1867. 



N^W ENGLAND FARMER. 



78 



they be printed or uniform in their hinf:i;niipt(^ 

 Let every f'rit'nd of Ihe eiuiMe iniiucdiaU'ly 

 wrilc a ni^litiou and circiilale it anionjf his neij;h- 

 bors. Let liini >i;iv(^ a (hiy or more to canvas.s- 

 ing, and tlu'n pass it over (o sonu^ one who will 

 go on with it. Wait not lor loiui lists ol' sign- 

 ers. As soon as a limited neighboi'hood is 

 canvassed, send on the petition to Congress, 

 though it contains no more than twenty-live or 

 even a k'ss numlier oC names. 



To those who jirei'er not to draw up tlieir 

 own petitions, we present the following (brm, 

 whieh can l)e added to, or suhtiaeted Iroui, at 

 pleasure : — 



To the Congress of the United States : 



Tlic undersigned, rosidonts of tlio town of , 



County of , State of , woidd rcspec^t- 



fully represent to your lioiiorii-hic- body that wo be- 

 hove tliat the tarilf bill agreed upon by tlio Joint 

 Conmdtfeo of Wool Growers iiiul Maiuitiu'turers, 

 and which passed the House of Representatives at 

 its last session, was fair towards all other interests 

 and aifortled no more than Just and equal i)rote('- 

 tion to the woolen interests of the country, and 

 that wo therefore pray for its iuuueiliato passage 

 into a law. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BUYING TREES.— NO. 1. 



As the season is at hand wh(>n (arrners an^ in 

 the habit of laying their plans (or the spring 

 planting, — and as a large amount of mn-sery 

 stock is likely to be contracted for during the 

 eoming three months, it may not be us(dess to 

 give some thought to a matter of so nuieh im- 

 portaru'e as the purchaser of trees. 'J'here is no 

 other j)urchas(^ involving the same amount of 

 money which alfects so materially the attract- 

 iveness and profit of the farm. A wise sc^lec- 

 tion of I'ruit trees — if properly set and cared 

 for — will increase the vahu'of tlu^ farm greatly 

 beyond the expense incurred at the outset, (hi 

 the other hand, a stock of ])uny scrubs, pi-o- 

 dueing second and third rate fruit, is the great- 

 est moth a farm can be cursed with. 



A stock of inferior animals will ruin a farmer 

 if he jK^i'sists in keeping them, but theses can be 

 turned over to the butcher with ])ro(it, while 

 the cumbersome trees, even for liud, are hard- 

 ly worth the, cutting. 



Dealers in trees are divided into two classes, 

 viz : 'I'ravcUing and Local. 



Uy the (irst class those are understood who 

 go from house to house soliciting orders in be- 

 half o( largt' nurseries at a distances from us. 



Sonu^ of these are regularly appointed agents 

 of responsible mirserynu-n, while others, al- 

 though professing to be. such, and carrying the 

 catalogues of Avell-known houst^s, take ordc^r's 

 upon their own responsibility, and purchase 

 their stock where it can be obtained for the 

 least money. It is from the operations of this 

 latter class that has arisen a general [)rejudice 

 against New York agents and New York treses. 



Although nmch may be said upon the com- 

 parative merits of East(irn and Western treses, 

 it. is not safe to infer — from the fact that much 



inferior stock has been distributed by imscru- 

 jmlous agents — that trees grown out of New 

 England are any less deserving than Ihose 

 grown heri'. There are many thrifty ])ear or- 

 chards scattered over our hills ami valleys, 

 which furnish conelusives evidences (hat these 

 trees may do well if properly set and eared 

 for. 



If one wants only a few 1re(>s, and is applied 

 to by an agent whom he knows personally as 

 an upright and fair dealing man, thoroughly 

 conversant with (lus subject of fruit growing, 

 and especially, (iuuiliar with the suceesss of dif- 

 ferent sorts Ml ihi.'. particular locality in (Ques- 

 tion, ([uitc! possibly (his may be the best way 

 to purchases. In point of time, at least, it is 

 ge)od ucone)my. 



But imieh evil has re'sidtenl from (he systom 

 of canvassing, whie'h has be-e'ii extensively ear- 

 rie'd on eluringthe past te'u years. 



Wherever an age'ut, has l)ee'n lae'king either in 

 he)nesty or kne)wleelges of tlies business the peo- 

 ple haves suffeie'd. And it nuist be aehmtted 

 that many haves e'ligagesd in the business 

 who had ne) e)lhe'r e|ualificatie)ns than a smooth 

 tongues anel an indomitable energy, not to say 

 impuele'iie-e. 



l{y thes aid of e-h'gant paintings, they have 

 worked up (lie'ir auditors te) a pite-h of enthusi- 

 asm whie'h has insure'd larges orders. Trees 

 haves be'e'ii se)lel (o (hoses whe) had not ground 

 suitably pre'])areel for planting, and to those 

 who had neutlu'r time' or inclination to give 

 them that atte'utive e-ultivation which alone will 

 ensures snese'css. Thousands of young trees 

 may bes seen in tins h^astesrn part of this State 

 struggling (or a (ce'ble existeaie'e', e'hoke'el with 

 grass and briars anel l)rokesn de)vvn by cattle, 

 whie-h only ne-ede'd pre)pe'r cai'es to have been 

 a sources of jirides and ])re)(lt (o their owners, 

 ins(e'ael e)f a re'j)re)a<'h anel a waste. 



J*aintings of ('rui(., if fai(h("ully drawn, are 

 not to be eles])ise'el, lor (hey give the iioviesc a 

 more esorree-t idesa of (brm, size and color, than 

 can be; obtaineel in any other way, exese'pt by 

 thes e'xaminatie)n e)f actual six'e'ime'us. But it 

 will not do to forgest that if fliilhCully drawn — 

 and the te-mptation to esxaggei'ate size and 

 vary e'olors so as to make trees sesll is rather 

 dangerous, — thesy re'pre'sent only (lies most per- 

 fee't modeds of the'ir edass, and (hat in an or- 

 e'hard pre)elue'ing large' (|uantilies e)f varieties 

 re'pre'se'ute'd, it is rathe'r probable that there 

 will be' seimes inferior s])ccimcns. Again, size, 

 fbi'iu and e'olor, allheiugh imporlaut as gre-afly 

 aU'ee-dug the sales of friut, are by iiei im-aiis the 

 only (jualities (o be couside'icd in making a 

 sele'e'(ie)n eif seirts for an orchard. 



For if a pe-ar is (ines-graine'el, rieh and melt- 

 ing, it will se-ll, likes (he See-kel, in spite of 

 Ibrm, size e)r eeilor. Thes projiesnsity tei keep, 

 (he proehu'tive'ness of thes trees anel its vigorous 

 growth, must be' e'arefully consideresel before 

 decieling wlu'the'r it is a profitable sort to grow. 



'J'lies age'ut will bes likely to reeseimmend rapid 

 growing sorts, for he, of course, understands 



