576 
STATE HOKTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
FEUITS m SHEBOYGAN COUNTY. 
BY J. B. EICHAKDSON, SHEBOYGAN FALLS. 
* * " I have been engaged in the nursery business in this county since 
the year 1855. In the spring of 1855, I planted a stock of some seven acres, 
mostly eastern varieties, brought here from eastern New York. You undoubt¬ 
edly know the result. I have found that eastern nurserymen’s experience is 
of but little value here, except the system of propagation. We now have an 
entire new list of varieties, with a few exceptions. The eastern tree trade 
is about played out in this locality. The agents they send here have very 
poor instructions, in regard to varieties, and we have been imposed upon in 
that particular. Not that alone, but they deliver their trees too late in au¬ 
tumn, and too late in spring. Another of their impositions has been in 
sending such varieties as are not adapted to this soil and climate ; and many 
of them worthless. They generally send us their surplus kinds, such as do 
not sell readily in the eastern market. 
In every orchard that I have visited, this and other seasons, I find some 
few varieties of the eastern trees, that are doing well, that is they look 
healthy, but do not fruit early. I find the Golden Russet, Northern Spy, 
Tallman’s Sweet, Rawles’ Janet and Red Astrachan. These varieties are 
land-marks in most of the faded out orchards, whether cultivated or not. 
They stand, saying to their owner, “ if you will use us well, we will produce 
fruit,” But the worst feature is, the farmer does not know what they are. 
Not one in fifty has a record of his planting, so he cannot profit by his expe¬ 
rience. They seem to think, or do not know but that all varieties are equally 
good, if they are procured and planted in good order. Most of the farmers 
when they come to us for trees, will say, “we want good sized healthy trees 
but do not mention a word as to what varieties they want; hence the failure 
in a great degree has been through the agents selling them the kinds that 
they most wished to get rid of, and paying no regard to varieties suited to 
this country. They are both to blame, for not knowing or doing better. 
Still these same farmers, who have been duped for the eleventh time, say “we 
are to spend our days in Wisconsin, and we must raise fruit, and think we 
can, if we get at it right; and we are willing to try again, if you will furnish 
us good trees raised at home, but will not spend another dollar for that east¬ 
ern trash.” Then he will say, “ I have paid out lYO or $100 for them, and now 
see what I have left. There are only three or four trees.” 
If one should go to these men and ascertain the names of the kinds that 
