Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-03-30

YOU the twenty-five dollars, III sell
YOU that amount Of fruit from those
things for which | paid the twenty
FIVE dollars, in FIVE years
Done I'll stand you so your
trees will cost you fifty dollars sure,
in money, besides the time thrown a.
way in setting them out, or taking
care Of them
AS for the time spent in setting
them out, or taking care ofthem, IT IS
as good exercise as playing ball, wick
ct or any thing else. While we we're
setting them out, one OF your boys
came 10 get my boys to 60 over to
Mr.. Moody's where he said there
was to be a great time playing ball !;
and have no doubt your boys spend
just as much time playing, as mine
do with our trees and so forth and
then something is done, but in play
ing, the strength is all laid out for
nothing
We'll, it don't cost anything TO
play ball, but trees cost NOR
The foregoing conversation occur
red in the shop between Two neigh
bors, both boot-makers in town not
more than thirty miles from Boston.
Mr.. Briggs, in whose shop the
conversation took place, was man
Of more than ordinary intelligence
for one of his advantages aud cir
cumstances IN life. lie had been a
poor boy, aud by industry, observa-
ton and economy, had worked his
way on in life and reared and well
educated a family of children, who,
like himself, were industrious and
steady. For the few years past, he
had become interested in horticul-
iure, and both for exercise and a.
had turned his attention
to cultlvating his 'one acre farm. -
His attention was first called to this,
by means of back number of the
New England Farmer which was put
round some things bought at the
store. MIR. Briggs found this so IN
lcresting, that he purchased another
At the periodical depot, and then he
became a regular subscriber. His
sons soon became interested in the
same direction, and the interest Of
the father and sons increased TO the
pitch indicated in the foregoing COLI
,ersaiIon.
In time, overv inch of that acre of
ground was brought under the spade,
and almost every best variety of
fruit had place there, and the faith
er and sons found pleasure aud pro-
fit in The garden after being cooped
up in the shop till the 'slenl' was
done, and the exercise was far more
profitable than the spasmodic yio-
lent exercise taken in games.
Mr.. Chapman, The other neighbor,
was man Of common sense He
ooked upon everything new and IN
common as folly and nonsense,
aud was ready to sneer at every one
who stepped aside from the common
Track. II looked simply silly TO him
10 see man stay at home from
muster, or training, or shows,
md spend his time in cultivating
gardens: or, instead OF lettering a
way the evening at the store, smok-
ng, or hearing or telling deal of
or worse, to spend the eve
ming at home, reading such mon
sense as the Farmer and Horticul-
turist affords.
Years pass, and Mr.. Briggs zone
acre farm shows that he ard his
boys have not read Ihe papers in
vain. They have learned how to
set out tree and how 10 take
care of it after j, was set out Ev-
erything showed it received the right
kind OF food and care, and straight
way began TO bring forth fruit NEE,
for good cultivation. In a short time
the wants Of the family were more
than supplied, and the surplus found
ready market with the neighoors
at good prices.
Those early apples, so rich and
tempting, when all other apples were
so green and hard and then such
pears they went as fast as the sun
and house could ripen them, at three,
four, and five cents piece. Then
such rich, ripe grapes-too tempting
for the coldes, to pass without wa
tering mouth. Mr. Chapman's lami-
ly were among their best custom
ers for the tempting frui,--frst hav-
ing learned their excellence by the
liberaliy OF Mr.. Briggs, who never
failed TO send specimen of his best
to his neighbor
The fifth season came. II was
fruitful year. Apple, pear peach,
plum, and all other trees were load
ed with fruit. Keeping in mind his
conversation with Mr.. Chapman, Mr..
Briggs had directed his family to set
down every cents worth of fruit sold
10 Mr. Chapman or his family This
year, as it happened, was a year of
extreme hard times. The boot bu-
slness was al lis low ebb little work
and very low wages--and yet the
price of every kind OF provisions
was up TO The highest notch, and mo-
ney extremely tight.
But there was one family that did
not seem to be in the least affected
by the hard times, low prices of la
Dor, high prices of provisions, OF the
scarcity OF money Mr.. Briggs and
his Two Oldest sons all of them had