The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-02-05
REPORT ON FRUIT.

Mr.. President and Gentlemen of The So
cicty Your Committee on Fruit have re-
qucsted me as their chairman and in their
behalf, to make you a Report, in the hope
that through your influence the attention OF
the community may be more eilectually
turned to this branch of business.
In cheerful wandering let us tread the maze
OF Autumn, unconfncd and taste, revived,
The breath cf orchard big with bending fruit"
Enjoying new and unsurpassed advanta-
res for communicating with a market at the
South, and expecting equal facilities in
short time for communicating with another
market at the North, the Committee suppose
il highly important, that the Agrcuturists
Of the County should cultivate some fruits
as matter Of interest, and others as ad-
ding, with very little trouble or expense,
vast amount to our innocent qualification and
even to our health. kcndrick says that the
cultivation Of fruit is favorable, both to health
and morals. lie quotes from high medical
authority, as follows: " One of the bes. ali
menis and the most appropriate to the DIFF
earent ages CT life, s tha, which fruit affords.
They presen, to man light nourishment CT
easy digestion, and produce chyle admira-
bly, adapted to the functions oi the human
body" lie says, The friends of temper
ance, who would abolish the use of these
" tobacco alcohol" c,c. must encourage
the cultivation Of fruits, as the healthy anti
dute aud useful substitute Goodrich says,
",he youth, who is a practical horliculur-
st, is never fonrd prowling in gardens and
orchards, and becoming beth thief and Il
poacher' low often cur miGde.aged men
neglect to plant cut frnit trees because they
may not enjoy The result Of their laoors. An
ancctote from 5. w. Cole may be in point,
though hope no on Will feel bound to iol-
low tic example OF the grandfather. lie
says, "a certain farmer would not plant an
orchard, thinking he should not live to eat
th3 frlit. His son had Tie same views But
the erat son planted FOR loaerly, yet his
predecessors shared in the fruit also, for the
grandfather drank hosshaads of lie cider"
Having very little prsciica experience on
this subject, except in respect to grapes,
haze he.;la,od in regard to obtr.ling any
opinions on your Society, though the Com
tot,ce have offered ms all The sii in their
rover. But there are cases. where persons
l4ey venture 70 speak, though they derive
their information from others. Patient re-
search and extensive examinations on some
subjects invest persons with more claim TO be
beard, than any ordinary share Of cbse!va-
ton Some men, who were never within ter
thousand r..les Of the "celostial empire"
might give = geographical description Of
China, more accrrato than others whose bust
nc had called them to every part CT the
country. If an extensive correspondence on
this subject-an examination Of the most re.
liable works including the full and descrip |
tive catalogues Of the Highlands and Flush |
ing gardens, and tic Reports Of the State |
Pomological Societies to the Pathological /
NOHes S9si " ~ li-S NO4ht,S "Ai icSOLHL4NHtl.-
tons Of the Congress-and d laborious con-
sgltatoa of the fruit growers in the County,
including the Presilent Of the Vermont Ior-
t.cal,u:al Society, whose experience on this
Jet is highly ya.aatle, put a person in
possession OF facts that may be benefcally
related, then perhaps may be pardored for
with the request of tie Conmlt-
tee. ThrousA tie Aialness Of those, who
urged re to write, ali others, have teen
placed in a condition, as respects winter Ap-
pies especially y--mrch the most Important
part Of ;ie concern-ycry extensively to
lcrive aid in Judging, iroll tho palate, as well
as from books and coansellors.
a few genera! remarks may be useful be
ore 'rawing your attention to the fruits to
DC cultivated. 1t 10 a question whether the
pee.a,ors at your " Fairs 50 should be per-
niue1 to enter the apartment Of fruit, till
he Committee have made their exanna.
ions. There IS not in some Ler-cns that del
caey, which refuses to infringe en- the prov
nee o., justice and propriciy. At the last .
Fair some fruits were not Only touched
si.b the finger, bat so applied to the mouth !
hat they were missing before he Committee +,
ad an opportunity to see them. The plans
ha. were offered for n premium, as appeared +,
= the record of the Secretary delivered 20
he Committee, were all disposed of before
ny Of tie Committee saw ore of them. One
the Committee says, grapes were offered
y two or three gentlemen, which had van
he'd, lsaviag only few stems, before the >, ;,
ommiilee came round to them. Some, u
no exhibited fruit in fine condition, ap- /
cared to be rather annoyed by the manner '
which few Of the spectators fumbled it
ooui, by fingers that appeared not to have =
zen purified for week. y
Tho premium for a nursery ought not 10 ;, -
= bestowed for the greatest number of trees,
At for the nurserI that can furnish, in kind ''
I'd quantity, the most of what is needed in u
c county. The nursery man asking for s'
emium should report in detail or some Of o'
c Committee should visit ;he nursery and
port on its capacity and excellence TO his
sociates. Our nursery men should be en- pc
uraged TO elafl on stocks of their own rails az
:, or of this vicinity, as being more GER be
nly adapted to our climate. All who cul- st,
ate fruit will doubtless find it ultimately Re
their interest 10 purchase at nurseries in gr
. County or vicinity. As a general rule tn
'es ought to be raised in the climaoe where ell.
y are to be frnied, and they suffer less so