M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-10-20
Horticultural.
From thn Irontnn R.rister.

f.
pounded than answered. The ques-
ton used TO be, what are the best
sorts ofapplcs z taking it for granted
that the sort that excrlled in quality
was most desirable. Recently. how
ever, we chance to meet, occasionally,
with one whose experience has taught
him that variety may possess the
highest standard OF excellence and yet
be worthlcs5--or at least unworthy ota
place in an orchard destined Tor mar
ket purposes. In other words, there
is no money in hem.
Many complain Of being imposed
upon by INSCRIPTIONS nursery men;
that sorts most highly recommended,
often prove the most worthless. This
may be too true. But does the com.
planning purchaser once think where
the fault lies Z Not he. Well, lean
tell him. He goes to inexperienced
nnrsery men for trees, probably be-
cause they sell a cent or two lower
than the man who has the very thing
that he wants. The nursery man may
be perfectly honcst.-he recommends
sorts that every frGit book in the Uni.
ted States recommends. Indeed, he
may have had extensive experience
in the nursery business; hut none in
fruit growing. | must confess, to my
shame, that ! have sold thousands OF
trees, Of sorts that were perfectly
worthless, so far as prof was concern.
ed, in this climate. And, pray, why
did l do sol Simply because every
authority on the sn'ject said they were
the very best; and | lacked practical
experience in iruit growing to teach
me better. And this was nj all. 90
That fell destroyer, bttcr-rot, came
upon us unexpectedly y. AMI unheard Of
in any other part Of the world, and
rendered worthless a huddrcd sorts
that would have been valuable This
scourge made its first appearance long
after | commenced the truit.growing
and nursery business. Coming on
gradually, as it did, and attacking sort
after sort, it required years OF expert.
ence to ascertain what sorts would
best resist lis peraiciOus effects.
But, says )ne,-aud so say hundreds
and thousands oil t.,e-plautcrs l or
der my trees from the North, or from
the East, fr,M men Of unlimited expe
rience in fruit growing. Exactly 50
But those Northern aud Eastern gen
tlemen, with all Of their admitted cX.
perience and intelligence, know ne
more in regard to what varieties. are
bestadapted to our soil and climate,
than we know about the culture ottho
tea plant in China.
And this is not all. Eastern nnr
sery.men, ! believe, universally re.
serve the right, in their advertise.
ments, ofmaking their own selection,
and filling orders with just such sorts
as best suits their own convenience.
For instance, You order a thousand
trees each, Of Rome Beauties, Ben
Davis and Smiths Cider. They have
neither Of those sorts; but your order
will be filled, and no mistake, and all
OH the square. at that, and no cause
for complaint, Notwithstanding three.
fOmths, or more likely niue-tenths ol
your lot 5000 trees prove worthless
in this climate. And permit me, Sc.
riously, to ask, how much better is it
here in our State, and in the States
possessing similar soil and climate
am almost constantly receiving ad.
vertisements and descriptive cata.
logues, from nursery.men, and timer.
ant tree vendors, every one Of which,
without a solitary exception, recon-
mend numerous sorts. as the very best,
that are totally unworthy Of a p ace in
an orchard destined for profitable mar.
ket purposes--and, indeed, unworthy
Of place anywhere-as we have 9th.
er sorts, equally good, in every respect,
and much more productive and profit.
able.
1t is but a few years since the prin.
cipal object in planting Iruit trees, was
for home consumption, or in other
words, for domestic use. A selection
Of sorts possessing the highest degree
of excellence, with little or no regard
to profit, was all that was cared for,
Not so now. Instead Of planting 10
90 or 80 trees, we plant by hundreds
and by thousands, with a single eyl
to the main chance--that is, to realiz,
the greatest amount, in dollars anc
cents, from a given quantity Of land
And in order to accomplish this, w
must discard largo majority Of tn,
old standard varieties. and subStltut,
sorts that many years experience prove
to be- we'll adapted to the soil and eli
mate in which they are to grow.
] have frequently been greatly
amused to see" Young America stick
ing ont on new.beginncrs in the nur
sery and fruit growing business
Scarcely have the pin-teathcrs covered
the back and the margin oithe wings
before they not only know it all, bu