so fair by the hand of na- 

 ture, clothed with trees and fruit. And now, with 

 eye undimmed, and natural force unabated, he 

 walks among these trophies rising from over a 

 score of years of labor and sacrifices as enthusias- 

 tic a pomologist as ever. 



Sometimes monuments are reared over the tombs 

 of public benefactors, but the proudest monument 

 we have seen is that reared in the countless or- 

 chards loaded with fruit, now seen in Central Iowa, 

 and on that monument is written in ineffaceable 

 characters the name of Polk County's first and best 

 nurseryman — the name of James Smith. 



Our first call was at the cozy home of Dr. D. V. 

 Cole, two miles south ot the city, who showed us 

 through his orchard of about two hundred trees, 

 fourteen years set. For some years past this or- 

 chard has fruited liberally, and promises well for 

 the future. 



To the southwest a mile or two we come to the 

 orchard of J. H. Given — a younger orchard of four 

 or five acres, showing a fine crop of fruit. Here 

 we found for the first time, the Chenango Straw- 

 berry, an apple of exquisite beauty and the tree a 

 model of perfection. This apple is highly admired 

 by all who see it. Shall illustrate and describe it at 

 another time. 



Our next call was upon Mr. L T. Filson, three 

 miles to the south-west. Mr. Filson purchased this 

 place a few years since, with the orchard well un- 

 der way, and knew but little of its early history. 

 It embraces some six to eight acres, and shows evi- 

 dence of good care and skillful management. 



Thanking Mr. Filson for kind attentions, our 

 course was from thence eastward three miles to the 

 large farm and orchards of Mr. H. C. Hargis, where 

 we were made the recipients of the generous and 

 proverbial hospitality of his household. The inner 

 man being duly cared for in the adjustment of a 

 good dinner, such as is found only at the table of a 

 well regulated farmer's house, we went out under 

 the pilotage of our host to feast the eye. Mr. H.'s 

 main orchard numbers about one thousand trees. 



HOW THIS ORCHAKD WAS MADE. 



As this orchard is one of the very best in the 

 State of its size, and its commencement rather nov- 

 el, we will say a few words of its early history 

 and growth. The ground was set to apple root 

 grafts fifteen years ago last spring by Mr. James 

 Smith. At the same time he laid the foundation of 



